...rehearse the righteous acts of the LORD...

So I've been a bit of a funk and having a pity party for myself way too much so I thought I would start at the beginning and recount all the things that God has given me through my life to remind myself.

1) A mom who did not have an abortion when she found herself unmarried and pregnant at 17.

2) A granddaddy who took me to church when I was little. He also let me drink coffee with him and let me splash in puddles with new shoes on!

3) Another grandpa who took me camping.

4) A grandma who loved to take road trips and was very patient with kids' silliness.

5) Another grandma who loved me and didn't let me get away with stuff at her house.

6) A stepmom in the Air Force who was stationed in Okinawa. So many fun memories from over there! Crawling through storm drains and finding that cave full of human bones! Also got two extra brothers out of that.

7) A mom who took me to church through my teen years and established a lifelong habit.

8) A father who did stuff with us. Took us camping and took us on motorcycle rides.

9) Another stepmom who taught me to crochet, something I enjoy very much today!

10) A stepdad who loves me like his own. He likes to pretend he just tolerates me but inside I know he's just a big softy!

11) The year my mom got to stay home from work. I believe that year built a relationship with my mom that made us friends.

12) A baby that got me off the destructive path I was on and brought me to a place where I could see my need for Christ's salvation.

13) A wonderful friend who taught me so much about what serving God was and showed me what a Christian marriage looked like.

14) A dear friend who is blessed with the gumption to be honest and yet still love me when I mess up.

15) A husband who loves me and puts up with my childishness and dotes on me all the time. He works hard without complaining to provide for our family.

16) Seven children that are healthy and intelligent. Each one is so unique. They each have different talents and strengths. I cannot imagine what life would be like without any one of them.

17) A church where I do not feel oppressed and condemned all the time. A church family that has been a blessing to me and my family in so many ways!

18) New friends. Friends who are there to help when I need it.

19) Hardships. They make me learn and build character. This small house with only one bathroom makes us all have to learn how to get along and compromise. Financial struggles teach us to value what is really important and realize that we can do without a lot of things many people think are necessary.

20) Salvation. Justification. Sanctification. God's word and the Holy Spirit to help me understand it. That God, the creator of the universe, looks down on me with compassion and love and calls me his child... it is humbling.

I know there are so many other things I could add, God really has been good to me, but for the sake of time and space I'll stop there.