Count your blessings!

When I woke up this morning my mind quickly thought about what my day would look like.  Jim is off.  Thank you Lord for giving him this time to get some things done around the house and for some extra time with his family to relax and spend time with us.

I thought about the school day.  Thank you Lord for another day of being able to teach my children.  With the lessons being intertwined with Your word and for being able to witness the miracle as my kids learn and grow.

Then I thought about our upcoming adoption and the financial resources God has provided to make this possible through the support of our church family, our friends and family and from people in the adoption community--some who I know and even some whom I've never met.  Thank you Lord for your provisions for this adoption.  Through grants, through gifts and through the obedience of many who have answered Your call to give and be written into Abraham's story.

I also thought about God's timing with this adoption.  Over a year ago God put it on our hearts that He wanted me to be a full time stay-at-home mom and to homeschool our kids.  Had this not taken place I cannot honestly say I would have been able to hear, or been receptive, to God's calling to adopt again.  God's timing was perfect as He prepared our hearts to hear His voice. Thank you Lord for knowing our hearts so intimately and thank you for choosing our family to be written into Abraham's story.

All of these thoughts that went through my mind this morning--I layed there and just had to pour out my heart of thanksgiving to God for all the many blessings He has given to us! 

Every morning I set my alarm for 5am so I have plenty of time to spend alone with God in the quietness of the mornings.  I make a pot of coffee (Starbucks of course) and I enter into my abolsute favorite time of the day.  The house is quiet, my family is safe in bed sleeping, and it is just me and the Lord.  This morning I started out with Jesus Calling (one of my favorite devotionals) and as I read the first sentenence I just had to smile.

After awakening and giving God thanks for all the blessings in my life, I felt like God was saying, "You're welcome!"  I'd like to share this devotion with you:

"This is a time of abundance in your life.  Your cup runneth over with blessings.  After plodding uphill for many weeks, you are now traipsing through lush meadows drenched in warm sunshine.  I want you to enjoy to the full this time of ease and refreshment.  I delight in providing it for you."  Isn't that just beautiful--God DELIGHTS in providing for us!    Then it continues:

"Sometimes My children hesitate to receive My good gifts with open hands.  Feeling of false guilt creep in, telling them they don't deserve to be so richly blessed.  This is nonsense-thinking, because no one deserves anything from My.  My kingdom is not about earning and deserving; it's about believing and receiving."  We don't earn or deserve anything that God gives to us as His children.  It is simply a gift because we have chosen to believe and received Him as our Savior.

"When a child of Mine balks at accepting My gifts, I am deeply grieved.  When you receive My abundant blessings with a grateful hearts, I rejoice.  My pleasure in giving and your pleasure in receiving flow together in joyous harmony."  As I think about how my morning began, which was to give thanks to God for all of His blessings in my life, the thought never crossed my mind that in my thankfulness He was responding by rejoicing!

"He who did not spare his own Son, but gave him up for us all--how will he not also, along with him, graciously give us all things?"  Romans 8:32

As the house began to awaken this morning, Jim came out and got his coffee, enjoying the relaxed time of having the day off and being able to ease into his day.

The kids, one by one started to appear from their bedrooms.  Within 10 minutes I looked around and there were my three children sitting in the quietness of their own space having their own devotions.  I didn't have to remind them or prompt them, it is just part of their morning routines.

I said to Jim, "Look around....."  He said, "I know."

Thank you Lord for all our my many blessings!!
Vickie