Thanksgiving is one of the most delightful holidays...I love taking some time to slow down and deliberately recollect all that we have been given. We usually host Thanksgiving at our house each year so I have the blessing of having people in my home. This year we'll have my mom, Dave's folks, Jeff and Becky's family and James. We had hoped to have a few of the other international students, but they ended up going elsewhere.
It's interesting how when you stop and think about all the things you are thankful for, there are so very few "things" on that list. Mostly it's relationships and other generally "free" gifts we've been given. That seems so contradictory to the Black Friday frenzy that seems to come earlier and earlier each year. I was talking with the international students the other day and asked if they knew about Black Friday. Surprisingly, they did, and many of them were very concerned about it...afraid that it was a dangerous time. :) Some of their families even cautioned them to not go shopping on that day for their safety! Crazy how much our consumerism has been shown around the world.
Anyways, here are some things I am daily grateful for...
New birth: Christ's great sacrifice on my behalf that I may be God's child
Family: living together side by side, day by day, with ups and downs, yet so very dear
Extended family: thankful that most live nearby, that they also know Christ
Friends: I have the very best friends in the world, thankful for their influence in my life
Creation: I never get over how beautiful this world is that we live in
Health: no major challenges or limitations
Books: that grow and delight and influence me, the amount of mentoring I have had through them
Necessities: a beautiful house to live in, cupboards and closets full, far more than I need
Senses: our amazing world is greatly magnified through them
Sound mind: the ability to think, create, dream, and interact
some pics from last Thanksgiving...I'll try and show today's pics, tomorrow
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