Thankful Thursday - An Update

Today, on Thankful Thursday is a random thankful list/update on our lives.

Number One:
I’m thankful that the last day of school for our boys is tomorrow.  Yay!  Trash the books and put away the school uniforms for a couple of months. 

Summer, for us, means a less stressful schedule.  No homework, no lunches to pack and no strict bed time. 

Rod and I still work and the boys just go from staying with my parents to being dropped off at work with their daddy in the mornings, but it still is a season to be thankful for indeed.

Number Two:
I’m also thankful to be a parent.  Sometimes parenting teaches me as much as, I pray, I’m teaching our kids.  We faced a different parenting struggle this week that shook me up a bit. 

But what I kept thinking is how I felt about the poor choice my kid made.  It gave me a little insight into what my Heavenly Father may feel when I make poor choices and do things that are so displeasing to Him. 

Then I thought about grace.  Amazing grace!  Freely given.  Never earned.  How unworthy I am.  Praise the Lord, He didn’t just write me off years ago.  I heard someone say, “He’s no longer mad at me!”  That’s the truth!  Because of the sacrifice of Jesus on the cross, my sins our forgiven and He isn’t mad at me.

We told our son this.  We used the situation as a way to show him grace, hopefully helping him to understand God’s grace better.

This parenting thing is hard!  I’m so thankful I’m not doing it alone.

Number Three:
After little boy and little girl left our home, we took about a month off from fostering to spend time as a family of four and just take a break from the rigors that is foster parenting.  You guys, it’s not as simple as just taking care of children (although that alone is not always so simple).  There are visits to our home, bio parent visits, required doctor appointments and the list goes on.

We’ve been waiting almost three weeks now for a foster placement call.  We’ve heard nothing, which is odd. So our month break is turning into two months. 

I’m thankful that God is in control and when the time is right we will get another placement.  I’m thankful that we can rest in knowing that we can help whoever, whenever they come into our home by God’s grace and through the leading of Holy Spirit.

Number Four:
One last thing…I’m thankful that a small vacation is coming up for us!  Woohoo!!

Thankful Thursday - National Day of Prayer

 

On this day, our nations National Day of Prayer, I'm thankful for prayer.  That we can bow our knee, and our hearts to the God of the universe, the Sovereign Lord, and talk with Him.  We can ask Him anything.  Tell Him anything. 

We can even be honest and broken. 

Can I get an amen?

How often do we try to pretend and pray a "holy" prayer to God?  Who are we kidding?  Let's just be honest with Him.  He knows how we're feeling anyway.  We might as well say, "God I know you're good.  I know that you love me.  But I'm just not feeling that way right now.  I don't like what's going on and I'm just mad (or sad or aggravated...)."

He wants communion with us and let me tell you we NEED communion with Him.  We can be friends of God.  The bible says this in John 15:13-15...

Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends.

Ye are my friends, if ye do whatsoever I command you.

Henceforth I call you not servants; for the servant knoweth not what his lord doeth: but I have called you friends; for all things that I have heard of my Father I have made known unto you.

 

I'm so thankful today for the freedom to have personal prayer and the freedom to still pray in public, corporately.  And the fact that we still have a national day of prayer is a lot to be thankful for. 

In an age where there isn't a whole lot of promise for man kind in general it's amazing to know there are people who still believe in prayer and a nation who recognizes that.

Talk to God.  He's there and ready to listen.  I promise.

Thankful Thursday: My Little Family

I do hereby declare every Thursday, Thankful Thursday here at Ebb and Flow. 

 

There’s a verse that God brings to my mind often, in fact it’s hanging on the wall of my office.

 

In everything give thanks.  For this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.
~1 Thessalonians 5:18

I hung it up on my wall as a reminder because it’s so easy for me to just waller (I’m pretty sure that’s a word) in discontentment with this or that.  I have to remind myself to give thanks in everything.

You know, sometimes you can just get bogged down in everything that’s wrong instead of focusing on everything that’s right. 

Why is it God’s will for us to give thanks in everything?  When you focus on finding something to be thankful for in every situation something inside you will shift.  It’s an attitude adjustment, if you will. 

So really this practice is therapy for your soul.  So welcome to Therapy Thankful Thursday.  Feel free to share what you’re thankful for in the comments or share your blog post.

It is not happy people who are thankful;
It is thankful people who are happy. 

I’ll start with my little family.  I can always, always thank God for them and it will bring a smile to my face and my heart.  These are pictures from Easter.

Through fostering, there will be new faces added to this picture and forever added to our hearts.  Some may stay a short while and maybe one day there will be one (or more) that will stay forever.  But in any of those seasons, I will give God thanks for the precious children He has entrusted in our care.

And this man.  This vow.  This God ordained union.  I am thankful every day.  Through the good, the bad and the ugly.