Thankful Thursday

 

Happy Thursday, friends! You know what Thursday means, so I'll jump right in with this week's gratitude list.

I am thankful for the chance to celebrate my husband! We had an impromptu family dinner the night before his birthday, and it was everything we hoped for and more. Last night we'd made plans for me to make one of his favorite dinners, and to stay home in our pajamas. Our plans changed a little with a  family emergency with an extended member of the fam, but all is well. Or, it will be well after a follow up appointment. We went to sit with my Dad and Sandy for a while last night because of all this. I don't mean to be evasive, but it's not my story to tell. I'm just thankful that it turned out the way it did.

I'm thankful for an unexpected day with Mom yesterday and good bargains that I found. It's the annual sale at Bath & Body Works, and the three wick candles are on sale for $10. Select body lotions are also on sale for 75% off, so I bought two candles and three of my favorite lotions. It was timely since I just used the very last bit of my favorite scent that morning! 

I'm thankful for sweet puppy cuddles that take place every single morning in the five o'clock hour.

Chloe is my girl. Of course, so is Oakley, who is sitting in my lap as I write this. 

I'm thankful for writing inspiration! I've had some new ideas for my blog that the Lord has given to me for 2024, and I'm excited to share more about them as the time approaches. It feels good to be writing for a purpose! I miss it when I don't write something meaningful, so I hope to get back to that each week in the coming year.

I'm thankful for the fact that every minute of every day, no matter the circumstance, God is always good. I have that saying on coasters that my friend gave me years ago for my birthday, and they're one of my favorite gifts ever. It bothers me when people profess God's goodness when something good happens to them. (I'm about to ruffle some feathers, I'm afraid.) I appreciate the acknowledgment that God is good, but His goodness isn't based on anything circumstantial. He is always good because it's His character to be that way. In the good times, He is good. In the bad times, He is good. He is always faithful as well, and I never want to get over that. 

I'm thankful for small gifts that the Lord gives that may seem mundane, but that are life-giving. Some examples of this are times of laughter after sorrow, sunshine on a winter day and the vitamin D that pours into the back doors of our living room as I sit in my recliner, intimate moments with our family that nobody else is ever prone to, beautiful sunsets on afternoon drives, twinkling lights that look beautiful amidst a dark sky, a clean home, and small moments of being cared for and loved by my spouse. There is nothing else like that, and I don't ever want to take it for granted. 

More than anything, I am thankful for God's mercies that are new every morning! Even on my worst day when I mess up, all I have to do is confess that to Him and repent, and He forgives just like that. This doesn't mean I get to stay in my sin, but that holiness is something to strive for each and everyday. It's a cycle; we mess up, He forgives. Not just once, but over and over and over again. I'm thankful for the process of sanctification. That's just a fancy way of saying that I am a continual work in progress. He is a good Father who never gets tired of loving His kids and teaching them His ways.

What are you thankful for this week? I'd love to hear! Thanks for reading my blog, friends. Love to all.