I Am Blessed

Sleep got up earlier than I did today.....

So at 5 a.m. on Thanksgiving morning I leave the house in search of the ellusive Black Friday sale papers and wouldn't you know, I have purchased 5 of them and am back home in 15 minutes....

Last year it took 100 miles and 5 towns to find one....

So now I take a few moments to offer thanks for a most incredible year....

First off, I thank the Lord for the journey he has led me....

A year of prayer, seeking his face in a pursuit of Him and in the process a rediscovery of his greatness and recreation of myself, my family and CUPC.....

The transformation of CUPC is an aweing reality and I simply say thank you Lord....

I could not do the things I do without Tracie....

This is our 31st Thanksgiving to share and love you more today than I did when we were thinner and younger and I still had hair....

Tracie.....

Babe, you have been a trooper and even in the most difficult of times, never a single complaint, not  a single whine, not a single "I wish" has crossed your lips....

You dear have been my special gift from God and I thank Him for you and I thank you for being dreams come true and resolute strength personified....

I love you....

My kids continue to bring joy....

Redonia, I am proud of you.  As I watch you walk a not so easy path of adulthood I rejoice at your strenth and poise.....

I am proud of you and know that soon you will be blessed by God with a most special someone in your life.....

And then of course you gave me Annaleigh....

Just think, If I could have skipped you and gone straight to her.....smile .....wink........I love you girl....

Trent....

Oh what a man you have become.....

I saw a business aquaintance from the past this week who had seen you in public and they were so impressed with the young man they had known as a boy....

I love and respect you ......

Calah....

You laugh and giggle at all the stupid stuff Trent likes to do and make him feel so important...

But you also have learned to take charge of some things in our world and I am proud of you......

Trent is a better man because of you....

Now, get me that grandboy......

Extended Family.....

Ours is no different than other families today and we have been touched by disappointment and heartache....

The Patrick side laid to rest the first sibling, Carla.....

The Smith side sees two granddaughers and a daughter deal with the realities of single parenting.....

But amid these, none of us can really doubt the greatness of our God....

Mom, Dad, Gram, Popsie, thanks for loving us all and believing in me personally all of these years.....

CUPC Family....

The last year or so has been one of the most heart wrenching times of our life....

My heart has been handed to me time and time again....

But as I think of these things, there is only one emotion I feel this morning...

Gratitude for every single person who has passed our way over these years.......

I pray for each who passed, paused and then moved on; and I am thankful each....

I rejoice for each who cointinues with us....

I rejoice for every answered prayer....

I also rejoice as the miraculous continues to unfold amoung us....

CUPC Staff.....

This year the Lord chose to flip the staff and the incredible group of people around us daily is second to none...

I thank the Lord for each ofyou.....

Last but the Greatest.....

Lord, I thank you for your keeping grace.....

You took me on a journey of mercy and grace this year....

You educated me in the ways of mercy for yesterday's failures, and grace for the things we face today....

You led me to seek your face with the promise if I would that you would hear me from heaven and would take care of my earthy affairs from your heavenly realm....

Then last week you told me you had heard my prayers and seen my tears and had healed my land and that you would add to me and destroy the afflicter and be my defender....

I simply say Thank You Lord.....

rks