August 27, 2026 
Hi Friends.
It’s finally raining. Actually, it’s raining quite hard! After all the heat we’ve had, though, I’m certainly not going to complain. I think God may have heard me asking for some cooler weather and decided to empty the entire bucket at once! Looking back over this week’s activity, I’m really thankful for the progress I’ve been making with my walking. I’ve managed to get out onto the trail and keep building things back up, with walks around the 3.4-mile mark.
Monday’s walk was another 3.46 miles, and it felt good to be out there again. The cooler conditions made such a difference, and I’m grateful that I’m able to keep getting stronger and more comfortable on the trail. It’s easy to look at a walk and think, “It’s only three and a bit miles.” But sometimes it’s not about the distance. It’s about where you’ve come from. Every step represents progress, and I’m thankful to God for giving me the strength, patience and determination to keep moving forward.
And then there’s the rain.
After weeks and weeks of heat, sunshine and dry conditions, I’m genuinely grateful to hear it falling outside today. Rain might not be everyone’s idea of perfect weather, but sometimes the things we complain about in one season are exactly the things we find ourselves praying for in another.
Today is actually a bit of a different day for me. Rather than heading out onto the trail, I’m spending some time behind the scenes. I’ll be diving into the settings menus on my blogs, tweaking things, sorting out a few bits and pieces and generally doing the stuff that nobody sees but that helps keep everything running properly.
And, of course, there will be music.
I’ll be writing more lyrics, working on new ideas and making more songs. The creative side of things never really seems to switch off, and I’m enjoying exploring where all these different ideas can lead. So today I’m thankful for the rain, the walks, the progress, the creativity and the opportunity to keep building things…And most of all, I’m thankful to God.
🙏 “Thank You, Lord, for the strength to keep moving, the creativity to keep making, the patience to keep learning and even the rain pouring down outside my window today, Amen”.
Sometimes we need sunshine. Sometimes we need rain. And sometimes we just need to stop for a moment and realise that both are blessings.
Happy Thankful Thursday, everyone…Stay blessed, keep moving forward, and don’t forget to be thankful for the little things.
Scripture snack…
Rejoice always, pray continually, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus. (1 Thessalonians 5:16-18)
Give thanks…🙏
How might you pause to give thanks today? Perhaps it’s saying a simple prayer, reflecting on a Bible verse that speaks to your heart, listening to a worship song, enjoying a peaceful walk in nature, catching up with a favourite blog from your WordPress family, or simply sitting quietly in God’s presence. However you choose to spend the moment, may your heart be reminded of His goodness and faithfulness.
Motivational quote…
Don’t be discouraged by the rain. Sometimes God sends the storms not to stop your journey, but to help you grow stronger for the road ahead. Keep moving forward. Keep trusting God. And remember, even the smallest step is still a step in the right direction. 💪🏼🙏
Let’s ‘FitBlitz’ 2026 Together! 💪🏼
iChristian 
What a great photo of you and Sarah! Blessings! 💕
Thank you so much, Cindy! It really is one of my favourite photos of Sarah and me. There’s something rather special about having someone beside you (or on your back, lol) who will happily join you on life’s adventures, even when those adventures involve me deciding that carrying my Princess is a perfectly sensible idea! 😂
I’m so thankful for her, and for all the memories God has given us to share together. 🙏❤️
God bless you, Cindy, and thank you as always for your kindness and encouragement. Have a wonderful and blessed week! 🙏😊
Having someone to love who loves you back is a great blessing! 💕
Thankful Thursdays are a good exercise of the heart. Yippee that your sun scorched land got some welcomed rain. I’m sure the vegetation was singing. A good day to get some other things organized. It is a satisfying also to know your body is responding to some good healthy habits, too.
Yesterday was a busy day and I was away from the computer all day. We went out early in the cooler hours to tend to our land, me on the riding lawnmower and Greg doing the edges with the weed wacker. We live on a little under 5 acres. The mowing part isn’t on the full 5 acres, though. In the afternoon I went to an meet up with 3 other gals for coffee and cake and then the final soccer/futbol game for our grandson which was a hoot! Watching the chaotic play of 10 seven year olds on a field can be quite comical. They scored one more goal then the opposing team so all was well in the world.
Today I’ll be meeting up with a friend for our Discipleship session and then we are off to the Northeast Washington Fair. We’ll see cows, pigs, chickens, rabbits, horses, artwork, quilts, photography, There will be food booths and entertainment, too, not to mention the political booths vying for our votes! The weekend culminates with a rodeo.
I’m hoping to take photos for my Monday post. Time will tell.
I’ll add some Thankful Thursday on Friday verses here. I’ll share a portion from Psalm 103, our Pop’s favorite Psalm.
Bless the Lord, O my soul, and all that is within me, bless his holy name! Bless the Lord, O my soul, and forget not all his benefits, who forgives all your iniquity, who heals all your diseases, who redeems your life from the pit, and crowns you with steadfast love and mercy, who satisfies you with good so that your youth is renewed like the eagle’s.
I heard from a Bible Study that diseases in the context of this verse refer to spiritual disease.
Have a thankful Friday!
Hi Ellen, thank you so much for such a thoughtful comment. It sounds like you had a wonderfully busy day! Five acres is certainly no small amount of land to keep on top of, and I can imagine the sight of ten seven-year-olds chasing a football around must have been quite entertaining! 😂 I love that your grandson’s team came away with the win too. One goal was enough to make everything right with the world!
I hope you have a wonderful time at the Northeast Washington Fair. It sounds like there will be plenty to see and photograph, so I’ll be looking forward to seeing what you capture for your Monday post. The cows, pigs, chickens, rabbits, horses, quilts and photography sound right up my street!
And thank you for sharing Psalm 103. What a beautiful Psalm, and I can understand why it was your Pop’s favourite. “Forget not all his benefits” is such a powerful reminder. There is so much that we can take for granted when life gets busy, which is exactly why I love Thankful Thursday. It gives us an opportunity to stop, look around and deliberately remember God’s goodness and faithfulness.
I especially like what you said about my body responding to good healthy habits. I’m very thankful for that. The walks may be much shorter than they were before, but I’m learning to appreciate the progress rather than simply focusing on the distance. Every step really is something to be thankful for.
Have a blessed weekend, Ellen, and enjoy the fair! I hope you come home with some great photographs and plenty of good memories. 🙏📷