Wednesday, May 2, 2012

A Thankful Woman's Book of Blessings



My special friend, Judy, hosts this meme every Wednesday! Her motto is "a thankful heart is a joyful heart"! I completely agree! In this meme, we are to share 5 things that we are thankful for this week. Please join us for an Attitude of Gratitude and visit Judy's blog for the link up! Prepare to be blessed!

1.  Today, I am thankful for my parish family!  I had the opportunity to sit and talk with a friend of mine on Sunday, after the annual "Mother/Daughter Breakfast".  We spent some time sharing about how we have such an active parish and how both of our families have been supported and loved during some very trying times in our lives.  It never ceases to amaze me how an individual, a ministry or a circle group can really step up to assist in meeting the needs of other parishioners.  In this day and age of "me,me,me", it's nice to know that we can put others first by being Jesus to them.

2. If it's possible to be thankful for a television show (do you sense my sarcasm?), then I am extremely thankful for 19 Kids and Counting!  This is probably the most wholesome show I allow my kids to watch outside of EWTN!  The Duggars are a remarkable family and I so appreciate that they allow cameras into their lives so that others can benefit from their experiences.  When I see how Michelle gently guides her children, I feel encouraged that I can set the tone for how our household runs and that it is possible to have peace.  I have no doubt that they are a regular family in the sense that there is lots of noise, chaos and messes...just like in my house.  What makes them remarkable is how they deal with  life.  I pray for the wisdom and ability to have the servants heart that Michelle does.

3.  I am also thankful for our Holy Father, Pope Benedict XVI!  I believe him to be a true man of God.  He reminds me so much of my grandfather that when I see him on television, I feel the urge to just put my arms around him and hug him!  He is a true Shepherd and we as Catholics, are truly blessed to have him.  I need spend more time praying for him.  He needs our prayers of protection especially during this time in history when the persecution of The Church is in high gear!

4.  I'm thanking God for my son's homeroom teacher T.G.!  He has many other wonderful teachers, but T.G. is special.  For one thing, she genuinely loves her students.  Truly!  She clearly feels that their souls are much more important than their grades!  She treats them as though they were her own children.  I never worry about him not getting what he needs spiritually or academically during the day.  She never hesitates to let me know what's going on and she challenges him to do better...to grow to be a better person.  Mostly, she doesn't take any tween crap from him!  I'm so thankful that she is his teacher!  Thank you, T.G. for all that you do!  The Widener's love you!

5.  Lastly, I am thankful that our bird is doing better.  It was touch and go there for awhile.  She has a paralyzed left foot.  We still don't know what's caused it.  It could be arthritis, it could have been a stroke or it could be a tumor.  We may never know.  All I know is that she is eating and drinking again and ripping paper like crazy!  She seems happy and is singing all the time.  I don't know how long she will live, but I'm glad we went ahead and visited the vet.....even if it cost us a fortune!

What are you thankful for this week??

5 comments:

CC Jen said...

I'm thankful for my husband and my children, as always; I'm also thankful for the beautiful weather we've had recently, which allows us to spend so much time outdoors!

Eileen Marie Miller said...

Parish family, Duggars, Pope, Teacher, and Pet...great list! It is good to hear of parishioners putting others first to follow Our Lord and that all the support from your parish has been so beneficial. We are blessed to be able to walk into any Catholic Church in our country and feel at home!

Judy Dudich said...

Oh, how I love this list of JOYFUL BLESSINGS! What a tremendous comfort to be able to send your son to school each day, knowing that he is in the care and loving hands of such a good teacher:) Thank you for reminding us to pray for the Holy Father...today is my Adoration Hour day...I will do that! And, I am right with you on "parish families"...we love, love, LOVE our parish family!

Just Be Real said...

Nancy, thank you for sharing your gratitude list. Blessings and hugs.

noreen said...

Hi Nancy, you certainly have much to feel blessed about! A wonderful parish family can set the tone for your day to day life. It doesn't feel so lonely when you have like-minded Catholics to spend time with. Hope your bird fully recovers!