thankful, thankful, thankful

so...it's been awhile. i know. not that anyone really keeps up with my blog except for maybe my hubby, but nevertheless. we do not have internet in our apartment, so unless i come to my parent's house or to mark's office, or use his iphone, i have no idea what is going on in the world. pretty sad i know. it gets aggravating, but as i was sitting there this week, i realized what a blessing it has been not to have internet over these past couple of months. i have been able to spend more time with the Father, which i fail to do often times. so many times i get busy with other things that i forget about the intimate relationship that God wants to have with His children. i am in no way saying that the internet prevents such a relationship from happening or that internet is bad. i have just realized over this period of time without having the internet that God has been teaching me to discipline myself and to help me get my priorities in check. i'm hoping that throughout this whole thing, that when we do FINALLY get internet that i will not put "playing on the computer" ahead of spending time with God. So, thank you Jesus for your blessings that don't feel like blessings at first!

I have so many things to be thankful for, so this might seem like a bunch of randomness, but I am just typing as it comes to my mind :) I'm thankful for my wonderful husband. I could go on and on about him. He is the best thing in this world. I am thankful for him each and every day and I try to make sure he knows it. I am a hypochondriac, like for real. I know some people say that they are, but I SERIOUSLY am. Just ask Mark or my family or my friends. I have flat-out panic attacks sometimes because I think I have some rare disease ALL the time. It messes with me. I have medical handbooks on hand at ALL times, I do the symptom checker on WebMD (another good reason why I don't have access to the internet!). It really isn't a good way to live. satan uses this for his advantage, I realize this. I say all of that to say this--Mark is A-M-A-Z-I-N-G, first of all, because he puts up with this on a regular basis, and also, because he always manages to calm me down. I love him for that. Sometimes, he just has to hold me and I feel a hundred times better. It's crazy. I knew I had a great man when I saw how he reacted to my occasional stressed-out meltdowns. In some ways we are complete opposites--for instance: he's a saver, i'm a spender ; he is outgoing, me-not so much; he can make it through an entire insanity workout, i can't seem to make it through the "warm-up"; he prefers sweets, i prefer fruits. The list goes on. But, I think we complement each other very well. I like to think of it as me balancing him out..ha! So, yeah, I have a great husband. He was a great friend and boyfriend, and now husband, and I hope father soon ( haha--I hope you are reading this Mark!) He loves me as Christ loves the Church and I am so thankful to experience that type of love. I'm overwhelmed.

I'm also thankful for my parents. They raised me well. I knew right from wrong all because they taught me. My mom has been my best friend and my dad has been my biggest supporter. He was always at every sporting event cheering me on, with the occasional "grunting" and "aggravated blows" (if you were around those sporting events or are around him now since my brother is playing, then ya know what I mean by that!! They've instilled in me some great values and I am thankful. They are a loving family. I knew I was loved, not only by their words, but also their actions. I'm so glad God entrusted them to be my parents. While I am thankful for my biological parents, I am also thankful for my in-laws or my "second-parents." They loved me and welcomed me in as if I were their own. They did a fantastic job at raising Mark and I am so blessed they did:) I'm truly blessed that they are a part of my life.

God has been so good to me!

Father,

I want to thank you for who you are. Thank you for always being there for me, even when I drift away at times. Thank you for loving me so much that You came to this horrible world and suffered a painful, excruciating death for someone as unworthy and undeserving as me. I can't even fathom why You would love me that much. Thank you for tearing the veil and making a way for me to receive Your grace and Your mercy. Thank you for blessing me with all that you have. Father, may I never take for granted all that you have given me. You are the giver of all things, so I would be wrong to not thank you for every single thing that I have. Help me to be thankful in each and every moment. I love you.

In Jesus name, Amen

forgiveness

Today, I am thankful for forgiveness--for the forgiveness that I have been given, the act of forgiveness that I witness from others, and the ability that I have been given to forgive. Forgiveness is truly an amazing thing. It is also an extremely difficult thing to practice at times. I am so thankful that Christ forgives me on a daily basis. I know we all have heard the saying "i'll forgive you, but i'm not ever going to forget it." Oh how incorrect is that statement! True forgiveness is forgetting. God says he takes our sins, he forgives, and he casts them as far as the east is from the west. If we are truly going to forgive someone, then we can't hold onto their wrongdoing. 

Let me just tell you, I have witnessed first-hand the picture of forgiveness. My dad committed adultery against my mom when I was little. Trust was broken, as well as my family. It took several years for my family to be restored. My parents remarried and the Lord really worked in an through their lives. Although I was too young to understand anything going on at the time, I see now the power in forgiveness. My mom exemplified forgiveness in the best way that I have ever seen. She not only took my dad back and forgave him, but she trusted him. I asked her one day recently how she was able to forgive and trust completely and how long it took her to get to that point. Her response was "God" and "immediately." She couldn't really explain it, other than she saw his heart. What a picture-perfect example of forgiveness. Isn't that what God does for us? 

I'm thankful for that power in forgiveness. Forgiveness is what brought my family to restoration--God's forgiveness and the forgiveness that my mom showed to my dad.  If we could all forgive as God forgives us! When I think about all that Christ has forgiven me of, I have no right to not forgive others. Thank you God for your forgiveness and for showing us how to forgive!

oh brother.

Today, I am thankful for my brother.

He is pretty cool, in case you didn't know. He pretends like he don't love me, but I know he does! I'm thankful that I have gotten to watch him grow from this cute, funny, little blonde-haired boy to a handsome, quiet, dark-haired young man. I'm very thankful for his salvation and for his heart. He may be quiet, but he has a lot of depth. He makes mistakes, but hey so do we all! I'm thankful that I have had these last 17 years with him, and I look forward to all that God has in store for his life in the future. I am blessed to be his big sister!

because of who You are

As I sit here and think about all the Lord has blessed me with and what I should share today, "I AM" keeps coming to my mind. God has indeed blessed me abundantly, but even if He hadn't given me anything, I should be thankful just for who He is. There's this song that describes just who God is to us as His children--He's the Heart-ache Healer, Secret-keeper, Best friend, Shepherd, Savior, Pasture-maker, Creator, Maker, Life-sustainer, Comforter, Redeemer, Lord and King, Beginning and End. I'm thankful He is all of those things. I"m thankful that He chose me. I'm thankful that I chose Him. I'm thankful that He has shown me that He is indeed enough. Regardless of my life situation, God is still worthy to be praised.

friendship

Today, I am thankful for godly friends.

I truly have the greatest friends in this world. I could be a little bias, but seriously if you know them, then you know how correct that statement is. I know that without them, I would not be where I am today. They have been my accountability, my encouragement, that voice of reason, sometimes confrontational, advice-givers, and often times the shoulders that I've needed to cry on! My dad likes to argue that one person can not have multiple "best friends" but I beg to differ. I am so incredibly thankful for them. As I look back to high school, I become even more thankful for them. We held each other up. We kept each other from making stupid choices (or at least we tried to..ha!). We were there for each other and we always encouraged each other. My friends shared the same passion, and that was to follow after Jesus Christ. I never had those friends that tried to bring me down or tempt me to do things that were not wise. I am thankful that God placed us together and have kept us together. I'm blessed to have some pretty amazing friends and I don't know what I would do without them!

Choose your friends wisely. Surround yourself with people that are going to encourage you in your walk with God. Those friends are the ones you will want to have by your side at all times! --just thought I would throw that in :)

opportunities

Since it is November and since there's a particular day in this month that is set aside to "say thanks", I have decided to dedicate every day during the month of November to blog about the things I am thankful for.

So today, I am thankful for opportunities.

Mark and I were at ihop a couple of Friday's ago for breakfast. It was crowded, so they put us in a long booth seat beside of a table. We sat down and debated (for a long time I might add) what we were going to order for breakfast. I am very indecisive, so ordering food is a long and well-thought-out process. Finally after coming to a decision at the last minute, we ordered and waited for quite some time for our food to arrive. During this time, a sweet older couple was seated in the table beside of us. When the food arrived, Mark prayed, and we began to eat. We ate, we talked, we laughed, we shared stories, we ate some more. The couple that was beside of us had gotten up to leave. The husband had walked up to pay, but the wife had stayed behind. As she was walking away, she leaned over to us, with tears in her eyes, and told us that she noticed we had said "grace" before we ate. She told us how wonderful she thought that was and she went on to share a prayer request for a young family member that was being taken to the hospital at that moment. She told us how much we had blessed her that morning and she walked away. Mark and I just sat there in silence, with tears in our own eyes. I felt as though God himself was literally sitting at that table with us. Praise the Lord for opportunities to live for Him even in the midst of a crowded restaurant!

I tell this story, not to say "oh, look at me", "look at us", "we're great people." I tell it because I'm thankful for the opportunities that God gives us as his children. That lady felt like we were a blessing to her, but she will never know how much of a blessing she was to me that day. I believe God uses moments like that to show us that if we live in His obedience and walk according to His word, then he will present us with opportunities to receive a blessing and to be a blessing. Opportunities present themselves everyday, we just need to be willing and ready to be the light that Christ has called us to be.

pink.

i know it has been a while, but i have been busy. i'm not quite sure with what i have been busy, but nevertheless... my mind has also been wandering a thousand different ways lately and i am unsure as to what i should blog about today. i could talk about my ihop experience friday, my obsession with cats, how i'm currently living in two different households, or a bunch of other randomness that i am experiencing at the moment.

but, for now i'm going to rant for just a moment. i have been a huge supporter of susan g. komen for a super long time. i would donate all of my money to them, buy up everything pink, and walk in all the races. that is, until my best friend informed me that this particular organization donates a portion of their money to planned parenthood. thank the Lord for best friends that share the same passions and values that i do. i was so disappointed. i have seen how breast cancer affects families, so of course i think it is of the utmost importance to find a cure. i also, value life more than anything in this world, and when i hear "Planned Parenthood" mentioned i cringe. so, for me personally, i could not bear the thought that the money that i had given to susan g. komen could have potentially aided in taking the life of an unborn baby. 

look at this link and see for yourself  --  http://www.lifenews.com/2010/05/24/nat-6360/

i did not write this blog to debate. i wrote it simply to let others know. i would have continued to support susan g. komen for the cure if it had not been for my friend. i guess this was really a learning experience for myself--that i should always research before i start giving financial support. i love babies. i would love to see a cure for breast cancer. i would love to see all the money raised for research to find a cure for breast cancer go to just that-RESEARCH...not to some organization that may or may not use that money to pay the power bill or to fund abortions.

i am done with my rant for today.

 

 "for You created my inmost being; You knit me together in my mother's womb. i praise You because i am fearfully and wonderfully made."--Psalm 139:13-14

a long road

Our faces in this picture depicts our feelings to a "T". I waited threeeeeeeee years for this moment. I felt like it would never come and at times I got discouraged, but looking back I wouldn't have traded those three years of waiting for anything. It wasn't easy. There were circumstances that surrounded us that made it difficult for us to think about getting married, let alone plan a wedding. Mark struggled and I cried (of course). I would hate hate hate to hear people ask that forbidden "when's the date" question. Those were uncertain times, but I am so thankful that we endured it together. It brought us closer and showed us that when Christ is at the foundation of our relationship that we can conquer anything. It was a blessing in disguise. I am thankful for those three years. I am thankful for where it took us and for where we are today. Mark is truly my best friend and I love him so incredibly much.  I know you can just imagine my excitement when I finally got to answer that forbidden question with an actual date!!! I joked that our wedding was the wedding of the century and to my close friends and family it was just that! I felt that sigh of relief from everyone there as I walked down that aisle with Mark as my husband. I hope, pray, and proclaim that 80 years down the road we are as happy then as we are in this picture!

godly men

We had a deacon ordination service at church last night and it brought back some sweet memories from my dad's deacon ordination service and Mark's ordination service. I'm not sure why the Lord blessed me with two of the most humble men to have in my life, but I am so thankful He chose to do so. My dad was a great spiritual leader in our home. Sure he made mistakes, but he was always open and honest and allowed me to see that no one was perfect. He taught me about a holy God who loved me and gave His life up for me. He took me to church and prayed with me and over me. He loved my mom. He was kind to strangers. He was compassionate. He was passionate about sharing his heart with people and telling them about how Christ had changed his life. He was all of those things and he still is! I'm so thankful I had that example set before me. And now, as I start my own family I am blessed to have another great spiritual leader. Mark is an awesome man! I find myself everyday questioning why in the world he ever chose me. He is a man after God's own heart and I strive to be just like that. He leads me, prays with me, and he loves me. I love everything about him. I am beyond blessed with two humble men in my life and I pray that I never ever ever take them for granted!

a servant's heart

"Do nothing from selfishness or empty conceit, but with humility of mind regard one another as more important than yourselves; do not merely look out for your own personal interests, but also for the interests of others."         ---Philippians 2:3-4

If there was ever a person that exemplified the qualities of a servant, it would be my mother. And if there was ever a picture that could portray her as such, it would be this picture. You see, those three children in the picture lost their mother a little over a month before that picture was taken. Their mother fought a year long battle with cancer and at times she was unable to take care of them. My mom, without hesitation took those children in and loved them like they were her own. She was working a full time job plus an additional part-time job, serving in her church, and taking care of her family. Her plate was "full" so to speak. Those things never stopped her from helping a family in need. Some might say she just has a hard time saying no (which is sometimes true), but she lives that verse in Philippians. She is a true servant. In my 24 years of life I have never seen anything other than that from her. She has such a heart for people and she truly puts the needs of others ahead of her own. I am beyond blessed to have her as my mom and I pray that I will have the heart of a servant.

ahhh...

i am recently a new wife and now a new blogger. in hopes to keep up with my hubby, i have conformed and created my own little blog. i hope this blog will provide a brief glimpse into the crazy, exciting, hectic, rewarding, stressful, and amazing life that comes along with being married to someone in the ministry. i'm excited to begin this journey...hope you all are too:)