Thankful

As I sit here and think about this past week I can't help but to be thankful. This past week was not the easiest for me as I have been struggling, but as my dear friend Cindy has said..."when life gives you lemons don't forget the sweet stuff!" Dear friends, can I share my "sweet stuff" with you?! First off, God has blessed me with some pretty amazing ladies, who I can be raw and real with and who lift me up in prayer. I am beyond thankful for each lady He has hand placed in my life, for their encouragement, prayers, and examples. There were MANY times this week that I had to sound my trumpet and asked for prayer, and they were there and ready! Which, leads me to my second thankful-GOD! I love that we serve a God who is all knowing, loving, forgiving, and...I could go on! I'm beyond thankful that I can cry out to Him at anytime, in any place, for anything. Isn't He just the best! I'm also thankful for the sun-yes, that big yellow thing in the sky! Its been a long winter here in the mitten (which means a lot of days with no sun) and its nice to finally see and feel it! Friends, how many days do we let go by without being thankful? How many blessings do we receive without thanking God for them? How many times do we let the distraction of a bad day (or week) keep us from seeing the "sweet stuff"? I'm gunna be honest here, I'm guilty.I'm guilty of not giving God the praise when He is so deserving. I'm guilty of letting the "lemoms" of life get the best of me at times. This weekend has been full of some good time on my knees crying out yo God, asking for forgiveness, and asking for help as I walk into this next week. I know that I can't do it on my own, thank God its in His strength that we can get through this whole "life" thing! I want to encourage and challenge all who are reading this to not let a day go by without being thankful. I don't care if its for your toothbrush, husband, job, or something God is doing in your life. I strongly believe that once you start thanking Him for things it will become easier to find more things to be thankful for..and it actually becomes fun as well! Oh, one last thankful-YOU! I may know you, I may not, but I'm still thankful for you. YOU are a child of God, a wonderful masterpiece, and are dearly loved by an awesome God. I pray as you read these words, you hear God whispering in your ear how amazing He thinks YOU are...no matter the struggle, the rough week you had, or how much you mess up. He loves YOU!