[A Month of Thanksgiving] Day 22-25

[Day 22] Today I am thankful for moments of quiet in a busy world. We got to spend the evening (and tomorrow) at a hotel with an indoor water park. I so enjoyed having nowhere that I had to be and nothing that I had to do except enjoy the squeals of delight as my children enjoyed swimming and going down water slides.

[Day 23] Today I am thankful for God's provision. He has provided for our family in innumerable ways this year, but I am especially thankful that He provided the 2 deer that my hubby got today. It was the only day that Jared was going to be able to hunt and I had prayed that God would provide A deer. God blessed doubly and I am excited to have meat in the freezer!

[Day 24] On a day when all six us are feeling under the weather, I am thankful for Sunday afternoon naps and leftovers.

[Day 25] We are all still under the weather today, which makes me thankful that I have the option to be a stay-at-home-mom. It takes sacrifice (and some of my sanity) but it is worth it!

[A Month of Thanksgiving] Day 21

[Day 21] Today I am thankful for my sisters. I don't know what I'd do without them! They provide a shoulder to cry on or a slap upside the head when needed. :)

[A Month of Thanksgiving] Day 20

[Day 20] I am thankful for my church family, they are such a wonderful encouragement to me!

[A Month of Thanksgiving] Day 19

[Day 19] Today I am thankful for the right (and, yes, privilege) to vote. It is a right that should not be taken lightly as many brave soldiers have died to give and keep that right in our country.

[A Month of Thanksgiving] Day 18

[Day 18]  Three years ago I was already 8 weeks along with our little Miss S and right from the get-go she has kept us on our toes. She is very much her own person. She is silly, mischievous, sweet & cuddly, stubborn (unfortunately she gets that from me), happy-go-lucky, imaginative, and a bit OCD (I know, odd for a 2 year old). She likes to clean up spills, worries about dirty hands, freaks out if things are not even, and in general is our little "Monk". We are so thankful for her and couldn't imagine life without her.

[A Month of Thanksgiving] Day 17

[Day 17] "And he said unto me, My grace is sufficient for thee: for my strength is made perfect in weakness. Most gladly therefore will I rather glory in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me. Therefore I take pleasure in infirmities, in reproaches, in necessities, in persecutions, in distresses for Christ's sake: for when I am weak, then am I strong." 2 Corinthians 12:9-10

I am a perfectionist. I don't like to even try to do things if I know that can't do a "perfect" job on them. But today, I am reminded to be thankful for my struggles and failures. For it is through those struggles and failures that I learn to lean on Christ more fully for His strength. When I do things through Christ's strength I am given opportunities to bring Him glory.

"Thou art worthy, O Lord, to receive glory and honour and power: for thou hast created all things, and for thy pleasure they are and were created." Revelation 4:11

[A Month of Thanksgiving] Day 16

[Day 16]  Five years ago, Mr. R was a few months away from 2 and Miss E was 6 months old. We'd been on the path to financial freedom for two months and Jared was in his 2nd year of Bible Institute. I was struggling with balancing life and staying within our budget with two babies in diapers. We'd "planned" to wait a minimum of 2 years before even considering adding another kid to our family, little did I know that very soon I'd be expecting Miss A. When I finally broke down and took a pregnancy test the day after Christmas, I was seven weeks along and I was mad, mad that God would add another burden to my already heavy load.

Very soon after she arrived, I realized that God didn't add a burden but a blessing. I am so thankful for my quirky little Miss A. She is such a silly, sweet kid and I love having her in our family.

[A Month of Thanksgiving] Day 15

[Day 15]  I am thankful for Miss S. She is my domestic, girlie girl. She can be super sweet most of the time and actually enjoys washing the dishes, sweeping, cleaning the bathroom, and, of course, anything that involves cooking or event planning.

[A Month of Thanksgiving] Day 14

[Day 14] "For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, saith the Lord, thoughts of peace, and not of evil, to give you an expected end."  Jeremiah 29:11

I am thankful for how God prepares us now for things in the future, even when we don't realize it. If you would have told me 15 years ago that I would be a pastor's wife and mother of 4, I wouldn't have believed you. But it has been a blessing to look back and see how God has used different circumstances and experiences to teach and train me for this position. God used parents who believed that if they trained us to serve God they could multiply their efforts. I learned to sing, play piano, cook, plan events, etc. working with my parents. One of my first jobs was managing data and being a receptionist, which has helped to prepare me for secretarial side of being a pastor's wife. Then I started out studying education in college, preparing me for homeschooling, before feeling God lead me to study church ministries. God has used all of these things to prepare me for His service now and I am grateful.

[A Months of Thanksgiving] Day 13

[Day 13] Today I am thankful for Mr. R. He is our miracle. At 6 weeks gestation, we thought I had miscarried, at 7 weeks our doctor was concerned that it was an ectopic pregnancy, and finally at 2 days old he wouldn't stop bleeding after his circ. He was transferred to a NICU an hour from our hospital. After 5 days in NICU (and much prayer), we were able to take him home at a week old. The doctors were all baffled at his speedy recovery, and to this day no one knows why he wouldn't stop bleeding in the first place because he got better before they could figure it out.

He is a very special young man. He is very sharp and is a big helper. He has such a heart for the lost and wants everyone to know about His Savior, Jesus Christ. I look forward to seeing how God will use him.