Sunday, November 7, 2010

30 Days of Thanks -- Day 7

I thank God for...my Matthew.

Our engagement
Our rehearsal dinner

The blushing bride & super handsome groom.  :0)

Our wedding!

At dinner one night on our honeymoon.

"Nobody else gave me a thrill.
With all your faults, I love you still.
Baby, it had to be you.
Wonderful you.
It had to be you."

I am so ridiculously, ridiculously, ridiculously in love.  <3  

"I thank my God every time I remember you."
--Philippians 1:3

Saturday, November 6, 2010

30 Days of Thanks -- Day 6

I thank God for…relaxing weekends!

Happy Saturday everybody!!!  I hope you all have a fun or relaxing weekend planned!  I’m spending mine with a warm mug of coffee this morning, running errands / doing chores & laundry with my sweet and super-helpful hubby during the day (seriously, my hubster is the master of our vacuum cleaner!), and probably curled up under fluffy blankets watching a movie with my Matt tonight!  A WONDERFULLY relaxing weekend…and just what we needed after a very fun but very busy last few weeks and weekends.


Hope you all have a WONDERFUL weekend!  Take time to give God thanks! :0)

“Let us come before him with THANKSgiving
and extol Him with music and song.”
--Psalm 95:2

Friday, November 5, 2010

30 Days of Thanks -- Day 5

I thank God for...the sunshine!

Whether it's a beautiful sunshiny fall day after a rainy week or a warm day at the beach, isn't the sunshine glorious???

I love how the sun shining reminds us to shine for the Son!

"Hide it under a bush...oh no!  I'm gonna let it shine!
Let it shine, let it shine, all the time!"

"Give THANKS to the God of gods. His love endures forever.
Give THANKS to the Lord of lords: His love endures forever.
Give THANKS to the God of heaven. His love endures forever."
--Psalm 136:2-3,26

Thursday, November 4, 2010

30 Days of Thanks -- Day 4

I thank God for...the rain! 

While others watch the weather to see if traffic is going to be nasty or their hair is going to poofy (I do too!), for this farmer's daughter, weather and rain and sunshine is serious business!  So it was such a BLESSING that my hubby and I (and especially my sweet Daddy down home) got rain the past few days.


"For everything God created is good,
and nothing is to be rejected if it is received with THANKSgiving,
because it is consecrated by the word of God and prayer.”
--1 Timothy 4:4-5

Wednesday, November 3, 2010

30 Days of Thanks -- Day 3

I thank God for...our country.  Over the last few weeks (I early voted to miss the chaos!) and yesterday on Election Day (that's when my hubby voted), we all went to the polls to practice our right to vote.

“But select capable men from all the people—men who fear God,
trustworthy men who hate dishonest gain—
and appoint them as officials over thousands, hundreds, fifties and tens.”
--Exodus 18:21

My God bless our country, the men and women who protect her, and all the people of this great nation! God bless America!!!

“Blessed is the nation whose God is the LORD”
--Psalm 33:12a


My Granddaddy, a veteran of the Korean War, and my cousin
proudly fly the flag.

“Let them give THANKS to the LORD for His unfailing love
and His wonderful deeds for mankind”
--Psalm 107:8, 15, 21, 31

Tuesday, November 2, 2010

30 Days of Thanks -- Day 2

I thank God for...my sweet, adorable, beautiful, and wonderful niece! 

Yesterday she was 6 months old.  Happy 6 Month + 1 Day Birthday, J!


Aunt Jilly loves you SO MUCH!!!  :0)

"I always THANK my God as I remember you in my prayers"
--Philemon 1:4


Monday, November 1, 2010

30 Days of Thanks

Happy November!
Happy fall!
Happy Thanksgiving month
to one & all!  :0)

It’s November…a time for chilly nights and crisp mornings…a time for beautiful fall leaves and acorns on the ground…a time to pull down big fluffy blankets from our closets and cozy up with the ones we love.  And (most importantly!) a time to GIVE THANKS.

It has really been on my heart to cherish and relish this holiday season; to slow down, be still, take it in, and enjoy every opportunity of this wonderful time of joy, of thanksgiving, of wonder, and of grace. (I even had a dream nightmare a few weeks ago that it was December 26th and Christmas was over and I realized I had missed it.  I remember waking confused and so sad inside!  I vowed then and there…in my half-sleep / half-awake state…to slow down and truly enjoy the holidays this year.)

This time of year is such a blessing from God.  Everyone (including me!) loves the Christmas catch phrase “Jesus is the reason for the season”…but I also think He is the reason for the Thanksgiving season as well!  Tip of the hat to the Pilgrims for their part, but even they did it to thank and praise HIM.  So, with Jesus the reason for both approaching Thanksgiving and Christmas seasons, I’d like to announce a new challenge for my blog self. In following with Emily’s “31 Days of Grace” in the month of October (which I LOVED! She is amazing!!!), I am excited to begin


“30 Days of Thanks”


For each day in the month of November, I will slow down, look around, thank God for my blessings, and post a thought / picture / message on something I am truly thankful for.  My plan (so as not to get overwhelmed or behind...I THANK you in advance for your patience!) is to post a few days of thanks at a time every Wednesday and Sunday.  I might jump on in between those days with other random thoughts or events, but I'll try to post every Wednesday and Sunday some thoughts of thanks.  So, with the announcement and admin work accomplished...

First and greatest of all, I thank God for…

GOD.

I thank Him that with billions and billions of people in His world, that He would love and be ever-present with little ol’ me…who sometimes sins…who sometimes is self-righteous…who sometimes is scared…who sometimes is lazy…who sometimes is a total worrier…who sometimes is mean or moody or tacky…who sometimes gossips…who sometimes fails…who often lives with giant dust bunnies…who is totally unworthy.

Though this list is totally incomprehensible and infinitely immeasurable, I thank Him for…His everlasting love (Jeremiah 31:3), His presence (Psalm 139, Psalm 145:18), His protection (Isaiah 41:10, Psalm 5:11), His gift of daughter-ship (Romans 8:14-17), His amazingly wonderful grace (Acts 15:11, Ephesians 2:8), and His promise through Christ Jesus of forgiveness (1 John 1:9), redemption (Isaiah 43:1, Ephesians 1:7), salvation (Acts 4:12), and eternal life with Him in Heaven (John 14:1-3, John 3:14-16).  Hallelujah!


“But thanks be to God!  He gives us the victory
through our Lord Jesus Christ.”
1 Corinthians 15:57