Since today was the Sunday before Thanksgiving, our church service was dedicated to giving thanks. On this Sunday, the tradition at Moriah Primitive Baptist Church in Colbert, GA, the men of the church are welcomed to stand and give thanks for the blessings they have been given over the past year. I have come to love this service because we are all reminded of how much we cannot do it alone. We are in need of our families -be it blood, in-laws, or church families-, our salvation, and most of all our God to make it through not only tough times, but delightful times, too.
As Thanksgiving draws close, it occurs to me that I, all too often, complain, take for granted, and overlook all the blessings that are right in front of me. In the spirit of the season and hopefully far beyond Thursday, I want to share a few blessings that I do not say thank you for near enough.
- My God who is forgiving, understanding, and gracious.
- A while back, when I was struggling with the sickness and death of my grandfather, I was reflecting on several issues. In that reflection I wrote,
" It never fails. Every time I fall flat on my face, barging into sin like a bull in a china shop, I come face to face with my own humanity; my imperfection and the inadequacy of my self imposed attempts at holiness. And each time, I am ever more aware of my inability to produce good works on my own and of my ultimate reliance on God’s grace.
However, I am slowly learning that God works everything together for good--yes, even my sin.(See Romans 8:28). The past two weeks have been an emotional rollercoaster ride for me. I have fallen short but as long as I remain in this body, I will never measure up. With all of my slip-ups, failures, and flat out rebellion, God still says "My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness." 2 Corinthians 12:9.
So, I will stand under grace. In an ever-changing world of high pressures, lofty expectations and disappointments, God is the same yesterday, today and forever. I do not change Him. My actions do not change who He is. And my sin does not make Him less holy.
His grace is sufficient for me!"
- I am very thankful to be a child of the King and I strive to live in a way that serves him. However, I do have slip-ups, I am often a failure, and I can not be thankful enough for the one who gave his life so I could live.
- As most of you know, Justin and I got married in May and then set out on a beautiful (sometimes frightening) adventure. Since then, we have experienced far too many changes for me to document in this one blog post. Through the changes, Justin has been rather calm and collected and I....well, we don't always have the same temperament. He has been patient through many mood swings... and when I come grumbling through the door at 6:30pm crying over my monstrosity of a day. He lets me cry, makes my favorite dinner, and then asks what else he can do for me-- all while he's had a pretty crummy day, too. For him, I am truly thankful! There is much more I could say, but for now, I'll move on.
- I recently had a conversation with a friend about the attitudes, demeanors, and personalities of some of the students we teach. During the conversation we came to the conclusion that many of the issues we deal with in the classroom are issues that should be dealt with at home. However, judging from the students in my class, many of children do not have a loving, caring mother and father at home to teach them appropriate social behaviors. No one to teach them how to respond to conflict. No one to inspire them to do well in school, to read a book, to play a sport. This thanks is to my parents for raising me in a way that is socially acceptable, for punishing me for inappropriate behaviors, for having high standards and expectations, for holding fast to Christian values, and for loving me through it all, (from when I cried as an infant to when I made you cry as a teen). They have been the best example a newly wed could ask for. Without their leadership, dedication and love I would not be who I am today. I do not say it enough, Thank you!
- To some, this may sound strange. However, I have to admit and I do not ever want to forget, how lucky I am to have married into such an incredible family. They are all supportive, hard-working, and talented beyond imagination! Between Mr. Tony, Mrs. Mona, Travis, Emily, and Nathan, there isn't much that can't be done! (I would throw Justin in the mix, too, but he's not an in-law). Travis plays any instrument you throw at him. His band played at our wedding reception. You know they're good when even my dad says, "Man, that boy can play!" Emily - what doesn't she do? Organize decorations for a rehearsal dinner held in Georgetown, SC from Iowa, make an awesome groom's cake, and being a wonderful bridesmaid - all while keeping her 1 year old daughter entertained. Kudos! Nathan can fix anything mechanical and does metal working to compliment Justin's woodworking. Nathan helped Justin install a muffler and fix his tailgate in exchange for Justin helping him build a garage door this weekend. Justin's parents are also very helpful. On so many occasions they have dropped whatever they could have been doing to make a trip to Clayton to help us fix up our house. Several jobs around the house could not have been completed without Mr. Tony's strength. We are also very thankful for the delicious meals they prepare every time we visit or even pass through.
- In this economy, it is hard to be anything but thankful to have a full time position anywhere. However, I am very thankful to be in a profession that touches and changes lives everyday. Some days are rough, I'm not going to say otherwise, but as a special education teacher, that is expected. I am thankful to be given the passion for kids, and the opportunity to live out my passion everyday. I have a good support team at school- a principal, a mentor, and a special education coordinator- who all make it a point to encourage me and sing my praises on a regular basis.
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