Thankful

Unto thee, O God, do we give thanks, unto thee do we give thanks: for that thy name is near thy wondrous works declare.Psalm 75:1-3

O give thanks unto the LORD; call upon his name: make known his deeds among the people.Psalm 105:1-3

Praise ye the LORD. O give thanks unto the LORD; for he is good: for his mercy endureth for ever.Psalm 106:1-3

During this Thanksgiving season, I have SO MUCH for which to be thankful.

For God's love that motivated Him to sacrifice His Precious Son for my sinful self. That dictated Him to FREELY give His most precious possession for my relationship to be restored to Him.

For the privilege of growing up in a nation where I could express my love for Him, and I pray weekly that this privilege will be preserved in our nation. I believe if EVERYONE who professes Christ would do more praying and less criticizing, regardless of "party preference," our leaders would do a much better job.

For being "borned" into my Mom's and Dad's family instead of some others I know about (:-)!

For the privilege of being raised in a Godly home by TWO Godly parents who taught us Godly values, not only in word, but in deed also. For the example of selflessness and generosity that they set before us. We were not materially rich, nor even comfortable sometimes. We learned to sacrifice some things in order to have some other, more important things. But we learned that we had enough to help someone who had less than we did. We learned that we could CHOOSE to be happy and enjoy the fellowship of others, or choose to be "pitiful" and cry alone.

For strong family ties. I don't know of anyone in our family who harbors any ill will or animosity toward another family member. We learned at an early age to "prefer our brother/sister." This day and age when we are bombarded from every media source to satisfy ME, that seems remarkable.

For 40 "glorious" (:-) years of marriage to the same man (some more glorious than others); a man who has loved me unconditionally, in spite of my warts (and I have had a few!). For his generous provision for our family (and a few others along the way). For his patience--literally, I have NEVER heard him raise his voice to anyone (which is more than I can say for myself). For his sound work ethic and his loyalty to family and friends.

For children who serve God. The Bible says that, "Children are a blessing from the Lord." I can truly say that mine have been. They are not perfect, but they have truly been blessings from God, as have been our grandchildren (who most assuredly are perfect!) and our daughters-in-love! I have heard it said that grandchildren are your reward for not killing your children. I can attest to that!! My "daughters" have loved us in spite of our warts. I am not naive enough to think that I have been a perfect mother-in-law, but my "daughters" have loved me in spite of my imperfections. For that I am thankful.

For in-laws who have loved us because we are married to their children, or maybe in spite of the fact we are married to their children (:-). Not too many families could put 3 sets of in-laws in one house for a week and still be on speaking terms at the end of the week. We have enjoyed that kind of fellowship with ours for a week at the beach the last few years. For that I am thankful!

For friends who continually encourage us by word and deed. I have a neighbor, who used to be our mail lady, who has sent me the most beautiful cards, one every week that rolls around. I have sent cards to sick people occasionally, but I never realized how much encouragement it is to receive those, especially so consistently.

For pastors and church family who love and encourage us, who have been faithful to inquire about our needs and cover us with compassionate prayer.

For God's direction in my life, although sometimes I didn't heed it. For His merciful forgiveness when I did not. For the privilege of serving in the field of education for so many years, and hopefully having influenced some young lives in a positive manner. I have had several of my former students minister to me in the medical field since all this brain tumor stuff began. I am thankful I was nice enough to them that they didn't use this opportunity to get even (:-).

I am thankful most of all for God's healing power at work in my life. I believe that is one reason I have done so well. I am thankful also for the strides made in treating this and other forms of cancer. For competent doctors who use the gift God has given them to bring healing to my body. For God's direction in connecting me to the right medical professionals who could bring this about.

And for the covering of prayers from friends and family, and total strangers too, that brought all of this together.

I am thankful for a loving, faithful God who is always present to fulfill every area of my life. He truly is ALL WE NEED!!!