Thursday Thirteen

Thirteen Things That Produce Thankfulness 1. My Bible- oh, what would I do without the life giving, conviction producing, love story from God!?!? It sustains, comforts, enourages, strengthens and revives. I praise God for the men and women who sacrificed time, money and their very lives so that I might read God's Word in my own language. Now for the 4,000 languages left to translate... 2. My family- How I love them! They remind me constantly that I am loved, that I am not perfect and that God is in control. I learn so much from living and growing with six other people. God was good to me when He gave me this community where I belong and feel secure. 3. My friends- God has blessed me with amazing and Godly friends. I am a person that cherishes a good friend... and I only need a couple. I do not need dozens of people around me all the time, although I don't mind that either. I value loyalty, companionship, laughter, Godliness and honesty. I love you, friends! 4. My toothbrush- Yes, it is true. I am thankful for my toothbrush. I do not have the same affections for it as my Bible, family or friends, but I like clean teeth. :-D 5. The sun- Can you imagine life without the sun? I am thankful that I live in a place where the sun shines almost every day! It reminds me that God holds all of life together by the Word of His mouth! 6. Books- I'm a geek. You already knew that, though. I LOVE a good book. I wish I had more time to read. My favorite subjects are theology, philosophy, homeschooling, child birth, child training and Beverly Lewis' Amish Heritage novels. Told you I am a geek.... :-) 7. Knowlegde of God- I do not deserve knowledge of God; I deserve condemnation from God. The fact that He opened my eyes to the Truth is a gift that none other can match in this life. Earth has nothing I desire except Christ, being like Him and having depth of knowledge of Him that produces Christ-likeness! 8. Health- When I see people who are suffering with cancer, AIDS, malaria, constant hunger, blindness, etc. I am grateful that I, for now, have a healthy body. Lately I have been challenged with this simple thought: When God gives much, He requires much. What am I doing with my health that a sick person cannot do in their sickness? Am I using my health to the full extent to glorify God? 9. Flip flops- Although I do not like flip flops as much as my dear brother, I am thankful for them! (and shoes in general...see my quote from yesterday!) 10. Airplanes- What an amazing invention planes are! I am thankful for the technology that has allowed me to journey around the world many times in a fraction of the time that people were able to travel a hundred years ago! There is no excuse for not reaching the ends of the earth with the gospel of Christ... 11. Computers- I am thankful that I am able to find information, type papers, send emails, play games and download digital pictures. 12. The number 12- I am thankful for this number. It reminds me of four things: the twelve tribes of Israel, the twelve disciples, the twelve foundational layers of the New Jerusalem and my little sister. The first three are obvious. Why does it remind me of my sister? When she was about five years old she was listening as a group of my friends discussed children. We were talking about homeschooling and wanting to have many children. Victoria, quite seriously, voiced, "I think I would like to have ten children because twelve is too many." Hahaha... 13. Last, but certainly not least: I am thankful for The Chronicles of Narnia by C.S. Lewis. Ben and I have been listening to Focus on the Family's radio theater production of the series on our drive to and from Ft. Collins every Sunday. Katie bought me the entire set for Christmas. I have been learning so much about God through these stories. Weird, maybe, but I don't care. It is AMAZING how much indepth theology and philosophy Lewis intertwines throughout the series. Everything Aslan says is so powerful! Each book can relate to a different aspect of my life and relationship to Christ. And it is fun because it is a story!

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