So I'm having a hard time *feeling* very thankful right now.   My youngest is sick, Greg and I are fighting colds (again!!), I have a  quiz today,  (sheesh, I have to go to school today!!! the day before Thanksgiving!!), I'm missing the CCS Poetry contest --and my kids are in it this year!--and the group project from Hades has descended to a lower ring of hell.  Nice.  Well, like I said.  I'm having a hard time *feeling* thankful.  So I guess it's the perfect time for this post.

My 25 Thankful-For List:

(this is not exhaustive, by any means)


I am thankful for:

1. the grace and mercy of the Lord Jesus Christ.

2. my husband.

3. my little girls.

4. my parents.

5. my siblings.

6. my friends.

7. my cat.

8. my van.

9. chocolate.

10. books.

11. good music.

12. hot showers.

13. coffee.

14. the ocean.

15. Cornerstone Christian School.

16. my church.

17. my pastors, elders, and deacons (three for the price of one!)

18. trees.

19.  learning.

20. telephones.

21. dishwashers.

22. laptops.

23. washers & dryers.

24. flowers.

25. God's abundant provision--He gives us all things necessary to life and godliness (2 Peter 1:2-3).

Whew!  I almost missed it!  This blogging for thirty minutes a week is pretty tough.  But I only need to put in 11 minutes today to fulfill my quota before tomorrow.  I don't really have 11 minutes right now to spend on blogging, but I'm going to do it anyway.  Currently, groceries are waiting to be put away, I have some phone calls to return, and pot of stoup to stir, but as you can see, I putting them off. 

Thanks for your prayers for my father-in-law.  The transfusion was successful and his coloring and appetite have returned.  Still no word on where or why he's losing blood, but we hope to hear soon.  God is faithful.

Lately, I've been feeling like a rag doll--a bit tattered and pulled into a hundred different directions at once by so many little demands.  Do this for so and so.  Meet this deadline.  Remember to do such and such.  Go there.  Do that.  Gaaaah.  I just want, even for a teensy moment, to be completely and totally irresponsible and not care ONE bit.  Alas, I don't think that's going to happen.  Even if I do flake on something, I still end up with a huge guilt complex.  Maybe that's the Holy Spirit uninviting me to my own pity-party.

We heard some really good sermons this past Lord's Day.   And the Friday before, I was very blessed by our ladies Bible Study.  One verse kept coming up and it's sticking with me:  "But now (the OT saints, and hopefully me) desire a better country, that is an heavenly: wherefore God is not ashamed to be called their God: for he hath prepared for them a city" (Hebrews 11:16).  I am reminded again (especially in my current restless state) that I was not made for this world.  God made me for something much better--I just need to get through this one with the lessons He wants me to learn before I can get to that city.  And I am reminded--and blessed--by this:  God is not ashamed to be called my God.  He's not ashamed of me!  He likes me!  In fact, He loves me and wants to spend eternity with me (and you, too, if you love Him).  Wow.  That's huge.    Well, my 11 minutes are up.  I'm going to go put away the groceries and ponder God's immense and gracious love for me, a puny sinner.

(12 minutes)