Being Thankful

One of things I have been focusing on in my personal devotional life and in prayer is gratitude. Just plain being thankful and expressing that thankfulness to my Creator who has given me every good and perfect gift! In may be quite a shock to hear me say it, "but I can be a bit of a negative nelly." I have not become a Pollyanna by any means but being grateful and practicing that gratitude has change me and has changed my prayer life! I started writing this in February, so these are not current situation but recent ones and I felt that they reflected a busy, and stressfull time well. I forgot about being grateful this week and it was a terrible week. Mr. is gone at a show and although it is in town he is leaving two hours earlier than normal and not coming home until late. I have been flying solo 24 7 with the little ones. Their routine was thrown off by the show and I have been dealing with significant behavior problems during the day. Four out of the five children in our home have had walking pneumonia and the baby has had a double ear infection causing her to not want to eat, turning every feeding into a screaming fit. This coming swiftly after several rounds of colds, one child with croup, and a bout of stomach flue. I am behind on so many things like grading and paying bills. The weeks to do list is still hanging on the refrigerator with only one thing checked off and I am exhausted from getting up at night with the baby. It was our anniversary on Friday and we did not spend even five minutes talking together. In truth I have felt discouraged all week and my mental voice has been filled with words such as bad mom and bad wife. Then this morning I realized that what was missing in my week was gratitude. Thank God for the opportunities He has provided Mr. this week for his business. The business which allows me to stay at home with our children. Thank God for 22 years of marriage. Thank God that I have the privilege and opportunity to care for this baby and that she is here in my arms able to scream! Thank God that the little two are so attached to Mr. that they notice and do not like that his schedule has changed. Thank God that in each case we caught the illnesses quickly and that the children recovered well. Thank God that none of the children had to be hospitalized! We thought one of them might be at one point. Thank God for friends who are praying for me and caring for us as we walk through our days! Thank God that HIS strength is made perfect in my weakness! Thank God for the discipline issues because they will show the children their need of a savior!