Thanksgiving is once again upon us. It really doesn't feel Thanksgivingish! There may be a couple reasons for this. First, it was about 80 degrees outside today. I wore flip flops. Not that I am complaining...I love it!!! Another reason might be that I am not making the nine hour drive from Asheville to Mississippi this year. Nothing says Happy Thanksgiving like sitting in Knoxville traffic the day before Thanksgiving. Again, I am not complaining. I won't be missing that drive this year!
So, in honor of Thanksgiving, I thought I should give you a list of things I am thankful for. Not that anyone really cares but it's always fun to remind yourself of all the blessings that God has poured on you! Here is my thankful Thanksgiving list:
1. Salvation. I am thankful that Jesus rescued me from myself and my from my sin some fifteen years ago. I honestly wouldn't be here without His love and that loving rescue.
2. My family. It's cliche, I know, but I am so thankful for the people that have helped shape me and loved me and supported me. I am excited to spend the next few days with most of them. I will be missing my sister and her family! I like to say that my family puts the fun in dysfunctional and in a lot of ways it is true but I love them so very much!
3. My friends. New and old. I am thankful that God has blessed me with many meaningful friendships in the past and I can see that He is deepening many for the future. I am even thankful for the friendships lost over the years because I know God has used them in my life to teach me many things!
4. My job. Yep, for as much as I complain about it at times, I am thankful to have a job that I enjoy (most days) and one that pays the bills. I pray that God would use me to make an eternal impact on the students I get to work with.
5. Comforts. I am thankful for the comforts of a home (of which I sorta have two...anyone want to buy a condo?), a bed, food on the table (most of which my mom is cooking for me...again not complaining), nice clothes, a car....the list goes on and on but I am thankful for the material things God has blessed me with. I hope I can be a good steward of them.
6. My girls. Yep, they are all in college now and I live too many hours away from them now but I am still so thankful for them. I am thankful that I got to be a part of their lives. I am thankful for the growth that I have gotten to witness in them. I am thankful that I still get phone calls or texts or skype dates asking for guidance and celebrating victories. I am thankful that I have gotten to walk with some through intense trials and walk with others to a moment of salvation.
7. Lola. It may sound crazy but I am so very thankful for my dog. She is my baby. She is precious. She is spoiled rotten and I love her so much!
I am sure there is so much more I have to be thankful for and I am. These are the highlights. I have, without a doubt, been blessed beyond measure and have been given the abundant life God promises!
Happy Thanksgiving!
Tuesday, November 23, 2010
Sunday, November 7, 2010
Reasons....
I have been thinking over the last few weeks that I am starting to understand, partially at least, why God brought me to Mississippi. I guess it become clearer with every day. The more I understand, the easier this transition becomes.
I always knew family was the main reason I moved here but I am beginning to see that play out. It's funny. I moved here thinking things like, "I can be there for my mom." "My mom needs to have someone around." "I can help my grandparents as they are getting older." But the truth is, I need my family.
Because of this move, I get to be a part of my grandpa's last memories. See, Tepaw (that's my grandpa) isn't doing so well. Every time I see him he is a little worse (or a lot). I can't imagine being in Asheville worrying that my next visit at Christmas or Spring break would be too late and he would no longer remember me. So now I get to see him and he still remembers me. He may not remember that I am not in college anymore and he may not remember that I have moved back to Mississippi but he knows me. He even knows when I am upset and it still upsets him to see his baby granddaughter upset. That means something.
Because of this move, my mom gets to come to my classroom. She came to my school a couple weeks ago. She didn't stay long but my kids got to meet her and she got to meet all the babies I talk about. That hasn't EVER happened before. Because I am their "mama away from their mama" she became their Grammy and that's what they called her! That means something.
Because of this move, I get to have Mother/Daughter dates. Yesterday, my mom and I went to Mistletoe Marketplace with my friend Kristi and her mom. We walked around and shopped with about a million other people. We had lunch and talked. For the last eight years I have been a third wheel on Mother/Daughter dates. I am not complaining. I have several other mothers now because of it and they all took very good care of me. But nothing compares to your own mama! That means something.
So things are becoming clearer. I am starting to make friends. No, they aren't my Asheville friends, but we have fun and we laugh. And I know God will build those friendships. God blessed me pretty quickly with a friend at school because God knows what I need way better than I do. I probably would not have made it without Kristi! He knows what we need when we need it! That means something!
I am sure there are other reasons I am here. I am sure many of those reasons won't be revealed to me for a while. For now, I will just cling to the ones I know and hope God uses me here!
I always knew family was the main reason I moved here but I am beginning to see that play out. It's funny. I moved here thinking things like, "I can be there for my mom." "My mom needs to have someone around." "I can help my grandparents as they are getting older." But the truth is, I need my family.
Because of this move, I get to be a part of my grandpa's last memories. See, Tepaw (that's my grandpa) isn't doing so well. Every time I see him he is a little worse (or a lot). I can't imagine being in Asheville worrying that my next visit at Christmas or Spring break would be too late and he would no longer remember me. So now I get to see him and he still remembers me. He may not remember that I am not in college anymore and he may not remember that I have moved back to Mississippi but he knows me. He even knows when I am upset and it still upsets him to see his baby granddaughter upset. That means something.
Because of this move, my mom gets to come to my classroom. She came to my school a couple weeks ago. She didn't stay long but my kids got to meet her and she got to meet all the babies I talk about. That hasn't EVER happened before. Because I am their "mama away from their mama" she became their Grammy and that's what they called her! That means something.
Because of this move, I get to have Mother/Daughter dates. Yesterday, my mom and I went to Mistletoe Marketplace with my friend Kristi and her mom. We walked around and shopped with about a million other people. We had lunch and talked. For the last eight years I have been a third wheel on Mother/Daughter dates. I am not complaining. I have several other mothers now because of it and they all took very good care of me. But nothing compares to your own mama! That means something.
So things are becoming clearer. I am starting to make friends. No, they aren't my Asheville friends, but we have fun and we laugh. And I know God will build those friendships. God blessed me pretty quickly with a friend at school because God knows what I need way better than I do. I probably would not have made it without Kristi! He knows what we need when we need it! That means something!
I am sure there are other reasons I am here. I am sure many of those reasons won't be revealed to me for a while. For now, I will just cling to the ones I know and hope God uses me here!
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