Remembering Thanksgiving, Week #3

 I've had a rough couple of days and have been playing the "why me?" game with myself. Then today, I had good and bad happen, and the good came out of the bad in the form of an answered prayer. It is something I have been praying about for a month or so, and I had my doubts it would happen....... but it did. As I have been feeling thankful about it the rest of the day, it reminded me that is not all I have to be thankful for. It also reminded me that I should do my weekly post. So here is what I am thankful for in this third week of the month of Thanksgiving:

1) Answered - and unanswered prayers. It is so easy when God doesn't answer,  or doesn't seem to answer prayers to forget the ones that He has answered. I have heard of people writing prayers down and putting them in a jar, then taking them out at the end of the year and seeing how many God answered. That may be a good idea.

And I don't think we give God enough credit for not answering some prayers that would not have been the right thing for us.

2) Sundays. And that is the day, not the cold ice cream treat. I don't understand people who don't want to cease from unnecessary work and activities and just rest and go to church. Come on, a day God says not to work...... who wants to go against that?

I've had to work some Sundays in my life, and hate to do so. Sundays to me are church, a good Sunday dinner with family, a nap or walk, and more church in the evening. It is nice to put aside the unnecessary things for the day and relax and be in church.

3) Books and my love of reading. I have never felt I excelled at much in life, but I did excel at reading. I can remember reading above my level in my younger grades of school, and once I caught the love of reading; it never left. I still enjoy reading, and it has taken me many places I will never be physically able to go, and helped me learn a lot I would never have otherwise known.

4) Music. I love music. I rarely am in the car without a CD playing. And I am thankful for good music. As a teenager, I discovered Southern Gospel music and have listened to it ever since. I was never tempted to get into the heavy metal, rock, rap, or other kinds of music so many young people get into. I have never even had much desire for country music, though there is a small percentage of it that is worth listening to.

Over the years, my music tastes have spread out to include some praise and worship and some CCM music, but I still mainly listen to good old Southern Gospel. Music has been an important part of my life and has moved me, cheered me, convicted me, and brought me closer to God.

I am also thankful I learned to play the piano and have the ability to make music for my own entertainment. I wish I could play better, but it is good enough for me.