Thankful Thursday

Today is

 

and I am so thankful for a

 

I went to bed close to 1 a.m. this morning,

don't ask me why I stayed up so late,

I was playing a couple of stupid Mahjong games

even though I was so tired!!!

And like I do each night before falling asleep I prayed.  

I thanked God for a good day, for the nice drive we had to Galena, MO to 

Lorenae Dairy where we picked up some cheese curds

and then stopped at Patrick's Market - a little produce stand.

We bought green and purple peppers (never seen one of those), tomatoes, green beans and peaches.  

The peaches were kind of bruised but for $2 for 20 peaches we couldn't pass them up.

And then I asked God to forgive me for not giving Him time in the morning. 

I asked Him to help me to wake up refreshed and early enough to spend some time with him.

And He did just that.

At 6:14 AM!!! 

I opened my eyes and saw blue sky and the sun peeking through.

I did think for just a moment "I can just go back to sleep" and then I remembered my prayer from last night and had to chuckle...God did what I asked, so who am I to complain or not get up.

And good thing I did.  After standing up I felt a little shaky so I checked my blood sugars...

...it was 75

 

so I headed to the kitchen and got a can of pineapple juice

and drank it slowly, trying not to let my normal low blood sugar panic take over.

Me normally when my blood sugar drops

Thank you Jesus for waking me up before my blood sugars totally crashed!

God is so Good!!

And provides for me in so many different ways!!!

I then gathered my things for some time with the Lord.

And this is where I began

Praise Him for His mercy and strength

Praise Him for His magnificent word

Praise Him for His mighty provisions!!!

And then I had to laugh when I went to 

Mark 10:35-45

And right away I read

"Teacher (Jesus) we want you to give us what we want."

See sometimes God gives us what we ask for or what we want

and then we have to decide if we are going to keep it, follow it, or use it.

And like last night I asked God to wake me this morning and He did...and who am I then to complain how early my day started...He only did what I asked.

So be careful what you ask for ~ you might just get it :)

 

But wait, God wasn't finished with me yet this morning :)

I turned to 

 

And a precious memory came to mind.

The time was 1980 to 82

we were attending King Community Fellowship in Federal Way, WA.

It was a small Mennonite Brethren church but filled with wonderful God believing people.

One of the men that attended that church was Don Speer.  His son, Dick was one of our pastors.

Ron was out of the Air Force and finding work was not easy.  Don had a construction business and would hire Ron when he needed some extra help.  Well Ron was working for Don and something happened, today I can't even remember what it was...maybe Ron remembers, but I got mad, not just a little mad but REAL MAD.  Don and I had a yelling match (who me?  yes me!) and then we didn't speak to each other for about a month...it was a very loooonnnnnngggg month.  My anger festered.  I would give Don nasty looks whenever I saw him, at least once or twice a week as we went to church together.  Well about four or five weeks after The Incident, we were in church.  Don sitting close to the front and me way in the back.  I don't remember the sermon but we were having the Lord's Supper that day.  I don't remember what Dick preached about or anything else about that Sunday except that during communion I was feeling very stubborn and I knew I wasn't right with Don so that meant I wasn't right with God, and I was stirring in my seat, feeling very uncomfortable and then tears started running down my cheeks and I could feel God saying to me...well, what are you going to do?  Are you going to fix the problem?  And after what seemed like hours and really was only minutes I found myself getting up and moving towards Don who by this time was coming towards me...he hadn't taken communion either...guess God was talking to him too :)  I remember walking up to Don and just embracing him, hugging and crying and saying "I'm so sorry, I'm so sorry"...over and over again and right there in front of God and everyone!!! 

 

 We asked each other to forgive us for our stubbornness and bad behavior.  

And then we took communion together

.

  

And God healed us both, right there, giving us a special love and bond with each other.

Don was like a dad to me in many ways...he loved me, he cared about me and my family, he even disciplined me at times with the sharing of God's word and how it applies to my life.

I miss Don and his wife, Joyce.  I don't think of them often because their death was a horrible death - they were beaten and bludgeoned to death and each time I think of them that is the picture I see of them...hurting, bleeding and dying on the ground on their property.  

BUT, this morning I thought of Don with a smile on my face and warmth in my heart, remembering a man of God, who gave so much as he served so many, sharing so many blessings with those he came into contact with...and Ron and I, along with our boys were very much blessed by him.

So this morning I 

Praise God for the many blessings he has given me,

for the trials I have faced and conquered

and for His love abounding in my life.

Thank you Jesus for never waivering,

always providing,

always loving.