Thankful for His Goodness and Mercy

What are you thankful for today?

I'm just going to be honest; this has been a week of highs and lows for me. I can't quite pinpoint the uneasiness in my spirit. I'm praying, asking God to reveal anything I need to deal with or to quiet my spirit with His love. Maybe it's world events, or the overly compassionate person I tend to be, and I've just bitten off more than I can chew lately. Whatever it is, I'm praying it will go away. We have some dear friends Mike and I have known since college days (you know, those days when the dinosaurs roamed the earth! LOL) coming Friday for the 4th weekend. It's always fun getting together with treasured friends. 

In spite of how I've been feeling, I'm always encouraged when I reflect on His goodness and mercy, and this week He has showered me with both.

His Goodness: 

• After being unemployed for almost nine months, Mike was offered a part-time job doing what he loves to do - talk about hiking and camping! He calls it his dream job. 
  
• God's continued goodness and faithfulness upon us during these "lean" months. I'm so thankful to have a husband who handles our money wisely. During this nine-month period, we've still lived comfortably, but frugally. 
• Monday evening I sat on the front porch watching the sunset and the moon rise. All the while I was listening to a few lone birds still awake and calling the last of their flock home. Simultaneously, the crickets serenaded the fireflies dancing across the lawn. It's the simple pleasures that sooth my soul. Thank you, Lord. 

His Mercy:

• Our daughter, Missy, and her family travelled safely by car to Colorado to visit my son, her brother, Adam. VERY long drive from Alabama! 
• While they were out site-seeing on Sunday, they stopped by a beautiful creek. My two grandchildren, Lana (13) and Logan (15) got into the water and climbing around rocks in the water near some turbulent rapids. Lana got her foot wedged in between rocks on the creek floor and couldn't get it out. The more she tried, the more stuck she got. The water was pushing against her, and she struggled to keep her head above water. My son jumped into the water and fought to keep her head above water while she slowly was able to get her foot unstuck. My daughter said it was a pretty scary and tense several minutes while they worked to free her and hold her up all at the same time. So very thankful for God's merciful hand upon Lana.
• Tuesday Logan went out on a bike trail by himself and had a biking accident. He flipped over the handlebars and broke his collar bone. We're thankful he had a helmet on, it could've been much worse. He ended up in the ER, saw a surgeon, and then had to have surgery to put a metal plate in over his collarbone to help it heal. They released him after waking up from surgery. Wednesday was spent resting and sleeping due to pain meds. I'm thankful for the care he received by passersby until my daughter got there, and also for all the hospital staff. Missy said they were all great.

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Grab a button from the sidebar pin it to your post, (or put a direct link in your post to our Thankful Thursday page) and then come back here and sign up using the Linky below. Please put the direct link to your Thankful Thursday post. The Link Up will be LIVE until Monday morning. Be sure to visit the person who linked up before you and comment on their post. And, of course, you are more than welcome to visit as many others in the community as you have time. 

There's a book giveaway going on over at my Simply Grace page!

You can head over here to enter to win a copy of Laurie Coombs book, "Letters from My Father's Murderer: A Journey of Forgiveness."  The drawing closes Monday, July 6 at 6:00 AM EASTERN Time. A winner will be announced later in the day Monday evening.

This book tells the extraordinary true story of grace, mercy, and the redemptive power of God. If you long to understand and experience true forgiveness, then you want to read this book! 

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