Thankful for the blessings

My mom has always told me to write things down.  To record special blessings and small details so they are never forgotten.  No matter how big or small a blessing is, it is a special gift that we want to remember and remind ourselves of down the road.  Each blessing is a small or large piece of the puzzle God is putting together in our lives.  Since I don't journal, I'll blog it.

At a lot of churches I feel like people think blessings only come in financial form.  People get unexpected checks in the mail, finances are met unknowingly, giant raises are given just in the nick of time.  I know these things definitely happen, we have been the recipient of financial blessings time and time again.  Pastors preach that if you give, God will give back to you.  I believe this, but I don't believe God always gives back financial blessings.  I know he doesn't.  This past year I think I finally understood the blessings that God gives to those who faithfully give and give from their heart.  Blessings that change your life and bring you closer to Him.  Blessings that really matter make you want to bless others more than ever.  Blessings that only He can provide.  

Dallas and I experienced different kinds of blessings this year.  Here are the things I don't want to forget...

- My failed bone graft surgery. This may not seem like a blessing, but it was in disguise.  God really used this experience to increase my faith.  In the end, the 2nd bone graft worked, AND my dr. did it free of charge.  

- Rhett's healed heart.  God definitely used this experience to bring Dallas and I closer to Him, increase our faith, and realize what's really important in this life.  Money, houses, cars and stuff is nothing to us now.  We would have given it all to have Rhett healed.  God healed him, and that is a blessing we will never forget.  My prayer is that we will remain in a place where we remember how we felt in that time.. that God would keep us close and remind us often.  It's so easy to slip back into the "stuff" and material things in this world, and I don't want to go back. 

- A baby.  Our sweet girl was healthy and whole at our complex 22 week check up.  Her heart, brain, and other major organs looked good.  She is such a gift, and she will bring so much joy to our family.  I can't really think of a greater gift than life.  

- The casino.  When the casino was being built on Indian land a few blocks from our house, all hope seemed lost.  We were told our home would lose a substantial amount of value, our taxes would increase, crime would go up and our freedom to play outside and feel safe would be compromised.  After the federal court, BIA and NIGC ruled against the illegal casino, the attorney even said that truly the only person who should be credited for this miracle is God.  Our community had prayer meetings, prayed on the land and fasted and prayed for months to stop this.  In the end it has been stopped.  God protected us from selling our house when we had a full price offer.  He is always blessing us with His protection over us.  We don't even know what we've been protected from at times.  Though I know the casino battle will rage on for months to come with appeals and schemes, I also know that God's will is going to be done, and I have a peace about the entire situation.  Peace is such a blessing!  

- A Godly spouse.  I feel so blessed to have this gift.  I really probably didn't care so much about it when Dallas and I dated and got married, but now that I know the value, it is truly humbling to know that God gave that to me even though I didn't make it a priority.  He blessed me with Dallas, who is ever growing and changing in Him.  This last year, with all of the trial, I couldn't have made it without Dallas and his unwavering faith and support.  This is worth more than any financial blessing to me, and I'm so very thankful for this gift.

I don't at all mean to sound like I'm bragging about these blessings, but rather I'm rejoicing and recording God's victory in our lives this year.  Many of these blessings have come with trials before them.  I am oh so thankful for the trials.  

  God's provision and answers may not always be what we ask for, but in the end it's always the best.  I learned a few weeks ago that sometimes our blessings may come through answered prayers.  What if my giving meant that someone I'm praying for comes to Jesus.  What if my giving meant that someone else's child whom I've been praying for is healed.  That a family member's marriage would be restored.  You never know how God will bless others because of your faithfulness, but I truly and whole-heartedly believe that he does.  I am so very thankful for it.