So Much For Which to Be Thankful

Laura at Heavenly Homemakers has offered us the opportunity to share what we’re thankful for in the last year. It’s supposed to be “Grati-TUESDAY” and today is Wednesday, but I was traveling yesterday and hadn’t written this ahead of time.

I’ve had a hard time just narrowing it down to a list that’s not too long to sit and read at your computer. This has been an amazing year for me and my family.

I am thankful that God is a forgiving God, a loving God, and an amazing God. He has forgiven me and blessed me and loved me and supported me through the last year in incredible ways. As my relationship with Him has grown exponentially, the doors for my ministry have been thrown wide open.

I am thankful for my husband and for my marriage. This goes deeper than a typical general platitude, and this year our marriage has deepened and become stronger, stabler, more committed than ever before. This is directly tied into each of us growing in our faith and moving in our walk with God, and therefore tied to the first item.

I am thankful for my children. Kaylee turned 12 and blossomed out of childhood and gracefully stepped into teenage years. We all should have been so graceful at 12. Scott turned 3 and potty trained. Johnathan turned 1, started walking, successfully weaned, and is learning new words daily.

I am thankful for my family. Spending Thanksgiving with Gregg’s family and Christmas with mine just reiterated how fortunate I am, how blessed we are in this world. I have an amazing family who support me and love me and root for me, and it is awesome.

I have such wonderful friends. Here, there, and everywhere. You know who you are, but I don’t know if you know how much you inspire me and lift me up and strengthen me. And I’m not sure if you know how much I love you.

I am thankful for the gifts God has given me, and for the direction He’s leading me. My writing has shifted from secular romance to Christian romance, and I am so excited about the opportunities that 2010 have in store for me. I’ve been led to begin this blog, which has grown so fast in such a short amount of time, and I gain such encouragement from comments and emails that I receive.

I am thankful for my church and for the church family. We shifted denominations and changed churches this year, not a rash decision. When we walked in the doors of the new church, it was as if we had come home. I look forward to the years ahead, of working with the church body in ministry and worship.

2010 holds such wonderful promise. I’ve accepted board positions with the Kentucky Romance Writers and with the Romance Writers of America Faith Hope and Love chapter. In January, I will start cooking Wednesday night meals for my church. Gregg will be home permanently in April and is looking at some exciting career opportunities. The children will grow, learn, and mature throughout another year.

I listened to a country music song one time called “Don’t Blink” (I guess that’s the title – that’s the words repeated throughout the song) that talked about don’t blink because one day your children are babies, and the next day they’re graduating from high school. I think Scott was a baby when I first heard it. And it really made me stop and enjoy every single day. Not to wish the next day away. That has been hard to do this year, because Gregg has been gone and I had two very young children who don’t sleep well and a very tweeny girl all alone. Some days I wanted to wish were over, but I stopped myself and savored being a mother and being a wife and loving the Lord.

So as we enter into this new year, let me encourage you to love every moment. God tells us in all things to give thanks (1 Thessalonians 5:18), and keeping that verse in mind, along with the concept of savoring every moment, really helps me wake up each morning just excited about the day and the prospects facing me.

Happy New Year from me and my family to you and yours.