thankful thursday

In this season of thankfulness, it definitely prompts my heart to focus in a bit more on what I am grateful for and when I do that I see that I have too many things to list! Here are just a few that are standing out to me today...

1. That our baby boy is growing and healthy as far as ultrasounds and measurements can tell. I'll be 24 weeks on Saturday which means approximately 16 weeks until we get to meet this little guy!!! So I'm thankful that it's a short time until he comes and also thankful for the 16 weeks we get to enjoy life with Sydney before life gets a little fuller ;)
2. I'm so thankful for Josh and Sydney. I'm very grateful for the friend, companion and husband Josh is. I love who God has created him to be and I love him more each day. I'm so very thankful for who Sydney is. She makes us smile daily She has such a sweet and tender heart and I CANNOT wait to see what God does in and through her. She amazes me.
3. What is really standing out to me today is how good God is and how THANKFUL I am for His faithfulness. I read this entry of My Utmost for His Highest today and it brought me back exactly one year ago when I read the same entry. A year ago today, I was in a much different place (in every way...mentally, emotionally, spiritually, physically). I was coming off of one of the hardest things I've ever been through (which some of you know about, those who don't....sorry not the time or place to share) and this particular entry from that devotional spoke to me like nothing else. It was a call, a challenge. It was a fork in the road. It was time to choose....will I choose Christ and what he wants for me or will I give in to what I want to feel, how I want to deal with things? Will I let him heal me and be obedient to the steps of healing he was calling me to or would I let myself give in to anger, self pity, bitterness and hurt? Well praise God, because he gave me the strength to choose Him and I have seen the truth in what Oswald Chambers was saying....as I was obedient, I saw the promises and nature of God come to life before my eyes. It brings tears to my eyes today to think about how kind, gentle, and faithful God has been in this healing process over the past year. So I could not be more thankful for that! My favorite part of that entry is when he quotes the hymn "My goal is God Himself" ....
"My goal is God Himself, not joy, nor peace,
Nor even blessing, but Himself, my God;
'Tis His to lead me there—not mine, but His—
At any cost, dear Lord, by any road.

So as I chose a year ago, I choose again......my God...at any cost, by any road.