The way to Heaven is ascending;
we must be content to travel uphill,
though it be hard and tiresome,
and contrary to the natural bias of our flesh.
Jonathan Edwards
~ 2008 Goals ~
Family Goals
1. Purpose to be home more in 2008.
2. Love one another, prefer one another, be kind and tender-hearted to one another.
(Family Verse for 2008, Ephesians 4:32 "Be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, as God in Christ forgave you."ESV)
Personal Goals
(Revised from last year)
1. Read my Bible and pray every day possible.
(Growing in grace to do what I know I am called to do, pursue holiness,diligence.)
2. Seek out tangible ways to encourage others as often as possible.
3. Purpose and pray to eat only when I am hungry, stopping when I am full, not stuffed!
Oct. 30, 2008~ Thankful Thursday ~
Lord, I thank you for...
Another week with my husband. I love him so much. I appreciate his hard work.
Another week at home with my children. They are a blessing to me in so many ways.
Another week with my parents, grandparents, family I love. It is a joy to spend time with them.
Another week to serve You in Sunday School. The children are precious to you.
Another week of lovely fall weather. The cool air and colorful leaves are refreshing to my soul.
Another week of good health and strength to serve those I love. I pray for my sweet friends Pam and Beth who have struggled this week with cancer.
Another week of good preaching and teaching at my church. We are so blessed to have our new pastor and the elders to lead us.
Lord, thank you for not giving up on me despite my fickle heart. I am so easily distracted from pursuing you. Please forgive me.
Lord, thank you for music that feeds my soul. I love singing to you!
Lord, thank you for the change of seasons. I am looking forward to fall's glorious colors.
Lord, thank you for giving me the courage to tell someone I love that she is wrong for telling me things about her husband that she should only tell you. I am sorry it took me so long.
Lord, thank you for the whole of creation and its beauty.
Lord, thank you that you are incomprehensible.
Lord, thank you for the Sunday Schoolers we are getting to know. Help us to show your love to them. Help me to not grow weary in doing good.
Well, I sat down a few times today to write out my thankful list. I have so much on my heart to thank the Lord for, I don't want to miss the chance to do it publicly. Anyway, a full life is on the top!
Lord, I thank you for my full life and the desire to live it for your glory.
Lord, I thank you for the clothes I found this week for the kids at resale shops. I pray we find just what we need and that I do not go over board as I am known to do when it comes to deals.
Lord, I thank you for Elizabeth George and for her writings. I have been so inspired by her. (Just finished Life Management for Busy Women)
Lord, thank you for the lessons You taught me while on vacation. Help me to implement the changes I need to make in the way I view my time.
Lord, thank you for my home. Going away was nice, but coming home was best.
Lord, thank you for my family. I loved spending so much time with them on vacation.
Lord, thank you for Laura Ingalls Wilder's wise writings. I am so thankful that someone took the time to publish them.
Lord, thank you for Your Word.
Lord, thank you for the opportunity to serve You in Sunday school, which starts this Sunday. I am scared. It can be crazy with 60 kids in such a small space. Please help me do the good I know I ought to do and not run away from this work you've sent. I know it is from you. I'd be more afraid to run away from it.
Lord, thank you for the self-control I've received. I have lost nearly 20 pounds. Thank you!
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Now, here is a quote I wanted to share.
"As the years pass, I am coming more and more to understand that it is the common, everyday blessings of our common everyday lives for which we should be particularly grateful. They are the things that fill our lives with comfort and our hearts with gladness-just the pure air to breathe and the strength to breathe it; just warmth and shelter and home folks; just plain food that gives us strength; the bright sunshine on a cold day; and a cool breeze when the day is warm. "
Laura Ingalls Wilder
Little House in the Ozarks
So, Lord, I thank you for the common everyday blessings, too.
Lord, thank you for a new babysitting venture, just at the right time. Having a toddler for 4 hours will be a challenge to our school day, but, one I think we are capable of working through.
Lord, thank you for our upcoming vacation. I can't believe we will be packing up the van and on our way Sunday morning. I am so thankful for this family time and rest for my husband.
Lord, thank you for sustaining us this week. It's been a lean couple of weeks without babysitting money, but we've managed to survive.
Lord, thank you for the rain that is coming our way. There have only been two measurable rainfalls this month, which is not unusual for August. I miss the rain and the joy that comes knowing You are showering us with common grace.
Lord, thank you for my renewed health. Thank you that Trevor only seems to have a little cold. You know that I worry about these things right before a big vacation. Thank you that it is not worse.
Lord, thank you for the opportunity to serve you again in Sunday School. Thank you for providing workers. Thank you for the 60 kids we will teach each week. Please help me not be fearful of what seems like such a big job. It goes against my nature to be the one in charge. Thank you that I have my husband working along side of me. Forgive me when I grumble about 40 weeks being too long.
1 Praise the LORD!Praise the LORD, O my soul!
2I will praise the LORD as long as I live; I will sing praises to my God while I have my being.
3 Put not your trust in princes,
in a son of man, in whom there is no salvation. 4When his breath departs, he returns to the earth;
on that very day his plans perish.
5 Blessed is he whose help is the God of Jacob,
whose hope is in the LORD his God, 6 who made heaven and earth,
the sea, and all that is in them,
who keeps faith forever; 7 who executes justice for the oppressed,
who gives food to the hungry.
The LORD sets the prisoners free; 8 the LORD opens the eyes of the blind.
The LORD lifts up those who are bowed down;
the LORD loves the righteous. 9 The LORD watches over the sojourners;
he upholds the widow and the fatherless,
but the way of the wicked he brings to ruin.
10 The LORD will reign forever,
your God, O Zion, to all generations.
Praise the LORD!
This summer is almost over and I feel we've accomplished much. We are rested and ready to get back to our lessons, at leats I am. For this, I praise You.
Thank You for the 2 inches of much needed rain! I have not had to water the garden or flowers very much this summer. I know I keep mentioning the rain this summer, but after last year, I've learned not to take it for granted or grumble when the rain spoils an outdoor event.
Thank You for the opportunity to babysit this summer. It really helped make ends meet. I pray for future jobs to be as sweet.
I wish I did not let my happiness depend on my circumstances so much. One moment I am all a titter about not having as much babysitting money as I thought I would have, and the next moment I am sitting on my living room floor rejoicing over a basket full of clothes for my boys! Thank you for that blessing! Please help me remember that my happiness does not depend on my circumstances.
My weight went up a little this week, yet, I have to be thankful for this too. I cannot get to a healthy weight without You.
Thank You for the drop in gas prices. Thank You that we've broken our addiction to fast food. Those two things were budget busters for us. And it did not help my waistline either.
in him my heart trusts, and I am helped;
my heart exults,
and with my song I give thanks to him.
This week came the dreaded announcement of our family's bakery closing. Apparently, it was big news, making all the news reports and the paper. Even though we did not get the answer to prayer we were hoping for, I will praise You, my Lord and King. I know that Your ways are better than what I think is best for my family.
Thank You for the end of the 2 week stagnation with my weight loss efforts. Yippee! I even lost 2 pounds this week making up for the last two weeks. My 9 week total is 15 pounds.
Grace has had some accidents this week, more than usual. I am thankful that I know this will pass and it is probably related to her birthday. She has eaten birthday cake a lot this week. I need to make it a rule that we have cake for the event and toss it the next day. No one needs the cake, especially her. Thank You for this wisdom.
Thank You for the rain. I've not had to water my garden in weeks. Such a difference from last year.
Thank You for my dear husband. I am so proud of him. He's getting fit. He's making changes to eat healthier. He's such an encouragement to me.
Thank You for the opportunity to go to the True Women 08 conference in October with my mom. I am blown away at the thought of 3 days with her! What a blessing. It is hard for me to express how much this means to me. It is probably a once in a lifetime deal, like the time she and I went to Mackinac Island on a day trip. I'll cherish this trip with her.
Thank You for leading me to read Dr. Laura Schlessinger's book, The Proper Care and Feeding of Marriage. It was a great reminder to me that marriages take work, even good ones. I was also reminded that I can be selfish and that I need to continue to pray about being the wife You want me to be and then get to work!
Leviticus 20:26 says, "You must be holy because I, the LORD, am holy. I have set you apart from all other people to be my very own." This blog is my place to remember this journey I am on and God's goodness to me. I am glad you are here. Welcome.
