I was reminded of this post I penned over two years ago now and wanted to offer a challenge. I see that some of mine border on being very close to the same (you would have to know my heart at the time) but nevertheless, how many can you list? If you post your list on your own blog, leave a comment so I can read yours! ~
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Pastor Steve, teacher at Rock Valley Bible Church, began the book of Colossians last Sunday with an overview. Today he went into verse by verse depth about how Paul was thankful for the Colossians having not even met them formally. We can only imagine how blessed Paul must've been upon hearing of their faithfulness to God and love for each other when he and Epaphras met up in prison.
During the message, we were challenged to think of 100 things we'd be thankful for; the point being, are we thankful for the things we don't see? The people who are working to forward the Gospel in other countries of whom we've never met? He said, "sure, it's easy to get to about #25...but then we have to go beyond ourselves. He went on to explain that Paul "did not cease in praying" for the Colossians, people he'd never formally met.
So as with most challenges, I had to try it...here goes:
100 things for which I am thankful
1. God’s never-ending grace in my life.
2. God’s merciful patience with me
3. Jesus Christ, the perfect sacrifice for my sin
4. The Power of the Cross
5. My Husband who loves me with a sacrificial, unconditional love
6. My indescribable marriage; no one deserves it so good
7. Our Sarah, dd #1, who I admire greatly, she possesses gifts I’ll never have
8. Douglas, ds#1, who was born to laugh, but serious about life
9. And Laura, dd#2, who embraces life with exuberant joy
10. My Dad: an example of hard work, fortitude and determination even to this day
11. My Mom: who prays continually and loves unconditionally
12. My three younger sisters: my best friends~thanks for the incredible memories, girls!
13. My childhood: very loved, very protected, well cared for
14. Going to public school, for I know what’s there
15. Going to private school, for I know what’s there
16. The opportunity and privilege to homeschool my children
17. The freedom we have to worship God in America
18. The homeschooling freedom we have in Texas
19. George Bush
20. Our simple life and those who encouraged us to walk this path
21. God’s assurance through His word when I doubt
22. For having lived in the city
23. For living in the country
24. Laptops and the internet; blogs and commentaries
25. That I know how to type otherwise this would be very time consuming
26. My third grade teacher; she taught me how to twirl the baton
27. Simple times; riding around in Phillip’s old truck, riding through the pasture, playing at the pond, watching the cows…
28. Christmas caroling with our friends
29. Those snowy days I’ve been blessed to see
30. My simple Midwestern friends
31. Someone taught me how to make whole wheat bread
32. The opportunity to travel America
33. The blessing of a new-to-us truck that actually runs every time we start it!
34. For the Church, the body of Believers that extends beyond brick walls
35. Our friends who are faithfully church planting in India (& now Hungary)
36. God’s people in Nepal
37. Having experienced a church split
38. That God doesn’t give me everything for which I beg/ask/pray
39. For a husband who is patient, steady, prayerful, and strong
40. My husband keeps me accountable
41. The opportunity to workout at Curves, for when I get home it may not be possible
42. Our friends in Venezuela; they’ve taught us great things
43. The life of a dear friend who is a godly picture of Christ in my life
44. The courage to start a blog
45. My Mom and my grandmother taught me how to cook
46. My Mom taught me how to care for a family
47. I’m not afraid to tweak a recipe and fail
48. Those days my sisters and I wrote plays and made up dances in our playroom
49. Those who’ve taught me how to be frugal
50. The freedom we have in Christ
51. The depression I suffered when my parents divorced
52. Severe financial struggles, for they’ve taught me humility & thankfulness
53. My church home; humble, godly people
54. The God-given ability and love for singing
55. My hunger and thirst for the Word, by His grace
56. That I’ve finally realized that my family belongs to the Lord
57. Grandparents who love our children immensely
58. The book of Colossians
59. The book of Galatians
60. A Christian Home website, blog and message board
61. Internet friends who’ve challenged me
62. The humbling I receive every time I think I KNOW something
63. Rock Valley Bible Church, Rockford, Illinois
64. Classic literature and story books for children
65. Nancy Leigh DeMoss and the book, “Lies Women Believe”
66. The life of Corrie ten Boom
67. Elisabeth Elliot and Martha Peace
68. Kay Arthur and her study “A Marriage Without Regrets”
69. My husband’s job security; thank you LORD! ..for it hasn’t always been so
70. Wild plums, dewberries and grapes growing on our land
71. Our God-given love for nature and the outdoors
72. Men who’ve died for our country so I can worship the Lord God Almighty every day
73. Godly men who formed our constitution
74. Martin Luther, John Calvin, and John Wesley
75. Old hymns
76. Long walks in the evening with my family; priceless
77. Our DQ treat while exploring old country roads
78. Mmy husband and I are still best friends after 19 years (and counting)
79. I finally have a budget and I follow it to a tee
80. My new-found love for cottage cheese
81. My steadfast commitment to Curves; that’s God!
82. Wildflowers; I have a passion for them….
83. The strength to finally say I haven’t gotten it “all figured out”
84. Some specific country songs that make me cry every time like “I Believe”
85. That my parents are human and they made mistakes
86. Childhood vacations to Daytona Beach, Florida
87. Family reunions with so many cousins I can’t count them all
88. Aunt Sybil’s homemade biscuits
89. Aunt Sybil’s back porch swing
90. Swimming in the Trinity River as a child
91. Childhood vacations to Hot Springs, Arkansas
92. My rapidly growing contentment; this is a blessed place friends
93. True Believers with financial resources to further the Kingdom
94. Passionate Christians who are willing to be persecuted for the Truth
95. The Holy Spirit’s small voice constantly reminding me of who I am in Christ
96. The privilege of knowing humble friends; I am richly blessed by these friends
97. This Earth is not my home
98. Chickens that lay eggs
99. Cows that give milk; and calves
100. Heaven
101. I’ll be 40 this year; and I don’t wish I was younger
102. I’ve learned how to use a digital camera and can post pictures on my blog
103. I can still laugh at my husband’s jokes after nearly 20 years
104. ….and thankful he still thinks he’s funny. Says a lot about his heart.
105. for the humbling God has caused in my heart upon the discovery that I’ve made other people’s opinions of me and my family an idol (see Idols of the Heart by Elyse Fitzpatrick)
106. The courage to live for God alone and not in light of what others think of me
107. The harsh reality of sin in even the people I admire. Again, thankful for the humbling
108. That my kids can cook!
109. Others who are willing to teach upper math and science to homeschool kids
110. Friends who love me even after they get to know me
111. Forgiveness
112. Okay…I’ll admit it, I’m finally thankful for curly hair
113. Girl Scouts: way back when, I had a Christian leader and it was held at a church
114. Campfires, songs and smores
115. Eyes to behold the beauty of the Earth; His majestic creation
116. Ears to hear little voices all around me, singing, chatting, laughing…
117. Way back when… I had the courage to cut my husband’s hair
118. Clotheslines and fresh country air
119. Spring rains without tornadoes
120. The first cool breeze that finally makes it way to Texas in the Fall
121. Old dirt roads
122. The patient wisdom of older folks
123. Daffodils and Tulips
124. The courage to finally laugh at myself
125. I can talk to my Mom; it hasn’t always been so
126. My parents believe in God
127. My sister Dana had the fortitude to not only finish college with honors but recently obtained her Masters Degree as well ~ Congratulations Sis!
128. Museums, Art, historical cities that teach us about our American heritage
129. Brokenness and tears for these are the times it’s just me and my Lord
130. I like water
Okay, so I'm an overachiever...I just couldn't stop! I'm thinking of more even as I end this post!
~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Pastor Steve, teacher at Rock Valley Bible Church, began the book of Colossians last Sunday with an overview. Today he went into verse by verse depth about how Paul was thankful for the Colossians having not even met them formally. We can only imagine how blessed Paul must've been upon hearing of their faithfulness to God and love for each other when he and Epaphras met up in prison.
During the message, we were challenged to think of 100 things we'd be thankful for; the point being, are we thankful for the things we don't see? The people who are working to forward the Gospel in other countries of whom we've never met? He said, "sure, it's easy to get to about #25...but then we have to go beyond ourselves. He went on to explain that Paul "did not cease in praying" for the Colossians, people he'd never formally met.
So as with most challenges, I had to try it...here goes:
100 things for which I am thankful
1. God’s never-ending grace in my life.
2. God’s merciful patience with me
3. Jesus Christ, the perfect sacrifice for my sin
4. The Power of the Cross
5. My Husband who loves me with a sacrificial, unconditional love
6. My indescribable marriage; no one deserves it so good
7. Our Sarah, dd #1, who I admire greatly, she possesses gifts I’ll never have
8. Douglas, ds#1, who was born to laugh, but serious about life
9. And Laura, dd#2, who embraces life with exuberant joy
10. My Dad: an example of hard work, fortitude and determination even to this day
11. My Mom: who prays continually and loves unconditionally
12. My three younger sisters: my best friends~thanks for the incredible memories, girls!
13. My childhood: very loved, very protected, well cared for
14. Going to public school, for I know what’s there
15. Going to private school, for I know what’s there
16. The opportunity and privilege to homeschool my children
17. The freedom we have to worship God in America
18. The homeschooling freedom we have in Texas
19. George Bush
20. Our simple life and those who encouraged us to walk this path
21. God’s assurance through His word when I doubt
22. For having lived in the city
23. For living in the country
24. Laptops and the internet; blogs and commentaries
25. That I know how to type otherwise this would be very time consuming
26. My third grade teacher; she taught me how to twirl the baton
27. Simple times; riding around in Phillip’s old truck, riding through the pasture, playing at the pond, watching the cows…
28. Christmas caroling with our friends
29. Those snowy days I’ve been blessed to see
30. My simple Midwestern friends
31. Someone taught me how to make whole wheat bread
32. The opportunity to travel America
33. The blessing of a new-to-us truck that actually runs every time we start it!
34. For the Church, the body of Believers that extends beyond brick walls
35. Our friends who are faithfully church planting in India (& now Hungary)
36. God’s people in Nepal
37. Having experienced a church split
38. That God doesn’t give me everything for which I beg/ask/pray
39. For a husband who is patient, steady, prayerful, and strong
40. My husband keeps me accountable
41. The opportunity to workout at Curves, for when I get home it may not be possible
42. Our friends in Venezuela; they’ve taught us great things
43. The life of a dear friend who is a godly picture of Christ in my life
44. The courage to start a blog
45. My Mom and my grandmother taught me how to cook
46. My Mom taught me how to care for a family
47. I’m not afraid to tweak a recipe and fail
48. Those days my sisters and I wrote plays and made up dances in our playroom
49. Those who’ve taught me how to be frugal
50. The freedom we have in Christ
51. The depression I suffered when my parents divorced
52. Severe financial struggles, for they’ve taught me humility & thankfulness
53. My church home; humble, godly people
54. The God-given ability and love for singing
55. My hunger and thirst for the Word, by His grace
56. That I’ve finally realized that my family belongs to the Lord
57. Grandparents who love our children immensely
58. The book of Colossians
59. The book of Galatians
60. A Christian Home website, blog and message board
61. Internet friends who’ve challenged me
62. The humbling I receive every time I think I KNOW something
63. Rock Valley Bible Church, Rockford, Illinois
64. Classic literature and story books for children
65. Nancy Leigh DeMoss and the book, “Lies Women Believe”
66. The life of Corrie ten Boom
67. Elisabeth Elliot and Martha Peace
68. Kay Arthur and her study “A Marriage Without Regrets”
69. My husband’s job security; thank you LORD! ..for it hasn’t always been so
70. Wild plums, dewberries and grapes growing on our land
71. Our God-given love for nature and the outdoors
72. Men who’ve died for our country so I can worship the Lord God Almighty every day
73. Godly men who formed our constitution
74. Martin Luther, John Calvin, and John Wesley
75. Old hymns
76. Long walks in the evening with my family; priceless
77. Our DQ treat while exploring old country roads
78. Mmy husband and I are still best friends after 19 years (and counting)
79. I finally have a budget and I follow it to a tee
80. My new-found love for cottage cheese
81. My steadfast commitment to Curves; that’s God!
82. Wildflowers; I have a passion for them….
83. The strength to finally say I haven’t gotten it “all figured out”
84. Some specific country songs that make me cry every time like “I Believe”
85. That my parents are human and they made mistakes
86. Childhood vacations to Daytona Beach, Florida
87. Family reunions with so many cousins I can’t count them all
88. Aunt Sybil’s homemade biscuits
89. Aunt Sybil’s back porch swing
90. Swimming in the Trinity River as a child
91. Childhood vacations to Hot Springs, Arkansas
92. My rapidly growing contentment; this is a blessed place friends
93. True Believers with financial resources to further the Kingdom
94. Passionate Christians who are willing to be persecuted for the Truth
95. The Holy Spirit’s small voice constantly reminding me of who I am in Christ
96. The privilege of knowing humble friends; I am richly blessed by these friends
97. This Earth is not my home
98. Chickens that lay eggs
99. Cows that give milk; and calves
100. Heaven
101. I’ll be 40 this year; and I don’t wish I was younger
102. I’ve learned how to use a digital camera and can post pictures on my blog
103. I can still laugh at my husband’s jokes after nearly 20 years
104. ….and thankful he still thinks he’s funny. Says a lot about his heart.
105. for the humbling God has caused in my heart upon the discovery that I’ve made other people’s opinions of me and my family an idol (see Idols of the Heart by Elyse Fitzpatrick)
106. The courage to live for God alone and not in light of what others think of me
107. The harsh reality of sin in even the people I admire. Again, thankful for the humbling
108. That my kids can cook!
109. Others who are willing to teach upper math and science to homeschool kids
110. Friends who love me even after they get to know me
111. Forgiveness
112. Okay…I’ll admit it, I’m finally thankful for curly hair
113. Girl Scouts: way back when, I had a Christian leader and it was held at a church
114. Campfires, songs and smores
115. Eyes to behold the beauty of the Earth; His majestic creation
116. Ears to hear little voices all around me, singing, chatting, laughing…
117. Way back when… I had the courage to cut my husband’s hair
118. Clotheslines and fresh country air
119. Spring rains without tornadoes
120. The first cool breeze that finally makes it way to Texas in the Fall
121. Old dirt roads
122. The patient wisdom of older folks
123. Daffodils and Tulips
124. The courage to finally laugh at myself
125. I can talk to my Mom; it hasn’t always been so
126. My parents believe in God
127. My sister Dana had the fortitude to not only finish college with honors but recently obtained her Masters Degree as well ~ Congratulations Sis!
128. Museums, Art, historical cities that teach us about our American heritage
129. Brokenness and tears for these are the times it’s just me and my Lord
130. I like water
Okay, so I'm an overachiever...I just couldn't stop! I'm thinking of more even as I end this post!
