Gifts From God and Gifts From Others!

Well this is only a week off from Thanksgiving!!
I really wanted to post this last week on the day before Thanksgiving, but that was the day that the website went live, and I felt like I needed to write about the site and how it all came about! 
And, anyway, we should give thanks EVERY day, not just on Thanksgiving!!!

“O give thanks unto the Lord; for he is good: for his mercy endureth for ever.”  Psalm 136:1

Several months ago, I began writing in a new journal.  I currently have two separate journals.  One is a very pretty spiral bound journal.  The cover is filled with beautiful flowers and lovely colorful butterflies and imprinted with the following verse:

"With God all things are possible". Matthew 19:26

I use this journal to take notes when listening to our sermons at church or to write something special from a devotional or a particular Scripture that the Lord gives for the day.
My other journal is NOT all nice and pretty and fancy like the other one.  In fact it's a black three subject college rule spiral bound notebook bought at our local Publix!
The title is, "Gifts From God and Gifts From Others". 

BUT the words contained within are treasures to me.  In the midst of dealing with an ongoing, daily, ever changing, chronic illness that at times can feel as if it is consuming me, I can open this journal, sit before the Lord, and not only count my blessings, but write them out.  Then days or even weeks later, I can go back and reread them and be blessed all over again!  And for that I am so very THANKFUL!  

It's amazing that many of the things which I’m very thankful for now, I never even once gave a second thought to, until illness entered my life! 

There definitely are blessings wrapped up in burdens and trials.

“My brethren, count it all joy when ye fall into divers temptations;
Knowing this, that the trying of your faith worketh patience.
But let patience have her perfect work,
that ye may be perfect and entire, wanting nothing.”
James  1:2-4

As a way of showing my thankfulness to the Lord, I'd like to share just a few of the entries from my journal, "Gifts From God and Gifts From Others"
(and by the way, it's exactly what it says it is ~ recording gifts from God and gifts from others!)

Some of my entries (chosen at random) on the page,
"Gifts From God"

• My salvation (of course!)

• Prayer - me having the privilege of praying for others, even people I don't know personally, and the joy and peace of knowing people are praying for Brian and myself.

• The unique opportunities the Lord gives to me to be used by Him even though I am sick.  Well I guess I should say because I am sick!

• My amazing husband who takes such great care of me and loves me even on the days when I feel unlovable!

• Even though I am home bound a lot of the time, I have the comforts of this beautiful home which the Lord provided for us!

• The Lord's strength to make it to BOTH church services!

• Matthew, Tamara and Emma (definitely cherished and treasured gifts from God!)

• Laughter!

Some of my entries (chosen at random) on the page,
"Gifts From Others"

• A “just because note” received from my friend, Kristina!

• Brian texting me this afternoon asking how it went when my first devotional got posted and then he told me he prayed about it this morning (written on August 21^st)

• Our very sweet neighbor made us lasagna for dinner!

• So many hugs when we were at church yesterday!

• Our Pastor’s daughter buying me a Coke bottle with my name on it! (and, NO, I did not drink it! I have it sitting on my computer desk!)

• A private message on facebook from Shelly that simply said, “I’m praying for you!”

• A card of encouragement, and when I opened it, out fell a sheet of stamps for my card ministry!

• A text message from Matthew that simply said, “I love and miss you bunches!”

Friends, this is just a very small sampling of the entries!  As I sit here and type them out, my eyes are filled with tears because of The Lord's goodness to me! 

"It is a good thing to give thanks unto the Lord”  Psalm 92:1

If you don't already use a journal, now may be the perfect time to begin recording all of God’s goodness to you in your own
“Gifts From God and Gifts From Others”  journal.  

And remember, a black three subject college rule spiral bound notebook bought at Publix works just fine!!!

"Father, thank You so very much for Your many blessings that You daily bestow upon me. I am so unworthy.  Lord, I love You and may I always be found thanking You and praising You, not just for what You do for me, but just for Who You are.  In Jesus' Name. Amen"  

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May God Bless You,

Barb