Thanksgiving has come and gone... oh the amount of work that goes into preparing this "event" but how I love it. Getting out the extra decorations, the special china that only see the light of day once a year, the crystal goblets that have made it one more year without one of children dropping one (yes its nutty but I love hearing that special chim)... preparing the foods... the rice, potatoes, salads and of course the Turkey. Never thought I could do a full blown turkey but so far its been working out pretty good - and no one has gotten sick!!!
My son and his beautiful girlfriend Kathy come over and we all sit around the table. Praise God my son gave me a table this year with extensions to make it longer - so we were able to open it all up this year and the joke was that we actually had to say "can you please pass the potatoes". Its just so special to be able to sit with my family (yes Kathy that includes you too) and to share a meal, to share blessings and to create memories.
One thing that I am continuously sharing with my children is how thankful and proud I am of them, and that I love them every single day. I know I have certain areas that I have to continue working on... the way I can describe it is that I am imperfect woman loved by a perfect God... and through His grace I am continuously working on those imperfections - many times I fall so very short that I just want to get an eraser and start over again... but praise God that He does give me another opportunity to start over again. One wonderful thing about my Lord and Savior is that He is always showering me with words of love and hope and encouragement... and this is what I want to pass on to my children and to my husband and all those who cross my path. I have to say its not easy - because our natural desire is to complain, to be critical, to want more, to nit pick, to have it be all about us... oh but my goal is to be able to speak words of affirmation and love.
God...the God who created the Heavens and the earth...
God said and there was...
and
He gifted us with that power...
Our words become the mirror in which others see themselves... Words are one of the most powerful forces in the universe, and amazingly, God has entrusted them to you and me...
Sharon Jaynes writes: "How desperately men and women long for an encouraging word. They need a cheerleader to tell them, You can do it!, Don't give up! They long for a fellow journeyman to bolster them up when the road is too arduous to travel alone. They yearn for teammates to rally behind them, reminding them they are not isolated in this game called life.
How long will our words echo in the hearts and minds of our child(ren), our husbands, our friends, fellow believers, and the world? For all eternity, to the end of the age."
Wow our words will echo in the hearts of our children, our husbands our loved ones for all eternity... our words leave such an impression.
So yes this Thanksgiving and each day I remind myself to let my Lord and Savior know how thankful I am to Him for the sacrifice He made, for His love, His grace, His mercy... and then I share with my loved ones how thankful I am for them... I want to fill their hearts, I want to pour these words into their hearts... to the point that it is spilling over so they can pour it into the lives of all who cross their path... that when I am gone my words will still echo for years to come of love, encouragement, and memories...
Sharon Jaynes writes: "How desperately men and women long for an encouraging word. They need a cheerleader to tell them, You can do it!, Don't give up! They long for a fellow journeyman to bolster them up when the road is too arduous to travel alone. They yearn for teammates to rally behind them, reminding them they are not isolated in this game called life.
How long will our words echo in the hearts and minds of our child(ren), our husbands, our friends, fellow believers, and the world? For all eternity, to the end of the age."
Wow our words will echo in the hearts of our children, our husbands our loved ones for all eternity... our words leave such an impression.
So yes this Thanksgiving and each day I remind myself to let my Lord and Savior know how thankful I am to Him for the sacrifice He made, for His love, His grace, His mercy... and then I share with my loved ones how thankful I am for them... I want to fill their hearts, I want to pour these words into their hearts... to the point that it is spilling over so they can pour it into the lives of all who cross their path... that when I am gone my words will still echo for years to come of love, encouragement, and memories...
