Gratitude......

Every night when we have family prayer time we start off with a praise: Today I am thankful for _______. Well sometimes it's so easy to spout off an answer, but last night instead of trying to narrow it down, I was thankful for having so many things to be thankful for I couldn't narrow it down. Have you made a list lately of the things/people/gifts/sacrifices of others you are thankful for? It should be quite long - if you're reading this you have internet access, you can read, you have eyesight.....I forget that sometimes. And this morning I was reminded of something else to be thankful for, REALLY reminded - the kind of reminded that only God can do, when two separate devotionals are on the exact same topic. My Streams in the Desert this morning was on the potter and the clay, and then I moved on to my other devotional (there are at least two that I have to do regularly because I love so much), and it was on the potter and the clay!! Do you think God was trying to tell me something I needed to hear/learn? Well, I realized it - First, I am still clay, His mercies are new every morning, and I can be re-fashioned even when I get marred. Second, my children are clay in my hands and I should be very conscious of how I mold them. Third, the potter actually cares to mold me and use me, even when I mess it all up!! Aaaah what treasures for a Wednesday morning - just the thing to get me over the hump.

So, now for a funny happening at the Nolan household - John Brady is really into music. It has always been his "thing" - it calms him when he's really wound up and he remembers words and can sing on key which is more than anyone else in this family can say. So a friend gave me a CD a couple of weeks ago and there is this one song on the CD that my kids love - the first day we had it they wanted that song over and over and on that same day John Brady had the verse memorized. Now he likes to sing it for anyone who'll listen. I know it pleases more than my heart when he's singing:

I've been livin in the rain, child, I've been livin in the rain.

Soaking up the blessings of the good Lord, I've been livin in the rain.

I don't need to find a shelter, don't want the weather to change.

I've been livin in the rain, child, I've been livin in the rain.

And today he said - Mom, it just keeps on rainin!

So true, we're just soaking in the blessings of the good Lord!