Thankful Journal - Days 22-30

Day Twenty-Two: I am thankful that I have the use of all five senses. Tonight I was able to feel my children's hugs and snuggle with them before bed. I was also able to hear their sweet voices as they said their prayers and told me good night, smell their freshly-bathed hair, and see their precious sleeping faces when I checked on them.

Day Twenty-Three: Thankful for the time to spend with family, plenty of food when I know there are those out there who are hungry, and getting to establish traditions for my children to remember.

Day Twenty-Four: I am thankful that my children have grandparents that love them and spend time with them.

 Day Twenty-Five: I am thankful for a day with nothing on the calendar, and enough leftovers in the house to keep us from having to go anywhere in the craziness that Black Friday has become!

Day Twenty-Six: I am thankful for pictures that capture memories, children's smiles and kisses, and hearing my kids say "I love you".

Day Twenty-Seven: I am thankful that God provides, even if it is down to the last cent, He provides. He has proven Himself more than once!

Day Twenty-Eight: I am thankful for my van. It is older and has its issues, but it gets my ENTIRE family from one place to another, and most of the fixes have been minor.

Day Twenty-Nine: I am thankful for my dad. I am always amazed at the ways he finds to show love and care so quietly and unassuming. He is and always will be my hero, and I know he may never see this, but I love him!

Day Thirty: I am thankful for health insurance and the ability to see a doctor whenever I need to without having to wait for weeks for an appointment. I am thankful for the amount of doctors and specialists we have available to us. (Nothings wrong with any of us, so don't worry, just thinking about how nice it is to see doctors when we need them)

Who Am I?

Hello Blog that I have neglected for months! Wow, has the past two months been busy or what? I often think about writing a blog, and then life happens and there you have it, two months have passed and not a word out here in cyberspace...

Sooooo, one of the things I find myself reflecting on almost daily is the question Who Am I? Not as in Who am I and what am I doing here on this planet, but more who am I that the God of the universe would bless me the way He has and continues to do. If you are a parent, you know the moments I am talking about. That rare moment when you look at your child and your heart swells with love and you wonder "Who am I that God would entrust me with the care of this precious child?" Or you hear of a tragedy, and you wonder "Who am I to have such a healthy body?" I could go on and on with these questions, but I am sure you get the picture.

I guess in all this wondering, I have been learning to stop and thank God for my blessings, but I think there is more to it than that. What if the question following "Who am I?" is "What am I doing about it?" Thanking God for His blessings is definitely that start, but what else should I be doing? Okay, I have been blessed with a healthy body, so what now? I need to use that body to serve Him, I need to take care of that body and keep it healthy. My children? I need to raise them to love Jesus and others. I need to be the example of Christ for them.

It is so much easier to stop at being thankful, to acknowledge God's blessings and move right along in my happy bubble. Unfortunately, the more I reflect and am thankful, the more I realize the responsibility that comes with those blessings. I feel my soul stirring and asking for more. Now I need to act, and the acting is so hard. It requires putting myself in uncomfortable positions, reaching out to others, possibly being rejected. It requires me stepping out of my selfishness and embracing Jesus. It requires effort! For a mom of four children, that sounds so exhausting!

The thing is, I KNOW if I can just take the first step, Jesus will be there to help me the rest of the way. The things that bother me (the dirty house, disorganization, kids who don't obey) will fade in comparison to the rewards, and I in turn will be blessed even further. So why is it so hard? If I know all of this, why can't I act? I am resolving to take the first step, and ask God what He wants from me. And you get to hold me to it. I am putting it out there so I am accountable. Will you help me by asking me how it's going occasionally? I need the reminders :-)