It's been awhile since I've done one of these "thankful Thursday" posts.Pam over at Without Fear is our host......thanks, Pam!
It has been quite the ride this week.......life, for me, ever since leaving for our vacation, has been like a roller coaster ride. You know.....the BIG kind, with all the swoops, and loops, and backwards loops...the kind I can't go on anymore....but....
God has filled my heart with thanksgiving.
Here's a quick summary.....
- for His Word: especially for the following verses:
Zephaniah 3:17 "The Lord your God in your midst, the Mighty One to save, He will rejoice over you with gladness, He will quiet you with His love, He will rejoice over you with singing." It is amazing to me that God, in His mighty power, rejoices over us! He sings over us....how cool is that?? He embraces us when we run into His arms.....I am so thankful this has been pointed out to me by Him, through the reading of His Word and I, in turn, can pass this on to my friend....how thankful I am for when He quickens our spirits to certain Scriptures.
Ecclesiastes 4:9 & 10 "Two are better than one, because they have a good reward for their labor. For if they fall, one will lift up his companion. But woe to him who is alone when he falls, for he has no one to help him up." The little title right above this portion of Scripture, in my Bible, is "The Value of a Friend". How very thankful I am for God providing me with exactly the friend I have needed these last 2 weeks. The amazing thing about it is that we barely knew each other before I left for vacation.....but because of the wonderful technology of Facebook/Wifi service, we have stayed connected while God has done another kind of connection.....a spiritual intimacy that is so different from any thing I have ever experienced before in a friendship that I really don't even know how to write about it. Just trust me on this: if you are looking for a close friend to share with, to "do life with" (as our pastor likes to say) then PRAY! God hears our cries....and He is so merciful to give us what we need when we need it.
- For restoration: an area of my life, that I have held on to for awhile, all the time knowing that I've needed to give it over to the Lord, has been restored. It wasn't easy nor was I super obedient to do this when God first told me to! But again, through His Word and through prayer and crying out, this area has been restored for me. I give Him thanks for that and I am so thankful He has mercy on us and is quick to embrace us even when we are so darn stubborn!
- For the weather: I have loved the cooler temps this summer. No central air has been needed and yet it still feels like summer....we have had some cool evenings, but I love those....I like sleeping with the windows open and not be sweating. Today is supposed to be foggy all a.m. and then the sun is supposed to be glorious........I am hoping that is true because.........
- I am thankful for a free day to bring my youngest daughter to one of her fave lakes (pictured below) and she has a friend coming.....and I have a friend coming.....I love when people can join me for a day of relaxation and watching the girls play....and I'm thankful I have a job that allows me to have my summers off!
There is so much more that I'm thankful for.......if you scroll down to the next post, that pretty much sums up what my roller coaster life has been like the last 2 weeks.....
Satan tries to steal our joy. He tries to rob us of trust and love. But you know what?
Satan tries to steal our joy. He tries to rob us of trust and love. But you know what?
Jesus wins every single time. And, if we are open to a little bit of pain, in the growth process, we win, too!
Have a blessed day!
The Lake at
Cherry Plain State Park
Cherry Plain State Park
3 comments:
Faith,
That is a beautiful picture of the lake. I always love to read my friends Thankful Thursday posts. But I really loved yours today. I too love to sit with friends and let our children play. But at the lake? Wow! even better!
I just read your last post too! And I totally agree that God desires for us to have a buddy to share spiritual things with and share our lives. Friends make our lives wonderful just like our family. God knows that. He designed it that way. I love how you ended this post saying, "Satan tries to steal our joy...But Jesus wins every time..." Yes! He does! And if Satan can not steal our joy, He can't steal anything! He is a liar! He will try to make us think he can have his way with us, but his lies are exposed by the Truth of Jesus Christ and we win! Amen.
I loved your Thankful post! I have been encouraged today!
Have a wonderful day,
Christy
What a very encouraging post, Faith. We can truly come to Him and be obediant to Him in giving those areas that are so hard and He will be faithful! I so am thankful for this post! :v)
Thanks for sharing all that God is doing in your life Faith. That verse from Zephaniah is a good one, and good for me to remember. He is in our midst, even when times are hard or just busy...He is here!!!!! :)
BTW, We are going to be in the ADK the first week of Aug. I'll keep you posted. It would be fun to meet and have blueberry coffee. :)
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