Give Thanks to the Lord

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So I’ve been debating this topic from the crew “Give Thanks to the Lord” for a couple of weeks now.  Should I do a light airy piece on all the things that I am thankful for, things that are important but not on the forefront of my heart; OR should I write what’s on the forefront of my heart knowing there are those who won’t understand it but might possibly help others?  OR should I make it homeschooling focused since this blog really is about faith AND homeschooling?   I guess you’ll have to read on to see what I do eh?  🙂 

The other day I was reading a devotional that talked about how so often when we read or teach bible stories we look for the actions of people.  We often fail to look at what a bible story reveals about God.  God’s word is actually all about God.  Stories might lighten the reading, but at the end of the day… the bible is the story of God’s glory revealed. 

It’s good to keep that thought in mind as one considers how one would give thanks to the Lord for the events or things in life. 

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The Things of Life

There are things in life that I am ever so thankful for.  Big things like friends, a church to attend, service opportunities. Medium things like a house to live in, work to do, food to eat. And then the copious little things.

• My tea maker – I love drinking cold tea and having a pitcher dedicated to the making of it.  Marvellous!
• Our keurig machine – hot chocolate and bouillon… totally does me a solid good. 
• Gardening.  Love getting plants growing, and working with dirt, and everything involved with that. Making relishes and canning.  🙂 
• My tablet.  Ever so helpful for trying out new recipes.  Much easier to read than my phone. 
• Contigo water bottles.  They hold my tea nicely.  🙂 
• My fellows working together.  Can’t ask for much better. 

Homeschooling

Thankfulness for the ability to homeschool.  I give thanks to the Lord for:

• in a province with few rules about homeschooling
• in a current crisis, we have a government actually helping parents in the form of grants who need to homeschool 
• for a school board that allows my son to take courses, I can’t easily figure out how to teach
• in a time and age where schooling is available in many different formats: video, text, audio.   Textbooks, PDF’s, USB, online.  
• Support provided quickly and easily.  Tonight on a Facebook group for SchoolhouseTeachers.com I saw a mom struggling with algebra get direct help on answering a question. 
• for a lad who has fully embraced independence in his schooling. 

Rabbits and Other Critters

I know, I know, rabbits are neither homeschool or faith, but they are very much a part of my life.  🙂   BUT I promise they do have a homeschooling connection!

From the bunnies:

• bunny education classes
• finances to provide homeschooling materials
• education in running a small business
• joy in having furry beasts to care for
• seeing God at work in ways unexpected
• friends to make
• skills to develop

The other critters

• cats!  oh my.. the cats are both a source of vexation and laughter.   Lizzy too smart for her own good, Milo getting old and losing strength of body and mind. 
• Snake: Fireheart has taught us so much about her needs, her abilities, and just how interesting it is to have a pet snake. 
• Budgies: the sadness of loss when they die, the joy when you convince a scaredy-cat bird to land on a finger, the remembering to provide care, the laughter when she squawks to unique noises, it’s good
• Makes me remember how in the bible it says that if people won’t praise God, the world around us will do so. 

Parenting

If anything has caused me the hardest time, it’s parenting.  My lad was relatively easy as a child growing up.  He’s proving to be a more difficult teen making decisions that hurt my heart deeply. But in that struggle, there are things in which to give thanks to the Lord for;

• he is currently still at home, directly under the care of people who love him and will continue to pray for him, and talk with him. 
• my prayer life has more than tripled.
• my understanding of the deep hurt that parents can feel over the actions of their children has quadrupled. 
• how alone one can feel, and how God says “hey, I’m here” into the quietness of one’s heart.
• even in hurt, one can express gratitude, because God’s hand can still be seen.
• friends are sometimes unexpected blessings, sending links that help a heart.

How about you?  What is in your life that you can give thanks to God for?   Do they help you see him more clearly?