prasies! praises! praises!

I would like to start this post with, I am very excited for next week...a friend of mine has started a weekly posting of "Five Things." It will be a weekly posting of 5 things about a certain theme. This week is about where you live. The linking starts next week- so add my friend, Cara, to your reads! Also, when her GFC (Google Friend Connect) reaches 500 people... there is going to be an AMAZING GIVEAWAY and I want to win! So add her, now... STOP READING (for just a minute) and ADD HER here. 

Now back to my post... PRAISES! There are just a few reasons that I feel it is necessary to share this post with you today:

Yesterday was a bit traumatic for me. Some may say...it's not that big of a deal. But when it involves my husband and his life, it's a little too close to real for me. Christmas time my parents gave Daniel and I a car. There was just a little transmission problem that let to more than just the transmission. After lots of hours and some money (a full tank of gas and sadly a ticket), my husband was driving it to work yesterday... smelt the gas of the car leaking. He pulled over and the car caught in flames. The car seriously looks like an ash tray. I was at work when this happened and I found out by receiving these two pictures:

But I PRAISE GOD for keeping him safe. I could care less about the car. But my husband? I am thankful that Daniel was being so observant that day and didn't ignore the "red flag." I am thankful that God kept him safe others around him. I am thankful that Daniel had a safe spot to pull over. I am thankful that he is alive! All I could do when I heard Daniel's voice on the phone was cry in relief. I am thankful for my husband and for a God who protects and will provide. I trust Him in the next steps of this car situation... not a burden for me. Just thankful!

Praising God for other's testimonies of His provision, strength, healing, and peace. I have been learning a lot through other friend's circumstances/blogs/conversations as well as books. A couple I could recommend: the life of Corrie Ten Boom (for serious) and Safely Home by Randy Alcorn. I have been struggling with being disciplined in prayer. Making time to be with Him. Asking for things. Praising Him for who He is. I forget how ABSOLUTELY important it is... and even if it's only been the last two days I have been disciplined I have seen a change in my attitude and my focus. Praising God for what He has done and is doing in the live's in front of me and before me.

Praising God for my promotion... and how supportive other associates are at work. I am thankful for a great management team to teach me. I am thankful that God provided this opportunity at work... and now I am praying to be a better testimony there. It can be so hard to separate myself from being "normal."

I am praising God for a great night with my husband last night and a terrific morning with him today. I am praising God for an absolute encouraging morning of being in His Word... reminded of His Truth. I am enjoying a morning of praising Him for His love, justice, grace, strength, peace, comfort, salvation... and the list goes on! 

Oh and really quick,

have you met Emma-E? :)