this year the Lord has taught me so much. probably more than any other year of my life. but i would say that the main thing He keeps bringing to my heart & mind is that i have MUCH to be thankful for. He is molding me & shaping me to be content in all situations. and though i haven't faced any great tragedies this year (Praise the Lord), i have still faced plenty of hardships. i can truly say that i am thankful & most of the time, very content with what He has given me.
i haven't always learned these lessons the easy way, i am a stubborn girl. always thinking i know a better way or constantly worrying if His plan will work for my good. how selfish of me. He has NEVER set me up for harm or turned His back on even my simplest needs. what a faithful God i serve. sometimes i really wonder why He has blessed me so much. so many are hurting & grieving. Satan uses these times to get me thinking that my terrible heartache must be around the corner b/c i just can't have everything "that good". but at those times, the sweetness of Christ reminds me that i have nothing to fear. even in the harsh, dark & sorrow filled days, He is there. and He will carry me through. i am overwhelmed by His goodness.
even though this year is not over, it is Thanksgiving. so i wanted to document, for myself, all that God has done for me this year & all that i have to be thankful for. may i never forget that all good & perfect gifts are from Him.
i am thankful for:
* Jovie's healthy birth on January 25. born at 37 weeks, she did beautifully & we were all able to leave the hospital together with not one day spent in the NICU. Praise Him.
* Jack's easy transition into having a sibling. this was a big concern for me but he accepted her immediately. Praise Him.
* Jovie slept through the night at age 7 weeks. Hallelujah. the Lord gave me the strength & somehow, i survived those first 7 weeks with barely any sleep & 2 kids under age 17 months. Praise Him.
* a helpful, supportive, loving, silly, servant of a husband. Ben is not perfect but he is perfect for me. what a blessing. Praise Him.
* all that He taught me through Jovie's epic battle with Acid Reflux. i would never wish it on her again but we all learned so much. He taught me patience, long suffering & sacrifice. her reflux was my greatest personal struggle this year. i have never felt such exhaustion, frustration or hopelessness as a mother. but, He saw us through. He provided an excellent pediatrician & medicines to help make her comfortable. Praise Him.
* Dr Bubba. it may seem silly to be so thankful for a pediatrician, but i am. he has really been my sanity this year as we dealt with Jovie's reflux & Jack's strep throat. (3 times. ugh) he is a godly man, with such patience. if you know him, you love him. Praise Him.
* Revision Church. a dream come true for us. so much time, energy, work & love have been poured into this plant. we are asking God to give us Olive Branch for His glory. i am thankful for Ben's hard work & prayer life that he has given for this church. i am thankful for Job, Josh, Garrett, Evan & TJ. they are the leadership team & 5 of the most wonderful supportive guys i know. thankful for how much they love each other & the people of our community. thankful for how they lead their families. thankful for their friendship. Praise Him.
* my siblings. each year they become more precious to me. what a blessing to have grown up with them. we had the best childhood & such sweet parents. they each bring something fun & unique to our family. they are godly, funny, quirky, sensitive, caring, supportive people. i would rather be with them than just about anyone else. i treasure each memory i have with them. Praise Him.
* my parents. now that i am a parent, i understand their sacrifice & point of view SO much better! they did everything possible to give me the best childhood possible. they always taught me about Jesus, constantly prayed with & for me, loved each other in front of me, dragged me to church when i was sick of going, cried with me, laughed with me, supported me & disciplined me. all that i am today, is because of them. best parents ever. Praise Him.
* my in-laws. my relationship with them is just easy. we've never had a cross or cold word. they accepted me as theirs immediately & have never looked back. they are the most generous, loving people i have ever met. they love my children deeply. they are such wise godly people & i am absolutely adore them. Praise Him.
* my friends. it has been so evident this year that the Lord has given me specific people at specific times for specific reasons. they have each taught me so much & shared their lives with me. i can depend on them & trust them. what a blessing. 2 of my most precious relationships have been with Brittany & Ashley. so thankful for these girls & our times or talks with them. Praise Him.
* a cozy, warm home. the Lord provided us with a great apartment. we have enough space, large closets & a great location. we love living here & we are so thankful for His provision. Praise Him.
* food on our table & clothes on our backs. He has met our basic needs. He has gone above & beyond to show His faithfulness. we have more than we need. Praise Him.
* the ability to be a full time stay at home mom. this is my absolute dream come true. something i've always, always wanted. outside of my marriage, nothing is more important to me than raising my children. i want to pour all of me, with His grace, into them. i want to give unconditionally & love completely. i want to serve them & cherish them. what a huge blessing. Praise Him.
* my children. my 2 favorite little people. Jack & Jovie are my greatest blessings. being their mother is my favorite job. i want to be the mother they need. i want to train them to walk in His truth. they are so precious. they have taught me more in 2 years, than any other 2 people. through mothering them i have seen my best & worst days. my most ugly self & humble self. the Lord has pruned me, refined me & shaped me through Jack & Jovie. best days of my life & i honestly treasure each moment with them. motherhood is beautiful. Praise Him.
* my husband. i just can't say enough how much i love him. i know i already mentioned him, but i don't care. our relationship has seen its best days this year. we have disagreed & argued. but the Lord has shown us more this year about how to truly love each other. to serve each other. and to cherish each other. i heart Ben. big time. Praise Him.
* health. my friends, family, husband & children are healthy. and i do not take that for granted. Praise Him.
* my relationship with Jesus. all of the things i listed above are because He saw it fit to bless me. i recognize that He is good. He loves me in spite of me. He blesses me when i curse Him. He humbles me when i need it & embraces me when i turn my back on Him. i want to know Him more & love Him deeper. Hallelujah, what a Savior!! Praise Him.
Be thankful. we have so much & need so little. Jesus is life. and because of Him, we have everything. take time to Praise Him today. i know i will. I am so very blessed.
" Enter into His gates with thanksgiving, and into His courts with praise. Be thankful to Him & bless His name."
Psalm 100:4
