Thankful Thursday

"Not to us, O Lord, not to us, but to your name be the glory, because of your love and faithfulness." Psalm 115:1

Today, I am thankful for a few things. I truly believe that God is dealing with me in a certain area of my life. I have to admit that I've been struggling for a long time with patience and self-control. These are two areas of my life that I hate, yes hate, about myself.

I'm tired of making excuses like, "Oh, I'm from an Irish family, we are all hot heads." or I like this one, "SHE/HE was so rude/annoying/mean(the list goes on), I didn't do anything! It's their fault!" It's time I get real with myself and realize that not everything that happens to me is someone else's fault. Often times the things that happen to me are a direct result of my impatience or my inability to have self-control.

1. I'm thankful for God's grace.
Many times throughout the day, I pray and ask the Lord to give me patience with people/situations. While He is there, I alone make the decision to be calm and in control or to get angry and frustrated. I've failed many times but I'm thankful that God still has grace and compassion on me.

2. I'm thankful that He has patience with ME.
If God were me, He would have screamed, yelled and given up on me already. But He ISN'T me, He's God. I'm amazed how much He continues to forgive me and have patience with me...I'm thankful for that.

3. I'm thankful for my husband.
We have been together for nearly 12 years and I'm thankful for the patience he also has with me. He's such a cool headed guy, even toned, neither black nor white. He's in between, just right. I'm so the exact opposite. I've learned a lot from him and I'm so thankful the God gave him to me and that he loves me despite my short comings.

4. I'm thankful for my son.
He is the most precious gift I've ever been given. I look at him and can't believe he came from me, FROM ME! He's beautiful. Having him allows me to see how I need to be not only as a mother but as a person as a whole. I don't want him to see me get angry or lose my control in stressful situations. This is another area in which I believe God is slowing guiding me, showing me the person He wants me to be.

5. I'm thankful for my job.
I worked full-time for 10 years and now that I stay at home with Evan during the day, I'm thankful I have a job to go to during the evenings. I'm thankful that the little income that it brings in, it has really helped. Any job, little or small, is a gift. I'm thankful the Lord has provided a way for us to survive, even if it's me folding clothes all evening! It's funny that I actually enjoy doing it! I guess I'm even thankful for that!

I know that most of my posts are filled with happy and fun things, which I love to write about, but this is how I'm feeling today. A little on the serious and contemplative side.

I want to make today a better day than yesterday and make tomorrow a better day than today. Would you remember me in prayer this week? I could really use them right now.