thankful Thursday, third edition

Happy Thursday, friends! I have much to be thankful for, this week before Thanksgiving. 

I am so thankful for the fact that our church was OPEN for us to attend Bible study on campus this semester. We ended our study of Hosea last night and it was so bittersweet, as it always is when I end one study.

I am so thankful for time with friends, both new and old. I've gotten to know several new friends since August, and I will miss our study time together. Each semester, the small groups never look quite the same. 

I am thankful for answered prayer and that the Lord hears every thing we ask. Just yesterday, I was a little nervous going into a lunch meeting with my friend Amy as we went through suggested edits on my portion of our next Bible study. I am never sure how I am going to take the suggestions the editor makes, so all week long I've been praying that the Lord would give me a soft and teachable heart. I asked my best friend to help me pray for this, so I know she's been doing that. I was so glad that we made it through today pretty effortlessly, and I loved most of what he recommended and we went with almost all of them. We had a question about a couple of things and are waiting to hear back before making a change or deciding to leave it as is.

I am so thankful for my husband. He is such a great man, a wonderful husband and an even better dad to our sons. Show me some good young men and I will always point out their dad.

I am so thankful for the weeks when I have days at HOME. I am such a homebody and when I'm so busy that I don't have one full day at home, know that I'm close to my breaking point. I recharge by being at home, especially when I'm (mostly) alone. I don't remember ever being this introverted before, but the older I get and the more I do, the more I need a day to myself to be at home.

I am also thankful for time with my husband. He's been home and feeling a little sick this week (thanks to Memphis weather and sinus issues), so we've had time together in the daytime to talk and to watch tv shows together. It almost made me miss our time of being quarantined and at home all day/everyday together. (Notice I said one little and very important word—almost.)

I'll wrap this post up with this last one. I love taking the time to be intentional with thanking God. I want to be faithful to Him in the big things in life, and in the small things, like these listed above. He is the giver of every good and perfect gift, His Word tells us in James 1:17, so I always want to give Him the glory.

Thanks for reading, friends. Love to all.