Thankful Thursday ~ August 13, 2009

Each week I look back and have so much to be thankful for that just finding 5, makes it challenging but also keeps it real for me. I know reading long posts can be hard. I love taking part in this and if you too would love to join, please head over to Sonya's Truth 4 The Journey and come along for a great time. You are guaranteed to meet some amazing people and share in the blessings each of us receives over a weeks time.

1. I am thankful for the many prayers I received while recovering from my tailbone injury I got while roller skating. I am grateful I haven't lost the drive to pick it up again and it will serve as an example to my kids that you can't let life get you down and steal your joy. You have to take it back again and keep living.

2. I am thankful for the blessed opportunity I had last night with my oldest daughter, Caitlyn, who is in the midst of high school dating and looking for a boyfriend. I am glad I got to sit down with her last night after reading a chapter from the Noticer, about what teens can do to make sure their marriages don't end in divorce. It was so simple and written from a Christian impact, it makes parents feel at ease and it's really so simple for teens to understand.

After our talk in which I asked her three simple questions and then explained the concept of the story to her, a light came on in her head that could have only come from God and she was able to take those concepts and shine that light on all her past relationships and see where things went wrong and how she can avoid them in the future. It also helped her see that certain relationships no matter how bad you want them, just aren't for you.

3. I am thankful for being given the opportunity to review the book, The Noticer, for free thanks to Thomas Nelson publishing. After just reading half way through the book it has completely changed my entire outlook on life and would be a book that I would recommend to every parent of a teen to buy! It's just that good. Watch for my review next week. I would have finished it already but somethings just need time to marinate.

4. I am thankful for God inspiring me to not only choose this book, but allowing me the opportunity to use it to have a talk with Cait about dating. I am so confident right now with her ability to use this information, it will complete change her and her view about dating in a positive light. God provided Caitlyn to be receptive to the words and nothing else could have reached a teen on her level like this story. I didn't even have to be the one to point it out, the Holy Spirit was able to minister to her once her heart was open.

5. I am so thankful to my hubby for being my hero and taking care of most of my needs this week and all of my needs last week. Without him being here, this road to recovery would have been very long, but also super lonely. We were also able to spend some quality time with one another and really get time to just sit down and talk. We've learned something new based on that book The Noticer, that has done a 180 degree turn on the way we treat each other in our marriage and it really works!