Thankful Thursday

Good morning! I am so tickled to be linking up with Rebecca Jo @ Knit By God's Hand this morning for Thankful Thursday. It's been so LONG since she's been able to host the link up and it's great to see her back. (That would be thankful thing #1 today!)

In addition to the return of our hostess, this week finds me thankful...

** life has returned to normal after weeks of dealing with our daughter's health issues, finding out she has Lyme Disease, pretty much stepping in as substitute mom while she wasn't able to take care of the kiddos, and their family's vacation.

This week finds our daughter feeling much better and taking over the mothering duties again and the kids back in school and getting back on a regular schedule...and me having time to myself. (That is very necessary to my introverted soul. I need time to recharge emotionally.)

** for a girl's night with a few of the women from my former Bible study group. It was so fun to get together and catch up with each other's lives, pray together, and encourage each other (in this world, we each have situations in our lives much in need of prayer). We also got to enjoy some of the best apple pie I've ever had. Yum!

** I was able to convince two of the women from that group to join me in reading Ruth Chou Simon's book When Strivings Cease so they can join me at my church in November when the women get together for a night of fellowship, food, and discussing the book.

** for another great session of the small group I'm part of this year. I'm loving getting to know one of the elders and his family better and I really appreciate his wisdom and insights.

** that a dear friend of mine, after hearing about our daughter's health issues, saw many similarities to her own problems and contacted her doctor about the possibility of being infected with Lyme Disease. The blood test is pending but her doctor went ahead and started her on antibiotics since she is leaving on vacation this Sunday.

** for season 2 of Sweet Magnolias on Netflix. Now if I could only learn not to binge the whole season in two days. 

** a great weekend with family...an auction with my mom and stepdad, an anniversary dinner for our daughter and her husband, a sleepover with the grandchildren, and a Sunday relaxing with my husband.

** for pumpkin pie creamer for my tea.

** for beautiful, colder fall weather so I can start making more savory dishes again and also wear my favorite clothes.

** the crew installing the new drainage system in my neighborhood is finally making progress and has moved around the corner and away from our street. To be fair they've had to pound their way through solid rock the entire way and it's been slow going, but it is really nice not to have that constant pounding going on so close to the house. Now if they'd just fill in the big hole in the front yard...

** that God loves each one of us so much that he planned for us and knew us before the world began. He's had a plan for our lives all that time. It just lays me out when I think that when He answers even the tiniest of my prayers, it means that He has been working all circumstances, weaving them together, building on them, since the beginning of time so that everything would be in perfect order to give me that answer. How incredible is that?!

** for my family, my friends, my faith, and my country...and all that comes along with those things.

** and, of course, for all of you!

Dear friends in Florida, I pray you are all safe from the storm.