Visit the home of Thankful Thursday at Sting My Heart.

The theme of today's Thankful Thursday is love and I have definitely seen God's love demonstrated this week!

* I am so thankful for His protection ... my family, my home, our property, the possessions and belongings He has blessed us with.

* I am so thankful for the firefighters.  The ones I personally saw had great attitudes, worked hard, and were kind and friendly to everyone.  (Sadly, I cannot say the same for other emergency personnel.)

* I have been through disasters before (hurricanes and tropical storms).  I know they bring out the best and the worst in people.  I am thankful that for the most part I saw the best come out in my neighbors.  People banded together to help others get out of their homes and get their livestock evacuated.  You have to understand what a huge shock this was to me.  After the two hurricanes that hit us in 2004, the only times I saw people helping others out around me was those who were already friends.  The fires earlier this week proved so different.  (Those of you who have great relationships and friendships with your neighbors - you are truly blessed.  This is definitely one of the oddest places I have lived in that respect.  It's almost as if people already have their "quota" of friends and they don't let anyone else in.  We have lived in this home 4 years and don't really know any of our neighbors.)

A quick update for everyone: The reality of what happened finally hit me a couple of days ago and just overwhelmed me.  You have such a rush going while it's all happening that you really can't think straight and take in the magnitude of it all.  I am okay, but still a little shaky now and then.  The mercy and love of the Lord was definitely all around us.  The fires in my immediate area are up to 50% containment.  There are still hot spots all around that have the potential to flare up (some of the hot spots are specifically on my road).  The air quality continues to be horrible so going outside is being kept to a minimum (the kids are having the hardest time with this).  Mine and dh's eyes and throats have finally stopped stinging and burning.  We do have electricity.  The only time we were without was for just over 4 hours Monday evening.  A lot of areas are still without and aren't expected to have it until Friday night.  A good majority of those homes have well water which means without electric their well pumps won't work and they have no water.  I'm continuing to keep everything sitting by the front door in case I have to load my vehicle and evacuate again.  Please continue to keep Florida in your prayers.  The last I heard, there are wildfires burning in 11 different counties and new ones continue to spring up.  Keep the firefighters and other emergency personnel in your prayers.  They are exhausted.  Please continue to pray for the rain we so badly need.