January 19, 2020
MY TITLE
Well, the title may be a bit misleading because there are times when I feel sorry for myself. But most of the time I realize that I am blessed, even favored by God. I have so many things to be thankful for.
SEVEN THINGS TO BE THANKFUL FOR
1. GOD LOVES ME
Even at my worst, when I feel totally unloveable, God loves me. I have said and done terrible things but God still loves me. Jesus left the throne of heaven, was born to a virgin, died on a cross to pay for my sin and rose from the dead. When I repented, trusted in Jesus, asked Him to forgive me and be my Lord and my Savior, He forgave all of my sins, past, present and future. He adopted me, made me a part of His family, and when my last day on earth comes I will leave this life and have eternal life with Him in heaven. One day I will see my loved ones who have gone on before me.
2. I AM LOVED BY OTHERS
I once said that as a child I wanted to be a movie star because I wanted to be loved by a lot of people. In a couple of months I will be fifty nine years old. In my lifetime I have loved and been loved by so many people all over the USA. God pours out buckets of love to me using people. I am especially grateful for a great husband, a loving family, caring friends and wonderful church families, past and present. I am grateful for those who read my blogs and Facebook posts.
3. I AM ALIVE
Life truly is a gift. I invite all of my women friends out to lunch every year in March to celebrate my birthday. I always tell people a birthday is a chance to celebrate another year of life that God has given us. I once heard someone say that growing old is a privilege that is denied to many.
4. MY HOME IN THE COUNTRY
For over ten years, I lived in a tiny two room apartment. I shared three bathrooms with 20 men and women. I fully expected to grow old and die there. Now I have a nice home on 5 acres of beautiful land, with woods, a garden, a picnic table, a fire pit, pretty trees and a view of horses at our neighbors. I share my home with my husband, two loving dogs and a pretty cat. Like Job, I have been through a lot of heartache and pain, but God has blessed me late in my life.
5. SIX MONTHS WITH MY SON
I lived with my son and his wife in Prescott Valley, Arizona and El Cajon/San Diego, California. Those six months were some of the happiest months of my life and I will treasure those happy memories forever.
5. AN ANSWER TO MY PRAYERS
My husband is an answer to my prayers. I know I said I had accepted that I would spend the rest of my life alone but every once in a while I prayed and asked God to give me a man that would love me. God saw my loneliness, the longing in my heart and my willingness to remain single if it was God’s will. Instead, God gave me a great husband. My husband has put up with a lot. He has never left me despite my mental and physical illnesses and accidents. He will stay by my side through the removal of my breasts and chemotherapy. I asked him once why he never left me. He said, “For better for worse, for richer poorer…” “In sickness and in health?” I finished. Always the comedian my husband answered, “Oh no, I did not say anything about sickness and in health.”
6. LIFE IS FUN
I have loved my life of travel. I have been blessed with travels to Canada, Mexico, France and Germany. I have seen every state in the USA except for Alaska, Hawaii and New Mexico. I have seen Mount Rushmore, Niagara Falls, the Rocky Mountains, deserts, prairies, big cities, farmlands, the Great Lakes, the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans, the Mississippi River and the Gulf of Mexico. I have loved every minute of it. I only wish I had taken more photos of my travels. I have also loved my fun times playing with my grandchildren. I have so enjoyed my weekend camping trips with my husband exploring Michigan our trip to Buffalo, New York and Holyoke, Pittsfield and Boston, Massachusetts. I have loved playing mini golf with Chuck, going to movies, going for rides on the back of Chuck’s motorcycle, to zoos, to fireworks on the Fourth of July, for scenic drives in the country in all of the different seasons. Chuck makes me laugh. We have so much fun together.
7. I HAVE CANCER
Yes, I am grateful to have cancer. First of all, they found my cancer early. It was God that led me to have my mammogram when I did, and it is God who gives the doctors the wisdom to take such good care of me. I will have to take drastic measures to live and it won’t be fun, but I still hope to grow old with my husband. Chuck and I see life as more valuable than we did before. We don’t argue over stupid stuff as much as we used to. I appreciate him so much more. He appreciates me so much more. We are thankful for life and for love and for God Himself. Cancer brings us closer to God, as we are humbled and we see how much we need Him. Cancer gives us love and compassion for others. God has a purpose and a plan for my life and promises to bring good out of the things that happen to us. God uses these trials to help us to be more like Him.
CONCLUSION
I could continue to list the reasons I can not feel sorry for myself, but these are the most important reasons. Thank you for taking the time to read this lengthy blog, and my other blogs.
Dear Father in heaven,
I thank you for your many blessings in my life. Most of all I think you for giving me a great husband, loving friends and family, wonderful in-laws, an awesome church, and people who take the time to read my blogs and Facebook posts. I ask that you help me to keep this attitude of gratitude and not sink into self-pity and despair in the tough days ahead. I think you for all of the people who love me and pray for me and Chuck. I ask that you bless each one, and help me to be a blessing to each one. Yes Lord, help me to be a blessing and not a burden to others. Help me to lead other people to you. I thank you again for being so good to me and my husband Chuck. In Jesus name I pray, amen.
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