A day of thanksgiving...

"That I may proclaim with the voice of thanksgiving, and tell of all Your wondrous works." ~Psalm 26:7

Why should Thanksgiving can only be celebrated in November?? I find myself giving thanks daily, but today is a rather somber day for me...I don't know if the clouds have anything to do with it...or possibly the house is a little more quiet today with Hannah back in school...but today I find myself completely overwhelmed with thanksgiving for all that God has been allowing me to experience over the last couple of weeks....months....years. So today...I devote a time to just reflect what is on my heart.

*Last week as I got home from work at 8am I learned that Hannah had been up sick all night long with the flu...therefore, both my tank and Greg's tank were empty as he has to dash off to work as I entered into the house, and I was here with no sleep on record over the last 26 hours. So that evening with little to no sleep for either of us, we headed to bed in the form of zombies leaving all our routines (praying with the kids) to the wayside. The girls had wanted to sleep in the family room, which we agreed upon, and as Greg & I were lying in we heard the most moving, tear jerking testimony that will bless our heart for the rest of our days. Ashtyn's voice was very low and she asked Hannah if she has prayed yet, Hannah responded not yet, and Ashtyn immediately started praying, not a just nightly prayer, but a prayer that was filled with the Holy Spirit as she covered her ill sister and her mommy & daddy as we were all tired. How amazing! I could hardly catch my breath as the tears fell and we listened onto this amazing God moment between two sisters.

*Five years ago I faced one of the greatest challenges and trials of my life...I had fallen into a deep dark depression that I totally cannot describe. This depression lasted for 3 years, and as I searched for the cause and reached out to people to help me, I continued to fall deeper and deeper into a depression. I had test after test and medicine after medicine until the last medication I was prescribed sent me into a life-threatening situation. One that we learned about this past weekend at Meadow Heights, one you hear about as a side-effect to medications or possibly read about in a book or magazine...I began having suicidal thoughts...talk about scary. The reason I share this with you and find it such a blessing, is because it is real, depression is real, suicide is real, but the greatest thing I learned and experienced was that God's healing is real. After 3 years I found myself calling on the Lord who loved me and was waiting for me to call on His name. Throughout this whole trial I was a Christ follower (which satan used to make me feel even worse), I knew He was there, but was using my strength and others strength to guide me through. Until one day, I was struggling and I tried to call several people to talk, but their lines were busy, busy, busy. And then suddenly a peace came over me as God gently told me He is there, He's had been there the whole time, and as I gave this depression to Him...left it at the foot of the cross, I found healing and peace that was a total blessing from God. I thank Him daily for that trial and I honestly can tell you that without that trial I don't think that I would have the strength to endure all that Ashtyn is going through and I wouldn't have the vision that God has given me to help people to know all that God has in store for them, to show them how much Jesus truly loves them and empower women to know that God has an amazing purpose for each and every one of us. God's plan for my life keeps showing up as He continues to place women in my life with the same mission yet with their own trials that will help build the bond of one huge God plan. So thanks Mel & Heather S. for keeping me real and praying with me and for me. God's got BIG plans and I cannot wait to see how it all unfolds!

*My 5K journey is still going amazingly! God continues to keep humbling me throughout this training, but I count it all a blessing as each day when I train I can give all the glory back to Him and thank Him that the pain and tiredness I am feeling is nothing compared to how He felt for us. Along with the gift of growing closer and closer to Christ through this race, I find it so awesome to be running with such amazing women. As I have my iPod going with praise music, I love it that as we are running we can join hands and pray together that His endurance, strength and perseverance will guide us throughout the next however many miles, that I don't have to feel weird to raise my hands toward Him in praise as I am moved by whatever song is playing or in total awe by the strength that flows directly from Him to continue that 29 minutes. He continues to move me, overwhelm me and inspire me to finish this race and many more with endurance and perseverance. I am so thankful for this journey!

*Ashtyn had her 11th chemo treatment this week and with the weather it was debatable as to whether we were going to be able to go or not. But God again showed up with spectacular guidance and safety. I thought it was awesome that Heather Self took the time away from her family to go up one night early with the girls and I to stay in St. Louis. Talk about selfless people. Thanks so much for loving God and us! And to top the cake, God knew we were supposed to be there. As we got to treatment Ash's blood pressure was really high, so that alarmed the doctor to was to check things out a little more, so at the end of her treatment they wanted to check her blood pressure in her other arm (which had the IV in it)and it was even higher. So her Rheumatologist, Dr. Andrew White, and a team of cardiologists led by Dr. David Balzer, all decided together that it was necessary to add another blood pressure medicine. Thank God we went that day or we wouldn't have caught it or had all the doctors right there. Thank God for His guidance and perfect timing and the safety as He brought us safely home.

My prayer today is of total awe and thankfulness Father, thank You for Your perfect timing, thank You for Your love. Thank You for the reminder of how truly blessed I am. Thank You for Meadow Heights and the beautiful, amazing people it has brought into my life. Thank You for the trials of life, may Your vision continue to grow and grow with more clarity and may You forever be glorified in and through my life. Thank You, thank You, thank You...