Thank you God for all things especially....

Where did October go because today is November first already! There have been months this past year that felt like they were going to last forever; however, October was one of the fastest months for me because of our packed schedule. November is a great month to sit back a moment and take time to be grateful.  Life of a Homeschool Mom has made a fantastic 25 Days of Thankfulness Challenge, which started today. I am going to use her email devotional and bible verse suggestion to journal my way through the next 25 days. Since I am getting closer to my due date, crankiness and an ungrateful attitude is bound to start sneaking in, so I am hoping this will help to keep me focused on the things that matter and have an attitude of gratitude in my life.

Thank you, God, in all things especially in those moments where the kids are screaming, the dinner is burning, the dog is barking, we are running late for an appointment, and inevitably the baby has a poopy diaper. Those moments of intense stress are opportunities to break down my walls and build anew in my heart. Those moments are when I cry to you, asking for your help to get me through life. Those are the times I feel closest to you.

When life is calm, it is easy to be grateful and feel your peace within my soul. Instead of feeling the need to change, those easy moments usually make me feel like I am doing the right thing, and I can stay where I am. No need to grow. It is the times of intense stress that I realize I am not ok. I need Jesus. I need God. I need Mary. I need the whole host of saints to pray for me so that I can change!  Those moments, although they are difficult, are the moments that test my resilience and determination to either buckle or be steadfast.

So, thank you, God. Thank you for the good times but especially for the difficult times. Thank you for showing me that I am far from perfect and I have so much to do in my heart. Thank you for showing me I cannot do this life without you in the center of it. Thank you for choosing these children for me to mother, because they will help me become a saint.