A GRATEFUL HEART!

Oh, give thanks to the LORD, for He is good! For His mercy endures forever.

Can it be Thursday? Is it already July 14th? Time marches by and it seems as though I sit and watch it whip by, thinking that any minute I will catch up with the pace. I long sometimes to reach out and slow it down somehow and linger over moments longer than it seems possible to do. I have had much on my mind these last few days. We had somewhat of a family hoopla (as we would call it) these last couple of days and it has left me somewhat exhausted and drained; soo many things in this life that we just can't control. Just can't change..wish were different. And yet, the bottom line is it just isn't how life is, is it? Learning to accept what we can't change, and always be working on what we can, is really a big part of what life can be. My strength comes only from the Lord. How anyone could ever make it without Him remains one of the biggest questions in my life. Or why they would want to, or would try to, would seem even better questions. I watch people struggle with this, people that I love soo much, and know that they are questions that only they can deal with. I can pray, and I do, but I know I must also watch the way I live, the way I talk, and what I do if I want to represent what living a life with a risen Savior is really all about. I must pray daily to be filled with His Holy Spirit so that I might have the power and strength and the desire to live the way He might want me to live. It scares me how often I fail. It saddens me. But it also fills me with gratitude that He loves me no matter what. His grace and His mercy towards me are new every morning, and can never run out or fail.

Lam 3:22,23 Through the Lord’s mercies we are not consumed, because His compassions fail not. They are new every morning; Great is your faithfulness.

I have soo much to be thankful for. Here are a just a few that come to my mind this morning….

I am grateful for Him first and foremost; for His love, acceptance, power, strength, mercy, grace, and never ending presence in my life when I don’t deserve it, even for one moment.

I am grateful for my husband who puts up with me, loves me, pampers me, takes care of me, and remains my forever best friend.

I am grateful for my family and friends who are always there for me and show me such love and acceptance. Soo many people don’t have this in their lives, and my heart aches for them.

I am grateful that everyone was well for the shower for my Melody and that it was as beautiful and as wonderful that it was. And for sweet Jessie who spent just hours and hours of her time to make it that way. And for my sisters who helped her that day.

I am grateful that my mother recovered as much as she has from her stroke, and that she has regained so much of her independence.

For the cool breeze that is blowing in my window as I type this…it has been soo warm.

am grateful it is summertime and that I am leaving shortly to get little Jeff and spend the afternoon enjoying him and going to the movies.

I could go on and on and on, but I will end this here. The bottom line for me today is that life is short. It whips by quickly. I want to live it in a way that pleases Him. I want to make a difference for Him. I don’t want to get caught up in the things in this life that don’t really matter. It is hard to do. My 47 year old cousin passed away quite suddenly this last week. We were not especially close, but I did love him and the time that might have been spent with him, is now gone. We all have our appointed times to die. We have to live our lives as though each day is our last.  I do ask that you might pray for my uncle and their family during this difficult time.

Hebrews 4:16 Let us therefore come boldly to the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy and find grace to help in time of need.