A Year of Blessings

Blessings from the past year:

1. Medical Science. If not for advancements in medicine, my Dad would not be with us today. He has Multiple Myeloma, an incurable blood cancer, and kidney failure. I'm also thankful for the technology that allows his dialysis (for his kidneys) to be done at home, instead of at the hospital 3 times a week.
2. God's grace, giving our family the strength to keep going through the difficult times. Sending us encouragement when it was needed the most, and the ability to look back over the past two years and see how God has used events for His glory, even though it was not always evident at the time.
   
3. Music. Music has always been a huge part of my life. Throughout the past few years, whenever I've been really down, God sends me a song (or an entire CD) of music to encourage me. My current song is 'Don't Let Me Miss the Glory'.
4. God's Glory. The song mentioned above has really impacted my life. I first heard it at the Gaither Homecoming Give It Away concert in October. Gordon Mote sang, and it was accompanied by beautiful pictures of lighthouses, oceans, sunsets, and nature pictures. I remember thinking at the time that it was an interesting selection of pictures to show, since Gordon Mote is blind, and how do you describe something so glorious to someone who has never seen anything in his life? As I was pondering this some weeks later, it dawned on me that no matter what your limitation in life, whether you're blind, deaf, or have a chronic illness like fibromyalgia or CFS, no matter what you think might keep you from it, if you really truly desire to see God's Glory, He won't let you miss it. It has since become my prayer that I won't miss the glory, and God has answered that prayer in more ways than I could ever imagine.
   
5. Being a helper to my family. Within the past year or two God has blessed me with a spirit of giving, and I discover daily how much more blessed it is to give than to receive. (Acts 30:35b)
6. Family. They accept me in spite of my shortcomings. I'm especially thankful that my sister and I have grown a little closer, and do more things together than we used to.
   
7. Friends. I've never had very many, but the few I do have are very precious to me.
8. Gardens. It's so wonderful to see everything grow, and to enjoy the veggies and flowers. I'm amazed at how a tiny seed can grow into a huge healthy plant!

So that's what I'm thankful for. What are you thankful for?
Giving Thanks~
Sarah