Thankful Thursday

Happy Thursday, friends! Rebecca Jo and I are back for another edition of Thankful Thursday and we hope you join us. Every week I reserve some space in my journal to write out things I am thankful for. This is nothing special that I do, but I've been doing it for so long that I really do think it's made me have a different mindset. Well, that and Jesus has helped me more than anything. I used to be a very different person, one who complained a lot, one who griped all the time, one who focused on all that could go wrong and be easily overwhelmed. I am no longer that person! I say that to encourage you and to give God the glory for changing me. If He can do it for me, He can do the same for anyone. 

That being said, I will jump right in! (I usually go from Sunday to Saturday, so I feel like my list here is never fully complete, but it is in my journal.)

I am thankful for a great day at church. There was a time when we were not content at our church, or maybe it was just me. We came from another church who has always been known for their outstanding music and going from that to the church we're at now, though this was ten or eleven years ago, was shocking. I was just telling this story to my in-love's Tuesday night when they were here for my mom-in-love's birthday dinner. The music at our church when we first started there left a lot to be desired. I went from singing more modern worship music to nothing but unfamiliar hymns that came from the Baptist hymnal. (I had no clue there were different hymnals!) I don't have anything bad to say about hymns, either, I actually love them. But that was all we would sing. 

I even tried choir when we first went there, but I quickly discovered it wasn't for me and I wasn't even allowed to sing on a praise team unless we became a member of the church. That was such a turn off for me and I am glad to say it's no longer like this! It wasn't as if I disliked the worship pastor during this time frame, I really liked him as a person, but I completely disagreed with that way of thinking. I am happy to say that all of that changed within about a year or two of us starting attending there. We've had several worship pastors since then, all of whom I've loved and now it's very different. I was thinking of all of this on Sunday as I sat up in what I call the bird's nest to run words for our worship pastor and choir during the service. We sing a very blended style of worship—you'll hear modern worship songs and you'll hear hymns as well. I love this style and am thankful for the progress we've made to a more modern church that (hopefully) helps draw a young crowd. They're the future of our churches! 

Side note about this story—we did all join the church. Jonah, Noah and I joined the Resurrection Sunday we were baptized (that's an automatic join) and Todd, Graham and Drew joined about a week or two later after we attended a class and dinner that talked about our church's core beliefs and mission statement. We attend a Baptist church, but I don't consider myself that, because I don't think it matters in the grand scheme of life, as long as we don't attend anywhere that's "out there". Our old church was Assembly of God, which is where both my husband and I were raised...but I don't consider myself that, either. That was a long story to say how thankful I am for a great day at church this past weekend, but now you know that when I say that, I really do mean the statement. We've come a long way since those earlier days!

I'm also thankful that we're having a night of praise this coming Sunday night! These have been few and far between for a variety of reasons, but I'm glad we're starting to have one or two a year again. This one will be so special, since it'll feature our brand new kids' choir, Crew 82, and we'll also be talking about God's faithfulness over the last nine months or so. 

I'm thankful for the night we had on Tuesday night celebrating my mom-in-love for her birthday that was Monday.

We had a really fun night together, a good dinner and a great time of laughter as I told them a funny story that happened with my husband several months ago. I was wiping tears from my eyes. 

I'm thankful for the really good book I finished this week, one that is within the Christian fiction genre. I shared it with my friend Lynn who loves to read as much as I do.

I'm thankful for the mother's day flowers my husband gave me that are still alive.

I'm thankful for Drew coming over for the sole purpose of eating dinner after work Tuesday night.

I'm thankful for the time I spent with Graham talking after he made it home from his weekend away.

I'm thankful for Noah's hugs that always come at just the right time.

I'm thankful for the really sweet text I got from Jonah Tuesday, thanking me for the lunch I made him in a hurry that morning before he rushed out the door right after seven. 

I'm thankful for godly friends! I always say that, but my best friend has made a big impact in my life this week and I'm thankful for her. I'm thankful for all of my friends and what they mean to me. I've been texting with several of them throughout this week and I feel so loved when they text just to check on me. I don't know if you experience what that's like, but I hope you do. There's nothing like feeling dearly loved by friends. I also try to do the same for each of them that I have in my life, because I want them to  experience what that feels like. 

It's your turn! What is something you're thankful for this week? I'd love to hear from you! Thanks for reading my blog, friends. Love to all! 

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