Thankfulness

Today, I am filled with gratitude. The Thanksgiving "holiday" is officially over, but I feel even more thankful today than I did a few days ago! Here is why...
On Thanksgiving Day at my Memaw's house, she told me that there was a box of "my stuff" up in her attic. She asked if I wanted to go and get it all because she was afraid it'd get ruined. I didn't even realize that I had a box of stuff up there. What I found was priceless. It was my journals from high school. I did not remember that I had journaled EVERY SINGLE DAY in high school. Thank you God that I did. I came home with all of them and immediately became addicted to "revisiting" my past. I felt like I was one of those teenage girls reading the Twilight Series!! I couldn't put them down. Only, it wasn't a book someone else had written. I was addicted to my own books!! For several hours over the next couple of days, I read every single page of those books. To spare you from going into all of the melodramatic details, I was filled with thankfulness that God allowed me stumble upon these journals. They were FILLED with mine and Dennis' journey! What joy it brought me, along with some hurt, to relive our journey together, day by day, year after year. Wow. Crazy. I had forgotten so many things about our past together. Some, I wish I could still forget. More, I am so glad I got to remember! So, today, I am thankful that not only did I give Dennis a second chance (and a third...and I think maybe a fourth), but I am thankful that he gave me a second chance as well! I found a part in my journal where on my 17th birthday, he took me to eat at Texanas and just did some other special things for me, and I poured my heart out on the pages of that journal and said "I looked at Dennis tonight and saw my husband in his eyes". Never did I ever imagine in my wildest dreams that those visions would one day become a reality! What a sweet journey we have shared together and continue to share. I cannot wait to show those journals to Sadie one day. I feel like they serve a greater purpose than just to give me a glimpse into my past. I feel they will serve a more greater purpose in the future maybe when Sadie experiences heartache or maybe just when the kids want to know how "mommy and daddy" began!
The 2nd reason I am filled with gratitude today is because I feel as though God has brought a special opportunity into my life to start a little side business with AdvoCare. I will explain details later, but tomorrow I start not only my road to a healthier lifestyle (and hopefully a little weight loss!), but I also hope tomorrow begins a journey to some sort of financial freedom for Dennis and I.
Thank you God for continuing to show me that YOU are not finished with me yet. I am STILL important to YOU and YOU love on me in ways I can't imagine.
Stay tuned...