Thankful Thoughts

Before November began, my sister-in-law challenged all her friends and family on Facebook to post a thankful thought for each day in November. I thought it was a good idea, but thought that the likely hood that I would actually remember each day was unlikely. However, I DID manage to post a thought for each day and it was pretty neat. So, I wanted to post them here, in order, for me to look back on from time to time.



Day 1: My thankful thought for today would be my #1 thankful thought: I am thankful for my salvation in Christ.

Day 2: I am thankful to be a full born and bred Texan!! Texas is the most incredible state ever!! Why did I EVER consider leaving this great state!??

Day 3: Today, I am thankful for the ability to stay home for my husband and my kids. I am thankful that I can make my home a safe haven as well as a warm place for us to spend time together.

Day 4: Thankful thought of the day: I am thankful for my husband. I am truly the luckiest woman in the world to have a man who sacrifices SO MUCH for his family. He is truly a family man 100% and more. He is AWESOME!!

Day 5: Thankful thought of the day: I am thankful today for Daniel's Kindergarten Teacher, Mrs. Stessel. She is an incredible teacher and Daniel is thriving beyond thriving under her direction!

Day 6: Thankful thought of the day: I am thankful for FFPS (Fun Fair Positive Sports) giving Daniel the opportunity to have the BEST time playing soccer each week. It is a great organization that encourages fun over competition (not that I am against competition, just not for a 5-year old). So yay us...Soccer game bright and early this morning!



Day 7: Thankful thought for the day: I am thankful for my church, Woodsedge, this morning. It is a great church filled fantastic people. Pastor Jeff is REAL and his messages go to the heart. I love my church and look forward to Sunday mornings every week.

Day 8: Thankful thought of the day: Today I am thankful for the abundance of food currently sitting in various areas of my kitchen. It is a blessing to be able to have this staple that so many struggle to provide. Today, I will be praying for those who have difficulties feeding their families...and for us who do not, that ...we will donate to those causes who feed families and the elderly!!

Day 9: Thankful thought of the day: I am thankful for new life. As I write, a friend of mine is likely getting induced and will hopefully meet her new son today. There is nothing quite as thrilling as having a baby...the smell, the sounds, the cuddling. I can't wait to meet the little guy. She has 2 daughters and I am thrilled she will get to experience the fun and joy of having a son.

Day 10: Thankful thought of the day: Pretty obvious...and 2 thoughts today!! I am thankful for Kenny, who showed kindness to a stranger in the dark parking lot of Auto Zone. Praying blessings over him today. Also, I am thankful for baby Liam who got to enter this world in one of the best families yesterday. I get to go see him today!!!

Day 11: Thankful thought for today: Veteran's Day!! I am thankful for those men and women, who like my father and father-in-law as well as (currently) my brother-in-law, have served or is serving in the the military. I am thankful for the freedoms we have because of the sacrifices that are made daily by men and women who de...fend us!! Thank you to all who have sacrificed for me and everyone who lives in this great country!

Day 12: Thankful thought for the day: I am thankful that laughter rules my house. Daily, the sound of laughter can be heard more often than any other sound. There is nothing better to the ears than the sound of your children having fun together.



Day 13: Thankful thought for the day: I am thankful that tonight, my husband and I will get to go on a date! I believe our last date was in August when we went to see Pat Benetar. Tonight, we will go see "Morning Glory" and than out to Olive Oil for some Greek food!!! YAY US!!!

Day 14: Thankful thought for the day: I am thankful for my family and the stability and security that I have. My husband is our rock, someone each of us can go to with the biggest of world shattering problems and he will always have a solution. My kids are loving and kind...sweet....respectful...and almost always good. This family of ours is ROCK SOLID and our faith in Christ DIAMOND SOLID!!

Day 15: Thankful thought for the day: Today I am thankful for Mondays....yes, you read right. I am thankful for Mondays. The weekend is over...Mondays mean I can get re-organized. Monday is like waking up to a fresh new start....the beginning of a new week. I admit, though, I am not thankful for the laundry part of Mondays! ;-)

Day 16: Thankful thought for the day: I am thankful for living in the awesome area of Spring/The Woodlands. It is such a beautiful area that has anything and everything one needs in shopping, food, entertainment and more and is close enough to the great city of Houston for those things it does not offer.

Day 17: Thankful thought for the day: Today I am thankful for good Christian music. I am thankful for the variety that can be found (if you look for it...unfortunately, the radio station doesn't play it). I like creating my playlists on my ipod and listening to Skillet followed by Natalie Grant or maybe David Crowder or Fly...leaf or Relient K or Tenth Avenue North. The list is endless!!

When I think of music, I think of David on a mountain with his harp. He wasn't singing about hooking up with the shepherdess on the next hill....but singing songs of praise to his Creator. Music is getting lost in a sea of filth. Everything from country to rap and all that is in between is just disgusting. I am also thankful for kids who have enough discernment to know that that is not good and choose to avoid it.

Day 18: Thankful thought for the day: this one I may just choke on a bit, but God says that in EVERYTHING to be thankful. Here it goes....I am thankful for my Kia Sedona. (that hurt a bit). It gets me where I need to go each day....when I grumble, it still plays my favorite songs....it brings me home and is not my home.... Whew....

Day 19: Thankful thought for the day: I am thankful for the ability to go and see Toby Mac and Skillet tonight with my favorite girl!! I look forward to the VIP part of the concert. I am also thanful for all the other activities for the day including going to my son's Fun Run and Thanksgiving party this morning!!

Day 20: Thankful thought(s) for today: I am thankful to have gotten to go to the Skillet/Toby Mac concert last night with my daughter. I am thankful that we were able to go to the Q&A. I am thankful I was able to ask John Cooper (lead singer for Skillet) a question I have had since I first started listening to them. I am also thankful that I made it safely home after decidin to do a different route via my iphone maps app.....and didn't get lost when my iphone died before I got to the area I am most familiar with!

Day 21: Thankful thought of the day: I am thankful for life and health. Today, we will celebrate my husband's 39 years of life as we just hang out as a family doing what he loves best....togetherness, movies, mariokart, and steak and potatoes!! As I continue to pray for Felecia, I gain a greater appreciation of our own health. Plz pray with me for this family!!

Day 22: Thankful thought for the day: Today I am thankful for my husband, Matt, who turns 39 today!! I am thankful for the man he is. All who know him knows his character....he is, easily, the best man out there. I clearly do not deserve him, but the jokes on everyone cause he's mine for keepsies!! lol And, I am also thankful that while this is his last year in his 30s, I still have 4 more years to go!!!

Matt is sacrificial, putting the needs of his family above his own. He works in a job that is not his favorite, not in his giftings, to provide a good life for his family. His clothes are tattered and torn because he would rather his kids (and wife) have more while he has less. He also has a servant's heart when it comes to his family. He does dishes, cooks dinners, walks the dogs, cleans the litter, vacuums the floors, mows the lawn, cleans up toys, takes the kids to the park.

He wrestles with his son, has nerf gun wars with both of them. He has never missed a soccer practice or game. He attended every ballet dress rehearsal and performance. He never misses a school performance, open house, teacher meeting, do-nuts with dad, or anything else school related. He attends all important doctor's visits for the kids. He makes sure bills are paid and our money is managed. he does not leave the parenting to me while he hangs with the boys. If you were to ask him out to drinks, he would kindly turn you down as his priority is this family.

He is a dad. He is a husband. He takes both these titles VERY seriously. He is a Christian who pursues God and pursues to be who God WANTS him to be. BUT, probably the most impressive thing about Matt is.....he puts up with ME!!!

Day 23: Thankful thought for the day: I am thankful today for my kids. After witnessing how many siblings behave with one another, I am thankful for my 2 kids who love each other SO MUCH. I am thankful for their affection to each other and the fact that they hardly ever fight. It makes weeks like this when both are home SO MUCH MORE enjoyable!!



Day 24: Thankful thought for the day! Today, I am thankful for the soldiers, who at this time of year are out of this country and away from their families insuring our freedom to celebrate these holidays (and our freedom). My brother-in-law is one of these and I will be praying for him and his family as they celebrate without him!!

Day 25: Thankful thought of the day: I am thankful for family and friends and facebook that keeps me connected to 98% of them. Each one of you have had a hand in making me who I am today and I like who I am!! Have a wonderful thanksgiving to you all!!

Day 26: My early thankful thought for tomorrow: I am thankful for a husband willing to go out and brave the stores for some VITAL Black Friday sales while I sleeeeep!!!
(It turns out I did not get that sleeeeeeeep, and I went with him for the sales....it was funner than sleeping!).

Day 27: Thankful thought for today: I am thankful for these 4 weeks that precede Christmas. I am thankful for the lights and the music, the decorations and the cheer....I am thankful for the joy on my kids' faces and the excitement. I am also thankful for the shopping times...I think it's fun and it makes me all giddy inside.

Day 28: Thankful thought for the day: I am thankful for 2 nights of a full night's sleep. I am even more thankful to not only have the sleep, but to have woken up each morning without a headache! I went all day yesterday without a headache!! Yep, I am thankful to the hilt for this blessing!!

Day 29: Thankful thought for the day: Today, I am thankful for my son. Had it not been for God's nudging me to have a son, I would have never considered having him. It just goes to show you that God knows WAY more than I do. Daniel has been such a blessing to my life. He is just so sweet, cute, cuddly, considerate, smart...just a GREAT kid!! Thank you God for telling me to have this awesome boy!!

Day 30: My last thankful thought of the day: I am thankful for my daughter, Sierra. She has been a part of our lives for 11 1/2 years. She came into our lives as a surprise we weren't sure we were ready for, but when I first felt that butterfly movement in my tummy, I fell in love. It was due to that feeling of joy I had as she grew inside of me that I KNEW without a DOUBT that God was real...this couldn't just be a random act of cells. She has been a huge blessing ever since. She is kind and sweet...her heart is so tender and her faith in God is so HUGE. I learn a lot from her and am IMMENSELY proud of who she is becoming. Through her, I became who God wanted me to be...a mother!! I love you baby!!

So there you have it...my month of thankfulness. What a blessing it has been for me to reflect on what I am thankful for...and I could keep on going. God has richly blessed me in so many areas, there are too many to count.

Let your gentleness be evident to all. The Lord is near. Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. Philippians 4:5-7

4-Way Stops

4-Way Stops, or All Way Stops (as they are called in some places) are the epitome of frustration for my husband (and for me). He gets so annoyed when he gets to one as he knows that most people seem to have no clue how one operates. He is a mild-mannered man who most would agree that they have never seen mad or frustrated....some have expressed a desire to see him mad. Get in a car with him and drive around The Woodlands and you will see frustration.

You see, The Woodlands, and it's surrounding areas, are full of such intersections....a part of the road where there are 4 stop signs. When you come to a stop at one, what does one do??? Well, living in this area, one should know WHAT to do as there are such intersections EVERYWHERE.

Amazingly enough, it never fails. At almost each stop, you will find someone who either doesn't know how to deal with the cofusion of 4 cars sitting at 4 different stop signs or just doesn't care (I, personally, think the latter, but Matt thinks they are all idiots).

So, what do you do when you get to a 4 Way Stop sign?? Well, it is a "wait your turn" intersection. Whoever stopped at said intersection first goes first, second goes second, and so on. You know...that thing we learn when we are 2?? "Take turns!", "No cutting in line", etc. So, if you arrive at said intersection and and 2 of the 4 cars there were already there...do you go, or do you wait?? Well??? Of course...you wait until both those cars go and THAN you proceed through. It really isn't that hard!!

Well, apparently it is. Matt just groans and creaks and bangs the steering wheel (yes, the steering wheel) in frustration. It is really kind of amusing to me, the passenger. It is rare that I, myself, get to see him this upset. I often giggle as he struggles to get others to learn how these things work with some sort of osmosis or mental tranferrence. lol

So, for my husband's mental health, please use those stops properly!!