I Am Thankful

We had a lovely time on Thanksgiving Day ~ my family, all together, laughing and having fun. A dear friend there too ~ sharing with us. We spent the afternoon and evening at my daughter's home, where we all contributed to a yummy meal and sweet fellowship.

My son-in-law led us in prayer and we thanked the Lord for the many blessings we've had this past year. New additions to our family, health, a roof over our heads, food in our pantries, each other ~ so much to be grateful for. So much to thank the Lord for.

Since then I've been thinking ~ I've been thinking about the things I'm thankful for that didn't get mentioned while at Katie's home. Things I'm actually a little surprised that I can admit I'm thankful for. Things like difficulty in relationships, job security, physical limitations, unfulfilled expectations, hurt, anger, sadness, fear, feelings of being over-whelmed, over-tired, and just plain over-done! I'm thankful for all these things in my life, and in my family's life ~ because they draw us closer to the Lord.

Times of difficulty help us to develop trust and perseverance as we learn to live in the knowledge that our strength comes from God.
"Those who wait on the Lord shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings like eagles, they shall run and not be weary, they shall walk and not faint."

Isaiah 40:31

Each day, no matter what, can be a joy-filled day.

"Rejoice always, pray without ceasing, in everything give thanks; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you".

1 Thessalonians 5:16-18

We can be thankful in any circumstance....because we know that the Lord is walking right beside us and that His strength is sufficient to see us through. We must learn to say "Praise God" right in the middle of the mess that may be our life, rather than waiting till the mess is all over.

It's my prayer that each member of my family (including myself) would rise above themselves and their circumstances and live lives that honor Jesus Christ no matter what is going on in those lives. It's difficult to feel thankful when we focus on all that is wrong in our lives and in the world we live in. But if we place our focus on the One who should be at the center of it all ~ it becomes so much easier. He has done so much.

"For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.”

John 3:16

“For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God” Ephesians 2:8

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"For to me, to live is Christ and to die is gain."

Philippians 1:21

Is it?

"Can we say of our lives we live wholly for Christ as the apostle Paul did? "For me to live is Christ"...Yet, this alone is the love life of a Christian--it's source, it's sustenance, it's fashion, it's end. All gathered up in two words---Christ Jesus. For me to live is Christ. Lord, burn that in my heart and mind. Lord, accept me; I here present myself, praying to live only in Thee and to Thee. Let me be as the bullock that stands between the plow and the altar, to work or to be sacrificed; and let my motto be, "ready for either."
From the prayer journal of Wanda Jakelsky