It is almost here! And I'm ready to head to North Carolina today! I have been enjoying my week off from school so far .. my house is clean, the laundry is done, my Christmas tree is up, and I have been busy crafting!
This past Friday night was spent preparing over 600 bagged lunches to give out at the Union Mission in downtown Atlanta. Saturday morning we headed downtown to hand out the bags. As always, it was eye opening experience to see how great the need is, but it was also encouraging to see so many providing help.
Sunday we and went and saw Catching Fire. It. was. awesome. I can't believe we have to wait so long until the next movie!
So in honor of Thanksgiving, I was thinking about a tweet from Louie Giglio that he tweeted last November. It has stayed with me for an entire year!
I love how he broke up the word Thanksgiving into 2 parts. Thanks + giving. God calls us to live our lives this way- thanking him in all circumstances and giving our lives in worship and service. There are so many ways we can give: time, money, gifts, control, and ultimately our lives.
And of course, this time of year leads us to specifically thinking about what we are thankful for. So, here is my list, just in time for Thanksgiving!
1) Grace. Oh Lord, where would I be without your grace? I am so thankful that as many times as I fail on a daily basis, by grace God forgives me and gives me another chance, a fresh day, to try again. He overlooks my faults and continues to love me anyway.
2) Education. I am thankful that I had the opportunity to attend school and to learn to read and write, among so much else. I am fortunate enough that I could further my education in college (debt free) so that I could begin my career. And, of course, since I am now a teacher, I am thankful that I am part of the education that my students are receiving.
3) Love. God's love is a never ending, all encompassing love that we cannot even begin to explain. I'm so grateful I can experience His love daily. I am so grateful He saw fit to place people in my life who can love me with Christ's love as well. My family, friends, and of course my husband.
4) Home. I am thankful for the home that Justin and I have made together. I never expected to have my very own house this young and I am glad we have been able to put our own touches on it. But I have also come to realize that I can make a home most anywhere--it is people that matter. I am also grateful for the home we left behind in North Carolina. It will always be the place that holds my heart.
5) Mountains. In particular, I am grateful for my Blue Ridge Mountains, and so glad I was able to grow up there. They are beautiful- God's handiwork at its best. Up on top of a mountain, in the middle of nowhere, is where I feel most at peace. I long to live there again.
6) The Church. I am grateful for the church family I am apart of and the heart those individuals have for ministry. Each church I have been involved in has held a special place in my heart and my current church is no different. I am glad I have a place to go and share about my life and to learn more about God. I am forever touched by my Bethel family!
7) Sunrise/Sunset. I imagine God sitting up in heaven with a huge paintbrush and a thousand different colors. He wakes up each morning and says, "How should I paint the sky today?" And sometimes I think He paints it just for me. I am so thankful for these moments when I feel God's presence, when I sense He is speaking to me. I am thankful for the pure beauty of the colors as they stretch out across the sky in the quiet of dawn or the haziness of dusk. A sunrise or a sunset tells me that a new day is coming, another chance to live and breathe and love and serve.
8) Seasons. I think I love all seasons equally. I love the feel of warm clothes and a cozy blanket on a cold winter night. I love the feel of the sand in the summer and warmth of the sun. Spring brings flowers and Easter, and of course I love dusk during Fall and the crunch of leaves beneath my feet. I love living in a place that has 4 seasons. It also serves as a reminder that we have seasons in life as well. They come and go and it gives me hope that there is always something beautiful in even the hard seasons.
9) Music. It is a way to worship and it just simply enjoyable. I know my husband would second this one .. he loves his guitar!
10) God's Voice. God speaks to us in so many ways, but sometimes it is hard to hear him. I'm so glad for the way he reveals himself through his Word. I'm so glad that he uses others to share with us and speak to us in the whispers of our heart.
11) Marriage. Excluding salvation of course, marriage has been God's greatest gift to me so far. Without having children, it is the best way I know to describe God's love. Your spouse knows you and loves you anyway. It is humbling to submit to God's will together and to each other. We are learning to love each other better each day. Justin pushes me to take risks and is a voice of reason and comfort when I'm feeling down. I'm so blessed every single day by the man God had set aside for me!
12) The Cross. Without Jesus' death on the cross I would be condemned. I'm not sure it is something I will be ever to fully understand the depth of, but I am so thankful that God loved us so much that he sacrificed his own son so that we could have life everlasting.
13) Struggles.
14) Food on my table. There are so many in the world that go without- I am so blessed that my fridge and my pantry are full. I do not have to know what it is like to be want of a meal.
15) Family. I am so thankful for my immediate family and the family I married into! I'm grateful we will be spending time together soon!
16) My job. I know what it is like to be without one and I will never take that for granted again! This is one of the ways that God provides for us- by allowing us to work and make money so that we can care for ourselves and others. Plus, I get to work with some really cute kids! Sometimes their humor and wisdom takes you by surprise!
So I think that is it ... there are a thousand little things of course, but on this journey of becoming more grateful this year, these are the big things.
Have a wonderful Thanksgiving!
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