Thankful Thursdays

For this week’s post, I wanted to do something a little different, so I gathered a bunch of thankfulness from family and friends to share along. And it goes like this:

Ana B.: “I am thankful for God’s faithful love and am grateful for his seeds of faith, hope and love that have always blossomed in my life through family, friends, work, art, music, loss and this blessed world. Always thanks to the Lord for he is good, his love endures forever.”

Barbie R.: “I am thankful for my life, my faith and this blog. Because it always reminds me that there are still good-hearted souls, faith-filled people in this world who believe in God, family, friendship and paying it forward.” ?

Arturo and Maria.: “Hi Sis, La China and I are grateful first because our parents brought us to this country of opportunities. Also for the families we have been able to raise and for our family from all sides. For our friends, for being healthy, and for our faith in God.”

Regina S.: “I am thankful for my son, Cristian. He’s taught me to appreciate what most people take for granted (even the smallest of things). He’s also taught me to realize that one day you can have something great and then the next minute it can be gone. It’s important to count your blessings and be grateful for what you have. It may be a little deep for people that don’t understand or relate.”

Betty B.: “Thankful Every Day” to all who touch my life by word, by deed, by thought…past, present and future….I am truly blessed.”

Betsy S.: “Connie, I am Thankful FOR YOU!!! You are such a good gentle soul and are a constant reminder of who I aspire to be every day of my life. During this Easter celebration I often reflect on how I can be a better person. You are someone I look up to each and every day. Your faith and dedication to your family is so incredible!!! You should be so proud of your accomplishments and I hope you will share this as I stated above – I am thankful for you!!!”

Edna P.: “I am extremely thankful for all of my blessings, but I am especially thankful that the Good Lord has healed my sister and is guiding her on her journey to new beginnings at a different destination. Thank you Lord!”

Roxana V.: “MY Thankful Thursday post. I’m honored to be asked what is mine! I love and look forward to these postings every week. I’m thankful for my mother. She is 95 years old. She widowed at 52 years of age and managed to raise her four children devotedly. If I do say so myself, we are good people. God has blessed me with her presence in my life for so much longer than most. She’s strong willed, clear minded and an inspiration to keep living life to the fullest. I pray that God will keep her around for another 95 years… what can I say… I’m greedy and know a good thing when I see it! I love you Mom!!”

Nancy G.“I’m thankful for my mother who’s my rock, my best friend and who keeps me grounded. She is the most selfless person I know. She raised me to always do good onto others without expecting anything in return. As she always tells “haz un bien y no mires a quien”. She has a way of making me see things in a different way I can’t do on my own because of my short fuse and lack of patience. I love her to the moon and back and for her I am extremely thankful.”

Jose (Ray): “Thankful for my family, my health, my job, my faith, and all the rest of God’s blessings everyday.”

Lauren Christine: ““Although sometimes out of tune, my faith, I am still most grateful for it. Just like everything else in life, it takes practice. But when in doubt, I know the good Lord has my back and I can always count on that. It’s a peace of mind, a safe place, and my backboard, and it’s always when I am in need that I remember He is always there even if I wondered off the path a little.”

Danny: “I am thankful for the support of my family and friends. If it wasn’t for them my transition into my new career wouldn’t have been as smooth as it’s been.”

Lauren Ashley: “I am thankful for new beginnings. New starts come around only a few times in a lifetime. You have to make the most of them when you can.”

Cary G.: “I am thankful for the faith that my parents gave to me. In times of hardship I always know that with God everything is possible.  When I couldn’t walk, he would carry me.  If you have faith, He will provide.”

Emoy P.: “I am thankful for quiet time in the midst of a busy city…. time to wind down, reflect, pray and recharge.”

Ledys R.: “For my faith. It is only by faith through grace that I have made it this far in my life. My faith in God and His will has been the key to overcoming situations involving a wide myriad of family, health, or work related situations, some of which at the time I thought had no resolution.

God works best when we give up, and give it all to Him. Faith allows that. Faith is what I’m most thankful for.”

Del and Marianne C.: “Del and I would like to thank God for our bountiful blessings. We bless and thank HIM for our continued good health, our home, our jobs, our prosperity, our education, our ambition, our understanding of the need for generosity, and our desire to maintain a “community of family” around us throughout our lives.

We thank HIM for having granted us a wonderful family, especially for granting us our children: Eric, Lauren (and Danny), our parents and grandparents (both living and deceased), our siblings, and our entire family: the Campana, Seiler, Vazquez, Bertran, Navarro, and Wickenden Clan!

We thank you for allowing us to have found and fostered solid friendships with close friends, coworkers, colleagues, Emmaus sisters, Marianne’s current and former students, neighbors, and even with those whom we simply have as casual acquaintances.  It this through this network of “family and friends” in whom HE grants us the opportunity to be continually reminded that we must not simply be “takers” from this life, but that we must continue to be generous, forgiving, and that “we are our brother’s keeper”.

We are thankful for HIS guidance and quiet wisdom, which he showers upon us throughout every minute of our lives, as we attempt to navigate our path through life.

We ask that HE continue to bless and protect all of us until we see him again in his Kingdom. In Jesus’s name, we pray.”

And me? Well, as I lie in bed today fighting a very stubborn bug, I am thankful for doctors, nurses, and medicines. I am thankful for my loving family and awesome friends. And on this Holy Thursday, I am thankful for His mercy, forgiveness, and promise of eternal life.”

Thanks for participating and sharing, you guys rock!

To those of you who observe Holy Week, may it continue to be food for the spiritual soul. And may you have a blessed Easter.

Until next Thursday’s post…si Dios quiere.

“Life without thankfulness is devoid of love and passion. Hope without thankfulness is lacking in fine perception. Faith without thankfulness lacks strength and fortitude. Every virtue divorced from thankfulness is maimed and limps along the spiritual road.”
-J.H. Jowett

“Today I choose to live with gratitude for the love that fills my heart, the peace that rests within my spirit, and the voice of hope that says all things are possible.”
-Anonymous