This week's chapter "Thanks for Everything" (in Nancy's book Choosing Gratitude) was all about getting to the point in our lives where we can honestly begin listing what we are grateful for without having to give it a lot of thought.....

beautiful sunrises

shade on a hot and sunny day

clean sheets

running water

a washing machine

And the list goes on and on and on and on of things that should cause us to stop and simply say, "Thank you, Lord."

But even deeper in our hearts than any of these items from our day-to-day lives, we should be thankful for spiritual blessings-

God's nearness

God's mercy

God's salvation

God's calling

And again, the list goes on and on and on!!!

When we begin to look at life with a thankful heart, we begin to realize that even on the toughest day in the toughest season of our journey, God has provided blessing after blessing to make that season something worth saying, "Thank you" about.

Looking back on Nick's long fight with cancer, I can recall time after time when God provided exactly what our family needed whether it was financial help, emotional help, or simply physical help in the form of a friend bringing dinner or watching our kids for a weekend while we were at the hospital.  Even in the darkest hours, God showed up.  It was almost as if He was sorry that we had to walk the road we were walking, so He was doing all He could to make it as easy as possible to bear.

I'm thankful that He ALWAYS stepped in and made Himself known even on the most difficult days.  I'm thankful for all the friends who allowed God to use them to encourage our family by organizing parades, basketball tournaments, walk-a-thons, birthday parties, and so much more in Nick's honor.

This afternoon, I subbed at the middle school here in Grayson and two kids were walking down the hall arm-in-arm after lunch and one of them said, "Mrs. Nischan, we are best friends!"  I smiled and then told them that I've always heard that, in life, if you have one true friend then you are blessed.  It was so cute, because as I kept walking towards our classroom I heard one of them who was walking behind me say, "I am blessed." 

I love kids!  I'm thankful for these tiny moments in a busy day when I feel as if I've maybe made a little difference.

Tonight, I'm thankful for a night of sleep ahead of me.

I will write soon about another book that I am reading, Unafraid-Living God's Plan on a Ladder and a Promise, by Karen Phillips Goodman.  She is doing a blog tour of her book and asked if I would do the month of April! :)  I'll add some links for her book later, too!

I'm thankful for each of you! 

Psalm 30:11-12 

You turned my wailing into dancing;
       you removed my sackcloth and clothed me with joy, that my heart may sing to you and not be silent.
       O LORD my God, I will give you thanks forever.

Please have a thankful Thursday!