Thankful Thursday

Wow!

It's been almost a month since I stayed awake enough on Thursday evening to take some time to count my blessings and put down in writing the things I'm thankful for

It certainly isn't because I'm not thankful

life happens, and along with that energy at times can get zapped

the last time I posted, I had just received the news of my second grandson's birth

and I was recovering from my recent injury from coming in contact with my table saw blade

I'm thankful to say that my thumb is recovering nicely

I'm thankful the pain from that injury has been minimal and I've been able to carry on with normal activity

I'm also thankful I had the chance to go out to Missouri and meet my new grandson

I'm thankful for the gift of time

thankful I got to take lots of walks with my 2 year old grandson Hudson

thankful for the opportunity to see the world through the eyes of a little child

I'm thankful for safe travel out and back, and thankful my wife, who stayed out an extra week, had an uneventful flight home

this morning as I was driving to work in the fog, I had a very close call, almost colliding with another driver.  So I'm especially thankful for safety this evening

On my return trip from Missouri, I did something very different.  I'm typically one of those people who is just looking to conquer the trip--minimal stops just when necessary to refill the gas tank.  And we make the run out to Missouri, a 14 hour trip, in one day.  But this time, traveling alone, I decided to spread the trip over 3 days. I stopped and chatted with an old friend over his lunch break on Friday afternoon, stopped in Indianapolis to visit with an uncle and cousins Friday evening, and hung out with them on Saturday morning until around 11.  Then I met up with a pastor friend in Ohio and visited with him and his wife for about an hour and a half before driving to the home of a friend from college in western PA.  I spent the night at his home, visited with him for a couple hours Sunday morning, and then completed my trip home.

I'm thankful for the time I had with each of those people.

thankful for God's provision of friends and family

thankful for family that is also friends

I haven't always experienced that, so it brings a special kind of appreciation

as I mentioned earlier, I've been falling asleep a lot in the evenings

I'm thankful for my job, thankful that it is physically taxing, which tends to help me have no problem falling asleep

I'm thankful for the way God has designed our bodies to be refreshed by sleep

I'm also thankful for His promise that those who wait on Him will renew their strength

I'm thankful for those times He gives me to just be still before Him and be rejuvenated

I'm thankful for God's invitation to come to Him when I'm burdened and just worn out

thankful that He offers rest to the weary

I'm thankful that Jesus is the Living Water and the Bread of Life

thankful that He satisfies my hungering soul