THE PETERSENS

Do you ever struggle with being discontent?  I do.  All the time.  And, I hate it.  It’s such a battle.  One of the weapons I’ve found to be useful in this battle is the weapon of “thankfulness.”  When I dwell on the things I do not have or cannot have or will not be, I become discontent and ill-hearted.  But, when I dwell on the things I DO have, what I SHOULD NOT have but have and who I am today before Jesus Christ, my heart leaps with thankfulness.  Then I am content.  So, in my struggle with being discontent today, I am going to blog about all the things I am thankful for.

1.) I am thankful that my sin is so clearly ever before me because that means the Holy Spirit is active in my life.  It also helps me look to the power and the hope that is in the Cross upon which my Savior died.

2.) I am thankful that my house is in a constant disarray because it means I am not alone, but I have a family to take care of.

3.) I am thankful for all the small cars underfoot and the drawings on my walls because it means that my boys are having fun playing together.

4.) I am thankful for the never-ending stream of dishes in my sink and in my dishrack because it means that we have food to eat and I have mouths to feed.

5.) I am thankful for sometimes-inconvenient and exhausting runs to the grocery store with my boys because it means that we have money to buy food.

6.) I am thankful for a husband who comes home grumpy from work because it means that he is employed.

7.) I am thankful for the financial hardships we’ve had this year because it has taught me to…sew, bake all of our bread and to coupon like a crazy woman.

8.) I am thankful for conflict in our marriage because it means that reconciliation made possible only through Christ follows closely behind.

9.) I am thankful for nights where I get little to no sleep because of a sick baby because it means that I have a baby who depends on me for care.

10.) I am thankful for days where I end up in tears because it means that I can’t do it on my own, but Christ is the one who strengthens me.  He is All-Sufficient.  I am not.

11.)  I am thankful for the times where I have to train and discipline my son because it means that God has entrusted to us a great responsiblity…to show JL who God is.  God is a God who hates sin, but loves the sinner.  He is just and forgiving and steadfast in His love toward us.

12.) I am thankful for my gray hairs because it means that I have lived 27 years of life…27 years in which God has sustained my each breath even when He did not have to.

13.)  I am thankful that we are far away from family in MN (even though it is super hard) because now we see that we also have family at our church, Treasuring Christ Church.

14.) I am thankful for life’s trials because it is in the darkest times when I learn the most about my God.

15.) I am thankful that we never have any extra money in our budget because it has taught me that THINGS do not bring about happiness or joy.  Only Jesus does that.

16.)  I am thankful that though I am the foremost of sinners, God saved me from His wrath out of His great mercy.

I’m sure I could continue this list for a long time, but my to-do list beckons me.  My soul sings with praise to the Almighty King now…funny how uttering thanks to Him can change a person’s perspective.

I put the boys in the double jogging stroller to get our mail one later afternoon and took a few cute pictures of them on the way back.  Oh, and I included a picture of the townhomes we are currently living in.

This past Christmas, Ben bought me the book "Shopping for Time" by Carolyn Mahaney and her daughters.  I pretty much read it in one sitting because 1) it’s a tiny book and 2) it’s an EXCELLENT book.  If you haven’t read it yet and you find yourself constantly overwhelmed with the fact that there are never enough hours in a day, read this book!  I’ve been reviewing many of the principles in this book this past week once again because I find myself in the need to re-prioritize my responsiblities, so that I can be a good steward of my time.  I believe God calls us women to be wise with the activities we participate in and the relationships we invest into.  Tonight I plan on focusing in on the relationships I have in my life.  The book divides the relationships we have into four different categories:

1)  Friends who sharpen.
These are friends who "stir us up…to love and good works" (Hebrews 10:24).  They are people who spur us on to love Jesus more and who point out sin in our lives.  I am thankful that I have such people in my life already.

2)  Friends who mentor.
These friends should be older women who are training us younger women to love our families well, to be good workers in the home, and to be submissive to our dear husbands (Titus 2:3-5).  I have found that these are hard to come by, but the book really encourages intentionality in pursuing a relationship like this in the local church.

3)  Friends who need salvation.
Obviously, these are people who don’t know Jesus.  We, as women, should be striving to speak gracious, Gospel-filled words to those around us who don’t love Jesus.  This takes time and effort, but we must not forget and neglect these relationships.

This is a short summary of her chapter on prioritizing relationships.  I have not done it justice, so please read the book!  It is filled with so much wisdom that comes straight from the Word.