Thankful Thursday, Take 138

A little more from John Piper to put this week's gifts in perspective:

"All of these blessings bring love letters from God. But unless we stress continually that God himself is the gospel, people will fall in love with the mailman--whether his name is forgiveness of sins or eternal life or heaven or ministry or miracles or family or food." (God is the Gospel, p. 143)

Thanking God this week for Himself and His love letters, including...

• the gorgeous fall colors--I just can't get over how stunning they are!
• beauty right outside our back door, if only I slow down and look up
• the color of the sky--it is just SO *blue* in the fall
• the joy of watching Elijah play in leaves as Steve raked them up on Sunday
• Elijah's ability to sit quietly through LONG church services--I am so amazed at how well he is doing staying with us instead of going to the nursery!
• my husband's wisdom, logic and levelheadedness
• the way Steve is always so thoughtful to call on his way home on nights when we are having guests over, to see if I need him to pick anything up
• fellowship with friends from church on Tuesday
• grace to complete my to-do list on a busy day, without stress
• the faithful wounds of a friend
• my homemaking journal--endlessly grateful to Ann V. for the idea/inspiration
• cleansing me
• replacing my heart of stone with a heart of flesh
• continuing that work of cleansing and replacing, not just once but over and over each day
• bringing Scriptures to my mind when I need them
• carefully purifying me in the heat of His Refiner's fire