Thankful Thursday -- And A Prayer Request

There is so much to be thankful for, always! Lately, life has gotten very busy and with that it has become somewhat hectic at times.

And the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus. Phillipians 4:7
Thou wilt keep him in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on thee: because he trusteth in thee. Trust ye in the LORD for ever: for in the LORD JEHOVAH is everlasting strength Isaiah 26:3-4

Honestly, there is nothing more to add to that! I am thankful for the reminders that the Lord provides me with the peace, perfect peace, that passes all understanding. That not only does the Lord grant me peace which I so desperately need at times -- such as now -- but that He is my strength. Thank you Lord Jesus!!


Since you are here anyway, I would like to ask that you would join me in praying for the health and safety of my brother, his girlfriend, and children. Please pray that God would take this opportunity, as Brent and Kathy go through a drug treatment program, to show these two His glory and that they would be open to receive it. Please pray that the children would be comforted and cared for well by those who have been put in place to do so.
Thank you so much, God hears our prayers and the more people praying, the more powerful the prayers! If you have anything that you would like me to pray and/or praise with you, please let me know, either in a comment or if you'd like some privacy feel free to email me at tinymansmom@sbcglobal.net

Have a wonderfully blessed day!

10 Things You Might Not Know About Me

 10 LITTLE Things You Might Not Know About Me~1~  Even though I don't get to do as much of it as I'd like, I really enjoy crafting!~2~ I cannot draw, I can make a stick person and some of the basics - that's it.~3~ I prefer cookie dough over cookies. (And this drives my husband nuts!!!)~4~ My favorite color is powder blue.~5~ I like General Hospital...I know, right?~6~ When I was a kid I wanted seven kids, now I am good with three! lol~7~ I always wanted to be either a doctor or a lawyer, but honestly, I think that being a mom is a lot more rewarding...doesn't pay as much but every minute is amazing! ~8~ I prefer my fish baked or grilled - don't tell Zack, he likes 'em fried!~9~ I could live the rest of my life without eating another bite of red meat and it wouldn't bother me a bit. ~10~ I still have one pair of pants that I could wear before I had kids...and I am not getting rid of it!!! It is my goal, eventually to fit in them again!~And A Bonus~ I hate putting laundry away, I would rather clean the toilet.   Thankful Thursday is being hosted by Lynn at Spiritually Unequal marriage in October, you can head over there to find a list of other participating posts and/or link up your own.  This is the first Thankful Thursday that I have participated in for a while, and it is interesting that the topic is 10 things you don't know about me. It might not seem that interesting to you, but one of the prayers that has been on my heart for a while now is that I would be empty of me and full of God. When I was thinking about myself to make this list, I didn't really like a lot of what I was coming up with, which means that it is time to change some things!!

At church, we just started a women's Bible study and one of the things that has really been convicting me is that I have not read the whole Bible. I have red many books, but have not given the honor and respect that God deserves, desires, and demands to Him by reading His Word. That really made me think, and I am now working on reading with a prayerful and receptive heart. So hopefully with me being in God's Word more, next time I take an inventory of myself I will see more Chrsit-like qualities!!
Thanks for taking the time to stop by! Leave a comment and I will make sure to come see what you have to say as well! Hope you all have a Thankful and Blessed Thursday!!

~~Katrina~~

Thankful Thursday

It has been a while since I really had the time or energy to blog much. I love when I haven't really written anything and come to find myself writing a Thankful Thursday post! Really, focusing on the blessings that we have in our lives is a much better use of time than looking at everything that may be wrong.

Today I am thankful that God has given me the perseverance to make it through this last semester of school. Chemistry was quite difficult for me and my Philosophy class was a gigantic waste of time and energy for the most part. Last night I finished taking my final for Chemistry and will find out in about a week how I did. I still have a paper to finish for Philosophy - due tomorrow.

The main reason that I am thankful that school is out for a while now, is that I can spend all of my time focusing on my family. Right now, they really need it. Emily, the 3 year old, is starting to become defiant and I think that has a lot to do with her not getting enough positive attention while I was focused on school. Natalie is potty training, and anyone who has ever been down that road before knows that is a time consuming process - well worth it too!!

I have been facing many obstacles in life recently, and was not sure what to do or where to turn. Through lots of prayer and reflection I am back where I need to be, praise God! I am thankful that even when we are not sure what to do or think about turning our back on God, He will never do the same - He is everything we need, always! And He is good enough to remind me of that daily!!



Please join us at Women Taking A Stand this month as Laurie hosts Thankful Thursday. You can link up your post or just read through some thoughts from amazing women!

I hope you have a truly blessed day!

Thankful Thurday

I hope that you are all having a wonderful Thursday! Mine is getting better!!!

I have not been in the right mind set lately. I don't know why, but I have been very irritable, cranky, and tired. It gets old, fast! And I am sure that if I am noticing my attitude and am tired of it, the people around me have also noticed and are probably REALLY tired of it.

This morning, I woke up and did not want to get out of bed. Then I remembered somthing that my husband had told me that they talked about at one men's breakfast at church...in the mornings it is much better to get out of bed with a good attitude and say "Good Morning God!" as oppossed to "Uuugh, good God it's morning."

AH-HA MOMENT

Suddenly it did not seem so strange to me that I have been in such a foul mood. My priorites have not been what they should.

So today I am thankful for the gentle nudges that the Lord gives, when I need them most. I am thankful that, especially when I am not who He wants me to be, He loves me enough to guide me back to the right path.



If you would like to link up with Thankful Thursday, it is being hosted by Lynn this month at Spiritually Unequal Marriage. If you would like to just stop by and see her post and a list of others, you are welcome to do that too!

Lord,
I thank you, not only today Lord but every day, for being such a loving Father. There is nothing that can ever seperate us from Your love, and that is something that I will be eternally greatful for. Lord I ask that you would be with me, mold me Lord so that I am more like you and less like me. I thank you for the forgiveness that you give so freely Lord. Thank you for all that you are. Please watch over all of my sisters and brothers and be with each of them in whatever way they are needing you right now Lord.
In the precious name of Jesus I pray,
Amen

Thankful Thursday

I have so much to be thankful for today, like every day.

It seems like change is something that happens all the time. Sometimes it happens to us, sometimes it happens through us, sometimes it happens in spite of us...I once heard that the only constant thing in life is change. I don't believe that for a second.

God is constant, He never changes! I am so thankful that I get to serve a Lord like that!!!

But even the change, I am thankful for. I know that we all have our own priorities in life and as the world around us changes we have to "adapt" or change so that our priorities will not be compromised. I am thankful that we have the freedoms in this great country to be able to make our own choices, move about freely, worship freely, and to express ourselves.

I am thankful for all the people I have in my life who encourage me to be the best that I can be - at whatever it may be. I am thankful for my family - near and far - and wish that there was not so much distance between us.

I am thankful for a great church with an amazing kids' program! And for being blessed with kids who are eager to learn and absorb God's truths!

I have so much more to be thankful for, but the dryer just beeped! :) Hey, I am even thankful for folding clothes in my own house, as opposed to the laundry rooms and laundry mats we used before having washer and dryer hook ups!!!

I hope that you all have a ton of things to be thankful for and that you would take a few minutes to reflect upon them, and give thanks! Have a blessed day!

Thankful Thursday - Life's Joys

Hello everyone, it is again Thursday, a day dedicated to thinking of the wonderful things for which we are thankful.

I really enjoy the time that I take to think of the things I have in my life to be thankful for - from the smallest to the largest - and the time I spend reading other women's Thankful Thursday posts. If you are interested, you can find a list of participating blogs on Lynn's blog, Spiritually Unequal Marriage, where Thankful Thursday had been hosted in January.

I am thankful for a lot today!

I had a doctors appointment on Tuesday, and everything is going great with the pregnancy. The baby's heart rate was in the 160's, which is right where it should be. I am in my 13th week, and soon get to find out if we are having a boy or a girl.

I also started classes this week, and so far Chemistry is challenging but is not the looming nightmare I was afraid of. I am thankful that I am able to count on my husband to take care of the kids and fix dinner and do what needs to be done on the nights that I have to go to school.
I am also thankful for the ambition Zack has, as he is also starting to take classes and get the prerequisites out of the way so that he can go into the Culinary Arts program at TMCC- all while working and being a family man!

Zack went to the men's breakfast at church last Saturday, and he enjoyed it. Their numbers are growing, and for that we are also thankful! We are praying the the church numbers rise as well, not just at our church but through out the country and the world!

I am thankful that Focus on the Family is supposed to have a commercial during the Super Bowl - what an audience! Hopefully it touches many people with their "Celebrate Family, Celebrate Life" theme.

I have so much more to be thankful for, but I will wrap up with one more, then head over to read some other Thankful Thursday posts:

Things are going great with our family - everyone is healthy, happy, and getting along great! Emily is continuing to learn more about God and loves to teach it to Natalie, it is one of the cutest things I have ever seen!



Have a blessed day and week!

Thankful Thursday - "I'm not driving"

Yay, it is time for another Thankful Thursday! I have been out of it for a few weeks now and am starting to get back into the swing of things, that is one thing I am grateful for today!
Last night I was watching Dog the Bounty Hunter and in that episode, Dog and the team were going after a couple. It turns out that they were both meth addicts, the man was a thief to support their habit, the woman was a prostitute, and the woman had abandoned her four children a year ago to "go on a one week vacation." I cried.
I am not normally this emotional, but being pregnant I am pretty emotional. When Beth was taking the woman to jail she let her call her mom and kids. I really started crying when this lady got on the phone with her daughter and told her that she didn't know where she was going because "Mommy's not driving."
I guess that the point of me telling you this story is that I am thankful for everything that God has done to bring me to where I am today, because with out Him, there is no telling where I could be. I am thankful that my husband is a man who loves the Lord and wants our children to grow up knowing Him and His love for them. Emily, my 3 YO, knows about ten Bible verses and that God loves her and Jesus will wash away her sins. I am so thankful that she has a heart for God, she loves learning more and hearing more Bible stories.
Second chances, even third and forth when they are needed, are another thing that I am thankful for. God is so good! I hope to be able to live my life always knowing where I am going (in the end) because God is driving, and I trust Him!!!



I hope that you all have a blessed week, and I encourage each of you to take a few minutes and think of what you are thankful for today.
You can read more thankful hearts here and link up your own.

Thankful Thursday - Selah

Selah.
Stop, take a minute to reflect.

Selah is probably either a liturgico-musical mark or an instruction on the reading of the text, something like "stop and listen". "Let those with eyes see and with ears hear" is most concise. According to Wikipedia

I am so thankful for the times in my life where selah seems so appropriate. As in the Psalms, after a particular meaningful passage, selah is used to command, remind, allow...us to stop and let something sink in.
I have had a lot of "particularly important/meaningful" moments as of late, and I am thankful for Selah. It is in the quite moments after things are calm that I really let things sink in.
My daughter turned 3 on Sunday, I have had this child and loved her for THREE years. That deserves a moment of reflection.
Marriage is hard, relationships are not perfect, people change. Thankfully, the Lord does NOT change! He is the same yesterday, today, and forever and He will not give me more than I can bear. Selah.

For those of you who are reading this, please take a moment to say a prayer of encouragement for me, for God to make His presence felt and put His hands around my family? I thank you for any prayers you offer up on my behalf.
And as Christmas draws nearer, I pray for the families who are not going to be together for one reason or another and ask that everyone feel the true Spirit of Christmas in their lives, at this time of year and always!



Feel free to leave links in your comments so that I can visit your posts!
Have a blessed week!

Thankful Thursday - Holidays

I love this time of the year. I love when families come together and spend time. I wish that more of my family lived close enough to come together for the holidays, but I am still thankful that we are all just a phone call away! I am thankful that my Aunt Jody moved back to Helena and is going back to church, I think that the move for her will turn into the best gift ever!
I am thankful for what the holidays mean. I am eternally thankful for Christmas - for the birth of Christ, a perfect being into a sinful world. I am thankful that He lived a perfect, sinless life so that he would have no blemish as he was crusified, for the sins of the world.
I am thankful that I learned and embraced the truth of Christ when I did, or chances are I would have never seen my 20th birthday, gotten married, had my amazing children... I am thankful that my children are developing a love for and a relationship with God at young ages and I pray that they are saved from sin rather than through sin.
The holiday season is an time for joy and thanksgiving and I love to see the smiles on people's faces as I am out and about. There is much that I am thankful for. It always seems that on Thursdays when I begin this post, I could go on forever...and I really believe that if I did, I would have many more smiles on my face!



Have a Blessed week, and remember to count your blessings, it puts the rest into perspective!!

Thankful Thursday - Happy Thanksgiving

Happy Thanksgiving! Today is a wonderful day, all over the country there are people giving thanks. For many different reasons, people, events, and hopefully for God!




I recently read a verse that has been on my mind ever since:
Always be ready, because you don't know the day your Lord will come. Matthew 24:42

I am thankful that I have a wonderful family. That we are able to share joy, laughter, love, and pain, tears, and worries. I am thankful that no matter what has come our way thus far, we have prevailed - not because we are just that amazing, but because the Lord is on our side. I am thankful that this Thanksgiving we have two healthy, beautiful children. And that we are in our own home for the first time. I am thankful for all that we have accomplished this year, even though it was not easy. I am thankful for the verse above because it reminds me to live each day as though it were THE day - to smile at people, seek & praise the Lord, love my family, love others, and share the good news:

But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us. Since we have now been justified by his blood, how much more shall we be saved from God’s wrath through him! For if, when we were God’s enemies, we were reconciled to him through the death of his Son, how much more, having been reconciled, shall we be saved through his life! Not only is this so, but we also rejoice in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have now received reconciliation. Romans 5:8-11

I hope that you have a very blessed Thanksgiving!

Another Thankful Thursday!

Today is again Thursday, and it happened at the perfect time! You might think that is a strange thing to say, but really - I am thankful that today is (thankful) Thursday!
I have so much to be thankful for, and even right now when times are tough, there is so much that is amazing in my life and the lives of my family - all because of the love, mercy, and grace that has been bestowed upon us by the Lord! I am thankful that we have a warm, safe place to call home. That we are free to believe whatever we choose, and that we were given the faith to believe in God! I am incredibly thankful that no matter the amount of sin that is in my past - Jesus CHOSE to cleanse ME of all of it! I am thankful that I have learned to break many cycles and hope and pray that there will be even more cycles broken by my children and future generations, while at the same time reinforcing cycles of love, respect, faith, humility, and more! There really are so many things that I have to be thankful for, that I honestly cannot count them all! Another thing that I am incredibly thankful for is the support that I have, that my family has, that encourages us in the Lord!


Thank you for taking the time to read this post, and I am thankful for any comments you feel like leaving! Have a blessed day!

~ Thankful Thursday ~

I love Thursdays, I enjoy writing and reading posts that are all about the positive things in life. At church this month, Pastor Pat challenged us to make November a "no complaint month." This might sound easy, or it might sound hard - it depends on how much you complain! To me, it did not sound too easy! It makes since though, and I love the idea. If we spend all of our time being thankful, grateful, appreciative of what Christ did for us - all the He went trough being mocked, tortured, and crucified - how can we say anything other than Thank You Lord!
It seems like when I fall into a mood where I want to complain about things, I am most certainly NOT thinking about what Jesus did. So the challenge is to think more about God and how much He loves us, think about the choices that Jesus made that proves His love for us; and then what is there to complain about? I love it! If you need help remembering to think about Jesus rather than the events that make you want to complain, try something simple like tying a piece of red yarn on your wrists.
I am thankful for this reminder.
I am thankful of all the things I have to be thankful for!
I am thankful that you are taking the time out of your life to read this, and pray that you are thankful as well! Have a great Thursday ~ be Blessed!

Thankful Thursday ... "Trials"

My brethren, count it ll joy when you fall into various trials, knowing that the testing of your faith produces patience. But let patience have its perfect work, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking nothing. James 1:2-4 NKJV



This week's Thankful Thursday topic is trials.

I have been through many trials in my life. I was not always thankful at the time. Trials are part of God's way of molding us. It was not until I learned that last part that I was able to be thankful for trials.
One of the biggest reasons that I am thankful for trials in my life is pointed out in the verse at the begining of this post (James 1:2-4) an outcome of trials is patience. I know I could use a bit more patience some days - I'm not asking for more trials though, lol! The only perfect and complete thing about me, that is lacking nothing, is Jesus. I know that me, myself, need to be molded, refined to be more like Him and less like me; and if going through trials is the way that is to be accomplished - so be it.
I am thankful that my God counts me valuable, worthy enough to refine! Praise the Lord!
I am thankful that I am able to help some people go through their tough times because the Lord has taken me through it already. And I am also thankful that God has allowed others to experience similar trials to those I am facing and will face, so that they may help me through it! God is good!
I am thankful that I will never face any trial, no matter how small, big, life changing that it might be, alone. Christ is with me, He will never leave me nor forsake me. Praise the Lord!



I would appreciate any comments you'd care to give! If you have a Thankful Thursday post, please leave a link and I will come check it out. Have a great day, and God bless you!

Thankful Thursday

I have so many things to be thankful for, but there are times that I lose sight of the reasons I should be thankful and focus instead on things that are bringing me down. Today I am going to take the time to stay focused on the tings for which I am thankful.

Enter into His gates with Thanksgiving, and into His courts with praise:

Be thankful unto Him and bless His name.

Psalm 100:4 KJV

~Top 5 Reasons I am Thankful Today~

1. I am thankful that I have come to know the Lord, and to know His love for me. It makes me thankful that I am worth so much to Him!

2. I am very thankful for my family. I couldn't ask for a better husband or father for my children! Emily and Natalie are precious blessings that can always make me smile - I love them all even when they make me want to cry! No matter what, I will always be thankful for my family!

3. I am thankful that I know that whatever comes my way, I can get through AND I wont have to get through it alone!

4. I am thankful that we are able to make due with one pay check so that I can stay at home with our children. Even though it is not always easy, it is worth it!

5. I am thankful for some of the smaller things in life too - COFFEE and sunshine!

Every Thursday I am going to make a Thankful Thursday Post, if you would like to join me, click on the button to go to Grace Alone and get the button. If you have a Thankful Thursday post, please leave me a link so that I can come check it out! Thanks