Everyday Giving Thanks

 

It seems like Thanksgiving becomes more overshadowed with each passing year.  I've seen some stores begin as early as summer with Halloween and Christmas decorations & advertisements.  No matter where a person goes or what channel they watch on television or what radio station they listen to ... there's still one day of the year that has been set aside as a day of thankfulness that gets overshadowed.

 

I have some priceless childhood memories of our family Thanksgivings.  My Granny always made sure there was turkey, ham, mashed potatoes, green beans, casseroles, rolls, cakes, pies ... and my Mother & Aunts would be up before the crack of dawn to make sure food was prepared for all of our family.  Long before microwaves or automatic dishwashers or various ovens ... just ordinary pots & pans along with "tin foil" to prepare our family feasts.  Aunts, uncles, cousins ... all of us at Granny's being thankful for our relationships & all that God had given us.

 

Our traditions have changed through the years.  My family & my sister's family will meet up at my parents' house for various holidays and gatherings.  My parents & sister live close by each other while Dan & I will drive about an hour & a half.  Not a long drive at all.  And this year will be bring yet another change in tradition.  Since our daughter & her family now live a couple of hours from us, they will be celebrating Thanksgiving in their new home on the military base.   And then they will be coming down to see everyone for the weekend when we will all go to my parents' house for another Thanksgiving celebration.

 

 

So ...

with the many changes in traditions and family ventures

with the mountainous pulls on our prioritizing "one holiday at a time"

with hearts longing for "peace on earth" earlier and earlier

 

... where does that leave "Thanksgiving"?

 

I am as guilty as anyone when I see people complaining about "rushing the seasons" ...

I get as caught up as some people for "early bird" Christmas shopping ...

I desire deep down just as other people who truly need one day of giving thanks ...

 

And then ...

 

O give thanks unto the Lord; for he is good: because his mercy

endureth for ever.

Let Israel now say, that his mercy endureth for ever.

Let the house of Aaron now say, that his mercy endureth for ever.

Let them that fear the Lord say, that his mercy endureth for ever.

Psalm 118

 

Rejoice evermore.

Pray without ceasing.

In every thing give thanks: for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you.

Quench not the Spirit.

Despise not the prophesyings.

Prove all things; hold fast that which is good.

I Thessalonians 5: 16-21

 

How much more would I be thankful for all that God has given me if I simply gave Him thanks

every moment of

every day of

every year.

 

One of my favorite pictures hangs in our sunroom

as a reminder as we go out into the world

and as we come home to our corner ...

 

 

 

The world may be loud and our traditions undergo changes over time ...

but we just need to quieten our hearts for the whisper of God.

 

And each and every moment will become Thanksgiving

as we give thanks to Him who is always good.

 

May you & your family have a

blessed Thanksgiving

not only tomorrow ...

 

but everyday.



 

 

My November of Thanks ... One Word

Is it just me or does the month of November seem to be passing by at break-neck speed?  Oh my -- what a very busy month we've had around our household.  I've been reading through my Facebook newsfeed and blog roll as some of my friends have been participating in giving thanks every day this month for something in their lives.  I had every intention of doing this myself, but ... well, sometimes there's just not enough minutes in a day.

But, I've been really giving my thankfulness some deep thought. Yes, I'm thankful for my husband, my grandbabies, my family ... I'm most thankful for God sending His Only Son to come to earth die for my sins.  It almost seems sacrilegious for me to want to dig a little deeper.  But I wanted to ...

So I asked myself "what more? ... if I could be thankful for just ONE thing --?"

CHOICES

(Yeah ... that's what I thought at first too.)

Choices???  Why on this earth would I be thankful for just choices????

And that's when I began to break it all down ... 

and to reflect on that one word ... 

and to be thankful for choices.

So, I decided to make somewhat of a list of just a few things that I am thankful that 

no one else can decide for me:

• No one else can decide the clothes I wear everyday (although I have been known to get opinions from others, it is always my choice)
• No one else can decide how much hairspray I use (although Dan has told me that we may need a separate line item in our monthly budget -- that's supposed to be a little "haha" moment)
• No one else can decide how I use my time during the day (although there's certain things I need to get accomplished for my family, I get to decide my priorities)
• No one else can decide my attitude .......... oh my .......... I'm actually thankful for this?  Yes ... yes I am.  And here's why --- 

No matter what the day brings ---

I have Jesus

No matter what the circumstance ---

I have Jesus

No matter --- no matter --- no matter ---

I always have Jesus

And for Him ...

I am always thankful

And for Him ...

I have choices that I am in control

And for Him ...

I don't have to be perfect

because I'm forgiven

So yes, I am thankful for choices this Thanksgiving ... and always.  Keeping the things that are of this earth in perspective with the things of eternity -- well, that's the key in my choice of my attitude.  And my attitude is basically one of the few choices I actually control on this earth.  A book I read long ago summed this concept up the best as 

"I can't control every aspect that comes my way in life, 

but the one thing I can control is my attitude" 

(paraphrased)

And my thankfulness for my choices goes for many more days and months than our Thanksgiving holiday in November ... 

I am always thankful that God has given me full control of my attitude -- 

not even close to a perfect attitude ... but an attitude that I always have a second chance to adjust and look to the One who has given me the choice to begin with.  

For now {and always} ... 
may my focus be on a heart filled with the attitude of gratitude. 

From Granny & Grandad 

along with Lucy & Tag ...

May you & your family have a wonderfully blessed

Happy Thanksgiving

filled with the attitude of gratitude for all that our 
Heavenly Father has given

(And even grateful for the choices we are given)

Family Portraits

When I was a little girl, my parents would take me to have pictures at a professional studio. It was one of those "luxuries" that they saved their money for, and continued after my sister was born.  

Not a hair out of place ... the perfect outfit ... the "you will smile for this picture" smile ...

Whew-hoooo ... look at the birdy and say "cheese" ... look at the camera ... 

Hey kid ... what's so hard to understand about "smile" and "look at the camera"?

Come on ... we're almost done ... just a couple more ... 

 Okay ... 
 Smile one more time ... 

a BIG smile this time ...

okay, well at least we may have gotten one out of the 87 we took.

Well, Thanksgiving Day was similar to one of those professional portrait studio sessions.  "Dear daughter" decided that we needed to take a group picture ... 
G-G ... Grandpa ... 
my sister and her family ...  
the 'Joe family ...
Grandad and Granny.

So, out of the 192 pictures snapped (exaggerated? maybe not), 
here's some of the results...

1st Family Portrait with 4 generations

My parents with their grandkids

And add 'Joe and the great-grands

My parents & their girls

And of course, there were the out-takes ...
the bloopers ...
the cutting-room-floor negatives for no one else to see ...


Until now ...

Okay, so I couldn't make the "out-takes" but so *bloopery* (not sure if that's a word, but I claim my Granny-privilege on making it up)

But, no matter what the pictures may look like ... 

this is my family and the people whom I know have my back.
I can call on them anytime -- day or night -- and they will do anything for me.
And I will do anything for them.

Life is good.


And this is the man God gave me to share my crazy journey of life with ...

So, whether he's entertaining Tag 

during a photo-session ...

 

 

 

 

Or he's dancing with his Princess ...

I'm so thankful that God chose to bring us together to share our lifetime ... 

crazy family and all :)

A Time of Giving Thanks for Values & Relationships

Many of my Facebook friends have taken the challenge of giving thanks everyday for the month of November.  It's been so refreshing to read what God lays upon the hearts of others during this month... such a wide array of thankfulness I read about daily.  Although I haven't updated my status everyday with giving thanks, here is a very short list of whom I am thankful for ...

 Always first ... for God sending His only Son to leave His throne & come down to earth to die for me. I am thankful for my eternal life with my Savior.  It's all about the relationship ... not a religion.

And ... for God giving me my husband of 28 1/2 years. He has been the love of my life since I first saw him in high school... then several years later he asked me on a date... and 8 months later we eloped... and we're still going strong after being together for 29 years.  
He is my best friend, my cheerleader & even my challenger... 
supportive husband, dependable Daddy & awesome Grandad... 
well-respected, man of integrity & leader.
I'm so honored to be his wife. 
No greater role has God given me than to stand by his side throughout all these years
and the many more ahead of us.

Throughout our years ...

I'm so very thankful for our wounded warrior family. Words cannot express how much we have appreciated every prayer that has been lifted up on their behalf. 'Joe continues his physical therapy while finally teleconferencing an extensive TBI screening.  Mrs. 'Joe keeps up with his schedule (including primary doctors, other military appointments, other appointments), their adorable preschool "warrior princess" who also has dance class & other activities, and their precious "warrior prince" who is growing in leaps & bounds while teething and trying to keep up with his big sister. Never a dull moment for this family ... but sometimes it's a blessing to have just some down-time whenever they can get it.  God has some really awesome plans for this family ... and these 2 military kids are such blessings to everyone around them. 
I'm thankful to be their Granny.

Our 2 favorites

Our Wounded Warrior Family

I'm also very thankful to have my parents. God definitely knew the two people I would learn so much from & establish my values from. My parents instilled these values in me that have been my oxygen throughout my life. I've never seen anyone work as hard as they did when I was a young child -- worked 2 jobs each to support their young family.  And they are always there when either my sister or myself have needed them.  It's no wonder our daughter would spend practically every school break with them when she was a young girl. She even lived with them for a semester when she was in college. She has always had a special bond with her grandparents & the bond is carrying through into this next generation... Lucy & Tag love their "Great-Ones" and always look forward to spending time with them.  

G-G and Grandpa with their Great-Grands

Relationships don't just "happen" overnight... 

relationships aren't one-sided... 

relationships take time & are deliberate.  

I'm so thankful that one day I will see my Granny again. I am blessed that my Granny saw her first great-granddaughter (my daughter) before she went to her heavenly home. Relationships begin early in life and continue through generations. My Granny lived her testimony & really did not have to say one word of the importance of relationships. She would open her house to strangers who would be stranded in storms... 

she welcomed everyone into her home... 

she was one of the most respected pillars in our community. 

I was blessed that my parents & I lived with my Granny and my aunt for several years, and then my parents built their house just a short walk up on the hill from Granny. 
And how awesome it is that my granddaughter Lucy carries her great-great Granny's name! 

4 generations in 1986

My sister is 8 1/2 years younger than me. And although we are always at different stages in our lives, we are there for each other.  She was entering her teenage years when she became an Aunt, and my daughter & I were there when she gave birth to both of her children. We know we can always count on each other & will always be there for each of our families... 
my daughter always loved spending time with her aunt... 
and my grands love them all too.

Lucy & Tag with my sister's 2 children

I'm thankful for my husband's family and heritage ... they took care of him before God gave him to me.  He comes from a musical heritage & family... he played mandolin & sang in his family band and provided a musical release and enjoyment to everyone who heard them. I'm so very proud of my husband and proud to walk beside him in our journey of life. Although he hasn't played in the band for many years, he maintains his musical heritage through playing for his Audience of One in the various church ministries we've been part of over the past years. I'm sure our grandchildren will benefit from their Grandad's musical background.

My "future" husband on this side ... still my heart-throb

I've always said that I had a privileged childhood... and I sincerely believe that I did.  I grew up in my Granny's house & was surrounded by aunts, uncles & cousins. 
Family church time, family holiday dinners & family vacations... 
hand-me-downs, instant friends & lots of imagination... 
lasting memories, forever relationships & unending bond. 
When my husband & I moved our young family away from "home", we made sure that both sides of our families would have the opportunity to develop the lasting relationship with our daughter. It was intentional travel for us & the sacrifices we made to be with our families a few times a year. And the bond that is shared between her & our family has reaped many benefits.

My Granny surrounded by just a few of our family (I'm the blonde beside her)

There's always so much to be thankful for... and actually I've just skimmed over some of my family values in this post. So many things I know I take for granted (such as *time* to sit down & write a blog-post)... yet so many things God brings in my forefront daily.  
It's my prayer & endeavor to daily take time to thank Him for the blessings He has given to me... and to also thank Him for the challenges that come my way.  

Yes, challenges & crises come upon all of us and yet at times I have failed to thank God-Almighty for them. It's in these trying times that I grow in Him ... 
that I know I need to praise Him in all things ... 
that I ask Him to continue to mold me & shape me into the person He wants me to be.

What are some of the things you're giving thanks for at this season? I pray with whatever you're thankful for, that God will continue to lay on your heart that these aspects of all of our lives are only on "loan" to each of us here on earth. Time passes quickly.  

Seems like just yesterday I was a teenager ... 
then quickly a young Mommy ... 
and now I'm Granny.  
We are helping shape the values of the generations that follow us.  And this Granny wants her future generations to know the value & importance of relationships ... 
for these relationships are the cornerstones in our lives.

So,
From Lucy, Tag, Grandad & Granny and our household ... 

   ~~~ Happy Thanksgiving ~~~

Oh how my grands love their Grandad!

  

Because He is Able

For the past month I have read many "thankful" posts from our blog community, Facebook and Twitter.  From the life-changing to the everyday smallest blessing ...  from life's very breath to the life-changing circumstances ... from the heartfelt to the seemingly mundane.  It seems (to me) that we are becoming evermore aware just how blessed we are from our Abba Father.  I too have a growing list of what I am most thankful for.  But somehow I can't seem to put into words all of my thankfulness. 

Instead, my focus has been on just one aspect of God ... just one of Almighty God's traits ... just one attribute of His all-mighty power.  My heart & soul have been saturated in this one aspect of our Heavenly Father all week.  And it's through this aspect that I have bountiful blessings ... an abundant life ... a life of thanksgiving.  

God is able to bless ... love ... comfort ... transform ... forgive ... encourage ... soothe ... restore ... save ... guide ... heal ... see ... transcend ... revive ... renew ...  God is able.

As I prepare to enter this Thanksgiving season (everyday of my life), I am reminded that it's through my Almighty Abba Father that I am given my bountiful blessings.  And He defeated the grave to give all of us eternal life.  What greater blessing is there?  And I am thankful.

God is able ... He will never fail ... He is Almighty God

Greater than all we seek ... Greater than all we ask ...He has done great things.

Lifted up ... He defeated the grave

Raised to life ... Our God is able

In His name ... We overcome

For the Lord Our God is able.

God is with us ... God is on our side ... He will make a way

Far above all we know ... Far above all we hope ... He has done great things.

Lifted up ... He defeated the grave

Raised to life ... Our God is able

In His name ... We overcome

For the Lord Our God is able.

God is with us ... He will go before

He will never leave us ... He will never leave us

God is for us ... He has open arms

He will never fail us ... He will never fail us.

Lifted up ... He defeated the grave

Raised to life ... Our God is able

In His name ... We overcome

For the Lord Our God is able.

For the Lord Our God is able

For the Lord Our God is able.

November Thanks ...

So many friends on Facebook are posting each day one thing they are thankful for.  I haven’t really posted anything, but just want to share here on the blog 30 things that I am thankful for.  They are in no certain order, some are deep, some are shallow.  And although I have so much more than “30”, here’s my November 2010 thankful list:

My salvation through Jesus Christ Who died for my sins.  I can't imagine life without Jesus.

My loving husband who is always there for me, standing beside me, encouraging me … and loving me for who I am.

Lucy’s hugs, kisses & "Hey Granny, what are you doing?"  (Okay, who can blame me? Click here & find out why)

Lucy’s giggles & scrunchy nose expressions. Oh how she reminds me of her Mommy at this age (and Mommy still scrunches her nose!)

My daughter, son-in-law & granddaughter … being a Godly family … serving our country. They are living for something more than themselves.

My parents who took me to church every time the doors were opened. I actually was baptized in the creek that ran behind our church.  Wonderful memories of church activities & our youth group.

My Mother who prayed with me every night. This was a nightly tradition for the 2 of us that I will always remember.

My Daddy who always took time to spend with me.  We always took a yearly 'family vacation' to get away from the busy-ness of everyday life.

My Granny who instilled common-sense values in me & taught me the importance of relationships. You won't get far in life without common sense.

Our family relationships. Although my family & I moved several hours away from "home", everyone still made time for us when we went home for visits. Our daughter was able to develop the bonding relationships with aunts, uncles and cousins that last a lifetime.

Morning breakfast times with Granddad.  Our household may get hectic, but we make time most mornings to catch up on what's going on with each other.

Food, shelter, clothing, safe vehicles.  And so much unnecessary 'stuff'.  God always provides above & beyond what I need and most definitely more than I deserve.

Our health. Granddad & I may have a few little quirky things that we need to watch and attend to, but compared to so many others, we are very blessed with our health. And we have a healthy family.

God’s new mercies every morning. Thank you, God, for a new day to start all over again & walk with You.

A sink full of dirty dishes. We all have had enough to eat, and provisions to cook, eat & clean up with.

Lucy & her parents are still living with us. It gives me & Granddad more opportunities to know our granddaughter and have her know us. Since we're not sure what the future holds, we will take the time we have with them & make the most of it.

Walking over toys scattered throughout our house.  Lucy is still here!

Our timeshare that we bought into 17 yrs ago when we had no idea how we would pay for it.  We knew it was not a financial investment, but it was an investment in our family time ... just Granddad, the future Mrs GI Joe, and me. And we still use it every year with the GI Joe family and will continue to do so.

Granddad asking me out for a 2^nd date.  It meant that I didn't blow the first date! Read this & you'll understand.

Social media that has allowed me to keep in touch with family ... brought me back in contact with childhood friends, neighbors, teachers ... and given me new friends through the blogging world.

Granddad & Mrs. ‘Joe’s support & encouragement when I returned to college 15 yrs ago. Without them, I couldn't have earned my degree.

Pizza rolls. A great (albeit non-healthy) & quick dinner when life happens.

Our doctors who don’t treat us as an “appointment slot”, but will take the time to call us when necessary.

The movie theater for our church’s multi-site location. God never said He only 'shows up' in a traditional church building. We are reaching our community ... and Lucy wanted to "go to church" when her parents pulled up to the theater today to buy advance movie tickets --- at 2 yrs old, she knows that we experience God at a movie theater, at home, at the church building ... He's in our hearts.

Granddad’s high school teacher who inspired him to his career path. He took one class from Mr. Browning and never looked back ... even returned for his master's degree while working to support his family.

The lessons in life I’ve learned over my 46 years … some easy ... some hard ... all worthy to bring glory to God for bringing me through.

Water & laptops. So that I can work/play/be mindless while increasing my water intake ... even while Granddad works on our desktop.

Those who have encouraged me, supported me, believed in me. 

Hairspray and make-up. Even if I'm just 'around the house' for the day. I know, I know ... "Granny is so vain."  These I'm not sure I can go without.

My Granny & my parents for modeling to rise every morning before dawn breaks. My idea of “sleeping-in” is 6:30am … I'm burning daylight any later!

Although these may not be earth-shattering, I am very thankful for everyone who has endured to the end of this post.  

Thanksgiving in July

I know -- we’ve all heard of “Christmas in July”, but why ‘Thanksgiving in July’?  Today as I was driving home from having a late lunch with Granddad, I started thinking about all that I have to be thankful for.  And I was overwhelmed to say the least!  I know that I will not include everything that I am thankful for, but I just need to write this list now. So, here’s just a beginning of my ‘Thanksgiving in July’:

~~~ God is still on His Throne … With everything going on in the world today I know Who wins in the end.  And I’m so very thankful that He has a home waiting for me.

~~~ Godly children … Our daughter and son-in-law both are children of God. Over the past 5 years, we have seen them rely on God for their every need.  And even now, not knowing what lies ahead, they are allowing God to be their Guide. We told them from the beginning that their marriage was between God and them – and they have put Him at the center. Lucy is being brought up to trust in God for everything she needs. What a blessing to see their family serving God and our country!

~~~ Parents … Both of us still have our parents living.  We are very close to my parents, and having them within an hour and a half in physical distance is a blessing. There are so many young children who will never know a parent. So for us to have come this far in our lives with our parents is truly a blessing. I know that whatever may come our way, I can always count on my parents being a support for us.

~~~ Health … Granddad and I are still in very good health (despite a few little quirks). We have family and friends who are battling health issues including cancer, recovering from horrific wrecks, depressions and various other diseases and the list goes on.  Although we have no idea what we may face in the future, right now we are very healthy and praise God for this.

~~~ Career … Granddad has worked for several different companies, but his current firm takes a different approach:     family is important.  The company has grown and prospered over the past 13 years that he has been there – God is good!  I’m thankful that he followed the career path that God had laid out for him.  He could have easily taken another road, but this is where God wanted him all along.

~~~ Childhood … Yes, I am very thankful for my childhood. I’ll write more about this later, but here’s just a little synopsis:  my parents and I lived with my Granny and youngest Aunt until I started 2^nd grade.  One Aunt lived beside Granny with her family (2 girls), my Uncle lived behind Granny (2 girls), another Aunt lived just ‘around the hill’ (2 girls, 1 boy), and another Aunt lived a few miles away (1 boy, 1 girl).  (I am 8 ½ years older than my sister, so she basically grew up with one of my cousin’s son).  My Granny showed us that the most important aspect in life is relationships.  I am still very close to my family even though we live several hours away.

~~~ Church … We have been a part of different churches over the past 26 years of our marriage.  It’s always been very important to us to have a ‘home church’. Our current ministry is like no other that we have experienced. Our mission is to “reach those who have been untouched or unaffected by traditional churches, and bring them to be fully devoted followers of Jesus Christ.”         Every aspect of our ministry is met with one question “How is this reaching those who have been untouched by churches?”  God is bigger than the box we put Him in.  And He can use even the smallest aspect to reach someone within our grasp.

~~~ Prayers … It used to be that when a person asked if someone could pray for him/her, it was automatically assumed “what in the world is wrong?”  I am so past this … Every single one of us needs prayers. If it weren’t for prayers, I couldn’t make it through even one day. I appreciate it and am very thankful when someone comes up to me and says “you have been on my mind lately, and I just want you to know that I’m praying for you and your family.”  I believe that God knows what I need before I know what I need. Why wouldn’t He have His people praying for me when I don’t even know what I need? So, for those who pray for me and my family – I can just humbly say Thank You.

~~~ My husband … Okay, so I did save this for last. One of my previous blog posts tells 'the story of' Granddad and me . But I want to elaborate just a little. I have watched my husband become a child of God after we first got married.  And I’ve seen as situations, crises and events have challenged and grown my husband into the man of God he is today. He works hard for his family and never complains during the extremely busy times. He always makes time for our family no matter how hectic things get at the office. He is a God-fearing, God-loving, God-devoted man.  He uses his gifts and talents to honor and glorify God in church.  He will be the first to tell you that he never knew what 'playing music' was all about, until he started playing to the audience of One -- our Lord Jesus Christ. I simply cannot imagine going through this journey of life with anyone else but him. My husband is my best friend, and I love him dearly and have the utmost respect for him. God truly blessed me with Granddad.

Sometimes when life gets at a hectic, chaotic level, a little Thanksgiving may be just what is needed.  Paul wrote (Philippians 4:11)  Not that I speak in respect of want: for I have learned, in whatsoever state I am, therewith to be content.  My prayer is that when I am having a down moment, then to start thanking God for all of His blessings He has given to me. God is so very good, and I am so very blessed.  

Happy Thanksgiving in July!