Thankful Thursday

(photo credit: opengateministries.org)

Joshua 4:4-7 says, "So Joshua called together the twelve men he had appointed from the Israelites , one from each tribe, and said to them, "Go over before the ark of the LORD your God into the middle of the Jordan. Each of you is to take up a stone on his shoulder, according to the number of the tribes of the Israelites, to serve as a sign among you. In the future, when your children ask you, 'What do these stones mean?' tell them that the flow of the Jordan was cut off before the ark of the covenant of the LORD. When it crossed the Jordan, the waters of the Jordan were cut off. These stones are to be a memorial to the people of Israel forever."

Joshua instructed the men to make a memorial that would serve as a reminder of God's greatness for generations to come. The Israelite fathers (and mothers) would be able to point to those stones and tell their children how God miraculously parted the waters. So too, we need to mark God's work in our lives and teach our children about His ways. One way I've always felt this can be accomplished is by counting out our blessings. Writing them down so we can recognize them, appreciate them, meditate on them, and see how good our God has been to us.

In short, this is the inspiration behind 'Thankful Thursday'. My 'stones' may be big or small things, specific or general, but I am truly thankful for each and every one!

Today, I am thankful for my husband! Thursday, May 26th marks his 27th year of life and I cannot think of a better first stone to lay at God's feet. He is hardworking, level-headed, compassionate, thoughtful, generous, and loving. How often I marvel at how his strengths complement my weaknesses and vice versa. I am so thankful to have such a partner in life. He puts up with me and for that he has earned a few extra jewels in his crown. ;)

Thank you, Jesus!