Gratitude

I missed last week's post and though I'm writing this post on Wednesday night, I'll be lucky to get this out today.  I guess my New Year's goal has already gone down the drawn.  But that's ok, I just got to keep going.  Keep swimming or something like that.

I guess I do have an excuse... I started school this week, so last week was filled with getting last minute details, like my textbook.  Yeah, last minute.  Plus work and all the in-betweens.

This week has been exhausting and very trying.  It seems like it's going by so fast and yet dragging on.  Not only did I start school, which has gone very well so far, but my family has seemed to be hit with sicknesses one after another.  And this week has been no different.  I'm battling with being so extremely tired and having those fun up and down emotions.  I've cried several times, feeling so overwhelmed, but each time the Lord has always gotten me through.  I've stressed over all the small details of my days, but the Lord knows all things and has allowed me to persevere though everything.  He is teaching me to rely on Him, to trust Him.  To not try to control every little thing and to be more flexible with my schedule.

This week has been filled with starting school, working, saying good-bye to new friends, a seminar, and yet more school and work.  I've done things out of my comfort zone, and have come away emotionally drained, but thankful for all the Lord has allowed me to do.  I've had car concerns and decisions to make, soccer games, party planning.  But so is life.

I want to be able to respond in ways that will be God honoring.  In all that I do I want to praise Christ, but this week has shown me my sin and struggles on a number of levels and though I know this is good, it's so hard to see how much anger, fear, and stress I can build up.  Sometimes it just makes me feel so loss, but that is why God sent His Son to earth.  That's why Christ died on the cross- FOR ME.  For MY sin and short comings.  I'm not perfect, not even close, but that's what makes salvation, Christ sacrifice that much more precious.

"And there is salvation in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved.”Acts 4:12

This is posted one whole week after, the above was written. I've started this book called
Choosing Gratitude by Nancy Leigh DeMoss. And it's amazing. It's amazing to see what I've been
blessed with and yet how much I can complain and think I deserve more. How easy it is to be
ungrateful, even though I have so much.  More than many others have.
I love how Joni Eareckson Tada said how her own trial has affected her gratitude in the Forward:
"Pulling and pushing me into the arms of my Savior. And that's where the joy is"

Our biggest blessing and means of gratitude is that God has forgiven our sins.