Thankful for Blogging Buddies

"This is the day the LORD has made;

We will rejoice and be glad in it." Psalm 118:24.

I'm so thankful for a new day, for the blessing of getting to be a wife and mother to the ones I always dreamed about and hoped for and prayed for, for the blessing of my parents and the joy we have being neighbors and worshipping together at the same church, for our new youth minister intern and his precious wife who are expecting a baby any moment, for my Jesus who is absolutely the best gift I have ever received, I have known Him for 32 years!

And...today I am thankful for you, my blogging buddies! Kristen wrote a blog this week about this "parallel world." She echoed how I feel in my heart. When God began convincing me that I should start writing a blog, I was convinced that it would only last for a week maybe two, because what on earth would I write about and who would care to stop by and read it???

And, what about this safety thing??? He kept encouraging and I finally stepped out in faith. I really thought, I'm not so great about writing consistently in my journal, maybe this could be a sort of journal just for me. And then, you came along. Oh, you have blessed me so much! I'm blown away and so honored that you stop by my blog.

It's hard to explain in word how much you, my friends, mean to me especially when we have never met face to face. I know I'll meet you face to face someday, but maybe not on this side of glory. I've laughed with you, cried with you, prayed for you, rejoiced over your precious "we're expecting" news, watched as your little ones grow, and just enjoyed seeing what God is doing in your lives.

It is a privilege and a joy to be on this journey with you. I've tried to explain it to my other friends, the ones that don't blog, but they just don't get it. Boy, are they missing out! I've learned so much from you. My family has appreciated all of your recipes, encouragements to get better organized, sewing projects (even when I wanted to get out the hot glue gun instead), a new way to display scripture (I just love Word Filled Wednesdays), and this day--each Thursday, a day to actually write down what we are thankful for.

So, today, as many days, I'm thanking God for you and for this special friendship we share. You are special and God and I think you are wonderful!

One of my favorite quotes from Max Lucado's book God Thinks You're Wonderful says, "God is Fond of you. If He had a wallet, your photo would be in it. If He had a refrigerator, your picture would be on it. He sends you flowers every spring and a sunrise every morning. Whenever you want to talk, He’ll listen. He can live anywhere in the universe, and He chose your heart.

It's true! You are wonderful. I hope you realize that today!