Thankful Thursday-Love and Healing

I look forward to this day each week. I begin thinking ahead of time what I am thankful for. Thank you Iris for starting this. You can visit her blog Grace Alone for more. That blog is truly a blessing.



I've got 2 special things I'm thankful for this Thursday.

1. For my husband,Mike. We said 'I Do' 2 years ago on this cold December day. It was one of the best days of my life. I really can't believe that I am married,something I dreamed of being since I was a teenage girl. I looked so hard for my prince,instead of letting God bring him to me. I finally did just that and at the age of 22 I begin dating Mike. We were friends for 4 years prior to us dating. Our first date was October 7,2005,the week after my sister got married. He was so nervous and so was I. I couldn't figure out why I was nervous much less 'strick-9' (his nick name haha). I had no idea that fate had begun for us that night. Within 7 months we were engaged. I remember the day I knew he was my future husband. It was October 22nd, at Jennifer's wedding(friend of mine). I was a bridesmaid for her wedding that day. They played God Blessed the Broken Road by Rascal Flatts(?) and it hit me. I loved Mike and I wanted to spend the rest of my life with him. Yes, it was quick,but I knew it. He knew about 3 1/2 years ago there was something special about me,but obstacles came in the way. So we never dated until then,almost 4 years later. On June 2, 2006 he proposed to me at Macaroni Grill in Mobile,AL before we went inside with a group of our friends. Wow, we were so happy!! I knew he was proposing,but I was still nervous. In November we finally set a date, December 4th. We opted to not have the traditional wedding. No wedding gown,no reception,no one but us. I didn't want to plan anything. All I wanted to do was say I do. We had been through enough stress and I saw weddings as stress. Our families were okay with it. They blessed our marriage which was important. A close friend of ours who is an ordained Pastor married us with his wife as a witness. We had a beautiful cake and she took pictures. We had it rough financially,but it didn't damper our honeymoon bliss. It's been wonderful ever since. Have there been arguments? Why yes. Have there been hurt feelings? Of course. Have there been hard times? Yes. One thing I can say, is there hasn't been much strife between the two of us. We have had a lot thrown our way to be so young and newly married,but we knew if the devil ever got strife between us,we'd end up like so many other couples. I am SO thankful for my husband. He provides for me physically and spiritually. He allows me to stay home and did before we even had Daniel. He makes me laugh with his humor and makes me cry with his sweetness. He says he isn't romantic,but I beg to differ. Who defines romantic anyway? He surprised me last night by taking me to my favorite restaurant,Olive Garden. He's done so much for me,that all I can do is shower him with love and God's grace. God really did know what He was doing all those years He wouldn't let me marry someone else. All I needed to do was trust Him and His ways. He has been so faithful to us. When we didn't know where money would come from,God supplied it. When we weren't sure how to raise a baby,God has showed us. We are a team. God is the captain,Mike is the co-captain,and I'm the player. He is my head and I respect him. He loves me like Christ loves the church. I am a blessed woman.

Husbands, love your wives, even as Christ also loved the church, and gave himself for it;
That he might sanctify and cleanse it with the washing of water by the word,
That he might present it to himself a glorious church, not having spot, or wrinkle, or any such thing; but that it should be holy and without blemish.
So ought men to love their wives as their own bodies. He that loveth his wife loveth himself.
For no man ever yet hated his own flesh; but nourisheth and cherisheth it, even as the Lord the church:
For we are members of his body, of his flesh, and of his bones.
For this cause shall a man leave his father and mother, and shall be joined unto his wife, and they two shall be one flesh. Ephesians 5:25-31

2. I am thankful that God healed Daniel. He was sick and God took care of him. We so often take fore granted healing. Healing doesn't have to be some one's arm growing back or even being healed of cancer. When you ask God to heal you of a cold and He does it,well that's something to praise Him for too. I used to look for the big things,but nothing is big or small to God. Some don't believe in healing. I'm not sure what they would call it, I guess getting better. My father's back was healed back in June. He's always had back problems,but God healed it. He has no more trouble with it. All it took was him asking God to heal him and He did it instantly. So whatever faith or denomination you are, you get healed. Whether you want to use that term or not,that's your choice. But don't forget to give God the glory for it.

But he was wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised for our iniquities: the chastisement of our peace was upon him; and with his stripes we are healed. Isaiah 53:5

I pray you have a wonderful Thursday and don't forget to check out Iris @ Grace Alone.