Busy Days Bring Thanksgiving

I planned to write every day so that I could share my thanksgivings. The sad reality is I am so busy in this season of life, that I can't make daily writing a priority--as much as I would like.

Things that are keeping me busy include homeschooling my son, visiting high schools so he can pick the one he wants to attend next year, planning the Christmas event for the ladies at my church, Boy Scout activities, shuttling my son everywhere (or so it seems), birthday celebrations, and getting together with friends.

And all within that list are a plethora of things for which I am thankful.


Let me break it down:

Homeschooling my son. I LOVE spending time with him and helping him learn. I love to read books with him--we're currently studying The Diary of Anne Frank--and discussing them and then guiding him as he writes an essay about something he's read. I am thankful that I can help him understand the foundations of our government and the Constitution and how that applies today. The timing is perfect with mid-term elections this year. It's truly wonderful to see him grasping these concepts. I am thankful that math and science come so naturally to him (which don't to me), so that he doesn't need my help as much. I'm also grateful for tools, such as Khan Academy for when a math concept is too challenging for either of us.

Speaking of math and science, I'm excited that today's high schools are offering ways for students with this ken to go deeper and further through their Science, Technology, Engineering and Math (S.T.E.M.) programs. This is where my son grooves, and he is excited to journey down this path. All three schools that we are exploring as options for him offer S.T.E.M. programs. And all of them have lacrosse programs, which is equally important to him. And here are several more ways that I am thankful. First for the choice of getting to pick the school my son wants to attend, second for the programs that they have, and third, that he's excited about this next step in his education.

When I wasn't homeschooling this week, I was planning the Christmas dessert that my church's women's ministry is hosting in December. Even though there are some big gaps that need to be filled in yet, I have some wonderful sisters in Christ helping me and can see how together we are glorifying the Lord. I am always appreciative of them and their gifts of service!

My son's extracurricular activities also kept us busy. That's where most of the shuttling comes in. He attends regular school every day so he can take two classes: Engineering Communications and Band. He loves them both, and he is thankful to be able to spend time with his peers. He's also very active in Boy Scouts and has weekly troop meetings, serves as a Den Chief leader for younger Scouts a second night of the week, goes to youth group, and is currently camping near the Sand Dunes National Monument.

Many thanksgivings here. First is that my son is physically and mentally healthy that he can be so active. Second is his desire to do these things. Nothing wrong with playing video games, but some of his friends just hang out in their basements all day, and my kid would go bananas if he didn't have the above physical, social and spiritual outlets. Third is my car that God has faithfully kept running. From the day I was blessed with it 12 years ago, I have been truly thankful for it! And even though I couldn't be the one to drive him to his camp out, I so appreciate the other parent who took my son as well as three other boys down to the dunes. What an amazing place it is, and I am thankful that there is such beauty and wonder in my home state. Here, every day, I see God revealing His creativity.

I can't overlook being thankful for my husband. He is a great man, who loves his family and works so hard on our behalf. He has faithfully served to provide for us. Even though we have made keen sacrifices (well, according to our American culture), he has ensured that I and our son can do this home school thing.

I'm also grateful that my in-laws, while not nearby, are coming to visit this weekend to celebrate my upcoming birthday, as well as my dear niece's. I truly love my in-laws and feel so blessed to have them in my loves. They are good, kind-hearted people who love the Lord and love their family. They have changed my life for the better because of their constant, faithful and loving actions.

My sister friends are a huge gift to me, too. I have two sisters, a step- and half-sister. They may not realize how much I love them and long to be connected with them, but life circumstances have put distance between us. I pray that changes. To fill my heart with "sister love" God has given me such wonderful friends. This week, I had lunch and shopped with one. We shared both confidences and laughter. Tonight, I will enjoy the great company of my dearest friend, whom I've known since high school. Our birthdays are close to one another's so we always get together to celebrate. This dinner will be bittersweet as we've always celebrated with our husbands, too. Sadly (doesn't quite cover my feelings), my friend's most excellent husband passed away last May. I miss him, and can only imagine how deep my friend's loss is. Yet I am thankful for the time we will have together tonight, and I am thankful that we WILL see this great man again in Heaven.

"The Lord gives and the Lord takes away. Blessed be the name of the Lord." (Job 1:21)

Too often we only see what we don't have. But if we pause and take a closer look at our lives, even during the hard times (many gravely intense and burdensome), we can see that there is good weaving in and out of every moment--all for which we can be truly thankful.

With Thanksgiving

Celebrating the season

I love the month of November. The season of fall is in full-swing. Halloween is over, Christmas is nearly two months away. This is when I cherish taking time to focus on the in-between holiday. You know: Thanksgiving.

Somewhere, we have lost ourselves to the consumerism of Halloween and Christmas and forgotten Thanksgiving. Talking with a stranger in the checkout line the other day, she and I commiserated over this loss.

That's why I intend to corporately express my thanksgiving this month. I'm pretty good at being grateful for many things each and every day; I suppose it's my nature (Silver Linings, don't ya know.) But I feel my spirit moving to be intentional about it, and I chose this public forum. I'm not going to give myself a set number of things to list. I want to be true to each day and what my Creator puts into my heart and mind.

So here goes:

Saturday, November 1, 2014

• I'm thankful for the pleasantly warm morning. From the inside it looks chilly outside as the skies are somewhat gray and the wind is blowing, twirling the leaves in a waltz through the air. When I got outside to drive my son to his engineering program, we were both surprised at the balmy kiss we received.
• Speaking of my son, I'm so blessed he is in my life. Words cannot convey my heart's joy because of him. I'm also grateful that he had such a fun night with friends, collecting about 15 pounds of candy each on what was probably his last night of Trick-or-Treating.
• I am thankful for technology that allows me to write my thoughts so quickly and share them--which for a writer is like needing to breath.
• I am grateful for my two black and white creatures, one dog, one cat, who are my constant companions every day. (The mostly black, with a spattering of white, three-legged gerbil is also delightful to enjoy, especially when he's in his ball zooming around the house like Mad Max.)
• I am thankful beyond expression for my sweet husband, who has cherished me since before we said, "I do." He loves his family so much and takes care of us in every conceivable way, whether it's working hard for us, taking care of our home or expressing his love through his hugs and his words.

Even in the hardest times, God gives precious gifts to us each day. I am eager to look for more during this season of Thanksgiving.

New Dawn, New Day

"It's a new dawn, it's a new day, it's a new life for me, and I'm feelin' good."

Sing it, Michael Bublé or Nina Simone. Whomever you prefer, doesn't matter to me, because the lyrics are encouraging and the melody is jazzy and uplifting. Pretty much summarizes how I am feeling on this new day of life. 

Silver linings are my thing. I am an optimist, a Pollyanna, Little Miss Sunshine. Perhaps that sickens you a bit, but I just don't think the world needs more despair and lamenting.

 I'm not dismissing how tough life can be. Pain and hardships are all too real. I have close, dear friends who are right now trying to climb out of a valley of darkness. And I've been in those dark valleys myself. It's hard when it is so bleak, the mountains hovering like towering giants, blocking out the sun. But I know that the sun is shining beyond and there is a silver lining offering hope.

Getting out of that valley requires patience and faith. Choosing to seek peace and comfort and lifting it all up in prayer really work.

New dawns, new days have to start out with prayer in my life. I'm not an early bird by any means, but society requires that of us with few exceptions. "Pffflbt!" I say to ol' Ben Franklin and his aphorism. But I laugh when my 2-year-old pup sticks his face (barely) up by my bed to let me know it's time to begin the day. (He's a praiser.) Fuzz therapy comes first before I let him out in the backyard. Then I make my cup of coffee, wipe his paws to let him back in, and together we let the cat out. The cat HAS to be locked up. (He's a lamenter.) Deep in the middle of the night, he'll start yowling, "Where are you guys? Why are you sleeping?" Sometimes he snuggles with my son, but only if Luke doesn't feel as if Bond (Jameson Bond) won't lurk on top of the screened cage where his three-legged gerbil (that's a subsequent post) resides. 

Kitty, Kitty Bond-Bond gets his fair share of scritches before I start a load of laundry. Even though both critters are ready for breakfast, I make them wait, because with the "sibling" rivalry between the two, I can't feed the cat first (downstairs where the washing machine is) before Oban and make the pup wait. So laundry first.

If it's still early and I don't need to wake my son, yet, I'll take my cup of coffee to my computer. Before I log in to email or Facebook or anyone's blog, I open up my most favorite website, YouVersion. If you're not familiar with it, it's an app available on smart phones as well as the computer, which provides a bajillion versions of the Bible. There are 40 translations in English. If English isn't your first language, you can read Scriptures in a multitude of other languages, including some I've never heard of: Achi, Chachi, Djambarrpuyngu to Հայերէն. YouVersion takes seriously the command to go out and preach the good news to all the nations.

The site has a plethora of studies a person can do. My goal is to "read" through the Bible every year. Last year, I "read" it chronologically. This year, I'm using a study through the English Standard Version (ESV) translation which is incorporating a format of me "reading" poetry (Psalms), the Law of Moses (Genesis), history (Chronicles) and the Gospel (Luke). If you're wondering why I keep putting "reading" in quotes, it's because I'm usually not reading. The ESV translation has been recorded by an actor, so he reads the Scriptures to me. I love it, because, it typically brings out nuances in the Word that I haven't focused on before. My favorite narrator is recorded on the NIV. I don't know his name, but he reminds me of Richard Burton. If you're not old enough to know who he is, go Google him.

Meditating on the word of God sets up my mind and heart to then pray. I do follow one of those acronyms (I prefer ACTS) that leads me through a way of praying.The A stands for acknowledge, which means you focus on who God is. The C is for confession, the T is for thanksgiving, and the S is for supplication (and petition), which is asking God for help for yourself or your friends and family to get through the day. Even though it is a time of asking, it's so much more than a kid's letter to Santa or a grocery list. During supplication the pray-er should come humbly before God. It is a time to move into a position where you recognize that God is the one in control.

I know that's a place many of us find uncomfortable. We're all control freaks to various degrees and don't want to relinquish that power. But I gotta tell you, the older I become, the more relieved I am to learn that I'm not in control of my life; God is. In truth, what's really happening is that my perspective about control is changing. After all, I've never been the one in control--as much as my mind or spirit has thought that.

Beginning my days reading the Word and praying sets a stage. I know that no matter what the day brings, even tragedy (which again I am not diminishing by my attitude), I can see the silver linings. And I feel good.