Thanksgiving 2011

Day Twelve Help

We had a yard sale and my family pitched in so well and between the 5 of us made the day so much more successful. I could not have done it alone. In fact, I would not want to be alone anymore.

There was time when I was OK alone. I knew nothing else. I can't imagine going back to that and to be quite honest, I am a little anxious about the empty nest thing.

It seems life is one adjustment after another and after 50 years of it, it looks as if I would be prepared for that.

Whatever comes, my family helps me get through it and I love and appreciate them beyond words.

Day Eleven Veterans

Today, I am thankful for souls that are courageous, generous, honorable, selfless, and sacrificing. I am thankful for our veterans.

The disruption of not only their lives but the lives of their families is a very large sacrifice and they do it willingly because they live their values.

I am forever grateful for their love of country and their protection of the freedom I enjoy.

God Bless America and God Bless Our Troops!

Day Ten Grace

Today my baby is going to become a teenager. In fact, she has been a teenager for about thirty minutes now. Wow, my baby is a teenager.

I remember so well when that wonderful creature entered our lives. She has added such laughter, joy, and drama to our world. Her grandmama says God broke the mold when he made her. Her antics, phrases, jokes, replies, retorts and dramatic theatrics have entertained and sustained us through the years.

She is such a blessing and I can't imagine how dull life would be without Gracie.

We had our boy and our girl and we almost stopped at two. I am so very thankful we decided three would not be so bad. On the contrary, it has been one of the best decisions we ever made.

I love you, Gracie. You are my favorite 13 year old in all the world!

Day Nine New Tires

Before...

After!


This may seem petty to some, but when you drive a set of tires over 15,000 miles beyond what they are expected to tolerate and the tread is so thin that you can push on the tire with your fingers and it moves, when you ask God every time you enter the vehicle to please get you to your destination without a tire exploding and causing loss of control of the vehicle, when you have everybody under the sun telling you how badly you need new tires, when you avoid any unnecessary trips and most certainly avoid any bad highway no matter how far out of your way you have to travel, then you finally have the ability to obtain new ones...it is so very awesome!

I thank God for my new tires just as often as I asked Him to protect me with the old ones, so I thought it only fitting that I add that to my list of Thanksgiving.

Day Eight Happiness

Today, I am functioning on very little sleep so my giddiness could well be attributed to a lack of rest. Whatever the reason, I am as light as a feather today. I feel good and I feel happy. I am trying to enjoy it as deeply and thoroughly as possible. I don't get many of these kinds of days lately, so I drink it in, for as long as I am able.

Today, I am thankful for happiness that ignited in my belly, spread to my heart, infiltrated my head, and consumed my life for a whole, entire day. It felt great!

Here's an afterthought...what if the happy mood can be attributed to eight days of gratitude? Hmmmmm.....

Day Seven Organization

I have been working to develope my organization skills. Mind you, I have never even considered myself as one having such skills, much less being able to develope them.

Getting back into the workforce has helped me discover and hone those skills dramatically. Keeping an organized work space has significantly enhanced my desire to attain that level of organization at home. So I have begun to work on it. I hope to have it spread and travel into every facet of my life. It is a process that I am finding very rewarding.

I have been steadily cleaning out clutter and unused items. I organize items that I am putting back into storage and the best part is when I look into my closet and all my clothing is separated not only by item category, but by color as well, I get this overwhelming sense of accomplishment and yes, joy! It makes for simplicity in the hustle-bustle of the morning routine. I was ready to leave the house a full twenty minutes early this morning, so for that reason I am very thankful that old dogs really are able to learn new tricks.

Sit back and just watch me go!!!!

Day Six Laundry

Today I am thankful that laundry is almost completely done! Do you know how rare it is in a household of 5 that ALL the laundry is done on any given day?
It piles up in no time and takes forever to get finished, but this day...it is done.

I know it will begin to multiply beginning tomorrow morning, but that is a blessing in itself. I am blessed enough to have clothing to dress my family and keep them warm.

Laundry is a never-ending process in our home, but I know one day sooner than I like to think, the piles will shrink as each of my babies leaves home to strike out on their own. I will smile and enjoy even this daunting, menial task because it allows me to serve my family.

Day Five Alabama

I am thankful that I live in the great state of Alabama.

I love the fact that tornadoes are just about the only real natural disaster we have to face. We can run from the hurricanes, we don't have big earthquakes, we don't face tsunamis or typhoons.

I am appreciating the fact that we have two great colleges with fabulous football teams and that we are in the SEC! Best football ever, hands down!

I love that we can get to the mountains in a matter of hours and to the coast in less than that.

I appreciate that we have large areas that are still undeveloped. A lot of nature still lives here with us and we like it that way!

I love that we still have our slow southern drawls, that we take life a little more slowly than other places, that we still show respect to our elders, that we still cling to our southern roots.

Love my Alabama!

Day Four Loving My Job and Co-workers

I spent 15 years at home with my children as a stay-at-home mama and I loved it. It holds the title for the best position I have ever held and I am so blessed to have had that precious time with my babies.

Having said that, I am also blessed to have landed the job I now hold. I not only love my job, but the people I work with. I value how special and unique that is. I genuinely like every person with whom I work. I have fun with them in between the work times. We laugh and enjoy being around each other on a daily basis.

Today, I am thankful that I like the ones that I spend so much time with each day and that I like what I do while I am at work. It is remarkable to me that in my lifetime, I have held three jobs that didn't seem like work because of the level of enjoyment and fulfillment I extracted from each one of them.

Thanking God that He has provided such wonderful places from which I have been able to gain employment and help sustain my family.

Day Three Colors of Autumn

On my morning commute there are numerous trees and shrubs that are vividly exhibiting the vibrant coloring of autumn. My spirits are always lifted when greeted by any of the beautiful colors of God's nature, but Autumn is my favorite.

So today, while the hues of autumn still sparkle in their splendor, I am choosing them to highlight my third day of Thanksgiving. I believe that to pass by any of God's majestic and glorious creations without acknowledging the beauty of His handiwork is very ungrateful and I want to be appreciative of Him and His blessings foremost.

Thank you, God, for all the glory and splendor of your lovely world.

Thirty Days of Thanksgiving

Guidance

Health

I have been reading a very strange book that even more strangely has resonated with me. It is called One Thousand Gifts and I am discovering the answers to some of my burning, life-long questions are to be found, according to this author, in gratitude.

So when my friends on Facebook began the annual tradition of posting thirty things for which they are grateful, one on each day of this month of thanksgiving, I decided to join in.

I missed the first day, so I will add it to todays post.

Day one - I am grateful for finding this book that has helped me see some light at the end of this tunnel. To read how someone else has experienced the confusion, the doubt, the fear, the questions, that for years I had hidden deep within myself, never letting them surface for fear of rejection, abandonment, or humiliation at the hands of humanity and how she has discovered an actual solution that she proved in her own life, has been a tremendous boost to my psyche, my spirit, and my soul. Although I realize this author is not my saviour, she is pointing the way back to Him through her heart-breaking, gut wrenching, soul search. She is showing me the "how" in finding my peace, my faith, and my Savior. She is doing this by letting me see her messy life, her mistakes and flaws. She does not stand in judgment or preach from her piety and holiness. On the contrary, she has laid open her soul and shown me from her angst and doubt that one can recover through expression of gratitude for the blessings we take for granted every single day. How through becoming keenly aware of all the small but really good things in our life, we can affect a change in attitude, resulting in a change in self. I thought it only fitting that she and her wonderfully weird book should be the first on my list for thanks. I am daring to live fully right where I am. Thanks, Ann Voskamp!

Day two - As a 50 year old, I am thankful for health. Not only mine, but my family's as well. Everyday it seems, I read of someone who is facing a life threatening illness, struggling with some infirmity, or watching helplessly as their children are affected by some malady. I am so very thankful that even though we have our small and minor ailments, none of us has ever faced any really serious problem with our health. I feel so blessed and favored and it humbles me to realize, "There, but by the grace of God, go I". No matter where I have wandered, no matter how far I have roamed from Him, my God has been faithful to keep me and mine, to guard us and protect us and that fact is anything but lost on me. I don't know why I have been favored, only that I have and I am very thankful for the blessing. I am sure genetics play a part, but it is He, Who put me in the lineage from which I came, so I praise and thank Him for all the tiny components that make up the person that is me.