day 6: my thankful heart

 

Today I give thanks to God for:

 the beauty found in rural living

As many of you know we moved to a new city in June.  We are blessed to own a home outside of town with some acreage.   While there have definitely been some adjustments, we have each fallen in love with our house and its location.  It is a good ten minute drive 'into town' and the route provides much to see!  Little love enjoys the journey the most wanting me to slow down to see the cows in the pasture as well as look to see if the horses are out in the fields or in their respective barns.  I love the special time in the car together and talking about God's creation and truly slowing down to embrace the beauty in the small simple things. 

One night on our way home, just about a mile from our house, two horses were out in the pasture.  We stopped the truck so we could admire their beauty as well as the beautiful skyline behind them as the sun went down.  Little love was in all his glory as the brown horse saw us and made his way over to the fence to greet us.  Little love's adoration for horses continues to grow which is fun to view...and it is fueling husband's desire to own a horse!

Not only do we get to enjoy viewing farm animals, we also have the joy of seeing Michigan's beautiful fall season from harvest equipment in the fields to tree lined country roads adorning colorful leaves.  This is a tree in our backyard beginning the beautiful transformation of colors.

We are blessed to be surrounded by beauty.  The only question is, will I still feel this way when it is covered in snow?! 

day 5: my thankful heart

Today I give thanks to God for:

online shopping

That my friends is part of my recent JoAnn Fabric & Craft purchase that was delivered to our house today.  Ah, delivery, it is a beautiful thing!  I was able to take advantage of a 31 cent shipping promotion on Halloween Day as well as use a gift card for my balance making me one happy crafter! I rarely used online shopping in the past; maybe for a book on Amazon or if I wanted something that was not available in the store but since late summer, online shopping has become my new go-to resource for purchasing new items.  Online shopping is convient. I love that I can browse what seems like a limitless selection all in the comfort of my own home. I do not have to chase after a toddler, answer to his screams or tell him for the hundreth time to look with his eyes and not touch with his hands!  I can 'shop' while said toddler is sleeping and not have to make decisions under a time restraint.  While there are shipping costs, when I consider the time to drive to a store, the gas used in my travel and as well as the time spent with my attention on my child rather than the shopping experience, it is worth 'shopping' at home via my computer and paying the shipping costs.  And as I mentioned, you can find some great deals on free or reduced shipping costs.  My favorite part of the whole process is receiving my purchases in the mail! I love opening the boxes to find my new treasures.  It brings a certain joy that a retail store purchase can not bring! I am looking forward to making many Christmas purchases this year utilizing online shopping. Do you enjoy shopping online?

day 4: my thankful heart

Hope you are having a good Monday!
We are still running the emergency heat function at our house today so it is bit cooler than I typically like in our home this morning.  Since we have a heat source, the next available appointment to get our furnace fixed is Wednesday morning...unless of course we want to pay for emergency repair which we do not! Oh the joys! I will not grumble or complain, I just hope that the emergency function does not fail on us!

Today I give thanks to God for:

our fireplace

I am thankful our fireplace is an additional heat source in our home during the last few days while we are experiencing a broken furnace.  I am thankful that it is a gas fireplace so I can benefit from the heat but do not have the added work or cost of needing wood and cleaning up afterwards. I am thankful that I have a mantel to decorate. I am thankful for the visual element it provides for our family room as well as creating a comfortable and cozy atmosphere.

{Monday Motivation} beauty

{source: Pinterest}

day 3: my thankful heart

Today I give thanks to God for:

the emergency heat function on our furnace

It was brought to my attention on Friday that our air conditioner fan was running which in turn lead to the greater problem - our furnace was not functioning correctly.  Long story short, we turned off the furnace Saturday evening and bundled up for a cool evening of rest.  This morning when we woke it was a about 63degrees which is warmer than I anticipated it to be.  Thankfully we got a recommendation from one of husband's co-workers for a local furnace repair company.  We are grateful for the company's emergency on-call guy who shared enough information with husband to understand the possible problem as well as our equipment to get the emergency heat function working.  Not paying triple the cost of labor and parts in addition to an emergency on-site fee is a beautiful thing.  We will be calling the company again bright and early tomorrow morning to get the furnace repaired as soon as possible.  We have a new appreciation for the blessing of a heated house!

day 2: my thankful heart

Today I give thanks to God for:

my mother-in-law

This is a special tribute post to my mother-in-law on her birthday!  I am blessed to say that I don't just like my mother-in-law but I love her! She has always accepted me for who I am. She encourages me.  She respects my roles as a wife, mother, and friend. She prays for me. She helps me in time of need.  She is fun! She is a woman of God. I cherish the time that we are together.  I appreciate her insight.  I am thankful she raised her son to know the Lord and to honor his wife.  She is a positive role-model.  She adores her grandchildren.  She is a blessing and I am honored to call her my mother-in-law!

day 1: my thankful heart

November has arrived and winter is quickly approaching! As soon as the calendar turns to November, my heart is always focused on thanksgiving; celebrating life and the abundance of blessings I have been granted.  Today kicks off my November series: my thankful heart 2013. I strive to focus on being intentional and counting my blessings and giving thanks to God for the work He is doing in my life; the people, places, things and moments that make this life worth living.  Each day this month I will document something I am thankful for.  Please consider joining me in giving thanks for the multitude of blessings God has granted you.

 Today I give thanks to God for:

the life of my precious niece, Adalynn

Wow! Where to begin to describe the impact this precious child of God has had on my life!?  This is what I can tell you...

The life of Adalynn had an influence on my absence from writing posts on this blog.  From the time I devoted to serving Adalynn and her parents following her birth, to the loss of words to explain, cope and write something meaningful, to the refocus of priorities and serving God and my family first, I did not devote time for this blog.

The life of Adalynn has brought me to my knees in prayer more than any other life event I have ever experience.  I give thanks knowing that my God has heard every word, wiped every tear, listened even when I didn't know what to say, and has never left my side despite times of frustration, joy, anger, happiness, sadness and all the emotions inbetween!

The life of Adalynn has confirmed that every second of every minute of every hour of every day is a gift given from God.  Treasure each and every moment for we are not promised tomorrow. I am thankful that God has taught me to see the here and the now; the little things matter most.

The life of Adalynn has confirmed that God is in the details. While we are still praying for a miracle, God has shown His faithfulness!

The life of Adalynn has broadened my medical knowledge and understanding. I am thankful for this new perspective as my appreciation for health care providers has increased and I feel more equipped to relate and care for Adalynn and the medical assistance she needs.

The life of Adalynn has confirmed my gifts are words of encouragement and making/creating/doing something for the ones I love.  I give thanks that I was able to show my love by creating 'crib bling' for Adalynn's hospital bed as well as other personalized gifts.

The addition of Adalynn's life to our family has been such a blessing.  I am thankful God picked me as her auntie! 

Adalynn's life has and will continue to impact me with every day we are blessed with her presence. The statements listed above are just the beginning of how my life has been changed.  I thank God for using Adalynn to mold, shape and grow me!

To read my thankful heart 2012 series, click here
To read my thankful heart 2011 series, click here