Happy Thanksgiving Day!

Happy Thanksgiving Day, everyone! One of our traditions is to read Psalm 100, which we did this morning:

"Make a joyful shout to the Lord, all you lands!
Serve the Lord with gladness;
Come before His presence with singing.
Know that the Lord, He is God;
It is He who has made us, and not we ourselves;
We are His people and the sheep of His pasture.
Enter into His gates with thanksgiving,
And into His courts with praise.
Be thankful to Him, and bless His name.
For the Lord is good;
His mercy is everlasting,
And His truth endures to all generations."

Despite difficulties, slow progress, and anxieties, God is there to still us with His peace and love, to give us hope, to give us His strong and reliable arm to lean on. We are not alone, and we can never be shaken or separated from the love which is through Jesus Christ! Blessed be His name!

PSALM 40:5: “Many, O LORD my God, are thy wonderful works which thou hast done, and thy thoughts which are to us-ward: they cannot be reckoned up in order unto thee: if I would declare and speak of them, they are more than can be numbered.” 

The Day Before Thanksgiving

It was the day before Thanksgiving,
And all through the house
Everyone was stirring,
Even the odd mouse.

;)

Well, we did get naps in today after lunch, but otherwise it was
pretty busy, yet with a cozy and cheerful atmosphere. I made a
chalkboard sign for the mantel that says "Give Thanks unto the
Lord," (based on one I saw online) and we scattered gourds,
leaves, etc. up there along with it.

Mom had decided to have a simple Thanksgiving meal a day early.
We’ll have a dessert later in the week. We had a delicious turkey
that Mom cooked with a lemon and onion stuffed inside. And
mashed potatoes and gravy and green beans as sides. Oh, and the
old family treat: canned pears with peanut-butter, mayonnaise,
and maraschino cherry on lettuce leaf (I insisted on using cottage
cheese instead of mayo, and no cherry for me). We each said
something we were thankful for, which included Mom, food,
and children.

We're getting ready to watch Alfred Hitchcock's The Lady Vanishes
for a relaxing (?) end to the day.

Thankful List

I was going to post photos of the things we bought at the book store and thrift store, and I will if anyone's interested . . . but I read this verse recently and have been musing over how much I enjoy "things," getting more excited over them than perhaps the Word of God or glorying in Him.

And He said to them, “Take heed and beware of covetousness, for one’s life does not consist in the abundance of the things he possesses.” - Luke 12:15

And though I can be thankful for earthly gifts, they shouldn't be my focus, or they at least should be directed in praise toward God.  Also, are the underlying reasons for posting pics of things really to help others be thankful, or to boast in my own "good fortune"?  And might that not make others covetous, or eager to go out and get their own bargains, when they should be focused on the blessings they already have?

So, I think instead of posting pics (at least for now), I'll post a list of blessings, and hopefully it will inspire your own list, not lust. Though we may not have all the same gifts, we all have things for which to be thankful.

1. Salvation in Jesus Christ!
2. An inheritance incorruptible, reserved in heaven for us.
3. Peace which passes all understanding.  Really.
4. A giving and forgiving family.
5. Sweet and godly friends, who gift us unexpectedly, but most of all who laugh with and love us.
6. Music - from Christian hymns, songs, and spiritual songs, to Classical melodies that give joy.
7. Food, and the ability to taste.
8. Good books - above all, the Word of God, without which we would be quite clueless!
9. Good preachers and sermons which encourage and instruct.
10. Sight, and the beauty still left in the world, of which we are not worthy.
11. Scent, which also helps in taste.
12. Warmth in a cold climate (heaters, tea, etc).
13. A/C for the hot months.
14. Animals, which add sweet companionship and beauty to life.
15. Plants & trees to shade and beautify.
16. Memory and the ability to think.
17. A roof over my head.
18. Land and water.
19. Air to breathe (mostly fresh air)! :)
20. Correction and forgiveness from the Lord, day by day.
21. Work and occasional money for it.
22. Light / the sun.
23. Joy and laughter.
24. Times of darkness and illness to help draw us to the Lord and empathize with others.
25. Clocks to keep us on time and remind us life is fleeting.

I could go on. What would you add?

Count Your Many Blessings

 

 Nothing can compare with this Book, yet sometimes we take it for granted. It has always been there, the Book that we love . . . yet do we?  May it be so!  What a wonder it is to have survived, and what a wonder to know it is the inspired Word of God, applicable to our modern-day lives!

Tea...birds...cozy blankets. Little gifts from God that are especially enjoyable this time of year.

A well-stocked bookshelf is much appreciated.  I need to weed out some of my old, yesteryear-loved books that are not so brilliant as I once thought, but I am blessed by having gotten some good deals and having some great old books from my dear father. (This is not my bookshelf in the photo, by the way.)

We have an abundance of deer around our place, and they are so interesting and fun to watch, especially when the little fawns are running around!

 There are so many more things I am thankful for...
The great grace of God
A wonderful church family and messages
Family
Letters from far off friends
Sunsets
Nieces and nephews
Paint and art
Reliable transportation
Freedom of speech, etc.
Family coming for Thanksgiving...

 What are you thankful for?

This Year

I am thankful to God for a wonderful year in 2010! May this year be one of higher growth and deeper love for God. Here are some of the highlights of the year (I'm sorry for the lack of pictures).

January:

• Went ice skating
• Got together with friends from church
  

February:

• Had a needed root canal performed
• Began to teach watercolor classes!
• Listened to Evenings with Victoria Botkin
  

March:

• Godly advice from family & friends
  
• Made wheat noodles with friends

April:

• Camped in Big Bend National Park

May:

• Bought a big batch of tomatoes and made ketchup, etc.

June:

• Joel, Charity, Harmony, and Autumn visited
• My first time to play the piano at church in TX
  

July:

• The Baby Conference with Vision Forum - great speeches and visiting with friends
• A family came over for lunch and hymn singing after church
• We went to watch a movie (Hymns and History) that friends made. They were gracious enough to use my painting of Martin Luther in it.
  

August:

• Mr. and Mrs. Castillo visited!
• We went to the Animal Safari with them
• Had another Hispanic family over with Castillos and singing fun praise songs
• Went to a wedding shower for someone from church
• Went to the wedding of our friend, Cindy
  

September:

• Saw Joel, Charity, Charity's sister, and Charity's father at church
• Went to a lovely concert and auctioned a painting for Voice of the Martyrs fundraiser
  

October:

• Get together at the Phillips' house
• Hymn singing at our house after church with friends
• Writing classes with Mrs. Morecraft (begun in Sep., I believe)
  
• Writing poetry
• Painting and helping at the Manteufel's house
  

November:

• Went to The San Antonio Independent Christian Film Festival - very enjoyable!
• Joel & Charity visited us for a pre-Thanksgiving get-together at Michael & Grace's house, etc.
  
• Exchanged gifts with Joel & Charity and part of our family
  
• Annie and I traveled by car to Fort Worth with Joel and Charity
• We tented at a Chick-Fil-A grand opening in the cold!
• Talked quite a bit with Harmony, Charity's sister
• Went to another pre-Thanksgiving get-together with our cousins and uncle and aunt.
  
• Went to a 5-course demonstration dinner
• Annie and I rode back on the train--our first ride on one!
  

December

• Packed up to leave to a new part of the state!
• Watched & listened to episodes of Navigating History

What were your blessings of 2010?

'Open rebuke is better
Than love carefully concealed.
Faithful are the wounds of a friend,
But the kisses of an enemy are deceitful.
A satisfied soul loathes the honeycomb,
But to a hungry soul every bitter thing is sweet.'
-Proverbs 27:5-7

As hard as criticism can be, sometimes it is necessary, loving, and helpful. Have I finally learned this? Thanks to God, I have experienced some of it this last week, though I'm sure I won't always take rebuke well or listen to sound advice (neither did I take this well in every respect). It is both hard to give and receive reproof.

If you look up the word "rebuke" on someplace like www.biblegateway.com, you will find many references in relation to the wisdom of taking advice, especially in the Proverbs.

I hope I continue to listen, learn, and put into practice what I have heard and learned this week and always! God has been so good to put these people in my life, and to open my eyes to things I had not seen before in His law!

Of Long Life and God's Gifts

I just read an interesting article HERE, that might be helpful health-wise. Maybe I should stop eating supper....Of course, true long life (everlasting life!) comes through Jesus Christ. And other things in the Bible are mentioned in connection with long life.

'Honor your father and your mother, as the LORD your God has commanded you, that your days may be long, and that it may be well with you in the land which the LORD your God is giving you.' - Deuteronomy 5:16

'My son, do not forget my law,
But let your heart keep my commands;
For length of days and long life
And peace they will add to you.'
-Proverbs 3:1, 2

Are these speaking of long life on earth, or everlasting life, or both? I really am not sure. Long life on the earth is not the most important, as 1 Kings 3 and Proverbs testify. Wisdom, fear of God, is the principal thing.

'Wisdom is the principal thing;
Therefore get wisdom.'
-Proverbs 4:7

~~
Today I started a journal for thanksgiving and prayers and answers. Like the song "Count Your Blessings" says, if you count them, it will surprise you what the Lord has done--how much you really are blessed.

Thursday Thankfulness

I decided to try doing a day-by-day schedule on here, though of course I may have to miss a few days at times. Here's my idea for what might be going on throughout the week. If you have any other ideas, let me know.

Lord's Day: Lament/praise - Or just rest, more likely
Monday: Memory
Tuesday: Tips ? Things I've Been Working On
Wednesday: Weekly update
Thursday: Theological quotes, Thankfulness
Friday: Favorite Photos or Paintings
Saturday: Sonnet, Story, or Song

So, I'm going to write a list of things I'm especially thankful for right now. :)

* Friendship. Friends lend a beauty to life, in their encouragement, laughter, and love. The Bible says that to have friends we must ourselves be friendly. I've always struggled with being friendly, thinking maybe it meant being outgoing. And while being outgoing helps, we shy people can definitely have friends. A little effort and a helpful, cheerful attitude go a long way, even if we don't say a lot.

* The time of conversation and enjoyment with friends we had today. The lunch and everything went off smoothly, and we really enjoyed being with two sweet, friendly ladies as they talked, shared, and worked with Mom's hair. And tomorrow, Lord willing, we'll see them again, along with some other friends, for a night of games and fellowship. Earlier this week some of our dear friends showed us how they grind wheat and make beautiful bread with it.

* My talents, and that I can use them for the Lord. I need to use them more for Him, too. But I'm thankful that He gave me such enjoyable talents to work with, such as art and music.

* That my watercolor painting wasn't ruined when I spilled water on it! (The water landed on the light part of the sky.)

* This lovely house that we are able to rent.

* The strength to clean and cook, and the desire to do so, which is a slowly-growing thing. I used to pretty much hate working, but the Lord has put a new heart in me. I still lack some motivation and discipline (and have lapses), but thank the Lord I am changing at all.

* The Word of God, both the literal words written by men inspired by the Holy Spirit, and the living Word Himself, Jesus. He is a very present help, the only way to the Father, the Redeemer of our souls. He is glorious in all His ways!