Five Things I'm Thankful For

Every year on Thanksgiving, my dad always has our family go around the table and name off some things we are thankful in order to produce gratitude in our hearts. Here are five of mine.

1. My wife: Not only does she care for me by cooking meals for me, doing our laundry, praying for my soul, and caring for our unborn baby boy, but she also deeply loves and respects me. I am most recently reminded of this from a brief note that she left on my desk at home for me to find after I got home from work. It said very simply, "I love you, Hubby." I love you too, Wifey. Thank you, Lord, for my bride.
2. My unborn son: If you have not heard yet, my wife is almost 30 weeks pregnant and is due to give birth to our son on February 8, 2009. I haven't even seen him yet, but he is already loved. I can now say that I somewhat understand God the Father's love for me. He does not love me because of anything I have done or will do. No, God loves me because he loves me (Deu 7:7-8). In the same way, I love my son no matter what he will do. I love him because I just do. Thanks, Lord, for my son.
3. My family: God, in his kind providence, gave me a family that couldn't be any better. Thankfully, Misha and I were able to come down to Evansville over Thanksgiving break in order to celebrate the holiday with them. What a joy it has been! I know I won't want to leave when Sunday comes around. Lord, thank you for my family.
4. My church: I have been blessed with an amazing church. I could not have imagined a better one. It's not just that Sovereign Grace Church is biblically solid and doctrinally sound. It's the pastors who attends who genuinely care for my soul by always pointing me to the cross of Christ where my Savior died for me. It's my Care Group who cares enough for me to draw me out in areas of sin and push me onward toward holiness. And it's the rest of the church who gather together with us every Sunday to corporately worship our God. Thank you, Lord, for my church.
5. My Savior: But most of all on this Thanksgiving Day, I am thankful for Jesus Christ, who came down from heaven to take the form of man and drink the cup of God's wrath that was meant for me by dying on the cross for my sins. Though I am so thankful for my wife, my son, my family, and my church, they can never accomplish what my God has done for me. It is with this fact in mind that I can write the follow poem.

"Thank you, Lord, for my son and wife.
They are huge blessings in my life.
Thank you, Lord, for my family.
I love them all so tenderly.
Thank you, Lord, for the body of Christ.
They care for soul and pray for my life.
But, whatever I've gained, I count as loss,
if only I may know Christ and his cross."

Prayer Requests for My Wife, Our Baby Boy, and I

My wife just recently posted some of our prayer requests on her blog. so I thought I would take the time to repost them below. Please, if you have just a few minutes, pray for us. We covet your prayers in this area of our lives.

• Labor: Misha is excited & equally as nervous about it. She's not sure what to expect and would love the Lord's relaxing touch as she endures. In addition, she would like to take this opportunity of childbirth to reflect on how weighty her sin is since childbirth is one of the effects of the fall (our sin). Yet not only that, but having felt the weight of her sin, she then wants to experience the representation of God's amazing, saving, and sustaining grace!
• That the Lord would comfort, protect, and sustain Misha during labor and give Jonathan wisdom on how to help, comfort, and encourage Misha through it.
  
• That our baby would be kept healthy during the remaining pregnancy and safe during labor/delivery. Misha's pretty sure it will be intense being squeezed through such a small space... Welcome to the world little fella!
  
• That God would set His love on our little one and save him
• That our little boy would grow to be a man of the Word!
  
• That as parents, God would give us the grace to bring him up in the ways of the Lord - and learn from examples set around us.
  
• As parents, that we would be sensitive to God's will for our little boy's life and parent him according to it.

We are so excited to meet our little man... Please pray for him (and us)!