Sometimes it’s hard to say thanks, even to God.

Our morning brought an unexpected mourning. Though we’ve been nursing our beloved horse Whiskers to health the last 3 weeks, we lost her, unexpectedly, this morning. So, with thanks today, also hard thanks…

Counting gifts and hard thanks #970-1007

for Christmas party picnics

for volleyball and wolleyball games with my family

for our children with no complaints about giving up gifts for themselves under the tree.

and went shopping with us to buy presents for those children with no family.

for Ann, and the Jesse Tree Advent Family Devotions she graciously offers free.

for children being happy to follow it with us.

for a husband whose heart and mind is wide-open new ideas for a different CHRISTmas.

for the ambience of white twinkle lights and candlelight and the Advent wreath we are following to His coming.

for the time we had with our horse, Whiskers, though we lost her sooner than we thought we would.

for a husband who almost did not go see the horse this morning, and it is so much better he saw her first.

for him staying home this morning and taking the little ones out in the afternoon.

and for a job that allows him the flexibility to.

for a God who reached my young teenage daughter’s heart when I wasn’t sure how He could.

and for the same God who has brought her comfort and peace through this whole day.

for friends in real-life and online who are always willing to pray.

for those friends who truly are a life-support.

for a neighbor who drives over in a moment’s notice when horses are sick, and we don’t know what to do.

and for the same neighbor who cries with us when there is nothing else we can do.

and the same friend who comes and helps paint to keep the mind on good things.

for the daughter whose lost her first show horse, her best four-legged friend, and continues to care for the one she still has

for the same one who needs a diversion, so we paint her room, and she says, “It’s a new beginning.”

for the young friend, who is a real friend, who shares laughs and shares tears and understands loss and wasted no time creating a kind-hearted gift to give.

for machines to dig holes that no one ever wants to dig.

and Husband’s friend who came to help, and says, “It could not have went any smoother,” referring to the ease in which she made it into her final resting place.

And for grass seeds that soon will sprout new life over the sandy place we said, “Good-bye.”

for children who are not blaming God, though prayers went unanswered or answered in ways we would not have chosen.

for a God who draws near to the broken-hearted and promises to save us from all our troubles.

and for a daughter who is letting Him.