Giving Thanks

i have this great friend who is such a wonderful encourager to me.  whenever i feel like i am failing with my children she always reminds me that i'm doing a great job ... that i love them and am walking with them on this journey to who they are .... as they own their heritage and history.  "you're doing a great job Maggs, really you are."  some of the sweetest words a mum who doubts can hear!

and today i was driving home thinking hmmmm ... haven't posted on my blog lately .... what other deep and meaningful thing can i open up and discuss.  and it occurred to me .... that perhaps i simply need to stop and give thanks.  giving thanks for i have so very many things to be thankful for.

Psalm 13:6 .... i will sing the Lord's praise, for He has been good to me.

• i give thanks for my redeemed life.  for my God who loves me so much.
• i give thanks for each of my children.  they may not be born of my body, but they are born of my heart.  i could not have asked for three munchkins more perfectly suited to our family and to our way of life.
• i give thanks for this good earth .... this place that God made for us.  may my family do our part in redeeming it and honouring the patterns and systems that God created in it to take care of us.
• i give thanks for saturday morning family snuggles in bed
• i give thanks for my amazing husbands intuitiveness with regard to issues and needs that our children have
• i give thanks for my daughters amazing creativity.  for her huge, tender and beautiful heart and the already strong sense of and desire to serve Him.
• i give thanks for my eldest son's bright eyes and desire to learn.  for his love of life and gentle sensitive heart.
• for my bunso boy's giggle and laughter.  his desire to hug and be hugged and that wicked little sense of humour.
• i give thanks for the loud, chaotic noises that run rampant in our house at times

and there are times when i am just in awe that with as abnormal as each of the members of this family are, we work, we are a team.  and in all this we are normal.  from the sibling squabbles, to the defiant disobedience ... my children are normal.  my strengths and weaknesses as a parent are all normal.  the grace that abounds in this house, in this family ... thank you Lord.

call me old fashioned.  but sometimes, the oldie moldies are the best.  the ones that are straight scripture put to a gentle tune of love and adoration.  this .... it's one of my fav's and it's hard for me to not raise my hands when i sing this!