Homespun Devotions: URGENT Prayers Needed!!

Please pray for this family, most especially for Kristen and her baby! Thank you! Homespun Devotions: URGENT Prayers Needed!!: "Hear my cry, O God; attend unto my prayer. From the end of the earth will I cry unto Thee, when my heart is overwhelmed: lead me to... Read more...

Prayer Request: A Sick Recruit

David E. McClendon, Jr.

Please keep Davey, our youngest son now in the Marines, in your prayers. We got a call starting off with "Don't freak out. I'm in the hospital with pneumonia." He was told that it is a fairly common occurrence during boot camp, probably from the vaccinations.

Hmm Don't freak out, huh? Sorry, it's my job.

We have an extensive family history with pneumonia, so being upset about it is a given. All of my Granny's family died because of the flu and pneumonia.

Medicine has supposedly progressed since then, so maybe less danger of that happening, but it does still happen.

Please pray for our son to be better very soon. He will supposedly get out of the hospital on Wednesday and then be in the medical group for another week, then it is back to business as usual.

Thank you for the prayers.

One Thousand Gifts: A Dare to Live Fully Right Where You Are

Braden's Hope

Braden is a little guy that has been fighting cancer for several years now. He was just three years old, a toddler, when diagnosed with Stage 4 neuroblastoma. In 2009, he suffered a relapse. The odds were against him as the medical community indicated that people rarely, if ever, survive a relapse of this cancer. Here we are in 2013, and this little fighter is still here. Praise the Lord!

There is so much more to the story. They are a family of fighters. You see, during Braden's battle for life, his mama was diagnosed with Stage 2 breast cancer. Their story is one of a mama who won't take no for an answer and a little boy who has a life to live and won't let the "c" word stand in his way.

Braden's mama, Deliece, has written a book about their journey thus far, how important the detours of life are, and how, through faith, you can face anything.

Please help to support Braden's Hope by clicking the button at the top of this post or over in the sidebar. Read their story. His mama can tell it better than anybody. Most of all, please pray for healing and restoration for Braden and for his mommy.


Disclosure: One Thousand Gifts will not receive compensation of any sort because of this post. The link above is not an affiliate link. I just want to do all that I can to spread the word for Braden and others like him. Thank you!

This Blog is Moving

I am merging One Thousand Gifts, Random Thoughts by Suzanne and Heartstrings by Suzanne with my other blog, PS Annie! Please be sure to join us at PS Annie! as that is where all posting will be done from now on.
Thank you!
One Thousand Gifts: A Dare to Live Fully Right Where You Are

Desperate Plea

My family is in a desperate situation at the moment. First and foremost, we need prayer. The recent hospitalization of my husband has thrown our finances into a downward spiral that appears to have no way up.

In an effort to help meet an immediate need for our children, I am offering for $1 (or whatever you feel led) the first sixty prompts from the 365 prompt book that I have been working on. This, too, got sidetracked while we dealt with health issues, but I am back to working on it.

If you would be interested in purchasing this snippet of "365 Writing Prompts of My Own", please let me know. Please e-mail me at: Suzanne McClendon

Thank you for your consideration and most of all for your prayers!

One Thousand Gifts: A Dare to Live Fully Right Where You Are

New Years and Daddies

We are six days into the new year and I am still holding onto the last one. My daddy was in that one and now he is gone. He was found dead on 9 December 2012.

My daddy wasn't perfect - none of us are - but he was my daddy. He never let us go hungry or without clothes and shelter. Whatever we needed, he made sure that he had even if it meant working double shifts for weeks on end. He was a good provider. He had not-so-shining moments; there were very upsetting times along the way. However, I knew then, and know now, that my daddy loved me. I am thankful for the daddy that my Heavenly Father gave me.

I am thankful that my daddy is healed. He no longer has to fight for each breath. His heart is healed and arthritis no longer grips him with intense pain. My daddy is now with my Father and I am thankful for all that both have given me over the last forty-seven years.

Though I am deep in depression right now, I know Who holds tomorrow. While He is now holding my daddy, He is also holding me.




 One Thousand Gifts: A Dare to Live Fully Right Where You Are

New Year's Day

On 1 November 2012, my husband went into the hospital in septic shock with a necrotic toe due to diabetic complications. He was in the first hospital for six days, the second hospital for about three weeks, and, finally, a nursing home for about two weeks.

We were thankful to have him home for Christmas. He came home on December 20. That was our Christmas present. He was still alive and was finally home. That didn't last long. On Sunday, 30 December 2012, he was readmitted to the hospital, which is where we rang in the New Year together.

I am thankful that three of our children were able to be at the hospital with us to bring in the New Year. It just wasn't the same all around. We've always rung in the New Year together, but never has it been without Dick Clark or in the hospital. It was just too weird!

I am thankful for the hope of another year together with my husband and our children. David and I celebrated our wedding anniversary in the hospital, which was not at all the way we had planned to spend it! I am thankful that we were able to spend it together.

As the world is wont to do, it kept on spinning while we were in there and life went on. A very special moment happened for our oldest daughter and our two youngest made the Dean's List for their first semester at college. One had a 4.0 and the other had a 3.8. We are very proud of them all!

I am thankful that, though there have been some incredibly tense moments, our family is still together and we're still breathing!


One Thousand Gifts: A Dare to Live Fully Right Where You Are

Faithful Blogging Prompt #5: Life Verse

What is your life verse and why? In case you don’t know, a life verse is a particular verse in the Bible that holds a significant meaning to you, whether it defines your life, gives you inspiration, or just speaks to you.

2 Timothy 1:7 "For God hath not given us the spirit of fear; but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind."

This verse means a great deal to me. Heavenly Father gave it to me during an extremely upsetting weekend several years ago. I was very scared and hurting. I claimed it, I prayed it, I believed it. Almost constantly I prayed claiming this freedom from fear. It was granted. There are many things that I have been afraid of over the course of my life and most of those fears are gone. Driving in the mountains is going to take some more praying. :)

I've been bad and haven't been as faithful to my prayer life and Bible reading as I should be. Another event shook the foundations of my life and faith, and left me with a lot of questions. But, I am still holding on.

I don't know what tomorrow holds, but I know Who holds tomorrow and He can remove all fear.

One Thousand Gifts: A Dare to Live Fully Right Where You Are

Faithful Blogging Prompt #4: Bible Version

What version of the Bible do you read and why?

I grew up in churches that used the King James Version of the Bible exclusively. It is what feels like the Bible to me. The language is sometimes hard to understand and confusing, but it is what I am used to. I guess in some ways I feel like I'm cheating if I read another version of the Bible. However, I do sometimes read other versions to help clarify questions that I may have. The King James Version is what feels real to me, even though I know that technically it is not the original Bible.

What version do you prefer? Is it different than the version you grew up with?


Today I am thankful for:

6. ...Parents that made sure that I was in church and learned about Jesus as a child.

7. ...Teachers that taught me how to read words and the Word.

8. ...Grandparents that were good role models and guides for my spiritual life.

9. ...Forgiving friends that still love me even though they know my imperfections.

10. ...Those that have risked and those that have given their lives to save mine.

Please be sure to click the button at the top of this post to visit Faithful Bloggers for more faith-based prompts.

One Thousand Gifts: A Dare to Live Fully Right Where You Are

Starting Over

Hello to all of you faithful followers!

I hope that you have had a wonderful summer and that this school year is a great one for all of you, parents and students alike. Our youngest three children are now in college. It is an odd feeling having them all gone during the day!

When I first started this blog, I was counting the posts by the day and listing the things that I was thankful for that day. I am going to change the format a little and count each thankfulness instead of the days so that I will see when I get to one thousand. :)

1. I am thankful that my children have had a great first week of school.

2. I am thankful for creative expression.

3. I am thankful for new genealogical discoveries.

 4. I am thankful for relief from some worries.

5. I am thankful for the One that will never leave me nor forsake me.

One Thousand Gifts: A Dare to Live Fully Right Where You Are