With Thanksgiving

Praise God from Whom all blessings flow!

I missed "Thankful Thursday," but any day is a time to be thankful, right?

Next week those of us in America will be pausing to give thanks. Oh, how I pray that it will truly be from our hearts! Lately I have been noticing that when I interweave gratitude into my thoughts and prayers that it literally transforms negative, sinful emotions and thoughts. I'm seeing now why Paul says in Philippians 4:6 that we are to pray "with thanksgiving." My prayers become what they ought to be when they are prayed with thanksgiving. John Piper speaks here of praying with thanksgiving and describes it as "the humble, non-demanding mindset that flavors all of prayer. Making requests thankfully means that we will be content and thankful with whatever God wisely and lovingly gives us. And we know that he will hear our prayer and wisely and lovingly give us what's best for us."

This week I am thankful for:

• a successful and safe business trip for my husband. He hasn't had to travel for business purposes in years (it used to be a way of life for us when the kids were younger) so it took me back in time this week to see him leave for work with a suitcase. :::sigh:::
• a productive week of school with my kids. I have prayed for a long time that they would each develop God-honoring diligence in their schoolwork and I'm seeing that quality really shine in them this year. I'm SO thankful for that.
• Bright, sunny days. The sun streaming through the windows so cheerful.
• a neat time with my brother last night. He popped over on his way to do a church service at a church in our area, so he stopped for dinner at our house. He's so fun! (And he didn't mind that it was "leftover night." :) I am so thankful for our relationship. He is so good for me!
• a long, late-into-the-night chat with my daughter a couple of nights ago. She is so precious. I love, love, LOVE being her mother. Typing that sentence just made me cry.
• dear, generous friends who have offered for us to borrow their RV next week for a Thanksgiving camping trip. They have no idea how much our family looks forward to that and how much it blesses us. The past two Thanksgivings have become some of our favorite family memories!
• my sweet son who I see taking on so many of the qualities of his dad. He sees what needs to be done and does it, whether it's load the dishwasher, kill something with 8 legs, or give me a hug. He's going to be an awesome husband someday!
• a full week (almost) behind me and a full day ahead. God is so faithful to give us things to do to be productive and opportunities to honor Him with the stewardship of our time. Each day is a chance to do that.

These are just a few of the things that have blessed me this week. I hope you have had a wonderful week!