I'm Thankful For: Well, just read on :)

Oh, there are just so many things to be thankful for right now. I just choose each day as it comes. There is no real order for me in how I post my thankfulness. Today, I am thankful for two things: I am thankful for the beautiful day today and how God cares about the desires of our hearts.

First, today is such a beautiful day outside. It is warm with a cool breeze. I have the windows open letting fresh air and bright sunlight inside. I am relishing this sweet day, because I know just around the corner we will be trying to shut the day out. There will be rainy, cold, stormy days and we will be thankful we can shut the windows and doors. But today, we are taking it all in. Isn't that how should be in life? Enjoy the good times and be thankful in the bad. During the good times we should treasure each moment knowing that it won't always be this good. And during the bad times we should be thankful knowing it won't always be this bad. Right now, my baby girl is laying down for a nap and she knows when she wakes up we are headed outside. We need more than just letting the beautiful day inside, we need to take time to go outside and be apart of the beautiful day. Afterall, the weatherman said in just a couple of days it is going to be rainy and turn cold. So I am thankful for this day!

I am also thankful that God cares about the desires of our hearts. Sometimes in life we make a mess of things and sometimes others make the mess for us, but despite it all God lovingly takes care of his own. I know he can use those messes to create a beautiful story. Here is a little story that means so much to me. A few weeks ago I was getting ready to prepare some Italian Bread Sticks in my bread machine for dinner. I was so excited about trying this recipe and to hopefully make something yummy for my family. I got the bread machine out and opened it up only to find the paddle was missing. All my excitement left. I started searching everywhere I could think of to find that paddle. I never could find it. I was so disappointed. I'm not a skilled baker. I'd like to be, but I'm not. The reality is I haven't had much practice and I haven't had anyone teach me. So, the bread machine helps me out. Well, I knew I'd have to put it on hold, but I never gave up. I posted my bread stick recipe on the fridge and just went about my business.

And then, today, my mother-in-law came by to pick up her car. She had a gift for me that she came across a week ago. She had it set back and had planned to give it to me for Christmas. Well, she thought about it and decided to give it to me early. She thought I might want to use it for the holidays. I know this was all apart of God's plan. I opened the bag and inside was a bread machine! This brought tears to my eyes. Although this wasn't a great need, it was a desire of mine and, yes, I was very disappointed that I couldn't use my old bread machine. I knew I couldn't afford to just run out and buy a new one. I knew I would just have to wait. And I now, today, I know that bread machine was meant for me. At around the time I found out I couldn't use my old one, a lady near Kevin's uncle's house was trying to sell her's and no one bought it. About two weeks ago, Kevin's grandmother was in the neighborhood and saw all this stuff and stopped to ask if she was having a garage sale. The lady said she was boxing it up to donate and she let his grandmother have it all....at least all she could fit in her car. When my mother-in-law saw the bread machine in all that stuff his grandmother came home with, she decided that machine was for me and set it back. No one but God knew just how disappointed I was and how much I desired to be able to use my bread machine. No one can convince me that wasn't God. I am so thankful the God I serve is so mindful of us. He is so personal and so near. I am thankful He cares about the desires of our hearts no matter how small they seem. This was no small thing to me. It meant the world to me! And here it is: