CONSTRUCTING AN ATTITUDE OF GRATITUDE

So I decided to not consult Mr. Webster or Mr. American Heritage to find the definition of construction.  After all, I grew up in a constructor's household and married a constructor.  We all know what it means, maybe not on a grand dictionary definition scale but it's simply "build".  And I'll bet many of my friends know where this post is going.

Some days it's easy to build an attitude of gratitude.  Other days we tend to forget about all the things we are to be thankful for.  I don't know without looking it up where it is in the scriptures --somewhere in the New Testament--, but I'm sure the scriptures say that "in EVERYTHING give thanks."  It doesn't say in every GOOD thing give thanks but in EVERYTHING give thanks.  And that's even for the bad stuff.  Hard to construct an attitude of gratitude during the I-don't-know-how-I'm-going-to-make-it-through-this time of life.

The Husband has been working on his garage lately.  He started out doing it alone.  I will say that The Husband is a hard worker and once he is focused on a project, he works and works and works without asking for help.  When I asked him in the beginning how much it might cost to hire someone to do it, he gave me one of those looks any wife would recognize that looked like the wife might have grown many horns on her head.  Needless to say, he answered nothing.

So he worked and worked on Fridays and Saturdays and as time went on, he had friends that helped....The Brother-in-Law, The Fishing Buddy, and The Fishing Buddy's Brother.  I told The Husband that he had some REALLY good friends.  And he agreed.

This past Saturday The Husband, The Fishing Buddy, and The Fishing Buddy's Brother were working together and were winding down the workday and putting felt on the roof.  The Fishing Buddy, being afraid of heights, was not on the roof but the other two were on the roof.  I looked out of the window at the progress, saw them there, entertained the thought that they really were pretty old to be doing such, and went to the kitchen.  About 5-10 minutes later, The Fishing Buddy came running in and told me to call 911.  The Husband had fallen off the roof.  My worst fear...a gut feeling I had for weeks and there it was.  Happened.  Just like I feared.

The most amazing thing is that I kept my composure even though I was shaking inside and did what I needed to and answered questions asked.  The 911 dispatcher told me to go out to the guys and answer her questions.  I had not realized The Fishing Buddy's Brother had fallen also.  Seems the felt had come loose and both guys started to slide quickly.  The Fishing Buddy's Brother was sitting on the trailer holding a bleeding hand.  The Husband was lying on the ground on a 2 x 4 between the garage and and the trailer.  Both were awake and talking which helped my feelings a good bit.  I called for The Girl and The Son-In-Law who came quickly.  If we ever doubted The Girl is a Daddy's girl, all that doubt is gone.  She was not happy her daddy had fallen from the roof.  Duh.  The Son-In-Law was a rock and I felt so blessed he was there with his calmer composure.

The paramedics came quickly and long story short, transported both guys to the hospital closest with a trauma center.  They said falling from a 13' high roof was very much a trauma.  The Fishing Buddy's Brother got 6-7 stitches in his palm and a tetanus shot and was released.  He wanted to stay to hear from The Husband but I sent him home.  I was so sorry he fell.  So sorry.

As for The Husband, he was scanned from head to toe and had a rib break and another small bone break with bruises and contusions...more than one.  He's been home and I've been his shadow since Saturday night.  Did I say that yesterday he coughed and broke yet another rib?    I know he's growing weary of it but be assured--my attention will continue.  The Husband now walks with a cane and is up walking a good bit.  He does weary quickly.  I don't think he enjoys being at home all the time, but has very little choice in the matter.  His nurse is strict, you understand?

So with all of this, I have learned to build my attitude of gratitude.  Saturday could have been a day that changed our lives forever, but so far, I feel The Husband and The Fishing Buddy's Brother will heal. In time.  Don't folks say that time is a healer?  That's certainly been proven time and time again.

I relive the Saturday afternoon and am grateful for friends who help.  I did explain to The Fishing Buddy's Brother that he proved my point of "no good deed goes unpunished".  I'm grateful that the Husband and The Fishing Buddy's Brother are not exceptionally badly hurt.  I'm grateful that The Husband so far has listened to me and accepted my "nursing skills". I'm grateful that the EMS got here quickly and were caring.  The list is endless.

Maybe one might say I should wonder why God allowed such to happen.  Couldn't He have stopped it?  Sure He could have.  But I have enough faith in my God to know that He sees the whole big picture and does what's best for us.  That's where faith comes in.  And of course, we have to mention the grace and mercy that follow.  I hope that this week and forevermore I will have the attitude of gratitude for EVERYTHING and give thanks to the Lord for taking care of us in His way.

Some days I might wish I could see the future but when I consider that, I realize I really don't want to know.  It's enough to know the ONE who holds the future.  That's enough for me.  I'll just continue on one day at a time.

SNOW

My trusted Mr. Webster's online dictionary's definition of snow was not as glamorous as the American Heritage Dictionary's definition.  So, wanting snow to be exciting and glamorous, I chose the American Heritage definition which says:

Snow -- Frozen precipitation in the form of white or translucent hexagonal ice crystals that fall in soft, white flakes.

Sounds pretty, doesn't it?  What is it about snow that brings out the childhood wonder in most of us--even as we age?  I think it's the whiteness of it all.  Purity.  Beauty.  A good reason to stay home.

With our hopes built for a nice snow today, even while our realism knows it will probably be just a sprinkling if any, I decided you blog readers might enjoy some picture reminders of recent years of beautiful whiteness.

In the summer, a crop of blueberries will grow here.

Blue sky and white trees...what a combination of "colors"!

The Girl's childhood sled....a classic.

See, it still runs nicely.

An Auburn University snowman....War Eagle!  (I learned this unfamiliar way of speaking from the Son-In-Law.)

This is sparkly bling snow....

A snow angel......

So we'll see what the day holds.  Maybe we should all do as us Southerners do at the "threat" of snow....hit the grocery stores for that gallon of milk and loaf of bread...just in case.  We can hope, can't we?

Happy Snow Day....maybe!  

PAIN

Pain:  a state of physical, emotional, or mental lack of well-being or physical, emotional, or mental uneasiness that ranges from mild discomfort or dull distress to acute often unbearable agony, may be generalized or localized, and is the consequence of being injured or hurt physically or mentally or of some derangement of or lack of equilibrium in the physical or mental functions (as through disease), and that usually produces a reaction of wanting to avoid, escape, or destroy the causative factor and its effects

So wow, quite an impressive definition from our friend, Mr. Webster! 

As I was looking in the attic the other day, I was reminded that one of my faithful blog readers had asked for the story of the “fall through my attic”.  So being the first of a new year, I decided to be nice and oblige her. The “incident” happened about 26 years ago.  After the calculator calculated my age, I realized I was probably the age The Girl is now.  How about that?  Fun, huh? 

It’s a simple Sunday afternoon in November.  The Husband was doing his Sunday afternoon thing of napping occasionally with the remote in hand and feet propped in the recliner.  The girl, young one that she was, was most likely playing with her “babies” in her room.  I decided, being the middle of November (I know this as it was the weekend before my birthday), I would get a headstart and bring down the Christmas gift wrap from the attic.  I always bought my Christmas gift wrap after Christmas the prior year when it was 50+% off.  I still do.   Our attic has nice steps that fold down to make a ladder of sorts into our carport.  I had visited the attic many, many times—always being cautious that I never step on a spot that was “weak”, if you know what I mean.  And I think you know what I mean.  The Husband always cautioned me about that.   I carefully got the first roll of paper and threw it down the steps carefully.  I was smart enough to know I would not be good holding on to much to bring down as it was important for ME to hold on to the little rails on the side of those folding steps.  I walked carefully to get a couple more, threw them down gently, and stepped at the stair area to put my foot carefully over so I could come down also.  Oops.  I forgot at that point about the necessity of being cautious and to never step on a spot that was “weak”.  I put my right foot there at the top of those stairs and….uh huh, bet you know what's coming.  It was a VERY WEAK spot.   The sheetrock crumbled, my right foot followed the direction of the sheetrock, my right arm underneath caught HARD on a 2 x 4 that used to be a “strong” spot to walk on…my left foot and leg stayed on the remaining sheetrock.  Thank goodness.  If I had not caught on that 2 x 4, the story might have been a lot different.   I finally caught my breath and started yelling as I hung there with one foot and leg dangling in midair, the other out of sight, and the right hand dangling while the 2 x 4 held me.  I was in a predicament that merited my yelling for The Husband and The Girl.  Sound familiar to you blog readers?   Uh huh. 


The Girl heard me first.  Uh huh…and went to get The Husband.  He looked stunned and told me to hang on.  Well, duh.   My right arm is attached to the 2 x 4 and my left leg is straight on the attic sheetrock that was obviously not "weak".  Where am I going?  Really?  He managed to help me down and I realized I really had hurt something.  The pain was excruciating in my side under my right arm.  I was having trouble getting a decent breath.  I tried to walk around and breathe, hoping it was just a quick temporary problem that would fix itself in five or fifty minutes.  It wasn’t. 

If I recall correctly—my mind slips, you know—The Husband found a doctor there in town that happened to be open on that Sunday late afternoon and he saw me.  He thought I had probably bruised ribs and it would a while to “unbruise”.  He explained that bruised ribs hurt as badly as broken ribs.  Well, yes, that was just what I wanted to hear. 

It was a day or so after when I was still in massive pain that I decided I needed a second opinion.  I found a doctor who had just moved to town and visited her.  She agreed that the ribs were bruised and gave me instructions on how to minimize the pain.  Pain medicine helped.  I liked that doctor. I told her that day that I rarely needed a doctor so probably wouldn’t see her much.   Now, 26 years and 3-4 huge medical files later, she is still my family’s doctor and friend.  She has diagnosed every bad thing we’ve ever had and helped control and deal with those things.  I still see her regularly.  She also tells me that she tells my story regularly.  

I do remember having to be driven most places that week….and I remember having to be driven to have my drivers’ license renewed and such trivial things as that.  I remember, too, The Mother-In-Law being so mad the her son allowed me to go into the attic when he should have been doing it himself for me.  Hearing her say that was about the only thing that made me smile for several days. 

So really, that’s the “attic incident”.  I was thinking about the physical pain that brought to me and the amount of time that physical pain lasted.  Since that time, I’ve so many episodes of health issues that have caused me so much physical pain.  (Last year's 38 day kidney stone attack immediately comes to mind.)  That same doctor says I’m her worst patient in that I have such a high pain tolerance, I can be really badly sick and not realize….so she has learned when I’m in pain and when I’m not…just by looking at me. That’s a pretty good doctor, I say.

Pain we have in our lives, though, is not always physical.  Granted what I remember most about that attic incident is hanging there not able to move any way and then feeling the excruciating pain it brought.  Isn’t that how we are a lot of times when we suffer emotional pain, too?  We hanging between a right choice and a wrong choice or we’re hanging in grief at things that break our hearts.  Just....hanging.  It’s hard sometimes to forget those painful decisions, choices, and losses and move on.  As I needed The Husband's help to get down from the attic, we often need some help to move on after pain.  I know that if we trust in the Lord to help us deal with the emotional pains and problems that come, we can trust and move on with a positive attitude and spirit.  And don’t we have The Great Physician who knows us so well that He knows when we are in pain and struggling with decisions and choices?  He is there and WILL help.  He promised. That’s a pretty good Great Physician, I would say….a great “heart” doctor.  I’m glad I’m HIS patient!

Painful times teach us many things for sure.  I now store my Christmas gift wrap on the carport where there are no steps to climb.  After I healed, I did have to summon courage to climb back in the attic--kind of like getting on a horse after you've been thrown--and that climb I made and those steps I took on the "strong" parts of the attic floor were very scary.  My legs were like jelly.  I remember well.  But I did it.  The Husband did a helpful thing, too, by repairing the section that was hurt and repaired it so that it was strong.  Just in case I had attic troubles again.  Sometimes it takes us a long time to learn.  And sometimes we learn quickly.  As for our hard times, it's good to remember what the Bible says in 1 Corinthians 12:9 & 10:

"And he said unto me, My grace is sufficient for thee: for my strength is made perfect in weakness.   Most gladly therefore will I rather glory in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me.  Therefore I take pleasure in infirmities, in reproaches, in necessities, in persecutions, in distresses for Christ's sake for when I am weak, then am I strong."

I like that.

A Poem

Yes, two posts for the 3rd day of the new year!  I read this poem this morning and it spoke volumes.  I thought you all, my seven blog readers, might enjoy also.  The poem is attributed to Edgar Guest, and is titled "Sermons We See".

I'd rather see a sermon than hear one any day.
I'd rather one would walk with me--than merely show the way.
The eye's a better pupil--more willing than the ear,
Fine counsel is confusing, but examples always clear.
And the best of all the people are the ones who live their creed,
For to see the good in action is what everybody needs,
I can soon learn how to do it if you'll let me see it done,
I can watch your hands in action, but your tongue too fast may run.
The lectures you deliver may be very wise and true--
But I'd rather get my lesson by observing what you do.
For I may misunderstand you, and the high advice you give,
But there's no misunderstanding how you act and how you live.


And I say, "Amen."

A New Year

Happy 2013!  Yes, two days late but a sincere wish all the same.  I don't make resolutions--can't keep them--but do hope I make an effort to blog more this year.

Today's blog is nothing mind boggling, but stomach satisfying.  And since it's after Christmas and all are accustomed to nice good food, I decided I would share a recipe I found.  I try to stay away from gluten and dairy at the advice of my wise doctor and find I am much better off that way.  However, after making these luscious cookies yesterday and indulging in 3 of the 15, I am scared to open the bag for more lest I cannot stop eating.  Then I have a whole different problem of overeating on the 3rd day of the year 2013.

Anyways, I thought I would share.  Yum....They are flourless, peanut buttery, soft, and delicious.  They look like this:

Here's the recipe:

1 cup firmly packed brown sugar
1 cup chunky peanut butter (I used non-chunky.)
1 egg
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
1 cup milk chocolate chips (I used semisweet chunks--it's what I had.)

In a bowl, combine first 5 ingredients, stirring with a spoon.  Add chips.  Drop by teaspoonsful onto parchment paper lined cookie sheet.  (I had no parchment paper so I used put straight on the sheet with no prep.  It worked.)  Bake at 350 degrees for 12 minutes.  Let cool on pan.  Remove to wire rack for continued cooling.

I say-, "Eat one hot.  Yum!"

GIFTS

Tis’ the season to be jolly….or so the song says.  I was thinking of how the season of Christmas just somehow always FEELS different to me.  There’s something about the lights of a Christmas tree.  There’s something about the women at church mostly dressing in their red attire.  There’s something about singing “Joy to the World”, the Lord IS come.  Different somehow. 

And yes, in many of our worlds, Christmas means gifts.  My trusted online dictionary defines “gift” as something voluntarily transferred by one person to another without compensation.  In other words, something given to someone with the giver expecting nothing in return.  Something FREE.

Now granted, I love getting gifts as much as the next person.  In remembering my childhood days and seeing the few photos we have of our Christmases,  I recall a King of the Hill game under the tree for me as well as a typewriter and even as I got more in the wanting-to-look-good age, a beautiful pastel plaid skirt and sweater.  Wow, I really did look good in that.    As I have aged, the gifts have been different and many more than I have ever deserved.  I enjoy putting up my tree every year and decorating it with the countless ornaments given to me by friends, family and children in the church.  Odd that I can’t often remember what I did last week but I can recall who gave me every ornament.  That means the gifts come from the heart and stay there.  There have been gifts given to me by The Husband and The Girl that have been dear to me, often costing little, like the macaroni Christmas tree painted green with glitter that sits on my shelf as a Christmas decoration every year.  And that really pretty necklace The Husband got me as a surprise one year.  Okay maybe that was a little pricier than "little".

This year, though, I have been pondering gifts.  It seems that my gift buying efforts have changed with fewer names officially on my list.  The gift of sharing has taken over my Lunch Bunch as we a few years back decided to stop the individual gifts and adopt a family to help.  This year we are helping a young teacher in rural Mississippi who needs classroom supplies for her class. 

I’ve decided that as I age, I long for those intangible gifts—those gifts that you cannot see or touch or that don’t come in gaily wrapped packages.  Sure, I long for a regular nap after lunch some days for that bit of extra umph I need to make it through the rest of the day.  What a gift that would be!  I long to be able to stay awake when I sit on the couch to watch tv with The Husband at night. I need luck on that one.  I long for peace, a better economy, a God-fearing country, salvation for those who don’t know what it means to know my Lord and Savior, happiness for those who are sad, and so much more.  You get the idea. 

As I contemplate my other gifts that I receive daily, I am blessed by a gracious God who bestows grace to me when I certainly don’t deserve it.  Isn’t that what grace is?  Mercy is another gift.  Thank goodness I am granted mercy.  Health, happiness, and a loving family and church family are other blessed gifts that I receive. 

Most of all, we are reminded of the most precious gift of this season and every day in the scriptures but especially in John 3:16….”For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.”

My favorite verse of the Christmas carol “O Little Town of Bethlehem” is the third verse.  It goes like this:

How silently, how silently


The wondrous gift is given!


So God imparts to human hearts


The blessings of His heaven.


No ear may hear His coming,


But in this world of sin,


Where meek souls will receive him still,


The dear Christ enters in.


Once the “dear Christ enters in” that soul and one receives the wondrous gift of salvation, life is forever changed.

“Thanks be to God for his unspeakable gift.”  2 Corinthians 9:15

Merry Christmas to all!

THANKS

One of my dear friends sent me a Thanksgiving card yesterday.  Inside was a piece of paper with a typed prayer of thanksgiving.  It touched my heart and I wanted to share with you all on this eve of another special  day of giving thanks.  I don't think my friend will mind my sharing.  It goes like this:

Lord, as I sit down at a Thanksgiving table once again, I want to thank You for Your goodness to me.

Thank You for meeting my needs every day—for food and shelter and clothing, and for the many extras You provide that I so often take for granted.

Thank You for family and friends who make my life complete.  Thank You that even when we are miles apart, we are bound by the cords of Your love.

Thank You that I live in a country where I am free to worship You and to read Your Word.

Most of all, I thank You for Your Son, Jesus Christ, who is the “light of the world.”  When I turned to Him, He flooded the darkness of my soul with the light of Your love.

Thank You that He not only died for my sins, but that He is alive today at Your side—hearing my prayers and preparing a home for me in Heaven.

Thank You that Jesus came into this world and took up residence in my life as Savior, Lord, and God.

Thank You for all that You have given me as a Christian:  the Holy Spirit who is Your presence in my life, the Bible that is a light to my pathway, and Christian friends who encourage and help me.

Thank You that I can face tomorrow with hope because Jesus is living for me.

O, Lord, how truly rich I am!  Thank you for all You mean to me.

“Be thankful unto Him, and bless His name.  For the Lord is good; His mercy is everlasting, and His truth endureth to all generations.”  Psalm 100:4-5

AMEN!

FROM THE MOUTHS OF BABES

Many many days I learn more from children than I have learned from any adult.  I have laughed at words from children’s mouths.  I have cringed at words from children’s mouths.  I have gotten all teary-eyed at words from children’s mouths. 

Being an only child, The Girl often had to play alone.  She was pretty good at it.  She had lots of “babies”—mainly Cabbage Patch Kids—remember those?  One day when she was maybe somewhere from 4-6 years old, I was walking down the hall and heard singing from her room.  The Girl would use her dolls as her playmates.   On this particular day she was playing church and as I realized the singing was going to continue, I managed to get to my tape player (yes, that was the days of tape players and nothing else) and tape the audio portion without her knowing.   Many times since then I’ve listened to the tape and smiled, but honestly lately as I’ve thought about it on occasion, she wasn’t totally wrong with her wording.  She was singing, “Blessed Insurance, Jesus is mine.  Oh what a full taste of glory divine.”  Okay so many of you know it’s “Blessed Assurance, Jesus is mine.  O what a foretaste of glory divine.”  If you think about it , though, having salvation is “insurance” and it’s “blessed” and His glory when you have a full taste is certainly glory divine.  So all these years later, I still can tell that story and be blessed just as I was on that day. 

So this past Sunday The Girl's helper was absent so I went into the 4 and 5 year old Sunday School class that The Girl teaches to "help" .   After the lesson of the 10 lepers who were healed and only one came back to say “thanks”, there was a prayer time.  I still say God has to smile when he hears his children pray, especially those little ones.  It made me teary-eyed.  Some of the children want to pray aloud and some want to just pray in their hearts.   There is nothing better than hearing them pray.  One child was thankful for everyone—even called most of the everyones  by their names.  And that child has a world of everyones in her life.  I wondered how many folks that child knew but the child remembered to be thankful for all of them.  Really.  I am blessed when I hear those little voices sincerely talking to the Lord.  After that, The Girl gave a handout of a paper with space for a drawing that said at the bottom “I thank God for____________________.”   Okay so there’s wonderful things to be thankful for and the children are really into the project.  There’s the earth, myself, my mama, my heart, people that don’t die in a fire, and a cross.  So I compliment all of these and prepare to go to the copier to make more copies.  They like this project.  As I’m going out, I hear a child ask The Girl how to spell something and realize that on the cross picture it’s going to say “I thank God for Jesus dying on the cross.”  Well wow, I thought the cross would represent church or something like that but, no--thanks for Jesus dying on the cross.  From the mouth and heart of a 5 year old child.   Hmmm.  I return from my copying and comment on all the pictures and realize a yellow arch has been drawn over the top of the cross picture.  I say, “Well, you’ve drawn a sun over your cross.”  To which the child replies as he looks at me with a disbelieving face that I could be so wrong, “NO, that’s the Holy Spirit.”  Well duh.  How could I ever miss that?  Really.  I looked at The Girl and she just smiled and nodded her head with that incredulous look I have learned to recognize through the years. 

So that morning I was reminded that if it’s so easy for little children to talk so freely to the Heavenly Father, it should be just as easy for me.   I realized that yes, we can be thankful for the earth, ourselves, our mamas, our hearts, and even that no one died in a fire.  I was thinking that things such as fires can represent a lot of fear in my life.  I can be thankful that Jesus will calm those fears.  And I realized, too, that I fall so very short in sharing what God did for me by sending his son, Jesus, to die on the cross for me.  If a child can share so confidently, why can’t I?  Why DON’T I?

Yes, this past Sunday morning I was blessed.  And that is only one of the reasons I am thankful this day.

“Suffer the little children to come unto me, and forbid them not: for of such is the kingdom of God.”  Mark 10:14

INSOMNIA

Insomnia:  Chronic inability to fall asleep or remain asleep for an adequate length of time

I’ve heard folks speak of how annoying insomnia is.  As for me, I’ve never experienced that very often.  I’m the one who can go to sleep and sleep very well, even sitting straight up in a loud room.  That is, if I’m tired enough.  And, most days, I’m tired enough.  Especially as I age.

Today it’s 4:30 a.m. and I’ve been awake for over an hour and a half.  It could be because my stomach is off.  That could be because I drank a Diet Coke an hour before I went to bed.  I know better than that.  It’s just that I have a limit of three Diet Cokes a week and have only had one so far this week and just felt like I wanted my second last night.  An hour before bedtime.  Not so smart.  Plus, I have a sniffly nose.  Not the full blown cold that The Husband has had ALL week and still has but just enough sniffly nose to keep me awake.  And did I say that The Husband has gone fishing?  Already.  Before 4:30 a.m.  Uh, huh, The Husband LOVES to fish. 

I lay in bed wide awake and got to thinking.   I guess that’s what one does when they have insomnia.  I have a wood cutout of a sheep I’ve had for many years that says “Don’t count sheep, talk to the shepherd.”  Well, having little insomnia, I haven’t done that often but got to doing that this morning and finally decided to just get up and write about the conversation.  So here’s my thoughts in my insomnia state.

The list for things I am thankful for is too long to write each thing.  So here’s a few:

I’m thankful most of all for my salvation and relationship with the Lord.  Without that, nothing else would make sense.

I’m thankful for The Husband and all he brings to my life and our home and the love he has for the Lord, our family, and me.  He is a good man even with the snuff dipping and early rising.

I’m thankful for The Girl.  What a joy she has brought to my life and our home!  We all know I could write so much here but I’ll just say The Husband and I have been blessed beyond measure to have her call us Daddy and Mama.

I’m thankful for The Son-In-Law.  Boy, doesn’t that sound odd? It’s my first Thanksgiving as a Mother-In-Law and I have The Son-In-Law to thank for that.  We are blessed as he is a fine young man who made the choice to love The Girl and join our family.  I couldn’t have picked a better one if I had hand picked him myself.

I am thankful for parents who love me and I am thankful that I never doubted that love.  My parents are those two that everyone loves and so do I.

I am thankful for a sister who allowed me to be a good big sister.  She is very dear to me as is her husband and kids.

I am thankful for an extended family of in-laws that I love.  Many good memories have been made with them.

I am thankful for a place to worship and the freedom I have to worship. 

I am thankful for a church family who supports and loves freely.

I am thankful for friends, both old and new.  Isn’t there a saying that says “one is silver, the other gold”?    Life has a path that brings folks into it that become very precious to me.  

I am thankful for laughter and for tears.  I need them both to keep things in perspective.

I am thankful for my shoes that I can wear all day long without having my feet and legs hurt.   I am especially glad of this as they cost more than any shoes I have ever worn and I could not take them back after I had worn them.  Whew!  Luckily, I am not vain about having to wear good looking shoes.  My Catholic friend calls them “nun” shoes.  I call them “comfortable”.   I wear them every day.  Did I say I can wear them all day long without having painful feet and legs?  Yes!

I am thankful for that pink medicine I took for my stomach earlier and for the wonderful doctor who prescribed it.  She has been my wonderful doctor for about 25 years now and I’m thankful I found her that day long ago after I had fallen through the attic....a great story to tell for her and for me!  It’s the little things…..

I am thankful for music, children, mercy, corn flakes, afternoon naps, an easy to fix hair do, a beautiful day, grace, a love of photography, grits, sweet memories, and so much more.   The list is endless.  Endless. 

One of my favorite songs is one that has been sang by the Children’s Choir at church and says much to me.  It goes like this:

“Dear Lord, we vow to thank you for all the good you give

For birds and trees for skies and seas, the world in which we live.

Dear Lord, we vow to thank you for family and friends

For food and for your faithfulness, your love which never ends.”

The "love which never ends" is one of our biggest blessings.  God is so good and thankfully, He and only He holds our future in His hands.

“In every thing give thanks: for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you.”  1 Thessalonians 5:18

Brought to my knees......

...not once but twice in less than 5 minutes!  Ahhh....maybe I've learned to keep my pins away from my cutting area....