Thankful Thanksgiving

I loved this Thanksgiving. 

It was my first to celebrate with Jason's family and it was lovely. 

I have so much to be thankful for, not just today but every day & it's such a struggle to acknowledge that every. single. day. But, it's so true. 

I am so thankful for God's never ending, never tiring, never conditional, grace, love & mercy. 

I am so thankful for my husband, who is more incredible than I could have ever dreamed of. 

I am so thankful for my family, my rockin' parents and siblings that bring me so much laughter & joy. 

I am so thankful for the family I gained a little over a year ago--I have loved every minute spent with you all getting to know & love you. 

I am so thankful for this season of marriage that our family is going through. Mary Claire & Grant and Aaron & Blair. What a sweet time it is for our family. 

Not to mention all of our friends who are getting married as well--from July-end of 2015 Jason & I have attended/will have attended 12 weddings (thus far). How awesome is it to see your friends and family join in to this everlasting covenant with those they love. 

I am so thankful for this season of babies. I've had a few friends have children this year and it's as sweet as can be. 

I am so thankful for my job, where I get to work with administrators & co-workers who pray for one another and lift each other up. Not to mention how much I love my kiddos. 

I am so thankful for our church family. 

As you can see, we have so much to be thankful for. 

I think that Scotty Smith's prayer from his blog, Heavenward, said it all:

    Let all that I am praise the Lord; with my whole heart, I will praise his holy name. Let all that I am praise the Lord; may I never forget the good things he does for me. He forgives all my sins and heals all my diseases. He redeems me from death and crowns me with love and tender mercies. He fills my life with good things. My youth is renewed like the eagle’s! Psalm 103:1-5 (NLT)

     Though the fig tree should not blossom, nor fruit be on the vines, the produce of the olive fail and the fields yield no food, the flock be cut off from the fold and there be no herd in the stalls, yet I will rejoice in the Lord; will take joy in the God of my salvation. God, the Lord, is my strength. Hab. 3:17-19a (ESV)

Dear heavenly Father, on this Thanksgiving Day, we praise you for being the only God from whom all blessings flow; our loving Father, who does all things well, even when you don’t do all things easy; and the sovereign Lord, who enthrones and dethrones rulers at your bidding.

King David and the Prophet Habakkuk voice the declaration of our hearts and the cry of our souls. With our whole being, we want to thank you for the multiplied blessings you have lavished upon us in Jesus. You have forgiven all of our sins—the ones which bear the most shame, and the ones we’ll never know about. You now count us righteous in Christ, your beloved daughters and sons, and citizens of the courts of heaven.

You are healing us of every disease, all brokenness, and every heartache; and one Day we shall be completely whole and free. We no longer fear death, and we’re learning not to fear life. We begin each day crowned with your mercies, rooted in your love, and standing in your grace.

But Father, even when our lives are just as full of hard things as good things; even when we feel, in heart and body, more like aging adults, than renewed youth; even when the healing doesn’t come on our schedule; there’s more month left over at the end of the check; and our relationships offer more stress than sweetness, we will rejoice and take joy in you—the Lord of our salvation, the strength of our hearts, the God of all grace. So very Amen we pray, in Jesus’ triumphant and tender name.

Amen & Amen

I hope that you all had a wonderful, blessed Thanksgiving.