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Wednesday, November 26

My Thanksgiving Thankful



This is my official Thanksgiving Thankful post. It was first published at Julie Arduini’s blog, The Surrendered Scribe this last Monday. In case you missed it there, I’m publishing it here in its entirety, with a little extra ‘thankful’ added at the end. What are you thankful for this year?

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It is the time of year to start thinking of what I’m thankful for. Actually, I’ve been thinking about it for quite awhile, as you may know if you ever read my “Thankful Thursday” posts. This is a special post I’m doing to really give thanks for the amazingly blessed life I have, as well as to participate as a guest writer for the amazing Julie Arduini, at her blog The Surrendered Scribe. Julie is participating in “NaBloPoMo Challenge” (see http://www.nablopomo.com/) to do 30 posts in 30 days, using guest writers.

I realize that I have a great life, full of many things to be grateful for. There is one thing in particular that I’d like to focus my thankfulness on. God has blessed me with a wonderful family of my own.

See I didn’t grow up in a healthy, functional home and for the first 30+ years of my life, I felt that I was all alone. I wasn’t an orphan, but it sure seemed that way. I had good relationships with friends, but it wasn’t the same. I always felt I was lacking something very significant in my life (other than the obvious – God). Holiday’s, birthday’s, vacation’s – they all seemed empty and I was always lonely.

When I was 30, I finally got saved. That helped a lot. I had a new, amazing relationship with my Father God. For this I was, and remain, thankful. But still, I was alone. I think it was good to be alone for a time with my Father – it gave me time to really know Him intimately. But after a time, the longing for a family of my own returned with a vengeance. And God heard my prayers and gave me the desires of my heart. Now I’ve been married nearly 7 years and have a 13-month old daughter, and I see that I truly do have an Eph. 3:20 family (Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us).

I am thankful for my husband Jeff, who is my partner, my best friend and the love of my life. I hold him in the highest esteem. He is a wonderful husband, father, and man of God. He inspires me to be a better person and the best me I can be. His love for Sweet Pea and I, is surpassed only by His love for God. He is a hard worker, honor and integrity go to the very core of his being. He makes me laugh, helps me cry and leads me in our life. All of the years of loneliness were worth it to finally get the man God had for me.

I am thankful for my little Sweet Pea. She is the joy of my life. I waited a very long time for her, but again, the wait was worth it. I know understand how powerful, how fierce, love can be. As I watch her learn and grow, I am getting glimpses of the person she is to be. There is nothing I wouldn’t do for her, there is no sacrifice I wouldn’t make for her. I pray constantly that I would be a good mother and raise her in the ways of God. I understand the importance of me being a good leader to her, so that one day she’ll be a great leader in the Kingdom of God.

And I am thankful for my Father, who has given me so many good and perfect gifts. I remember what it was to be without Him and can honestly say that I am nothing without Him. His love and forgiveness are more to me than life itself. I hope to never stop growing in His ways and to always become more like Jesus. While I’m not as far as I’d like to be, I thank God that I’m no longer where, or who, I was! All praise to Him!

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In addition to the above things that I am so grateful for, I’d like to offer thanks for one more thing. Living in the Phoenix area, we don’t experience Holiday weather the way many people around the country do. But this year is different! For the first time since I can remember, we will be celebrating Thanksgiving with unseasonably cool temperatures and rain. It is forecasted to be only in the low to mid 60’s on Thanksgiving Day, which to many of you I’m sure is actually quite warm, but for us, when the temps are usually in the 80’s (or even 90’s!) this time of year, this is a treat! So I’m Thankful for cooler temps and rain for Thanksgiving! Hallelujah!!!

1 comments:

Unknown said...

Tracy,

This was beautiful!

I praise God for all the wonderful things in your life!

I praise Him for your thankful heart and how much you love Him.

Coming to Him only 3 yrs ago and really only last year giving me life over to Him I too remember what life was like without Him.

He is my all in all and without Him I am NOTHING!

I am very thankful for God leading us to one another - you are a treasure in my life!

Wishing you a wonderfully blessed cooler Thanksgiving!

Hugs sweet friend!
Jill