A Magnolia's Heart Beats

Iris' focus for Thankful Thursday today is on ministry. Her heart has been heavy over the loss of Pastor Greg Laurie's son, Christopher, but rejoices at Pastor Laurie's committment to press on and continue in ministry. I am so thankful for the ministers in my life. Often they are not only pastors but friends, companions, authors, aquaintances, and nature. So much in life ministers to me, and I wonder how I minister to others?

One of my passions is that I believe we are living in the last days, so if I had a gift of evangelism on that subject, it would look like this:

"For the Lord himself will come down from heaven, with a loud command, with the voice of the archangel and with the trumpet call of God, and the dead in Christ will rise first. After that, we who are still alive and are left will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And so we will be with the Lord forever. Therefore encourage each other with these words. ~ 1 Thessalonians 4:16-18

My heart is so thankful that Christ will return for His church, and I believe it will probably be in our generation.

I praise God that He will not leave me stuck on this earth or send me to the depths of hell, but that because I have trusted in Him, I am assured that I am part of the "we" mentioned in the verse above!

I'm thankful for many other things this week, too. On a personal level, God is bringing me through a health issue that flared up. I praise Him that He is my Great Physician, the one who continues to work in me where medicines can only go so far.

I'm thankful for my precious husband, who walked clear across Walmart last night on a trip to get chemicals for the pool just to pick me up some crackers!

I'm thankful for the new life that will be born next Tuesday, my first (biological) nephew. I'm going to be a bona-fide AUNT, ya'll! Okay, so now I'm crying and can't see my way to type clearly.

From the small things like air conditioning to sweet tea, to the great things like answered prayer, mercy and grace, my heart rejoices in God.

Now, pop on over to Iris' site and visit her powerful post. See what all she's grateful for, peruse the other ladies blogs who have posted, and post one of your own!

Blessings & Love,