Blessings in the dark

As I sit here and reflect on things it comes to mind that there are often blessings in the dark that get overshadowed. It is so hard to always give thanks where thanks are due. And it is often even easy to forget to give thanks when you know who to thank! So I want to take a moment and point out some blessings that have come in my dark hours recently that I may or may not have thanked people for. And I especially want to give thanks to the Lord, who orchestrated all of this before I even knew there was a need! How great is our God?

These are in a totally random order... no rhyme or reason here!

Thank you to the dear brother or sister in the Lord who read a recent rant and left me groceries (including butter!) on my door step :)

Thank you to an AMAZING worship team at my church who lifts my spirit and heart each week, and introduces me to new favorite songs in addition to doing old favorites. And how blessed is our church that there are such equally AMAZING people ready to step up with the regular leader is gone? So blessed are we! 

Thank you to two sets of WONDERFUL friends who loaned me their season passes to Monterey Bay Aquarium, which made it possible for me to take all of the kids there at the end of the summer (yea, yea.. pictures to come). Without their thoughtfulness and kindness I could have never afforded that trip!

Thank you to a GREAT In Home team that is working their booties off to try and help my family find center. I know my son is hard.... it's interesting seeing all of your takes on the situation!

Thanks to the FABULOUS WRAP Team who has not only stepped in to help with rent, but also somehow found funding for the important things like assessments and psychiatrist appointments. Not only do they give tons of encouragement, and try to help me find solutions, they are also REAL in finding funding too! They might be intrusive and always there, but they are working their booties off to be a help to our family!

Thank you to the generous psychiatrist who has slashed his sliding scale SO LOW so that we can get the services that Nathaniel needs and I would have struggled HUGELY to afford on my own! It is nice to see professionals that are after the good of their patients and not just the all mighty dollar.

Thank you to a home group that has allowed me to join, even when my joining is weird. What a heart lead group of people that I am looking forward to getting to know better when I get out of my bubble.

Thank you to my AMAZING family partner who is real with me, supports me and lets me rant to her, then gently steers me back onto the road.

Thank you to my two wonderful friends that takes the time to send me movie lists so I stop watching the crappy ones I pick! I know they are both busy living their lives, but they take a minute or two to love on me from far far far (add a few more fars for one of them!) away!

Thank you to my WONDERFUL Respite worker for coming back from summer and being willing to work again. Oh how we missed you Miss H! :)

Thank you to the forces that be that made church happen in such a positive way for me this weekend. So blessed by each force that helped make that happen, including so many at church itself!

And while I am at it on church .... Thank you to a dear Pastor and church that has loved on my children and I in a dark dark season this year. We are so blessed to have a this "little" force with us on this journey. I mean seriously.... PR has taken it all from me, and still somehow calls me sister... THAT is heavenly love! Their love and unshakable faith is why it is SO IMPORTANT for me to find a way to be there every week that I can.

And thank you to all of my wonderful bog world friends that take time to read my heart and comment on it. I am blessed beyond words every time one of you lifts me in prayer, every time one of you sends me love and every time I read your words and hearts too. I am so thankful I found a world that somewhat gets me! Facebook and blog land are my havens right now.

Oh.. and thank you to my dear Butterfly Boutique friends that have supported us all these years and are stopping by now to tell us how they love us and will miss us. Each of the people who have supported us and encouraged us over the years mean so much to me.

Thank you to the gas cards that show up in my mail box and bless me by allowing me to transport my kids and I to our doctors appointments and work and stuff.

Thank you to the dear woman who tucks little gifts in my hand randomly at church. God times those gifts AMAZINGLY! Thank you that your heart is open to hearing those nudges.

And most of thank you to the Lord who loves us, is for us and carries us through these hard times.

So as you can see, it is easy for me to get down about the road we are on, but I am not blind to the blessing in the darkness! I am so blessed by those that surround my family.