Friday 5: Thankfulness

The RevGals Friday Five is a challenge this week - only because the number seems more like a limit than anything. I am blessed to have more than five things to be thankful for (a good reminder to have!); so some are going into groups.

List at least five things (people, places, graces, miracles...) for which you are thankful. You may elaborate as you wish, or keep it simple.

People...

• Family-- one patient, hardworking, considerate husband, and two children who are better people than I could ask for or deserve.
  

• Friends - A few close and dear confidantes who comfort and challenge and entertain in frivolous and holy ways.

Places...

• The incredible, austere beauty of the mountains in Big Sky Country, and the trees filling the Hoosier landscape, currently painting the world with a matchless blaze of colors. I am thankful to have been able to live among both.

Graces...

• The gift of what I do-- this crazy juggling act that is rural cluster ministry among small churches no one's ever heard of-- is so imbued with grace as to be inexpressible. I couldn't manage without the unmerited favor of a gracious God, who makes good things happen here almost every day. Sometimes in spite of me!

Miracles...

• This certainly is a minor sort of miracle, but it's the first one to occur to me. I am currently in an exercise group (a free weights class for women, offered at our local high school). I haven't mentioned anything on this blog because, quite frankly, I wasn't sure that that my back (surgery several years ago) and lack of upper body strength and crazy schedule wouldn't cause me to drop out after the first class. I didn't want to be blogging about the failure. But it's been three weeks, and I'm still going, and I've even begun to be able to increase the size of the weights I've been using on some exercises! This is amazing.