My Thotz On Being Thankful

i am thankful for Alice Shunka, a patient i had in the nursing home who suffered terribly and who i was able to lead to the Lord the night before she passed away. i'm thankful for her, because it was through my short relationship with her that God taught me how much He loves EVERYONE and how it is important for me to introduce them to HIM and HIS grace. i've changed so much since that relationship. i am thankful more than anyone can know for my three amazing God given children. each of them has taught me so much. they taught me how important it is for me to allow God to work in their lives as individuals that HE has a specific plan for, and it is not what i want for them that matters at all. Mandi, has taught me to be a strong woman of great faith and to always seek God in every situation cause HE is always right there beside me. Michael my son has taught me what real wisdom is and how valuable it is. there are so many people whom God loves but they do not yet know HIM and it is important that we be wise in order to see and act correctly on the opportunities God has put before us. Haley has taught me unconditional love and unconditional kindness for others. i've never met anyone who exudes this like Haley. the outward physical beauty that God has given her is something i envy and probably will never attain no matter how i try (short of plastic surgery that is), however her inward beauty is something i can try to emulate. i am thankful for my parents who did an awesome job of loving me the way God mean't for parents to love a child. they were both my biggest fans. i cannot think of one single bad part of my childhood. how blessed am i eh? my dad brought so much joy and laughter into my life that i hoped to have passed on to my children. my mom sacrificed so much of herself and her desires, all for me. i hoped to have passed that sacrificial love on to my children. i am thankful for Prof. and how he loves my daughter and takes such good care of her. a parent can not ask for anything more out of a son-in-law but that he keeps his promise to love her and be willing to give his life for her like Christ loves his church. i am so thankful for that. Mickey our sweet daughter-in-law who is the perfect help-meet for our son. it takes a truly special/gifted woman to agree to be the wife of a pastor and i am so thankful that Mickey is the ONE that God has given to our son. She's very beautiful inside and out, she's funny and she takes pride in making sure that her husband (my son), is thought of and respected highly. oh, and she has blessed us with the most adorable granddaughter, Emma Jane. Thank you Mickey....she is perfect! Hogey, is not yet officially part of the family but i love him as if he was. i think of him as one of my own children and i am thankful for him and the way he loves our daughter, our baby. that is a really tough spot to be in but i truly believe hogey will fit perfect in that spot. lastly but not least, i am oh so thankful for my husband, Cal. i first met him when i was 14 years old and i knew that i wanted him to be my husband someday. God blessed our courtship and so therefore i knew that Cal was the one that God would have me to spend the rest of my life with. we have been married for 30 years now and where we have had some rough times we are none-the-worse for wear. through those rough times God taught us both so much about what real love is and how it is suppose to work. we are both better off for those rough times. i've learned so much from Cal that it would take me a few years to finish this email if i listed it all. i mean, 30 years is a long time ya know? just know that there has never been a time that i regreted or thought that it may be that i had made the wrong choice for a husband. it's been an awesome marriage that God has blessed greatly by giving us Ezra who is currently in the process of teaching me how to be the bestest grandma in the world. i'm so thankful for Ezra and Emma. I'm telling you all right now, it's true there is nothing like having grandchildren. you think that becoming a mother or father is top's but it's not. to me it's like God is saying, "you have done well and so now i am going to give you my greatest blessing"! it doesn't get any better than that. Lastly but not in the least, i am so very thankful for the friendships that God has blessed me with. i am a woman with many awesome friends. friends who have been loving me, encouraging me and caring for me in every step throughout my life. God has introduced me to , doing life together through "Life Groups". We truly are better together. I'm sorry this is so long, to me it is not long enough. I have so much to be thankful for that i could just go on and on and on. There is no end in sight. okay, i will stop now, i think i have said enough ......don't you?
Rejoice Evermore!
DawnRae