Thankful Thursday: He Supplies My Needs

It's been a while since I've written a Thankful Thursday post.  I've certainly been thankful for much, but as you can see, I haven't posted anything in two weeks.

It's been very busy around here.  Busier than I'd like it to be during the summer.  And when I'm not busy, I'm just too tired.  I'm sure you've been here, right?

As I've reflected upon the things for which I am thankful, I am reminded that despite the busyness of life, and the fatigue of pregnancy and running a large family, God truly supplies all my needs. 

*When I am overwhelmed, He reminds me to lean on Him. (Zech. 4:6, Psalm 121:1-2)

*When I am tired, He reminds me to rest and not feel pressured to do more than I can.  (Matt. 11:28, Psalm 23:3)

*When I am too busy, He reminds me to focus on what's most important, paring down where I can.  (Psalm 46:10, Luke 10:38-42)

*When I am hormonal, He reminds me that it is temporary and that He has faithfully seen me   through the ups and downs before.  (2 Cor 4:17)

*When I am anxious, He reminds me to trust him in ALL circumstances. (1 Pet. 5:7, Prov. 3:5-6)

*When I am unmotivated, he reminds me that I can do all things through Him who gives me strength.  (Phil. 4:13)


These are all feelings and emotions I have been experiencing over the last few weeks.  I've been here before.  And each time, He grows me a little more.  I've learned a lot from being in this season many times.  And for this, I am grateful.

In between the busy, the fatigue, the overwhelmed, and the anxious, I've also had much joy.


*I'm thankful for the growth of our sweet baby...and wonderful movement I feel every day.

*I'm thankful that all the kids love on my belly and look forward to this little one's arrival.

*I'm thankful for God's provision of our daily bread, our roof above our heads, and for energy at the very moment I need it.

*I'm thankful for the carefully chosen activities that nurture and benefit our children.

*I'm thankful for a phenomenal husband who takes such good care of me and the children.  And who, even now as I write, is upstairs reading to all the kids so that I can have a moment of peace.

*I'm thankful for a house full of children who wear me out and sometimes push me to my limits, but who bring so much joy, laughter, vitality, helping hands, and love beyond measure to our home.

Thank you Father!  You are good!

What are you thankful for this week?  Please share!  And if you blog, consider linking up with The Marathon Mom!

Thankful Thursday: Even The Fleas

Fleas? 

Last night at Bible study, our pastor shared a brief portion from Corrie ten Boom's story, The Hiding Place.  If you haven't read the book, there is a particular passage when Corrie and her sister were giving thanks for all things after reading 1 Thess 5:18.  At one point, Corrie's sister begins giving thanks for the fleas that infested their barrack.  Corrie didn't understand why in the world her sister was giving thanks for even the fleas.  You see, they had an incredible amount of freedom in their barrack.  They held worship services and were free to read their Bibles in the midst of an unimaginable situation.  The Nazis would patrol every other barrack, except theirs.  Because of the fleas the guards would not step foot in there. 

Our pastor used this illustration to remind us to be thankful in ALL circumstances.  He shared that his desire was to be thankful for even the fleas, no matter what his "fleas" might be....and encouraged us to do the same.

Give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.  1 Thessalonians 5:18

I want to be thankful for the fleas.  I don't have fleas in my home (I'm so thankful!), but as a mom, I have lots of things to be thankful for.  It's easy to give thanks for my children, and good home schooling days, well behaved children, and food on our table.  But what about those other things....those fleas.  Though my fleas pale in comparison to imprisonment, and watching those around you die, these are the things for which I give thanks today....

I am thankful for this messy house because it means that a family lives here and I have a roof over my head.

I am thankful for fussy babies and whiny children because they remind me that I am the blessed mommy to nine of them.

I am thankful for sleepless nights because they are often my most heart felt times of prayer with the Lord.

I am thankful for terrible home schooling days because they remind me that I cannot do anything apart from Jesus.  They teach me a little more patience, and a little more grace.

I am thankful for the trail of toilet paper that runs through my school room (right now!) because...well I don't know yet, so I'll just be thankful.

I am thankful for morning sickness (no, I'm not pregnant) because it reminds me of the life growing inside. 

I am thankful for my children's disobedience because it reminds me of the responsibility I have to correct and shepherd them in the ways of the Lord.

I am thankful for my special needs son, Jonathan, because he reminds me that we are all created in God's image, and that I would gladly welcome a thousand more Jonathans into my arms.

I am thankful for stomach bugs and colds because they show us the body's incredible ability to heal, by God's design.  Through vomit and snotty tissues we learn compassion, servanthood, and empathy.

I am thankful for hard days, difficult circumstances, and fatigue beyond measure because they all remind me to cling to my Savior and draw me to Him in ways that only difficulties can.  We learn to trust more because we see His faithfulness as he leads us through it, and He is glorified!

Count it all joy, my brothers, when you meet trials of various kinds. James 1:2

I acknowledge that it's so easy to give thanks for even these things when we are not in the midst of experiencing them at the moment.  And at times, we just don't feel very thankful.   Like Corrie, we wonder why in the world we should be thankful for our circumstances.  But the Bible does not command us to feel thankful.  It commands us to give thanks!  This is my desire!  And I'm thankful for the reminder and encouragement.

..giving thanks always and for everything to God the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, Ephesians 5:20

What difficult circumstances are you thankful for today? 


*This post is linked with The Marathon Mom.

Thankful Thursday: Missions in Africa

Today, our good friends, the Carnahan's, are traveling to Africa to share the love of the Gospel, a message of hope, to the people of Rwanda.  David, Hollie, McKenzie, and Taylor have been sponsoring four children there and will actually get to meet these kids and love on them, among other things. 

The Carnahan's worked very hard selling bread and homemade meals to raise money for this trip.  We are excited for them, inspired by them, and are praying for them.  Please join us in praying for this family, for the people whose lives they will touch, and for the message of the Gospel to be disseminated clearly.

You can follow the progress of their trip over at The Carnahan Chronicles, as David plans to write while there...so check back!

Our hearts have been drawn to Africa more and more as we've been touched by friends who have actively ministered to various countries there in some way.

I think of my sweet friends, the Blair's, who adopted their precious daughter, Elle, from Addis, Ethiopia last year. 

You can watch an incredible video of their journey to get their daughter here. 

Another family that I've been following, though I do not know them personally, is the Freeman Family.  I came to read about them through my sweet bloggy friend, Brandi, over at The Marathon Mom, and have been praying for the Freeman's since.

The Freeman's are missionaries in Swaziland.  It's been so neat to learn how God is using them there, and to read of what every day life is like for this homeschooling mom of four.  You can read of their adventures here and here.

These families have prompted us to learn more about Africa.  Praying for the people, watching documentaries (ranging from medical conditions there, to hunger, to the genocide), and simply knowing where these places are on the map.

Please pray for our friends, for the people of Africa.  I am so thankful for those willing to go there to meet needs, and share the good news of the Gospel.  I am also thankful for missionaries all over the world, including in the United States.  We are all missionaries if we listen to when God is calling us to act, whether it's to the neighbor next door....or the far reaches of the world. 

What are you thankful for?  Are you praying for any missionaries specifically that you would like to share?


This post is linked up with The Marathon Mom. 

Thankful Thursday: Genevieve

This Saturday, our sweet Genevieve is turning four!  I am especially thankful for this birthday as I reflect upon how close we came to losing her.  It's a sobering and humbling thought to know that we could have been facing her birthday without her.  I am fighting back tears at the very thought!

Some of you will remember when she nearly drowned, and her daddy had to resuscitate her.  It was the most frightening event I have ever experienced with one of our children. 

Life is fragile.  Life is precious. 

Genevieve is a bright, spunky, very expressive little girl.  She is also quite mischievous and loves to drag little brother Jonathan along with her on her missions to find trouble!

But even in those times, I'm reminded that I almost lost her, and how thankful I am that she is here to get into mischief!

Genevieve is funny!  She has fantastic hair!  She tells me she loves me all day long.  She is a special little girl, mischief and all! 

Genevieve was my first home birth baby!  You can read her birth story here.  It got a little scary after she was born, but the whole labor and delivery was all I had hoped for and more....in the comfort of home!

I am so thankful for this precious gift, my Genevieve!  I am thankful God's will determined before time that she would live beyond that terrifying day at the pool.  And I'm thankful to be celebrating her 4th birthday this Saturday with her! 

Thank you, Father!

What are you thankful for?  Share here or link up with The Marathon Mom.

Thankful Thursday: Clifford Breaks Down

Give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.

1 Thessalonians 5:18

Last week, we had an exciting adventure at the Walmart gas station.  Our van, "Clifford", broke down.  At the pump. 

At first, it wasn't a big deal.  I thought for sure it was something minor that my older girls and I could fix.  After 30 minutes of trying to diagnose the problem, we didn't know what was wrong.  At this point, we knew we needed to move the van away from the pump in the event Clifford was going to spend the night at the gas station.

My future son-in-law had come to help, and one man pumping gas next to us jumped in to try and help as well.  All we had to do was move this 15 passenger van to a parking spot.  Just so happens, we were at the ONLY pump in the gas station that was in direct line to a parking space.  Thank you, Jesus, for directing me to that pump!

Just as we were about to push the van into the spot, approximately 50 ft away, a car pulls into it.  I immediately ran to the gentleman and kindly asked him if he would park elsewhere so that we could push the big red van into his spot.  Without hesitation, he moved his car....and we pushed Clifford safely into the spot.

By this time, the man who was already helping us had diagnosed the problem as a bad fuel pump.  I knew that we would not be able to fix the fuel pump in the parking lot, so at this point, we just needed to get home.  A friend had already been called to come and get us, and was on her way.

Before our friend had arrived, the man I had asked to move his car, drove over to us and asked if we needed help.  We told him that it was probably the fuel pump and that we wouldn't be able to do anything until the next day.  It was just getting dark by then.  The man, Frank, asked to take a look.  He suggested that it could just be the fuel filter..and that if it was, he would change it for us right there in the parking lot.  He got on the phone with Auto Zone, where he used to work, to see if they had the part in stock.  They did.  Frank took off to his home to get some tools and the part.  What a nice man!

Our friend, Bethany, had come by, picked up most of the kids and took them home.  The kids did great and had a wonderful opportunity to practice patience.  They were tired, bored, and hungry...it was well past dinner time for them and they had been sitting for nearly two hours.  I was so glad when they were able to get home!

Frank returned, changed out the filter, but it wasn't the filter after all.  How sweet of him it was to check the less expensive possibility first...and do it for us.  Well, then...if that wasn't sweet enough, Frank gets back on the phone with Auto Zone to inquire about a fuel pump.  They have one in stock.  I told Frank that I would need to talk with my husband (who was at work) to find out if he would be able to fix a fuel pump on his own.  Greg is the one who fixes most things on our vehicles, but I knew he had never fixed a fuel pump, mainly because you have to drop the entire gas tank.  A BIG job on a BIG van!

So Frank says, "I'm off tomorrow and can fix it for you, free of charge!"  Say WHA???  Who IS this guy and why does he want to spend his day off fixing a total stranger's HUGE RED VAN? 

On a side note, when Frank got into our van to try and turn it over, before the kids were hauled home, he looked back at all the kids and asked, "Are they part of a daycare?"  I literally laughed out loud!

Back to the story!  We were so humbled over Frank's kindness.  And sure enough, the next day, he and Nathan (my future son-in-law), both spent their day off under Clifford.  For about five hours.  In the Walmart gas station.  In one little parking spot.  Isn't that incredible? 

There are so many more details about this story that I would love to share, but just don't have the time to get it all down right now.  Let's just say that God orchestrated this whole occurrence in such a unique way, and involved several  people.  Only God can do such an amazing thing.

We are SO thankful for Frank and Nathan, and all the others who helped over those two days.  As much as I did not like the fact that our van broke down, and with a costly repair, I couldn't help but marvel at how God worked in such a way to weave a beautiful tapestry of kindness, generosity, and grace.  I had no choice but to praise Him!

On another side note....we found out that Frank goes to the same church where my OB doctor attends.  Small world! :)

Please share what are you thankful for? 

This post is linked up to The Marathon Mom.

Thankful Thursday: God's Provision and Refining

Why is that we are always so amazed that God provides for His children?

As Christians, we know that He provides.  But there are times in our lives when we may not see His provision as "abundant".  We feel like we're just scraping by and waiting for God to fill in the gaps spiritually, physically, emotionally, or financially.  With our finite eyes, we only see what's right in front of us.  We have moments of plenty...and moments that leave us wondering if God will truly meet our needs.

Philippians 4:19 says, "And my God will supply every need of yours according to his riches in glory in Christ Jesus.

Sometimes, it may seem as though God is not meeting needs because He's not doing it on our time table, or the way we want Him to.  It's easy to slip into a period of questioning. 

These are the times we must cling to His word and trust that He is at work in our lives.  Trust that He knows what's best for us.  Trust that He's working all things together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose (Rom 8:28).

Recently, our family has been going through a period of refining.  A period of waiting on the Lord for provision. 

We've had a string of financial burdens which have caused us to tighten our belts and pinch practically every penny.  Aside from planning a wedding, which in itself can exhaust resources, we've had major medical expenses; Jonathan's testing for his seizures, Genevieve's stay in the hospital, vehicle repairs, and Greg's pacemaker surgery to name a few.  With the economy already putting pressure on the budget, these added things cause us to scrutinize every area in which we can cut back. 

We've also endured a string of emotional burdens; Jonathan's seizures and tests, nearly losing Genevieve, and Greg's surgery.  These have caused us some heartache and worry.

But they also cause us to ask, "God, what are you doing in our lives?  What are you teaching us through this?  How will you provide for all these needs?"

Proverbs 3:5 Trust in the LORD with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding.

The verse above is one that I personally have been clinging to over these last months.  God has shown us time and time again that He not only provides, but that He has a much greater plan than we do in how the provisions come to fruition.  In one sense, it's very easy to worry when things don't add up.  But in another sense, it's exciting to see how God will work in these situations because you've seen Him faithfully provide in the past.

We've been so humbled to see God at work.  He's used prayer, His people, our wonderful church family, and His word to provide for our every need.  Prayer has comforted and bolstered our spirits, His people have blessed us by modeling the hands and feet of Jesus, and His word has assured us and equipped us with important truths in times of doubt. 

God uses these times for our refining. When I've been tempted to wallow in pity, I'm reminded that refining is good.  Refining grows us closer to Him.  As Christians, isn't that exactly what we want?  To draw closer to Him?  Of course.  But refining isn't fun.  I don't know about you, but I've caught myself on more than one occasion asking God if He would please go and refine someone else..... 

How thankful I am that He loves me enough to refine me, for it changes me just a little each time.  Changes that have eternal value!

THAT'S what I want!  THAT'S what I'm thankful for!

...do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. Philippians 4:6 

What are you thankful for?  How has God provided for you recently?  Please share here.

And if you're a blogger, link up with The Marathon Mom.

Thankful Thursday: 20 Years

There are so many things for which I am thankful.  I'm thankful for my husband's smooth recovery from surgery.  I'm thankful for Genevieve's life.  I'm thankful for all the things in general like Christ, family, and food on our table.

But today I want to express my gratitude for 20 years of marriage with my husband.  Yesterday, we celebrated our 20th Anniversary.  We met in high school.  I was a junior, he a senior.  Mid year, we transferred into the same Drama class.  Of course, right away, I noticed how tall Greg was (6' 6" for those who don't know him).  But I was also intrigued by his name.  Everyone called him "Sabo", so for the longest time, I thought that was his first name.  lol

We became friends, and after only two months of dating, we were engaged.  We didn't marry until a year and a half later because I had to graduate first.  Three months after graduation, I was Mrs. Gregory Sabo. 

What an adventure these past 20 years have been.  We've had our ups and downs like most married couples, but the ups have definitely out-numbered the downs.  We love each other more than we can imagine, and can see how God has molded us into the couple we are now.

Tuesday afternoon, Greg whisked me off to Fredericksburg for a night in a B & B.  You won't believe this, but this was our first time in 20 years that we have gone away together.  Shocking, isn't it?  Between pregnancies, nursing babies, time, schedules, and life in general, we were never able to do it.  Well, this time Greg wasn't going to let such a wonderful milestone pass us by without doing something special.  So, with baby in tow, we escaped.  I was so surprised.  Our very sweet older girls took care of the kids while we were away.
This is where we stayed.....The Angel's Lodge.

Our room was beautiful and cozy......

I could go for one of these at home....

We enjoyed a lovely breakfast which was delivered to our room...

Here is our little bundle of sweetness enjoying time alone with Mommy and Daddy.  She was such a good girl, and it really helps that she sleeps through the night.  Once she went to bed at about 8:30, the night was ours....

We reminisced into the night the past 20 + years.  We went year by year and tried to think of our favorite memories.  We shared laughs and took in all the joy of God's faithfulness in our lives....

Here we are on the front porch of our room.  The sweet lady at the front desk was kind enough to get our picture.  I wanted to kiss her when she told us that we looked too young to be celebrating 20 years of marriage.  Score!  ;-)  She really flipped when we told her we had nine children and that our oldest was engaged to be married.  All of the staff there was superb!

As if the celebration wasn't incredible enough, we came home to another surprise.  A few friends from church went in together to get us a gift card to The Melting Pot.  Talk about being speechless!  Isn't that the sweetest thing ever?  What a blessing!  Our oldest daughter, Cheyenne, made reservations for us.

We feasted on "The Big Night Out".  We even had to take dessert home because we were too full to squeeze it in.  We asked our wonderful waiter to get this picture for us.  And speaking of our waiter, when we told him we were celebrating our 20th anniversary, he asked, "What's your secret....I can't even make it 20 days!"  We joked with him a bit and shared a couple of practical ways to stay married, but once we established a rapport with him, we told him the true secret.  We shared with him that Jesus was the secret.  The night was only made more special by getting the opportunity to share Christ with this young man. 

After the kids went to bed, and we had more room in our bellies, we brewed some coffee and enjoyed our dessert. 

This was truly an occasion to share our thanks.  There's so much more I would love to share, but then this post would turn into a novel. ;-)

What are you thankful for today? 

Don't forget to head on over to The Marathon Mom and read about what others are thankful for!  :)