Practicing Gratitude

So? Are all y'all ready for Christmas yet?? I'm totally not.

I think I promise myself every year that I will be DONE all my preparations by the time December rolls around, but I don't think that's ever actually happened. In fact, most often there are some gifts that have to wait to be purchased until we get to The Big City to celebrate with our families. Hardly even makes sense to wrap them because they're only in my possession for a few minutes before gift-opening time!!

My girls have a long weekend this week, so we will be doing our decorating then... and maybe some baking, if I'm all ambitious-like!  I'll set up the tree and string the lights Thursday night after they're in bed (because that's always an adventure when they want to hang ornaments before the branches are even fluffed out!) and then we'll tackle the rest of the décor on Friday.

I'm thankful for the excitement that comes with Christmas decorating!  Growing up, I used to hardly be able to wait to put up the tree with MY mom, and I love it that my girls eagerly anticipate it, too.  I'm also grateful we're out of the stage where every single ornament gets hung on the SAME branch...  :)

I'm thankful for their growing understanding of the stories in each Jesse Tree devotional.  It's awesome to see how they piece things together and I love the discussions that so often arise after the day's reading.

I'm thankful that though I am far from crafty, I DO have SOME creative juices flowing in my veins!  The walls in the corner of the dining room where we have our Jesse Tree had old achievement awards hiding some rather large paint chips left from popsicle sticks that had been glued onto the wall in the girls' younger years.  I really needed something else on the walls because the certificates were quite out-dated, but the bottom half of the wall is not generally where you want to hang pictures!  Then I had a moment of brilliance and decided to cover some cardboard rectangles with wrapping paper, ribbons and bows, and now I've got 5 Christmas presents on the wall behind the tree.  I love how it looks!  Of course, once Christmas is over, I'll have to figure out something else, but I'll worry about that next month!  (suggestions are always welcome, too!)

I'm grateful for good music and the "Yuletide Fireplace" channel that makes my home feel more festive somehow! Our woodstove is in the basement, so other than the delicious warmth, it does nothing for mood-setting in our home, and though I tend to prefer silence when I'm home by myself during the day, at this time of year, I love having the TV tuned to that channel in the background. Goofy, I know.

Mostly, I'm thankful for the increased feeling of joy, wonder, and anticipation this season always brings.  I know we have so much to be thankful for year round, but there's no denyin' it ~ we tend to FEEL it more this time of year.

 

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Stumped. In a good way!

A shoot will come up from the stump of Jesse; from his roots a Branch will bear fruit. ~ Isa. 11:1

I'm so excited to be starting our Jesse Tree again this week!  (I originally thought we'd be starting tomorrow, the first day of the Advent season, but after we hunted down and cut the perfect branch to put into the stump, I dug out the book and realized we don't actually start till Tuesday!!  Oops.) Of course, it won't look like this just yet, but by Christmas day it will!

Since I started blogging 4-1/2 years ago, I think I've seen this idea surface every Advent season. Though I liked this particular way of counting down to Christmas, I didn't really know where to start.  There were many online resources, but many required buying or making a bunch of ornaments.  I didn't want to spend a lot of money and I'm decidedly UN-crafty!

But last year, Ann Voskamp created an e-book that she made available. For FREE. Naturally, I was sold! Honestly, I'm not really a big fan of her writing style and I often shorten her long, wordy sentences when I'm reading the devotionals, but I do love having an all-in-one (and did I mention FREE??) resource to use.  Even all the graphics are included.  All I had to do was print them out, cut 'em up, glue them onto cardstock, and tie on some ribbon.  (which is about the extent of my crafty-ness!)

I love how each day begins with a reading from God's Word, a journey through the Old Testament, giving a better overview of history ~ His story ~ each story pointing towards the coming Messiah.  I also like how there's a little practical element at the end of each devotional.  Last year, because we started only two weeks before Christmas and had to double- and triple-up our readings, I didn't bother much with those.  But because we're actually starting on time this year, I hope to focus a little more on those suggestions of how to apply the lesson to our daily lives and share Christ's love in our homes and abroad.

If you're interested in starting a new Christmas tradition and would like to check out the e-book, click here and follow the download instructions. I hope it will be a blessing to you and your family as you prepare your hearts for Christmas!

 

Welcome to TRIPLE F!!

That's Forgotten Foto Friday, in case you're wondering! Where we dig through our memory cards and hard drives to find pictures we liked or were significant but somehow got forgotten, and finally share them with the world in a delightfully random post!

Are you ready to play along this week??

Here's a few from my computer:

"Doin' corn" is a family affair!

The shadow of a jet contrail against the clear sky.  Not sure how there can be a shadow projected against thin air, but here's the evidence that it CAN be done!!

Self-portrait of me with the cordless drill, rearranging the shelves in this closet!  In the process of giving that closet a DESPERATELY-needed sorting and organizing, I decided to move the shelves from the wall I'm facing to the wall behind me in order to work better with the way the door opens.

It worked beautifully, by the way, and I didn't even hurt myself!! And now, two months later, I'm pleased to report the shelves are still doing their job AND my closet is still neat and tidy!!
So what forgotten gems are hiding on YOUR camera or computer?? Wanna share them? Link up below and show them off!

(Please enter the URL for the specific post you wish to share, not your blog address. This way, even though you may have posted a few other things since linking here, people will still be directed to your Triple F post rather than having to try and hunt it down. Thanks for playing along!)

 

Happy Thanksgiving, America!

Twas the night of Thanksgiving, But I just couldn’t sleep.
I tried counting backwards, I tried counting sheep
The leftovers beckoned — The dark meat and white,
But I fought the temptation with all of my might.

Tossing and turning with anticipation…
The thought of a snack became infatuation…
So I raced to the kitchen, Flung open the door,
And gazed at the fridge full of goodies galore.
I gobbled up turkey and buttered potatoes,
Pickles and carrots, beans and tomatoes.

I felt myself swelling so plump and so round,
Till all of a sudden, I rose off the ground !!
I crashed through the ceiling. Floating into the sky…
With a mouthfull of pudding and a handful of pie,
But I managed to yell as I sored past the trees…

HAPPY EATING TO ALL ~
PASS THE CRANBERRIES PLEASE!!

~ found at Heaven Sent

 

Practicing Gratitude

This has been a big week around here. We had a major decision to make. A part-time job offer from out of the blue was dropped right into my lap. It was the perfect job for me. Even the hours would have been workable as far as the girls' school days are concerned.

But I ended up turning it down because of their non-school days.

It's really no use being their stay-at-home mom on the days they're in school if they have to go to a babysitter for most of the days they don't have school.

We could have made Christmas and Spring Break work, but summer... not so much.

But I'm thankful for the opportunity; thankful I was wanted. (I'm even a little thankful they sounded so disappointed when I gave them my decision!)

I'm thankful I desired my husband's input, was willing to accept his final decision, and that it confirmed my own feelings.

I'm thankful he desires that his girls have a stay-at-home mom more than he desires extra money, even though it would have made life much easier in that sense.

I'm thankful I had people praying for us as we wrestled with the decision.

I'm thankful for peace, even though it was hard to let go of the promise of significant additional income.

I'm thankful for the fresh perspective this has given me about how I do my jobs of housewife-ing, stay-at-home mother-ing, and housekeeping.

I'm thankful for the opportunity to explain to my girls how "unfair in our favour" life has been as we were packing our Operation Christmas Child shoeboxes tonight, and there were complaints about them not getting to keep some of the goodies for themselves.

I'm thankful for a great God, the Sustainer of life, who has blessed us so richly...

...that we might BE a blessing to others.

 * Click the TT button at the top of the post to visit our hostess and other thankful bloggers!

Forgotten Photo Friday

Man, I just don't post photos the way I used to here on the ol' blawg.  I miss that!  But I also don't post nearly as much as I used to either.  So I've decided to try publishing a short photo post each week, just to share some of my favourites that, for whatever reason, never made it off the hard drive...

Captain, we are cleared for take-off.



Girls wanted a picture with daddy before he had to shave his beard for work earlier this fall.



November sunrise.



Amazing how kittens instinctively know where the warmest spots for sleeping are! She just hopped right up there without hesitation and took herself a nice long cat-nap!



Are there any forgotten photos on YOUR camera or computer??



It's short notice today, I know. But be sure to dig out and share your forgotten photos next Friday!

 

Practicing Gratitude

Can you believe we're already in the SECOND HALF OF NOVEMBER??!  Seriously, I feel like I'm losing time somewhere in between Monday and Friday each week ~ like Tuesday, Wednesday, or Thursday (or any combination of the three) ~ just aren't consistently showing up anymore!!

Normally, the frighteningly rapid passage of time is not something I appreciate, but with the snow on the ground now and no melting in sight for the next 4-5 months, I'm fine with time speeding by...  Grateful, even!!  ;)

I'm SO thankful for a wonderful reason to celebrate down in The Big City with family this past weekend ~ one of The 'Man's sweet sisters got married!  It was a LOT of work, but so worth it.  And I'm grateful I sucked it up and decided at the last minute to emcee the reception.  I'd originally said yes, but then kinda chickened out because while public speaking doesn't intimidate me, ad libbing DOES!!  Hubby had said he'd do it, so I knew I had a substitute, but then literally the night before the wedding, after we were back at my parents' place recuperating from a day of decorating, I made the decision to go for it.  And it was fun!  I could laugh at my mistakes without getting flustered, get a few laughs without having a script to follow, and judging by the compliments I got afterwards, I did a good job.  I'm so thankful to have had the opportunity to serve and participate in her wedding ~ she is, after all, one of my closest friends.

And I'm so grateful for an awesome afternoon and evening of shopping with my fashion-savvy cousin/sister-in-law when we first got into the city.  I needed a dress and accessories for the wedding and she helped me find the perfect one ~ plus a shrug, tights, and necklace to go with it. All for under $50, taxes included!!!! (Too bad there are no pictures of me in it!) We shopped for roughly FIVE HOURS, had supper at the mall, and had a lot of fun together.  Since enjoying more than five minutes of shopping is already unusual for me, this was downright extra-ordinary! Thanks again, Andrea! ♥

I'm thankful the drive home Monday afternoon/evening went well.  We ran into weather, visibility, and road issues about 2/3 of the way home and it was pretty dicey for about half an hour, but the rest of the trip was fine.  We hardly lost any time at all.

And I'm so thankful to be home.  As much as I love visiting our families and getting away from home for a while, I sure do love to come back...

...and sleep in my own bed!!

 * Click the TT button at the top of the post to visit our hostess and other thankful bloggers!

Jesus' Little Light

This is another repost from a year ago. I was going through my archives a while back and this is another one that caught my eye. It's a little too early (in my opinion, anyway!) to be focusing on Christmas just yet, but EVERY day is the right day to focus on The Light of the World...

Last year I bought myself a Christmas decoration ~ it's the word "LOVE" with a small, lit nativity scene within the "O." It was on sale after Christmas and I had just enough gift money left over to purchase it.

Of course, since it was only purchased after Christmas, it didn't arrive in time to display last year and it's been sitting in storage for the last 10 months. Last Sunday, I decided to slowly ease into Christmas and broke out some of the seasonal CD's. On Tuesday, I brought out the never-before-displayed crêche.

The girls LOVED it. It was already dark outside, so I flipped the little switch to illuminate the scene. They were mesmerized and for the next two days, I had problems getting them to keep their hands off it.

Thursday morning, after the girls' alarm had gone off, li'l Fidget came down the stairs to use the bathroom, but when she got down to the still-dark main floor of our home, I heard a little gasp and then she came running to the office where I was finishing up my quiet time.

"Mom!" she said with eyes wide in excitement, "you could put Jesus' little light on?! 'Cause it's DARK out there!!"

I laughed and told her that if she was careful, she could tilt it back and flip the switch. While she ran off to do just that, I couldn't help but wish...

...I felt the same excitement every morning at the prospect of BEING "Jesus' little light" and shining into the darkness.

 

Remembering

*I posted this a year ago, but as I read over it a few days ago, I decided I couldn't say it much better or differently, so I decided to share it again this Remembrance Day.

Today I'm thankful for freedom.

I tried to find a poem fitting to share, but just couldn't find one that said what I wanted to say, that felt how I feel, that believed what I believe.



I know we take soldiers for granted. I know we take our liberties and luxuries for granted. I believe, without having lived under combat conditions, it is impossible to comprehend the sacrifices thousands upon thousands have made to promote and preserve democracy around the world.

I believe, in our land and time of peace, it is impossible to fully appreciate what freedom really means. I think that's why it's so easy to point fingers, to complain, and to make all sorts of assumptions and accusations regarding war, the causes of war, the consequenses of war.

I get so sick and tired of the uproar that's caused whenever a soldier comes home in a flag-draped coffin. The inquests and inquiries and public outrage make me sick. Why can't we just gratefully accept the death for the gift of life it bears for us? The freedom it affords us? Why must the streets be lined with angry protesters instead of respectful mourners, heads bowed in reverence and thanks?

I know some argue that we have no place fighting certain battles, but we tend to forget that our soldiers don't just fight for OUR peace and freedom. They help others fight for theirs as well. Those who are oppressed by their own governments, those who are ruled by sadistic dictators and evil despots ~ innocent and poor and unable to escape their lot in life.

Sure, sometimes our governments stick their noses where they don't belong, and yes, it's an incalculable loss when young men and women die, especially for causes that are not particularly near and dear to our hearts, and that we don't understand. But I choose to be thankful anyway.



Thankful someone was willing to become a soldier, to bear arms, so I wasn't forced to.

Thankful someone was willing to fight so I could stay here to enjoy the peace.

Thankful someone was willing to sacrifice the comforts of home so I could continue to enjoy the comforts of my home, the embrace of my family.

Thankful someone was willing to die in my place. And in the place of countless others.

I choose to honour the fallen instead of being angry. I choose to remember instead of disrespecting their sacrifice.

And I choose to be grateful for the countless freedoms they helped ensure.

Practicing Gratitude

Happy Thankful day!!

I trust this past week has been filled with things to be thankful for, like mine has. It might not be anything huge, like a miraculous healing or a promotion at work when you thought you were actually going to lose your job. Maybe it's something smaller...

Like your husband loves making you laugh and knows exactly how to make it happen.

Or like your girls are excited about practicing special songs to play on the piano at the church Christmas program.

Maybe after 24 hours of howling winds and swirling snow, the sun came out and turned your yard into a sea of diamonds.

Or maybe it's something like your youngest daughter pouring out her heart in her bedtime prayers, pleading with God to restore her dying kitten to health. And waking up the next morning to find the cat as good as new.

Or like having so much food in the cupboards and freezer to choose from, that you can shake your head in frustration and run to the store for something else because "there's nothing to eat in this house."

We don't have this much snow (yet), but I love how
you can see the "diamonds" in this shot from last year.

Or like the constant, enveloping warmth of the woodstove fire in the basement that keeps your house toasty even on the coldest, windiest days in winter.

Or maybe it's just that you woke up this morning with a fresh start ~ that God gave you one more chance to live for Him.

It really is the little things, isn't it? Miracles are indescribably wonderful, but cultivating a contented, grateful heart starts with recognizing the simple blessings that surround us each day. I hope you'll realize just how many grace your day today.

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