Day 10: Missionaries

I have always loved having missionaries in our church. When I was little, it was because I knew that missionaries meant afternoon services which meant church potlucks! While I still love the eating, I've grown to love hearing about the great things God is doing all over the world!

I'm thankful that God calls men, women, and families to serve Him! And I'm thankful I get to be a part of these works through prayer!

Day 9: Busy Saturday Mornings

I know this might sound nuts-o, but today I'm thankful for work Saturdays that are busy. It makes the morning FLY by!

Day 8: Amber

As you know, I am very close to my family.  Not just my immediate family, but my aunts, uncles, and cousins also.

I'm too worn out to go into much detail, but at 11:30ish this morning, I listened to a voice mail that stopped me in my tracks.  My cousin Amber, a Senior in high school this year, went to have her wisdom teeth removed this morning.  Towards the end of the procedure, she began having violent convulsions.  Again, long story short, she continued to have seizure-like convulsions for most of the afternoon (between 25-30 in all) and was transferred from the local hospital to the University hospital.

They still aren't sure what exactly caused it, but the convulsions have stopped, and she is home resting now.  Praise the Great Physician!

It is in moments such as these that we realize just how much people mean to us, and today was no exception. I tend to have an overactive imagination, and if I'm not careful, it can run away with me. I'm so thankful that this dear cousin is alive and (for the most part) well!  Join me in praying for her as she faces some health issues, won't you?

And take time to be thankful for those people in your life that you can't imagine life without.  Because you never know when you'll have to face that moment.

Thankfully, today WASN'T that day.

Day 7: Miracles

Have you ever prayed for something or someone for years and, while believing that God is fully able to do whatever it is you're asking, it just seems like it won't happen?

Well, I have.  Many times. It can be discouraging.  Sometimes I feel like giving up.

And then, a miracle happens.

I've been praying for God to work in the life of someone I've known for what feels like (and what may actually be) my entire life.  We were never close, but during our childhood and teen years, we were in and out of each others lives more times than I can count. I prayed for him when I was little and a whole lot more when I was a teen. His family has always been part of my life, and I pray for all of them, but this one was special.

Fast forward several (like 8) years, and I've all but lost contact with him.  That's what happens when you add several moves, a spouse (his, obviously) and kids (again, obviously his), and the general craziness of life. I have, however, managed to keep in contact with his parents (thanks, Facebook) and his relatives (who attend my church).  Several things have happened over the last several years that have caused me to pray more diligently for him, and every update I managed to get was less positive than the one before.

Until a few weeks ago.

I found out that he got SAVED!  He finally made the decision to truly give his life to the Lord and surrender to God's plan for his life!

AND, as if that isn't enough, he has completely turned his life around!

AND, in further demonstration of his new-found relationship with his Savior, he followed the Lord in believer's baptism last Sunday!

My friends, for those of you who happen to know Joe,  you have seen first-hand that God is still in the miracle working business.  For those of you who don't know Joe or his family,  you can believe me when I tell you: God STILL works miracles!

I'm so THANKFUL for this entire experience because there are others I'm praying for, and I can't WAIT to see God continue working miracles!  After all, God is STILL in the business of changing lives!

Day 6: Laughter

I've never, that I can recall, taken the time to be thankful for laughter.  I'm sure that deep down, I've been thankful for it before, but to actually take the time to say it?  I don't think so.

So today, I'm thankful for the ability to laugh. To enjoy moments of laughter, to hear others laughing with me.

If there's one thing our family knows how to do, it's laugh.  And eat.  But I'm not talking about eating today, just laughing.

Next time you laugh, take time to be thankful for that simple pleasure.  What a great thing it is to laugh!