Today I am grateful for...

~love...faith...and continually answered prayers

~a beautiful teenage daughter who helps willing around our home

~two sisters who play together and claim to be "best friends"

~a husband who diligently prepares our home for winter, he is the best!

~a Friday tea party with loving Grandparents.

~health!  We are all so healthy! Thank you Lord!

I am blessed!

Today I am grateful for~

~full days...filled with grace, love, hope and joy!  Many activities and lots of smiles.

~daughters with tender hearts.  Grace and Elizabeth came home from Awana's wanting to send their favorite stuffed animals in the Operation Christmas Child boxes.  They have a shopping list started for what to send. 

~faithfulness....a faithful God who always their to speak loving words to me.  A spouse that is faithful in so many ways.  Children that are faithful in their learning.  Parents who are faithful and taught me responsibility. 

~a warm home and warm bed...

I am blessed!

Continuing my 25 days of gratitude, with day number 3.

Today I am grateful and thankful for:

~answered prayer and His continue soft whispers in my life.

~praying with my sisters in Christ this afternoon, what a blessing.

~Jesus...He is the way! No matter what happens, He is watching over me.

~I don't have to worry or fear the date December 21, 2012!  If the Lord chooses or doesn't choose to return on that date, so be it, but I say Marantha! 

~a warm fire, made by my wonderful husband and a hot cup of tea to warm me up!

~Thank you!

Continuing with my 25 days of gratitude, this is day #2.

~for His Word, although sharper than a two-edged sword, is always there to provide guidance, comfort and peace in all circumstances.

~beautiful sunshine, bare trees and wind blowing

~big bear hugs from the man I love

~an afternoon nature walk with two of my sweet daughters

~family togetherness, these are sweet times.

~a full and complete day of school, the Lord blessed us with a lot of good learning! 

~helpful library workers, I get a lot of books each week and they were kind & generous today

~God's protection

Blessed beyond measure,

For the next twenty-five days I want to take time to be purposeful in being thankful.  Our world seems to push Thanksgiving to the side.  Christmas ads abounded in the newspaper today and the stores have been filled with Christmas since September.   But I want to take time each day between now and Thanksgiving, to express my gratitude.  The length and content of my list will vary, I am making no rules for myself on this one.


For today I am grateful.....

^His amazing Grace, Mercy and Love......inspite of myself God choose to rescue me from the depths of my sin.

^verses that has been clinging to my heart...."Then Jesus said to His disciples, "If anyone wishes to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow Me.  For whoever wishes to save his life shall lose it; but whoever loses his life for My sake shall find it.  For what will a man be profitited, if he gains the whole world, and forfeits his soul?  Matthew 16:24-26 

 ^For the grace extended to be my friends when I was discouraged by my error.

^For a beautiful, sunny fall day.

^An afternoon walk with my sweet Grace and wonderful husband.

^Family....a healthy family...both physically, emotionally and spiritually.

^A weekend "off" from the paying job, I am thankful for my job though...it is a gift!

^Daylight savings time....I love the fall time change!

^For two families from our church that are willing to give up the comfortable living of the USA, to reach those that have never heard.

^This next week...looking forward in anticipation.

May your days be filled with whispers of His love and grace,

Linda

Our homeschool year has been off to a great and productive start.  I have enjoyed our full and high-yielding days, the Lord has greatly blessed us!   I made major changes to areas of my life this fall and am enjoying the benefits.  Our Pastor began a series of messages in the late summer and early fall, with basis in these two books Don't Waste Your Life by John Piper and One-Month-to-Live-Thirty-Days-to-a-No-Regrets by Chris and Kerry Shook.   I was convicted of the need to serve the Lord and jumped into several ministry opportunities at our church.  We've been enjoying a full day at our Wednesday co-op and I am LOVING leading a Biology Co-op and Picturing America class.  I also have been blessed to be a part of the TOS Crew. 

To keep up with my home responsibilities, the activities that I am committed to, and work a job, I've been doing the proverbial "burning the candle at both ends".  I've been rising early and staying up late.  I have very few moments of "down" time and my lifestyle changes have provided me with enough energy to make it through each day.  But I've slowly been becoming weary, complaining has starting to overtake me, and strife was beginning to creep into our home.  "It is better to live in a corner of the roof, Than in a house shared with a contentious woman".  Proverbs 25:24.

All of these things I've been doing good and worthy things, but I've been gradually becoming more and more distracted.  I'd become her, "But Martha was distracted with all of her preparations;"  Luke 10:38.  I can so easily become Martha's kindred, joining with her in seeking the approval of God and man.  Needing to "feel" spiritual and productive in the Kingdom, but getting away from the things that are most necessary.  "but only a few things are necessary, really only one, for Mary has chosen the good part, which shall not be taken away from her."  Luke 10:42.   I hadn't opened my bible all week, my usual morning quiet time had been crowded with preparations for classwork.  I had stopped praying for others and instead shifted all my prayers to myself.  "Lord give me strength and patience",  had become a shouting prayer almost continually. 

Sadly, my patience were to short with my children, and far to many times I was yelling at them when it truly wasn't necessary.  I was constantly repenting for behaviors that were reactionary to situations that didn't warrant the use of such reactions. 

 My husband had grown quiet and we were hardly talking throughout the week.   I've watched marriages dissolve over the last two years and I'm continually praying that ours would be solidly built on the Rock.  Yet, I was doing nothing to build it. 

Friday, I finally realized what had to happen.  It wasn't easy, I enjoyed these things. But I knew that the Lord was calling me to build His kingdom, first within my own home.   Some obligations are a must and I'm sticking with those that are serving my husband and children.  I am praying for grace and patience from those I've had to tell that I can't be a part of their ministry.  I also have to begin saying "no" and not being concerned what other's may think if I say "no". 

I have dreams of serving the Lord in far and great places, but I know that He has called me to serve....Here and for now.  If He wills it, one day, He will give me the desires of my heart.  Until than I pray that I will stay steadfastly focused on the prize.

I feel the Lord calling me to take a rest from blogging for a bit.  I haven't blogged that much since we started our school year.  I've begun to get back into the habit of staying up later to blog and read blogs.  This leads to a mirade of poor choices. 

~~~in prayers and love your sister in Christ,

Linda