Deo Gratias!

 "If the only prayer you ever say in your life is thank you, it will be enough." - Meister Eckhart

Colleen, from her inspiring blog Thoughts on Grace, hosts this wonderful meme each Wednesday. She says, "Deo Gratias is Latin for Thanks be to God. Remembering to give thanks for all of our blessings, big & small, helps us to find God in our everyday moments and gives us an attitude of gratitude!"

Each week, I join Colleen in remembering & sharing the many blessings in my life. This is such a great exercise for me, helping me to focus on the good that truly is happening in my life, no matter how many trials & stresses I may have.

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1) There was an article in our newspaper Sunday detailing some of the information on our state's budget. I was very pleased to see it included some pro-life aspects. There were five items listed, including $1.4 million in federal money cut from Planned Parenthood (doing a BIG happy dance here!) & adding funds to crisis-pregnancy centers to provide alternatives to abortion. Deo Gratias!

2) We had a great time on the Fourth of July at my parents' house. It was a little worrisome w/ the rain we'd had throughout the day, but it stopped in time for the evenings activities. We gathered for a meal, watched all the cousins run around the yard w/ their sparklers, & ended the evening watching several of their neighbors set off some fireworks. Deo Gratias! 
 
3) Our Small Church Community has always done some type of community outreach. For many years, we participated in Relay for Life. Now we have turned our attention to abortion victim support. Every other month, we provide the meal for an abortion support group's meeting. We drop the meal off during the day, so we do not see those needing the support, but it's wonderful knowing that this group is there & that we can pray for them as we prepare the food. Deo Gratias!

4) We went to my dear friend's house yesterday for "Mom Therapy" & a playdate for all the kids. It's always wonderful to get together for a few hours to share our lives w/ one another. The two of us have wonderful husbands & it's amazing how much alike they are. I'm thinking we need to set up a "Dad Therapy" session for them sometime! Deo Gratias!


5) Matt & I took the kids to a local park the other day. It doesn't have a playground, just a bunch of walking/bike paths & a nature observation point. We walked about two miles & really enjoyed the family time. Deo Gratias!