Who writes this stuff?

My photo
I try to keep my priorities in order: Jesus, my Andy, our children, everything else. I homeschool our boys, love to read almost all written words and have been challenged by the military life for 18 years. Right now my faulty human body is demanding a lot of attention. One day at a time, learning as much as possible every day and remembering to look for JOY when other things threaten to overwhelm.

My Blog Title Verse

"For the Lord gives wisdom. From His mouth come knowledge and understanding." Proverbs 2:6 NKJV
The Message translation puts it this way "God gives out Wisdom free, is plainspoken in Knowledge and Understanding."


Thursday, October 08, 2009

Running late, but still thankful

Thankful Thursday
I am thankful that Andy has a good job, that is consistent and has good benefits. Hating his hours this week was making me less then appreciative until I started listening to several others around me who have no work at all right now. I am thankful for work.

I am thankful for music. It cheers my husband, gives me something to dance to when I work around the house, soothes my children to sleep when I practice the piano at night, and best of all can be such an amazing way to worship the creator of music. I am thankful for music.
I am thankful for Benin. That country hold my daughter. At moments it seems they hold her captive... but it is her home country for now, and I will always be thankful for the country that has sheltered her and kept her until I can bring her home. I am thankful for Benin.

I am thankful for speech. We take it for granted that we can speak to one another. We harshly tell others to shut up when we tire of what they have to say. Zion is working so hard, and is making progress. One day, one day - I hold onto that promise. In the meantime, I am thankful for speech, and for speech teachers.

I am thankful for wheels. Truly, one of the greatest inventions of man - Canaan has been learning to ride his bike this week, and it has been a wonderful adventure. I am thankful for wheels.

I am thankful for all my many diseases. They introduce me to new people. They make me slow down, appreciate little things. They make me humble, since I have to ask people for things, rather then always doing for myself. They make me spend more time seeking god - with each new one at first asking for healing, then asking for grace to accept, and then asking for wisdom to learn and teach others. I am so very thankful for my sicknesses.

Every day holds a new promise of things to appreciate. Let us praise Him who gives good things while we have breathe to praise. (that means every moment ... because I am pretty sure you are breathing right now)

What are you thankful for?

7 comments:

Karen said...

Loved your thankful list...and your reflections on each thing...it is so encouraging to others to read about your last "blessing"....and see how you have turned something most would see as a burden, into something that has helped you to help others....

Tricia said...

I love your list. Especially the last one. Many times through these trials of the girls illnesses and other things in our lives, I have thought it must seem crazy to others for me to be thankful for the gifts those struggles had brought. I hope you have a fabulous week!

Carrie said...

Inspiring and convicting attitude Bethany! You make me want to be a better person! :) love ya!

Mel Eik said...

I am thankful for you and your blog! God is so good to us, even in the things that the world tells us we should never define as "good" (i.e. pain, sickness) I'm thankful that God uses ALL things (Rom 8:28) to accomplish His purposes.
And...I am thankful that there is no condemnation for those in Christ (Rom 8:1) :)

autumnesf said...

Beautiful list Bethany!

I love that you are thankful for Benin. But Benin will ALWAYS be her home...even when she is American and it is also home. Such a small play on words but a big impact on how you will relate to your daughter as she ages.

Andysbethy said...

Thanks Autumn for the reminder. I know that, I just forget at moments. We already talk about taking her back home someday, when she wants to go. We talk about the projects we can work into our homeschool curriculum. I know it will always be home too - but right now it just feels far away.

Lara said...

Thanks for the new perspective on diseases. As a fellow sufferer of a multitude of bewildering illnesses, I never think of the ways I should appreciate them.

Lara