How could I forget to post this [another] Thankful Note earlier when we were all sharing our daily thoughts as we moved into the official season of Giving Thanks? I hope you can still benefit from it now as we dive into This Glorious Season of Celebrating Christ otherwise known as Christmastime.
[November 21,2012] This is the moment on the day before the official day of THANKSGIVING [when I pause before jumping head first into CHRISTMAS] and catch my breath, visually take in all that is around me and ask the Holy Spirit again to 'create in me a clean heart and renew a right spirit' and a THANKFUL HEART. We do need reminders don't we? I do for sure. satan [ no capital S for satan] would destroy and erase all thankfulness from my being..but he cannot. To God be the Glory!
- Faith -Family-Friends-Flowers: Our cup runs over
- I am full of thankfulness for so much.. We are definitely not rich. We do not have money. But honestly even as satan tries to remind me of the luxuries I cannot access, the trips we cannot take, the sights we will never see, the luxuries we cannot share with one another ...I resist. There is truly nothing material that we have need for. We have enough..indeed most often more than enough. My parents would look at our lives and think how 'rich' we are. I must admit I often feel that too.
We not only are never 'hungry' we have food we do not need in the freezer in our kitchen PLUS another freezer in storage outside. Now and then we "want" something we do not have [ice cream,etc] and we decide it is not a good thing or we choose to indulge for the moment. This is not need.
We have warm coats when we occasionally have really cold weather in the deep south. I must confess we have coats we do not need. Shame on us. Lord show me others who do need them.
I have 'warm socks' for walking around indoors -or to sleep in so my feet are not cold. But I can also tap that thermostat to make the house warmer if I choose. I am reminded that people in the northeast after hurricane Sandy need things to keep their hands and feet and heads warm. We are collecting these to send with the help of the Red Cross. Thank you Lord for showing us needs we can help fill.
Our children or their spouses all have jobs. Some wish they were in another job but they are working with hope of making beneficial changes in the near future. None are wealthy and deal with stretching their dollars but that's not POOR. I remember what poor is. This is not poor. Managing a tight budget is a challenge and can be discouraging but it is not poor and needy.
Our home is safe, warm/cool as needed. There are no leaks in the roof [at the moment]
Now we get to the 'frosting on the cake' blessings. We have extra bedrooms [for company] and spacious, pleasant outdoor space to enjoy seasonally for just the two of us or guests and by many standards a huge yard with sunshine & shade, flowers throughout the year that [w much work] make our hearts sing. We have space to enjoy family and friends and we enjoy this so much. So many people would consider themselves equally well off in life with a small fraction of the square footage we two senior citizens occupy, much less all the extras.
How thankful we are to be a part of a great ministry-fbc, Troy,Alabama. We are fed spiritually, encouraged by a loving fellowship with our S.S. classes and Bible Studies and Ministry staff.
Sometimes my Thankful Notes may seem to be redundant or never ending...thank you Lord for continuing to show me how blessed we are.
So glad you found Homewood and some of the cute shops. There is a lot to see around there not only in Homewood but also in some of the surrounding areas as well. It sounds though like the reason you were able to do that was because Ted needed more treatments. That must be so hard on you all. I'm glad you are able to find some joy in the journey though. Your eternal perspective is always inspiring!
ReplyDeleteLiz
I know I need reminders often! I need to remember to pray for a right spirit and pray it often! It's so easy to get caught up in life that I just forget to remember. I overlook that 'still small voice' and keep on with my agenda. Not the right way to go about things! Thanks for the reminder. Perfect timing for me!
ReplyDeleteWhat a wonderful list and I truly adore that you referred to some of your blessings as 'frosting on the cake' blessings...I am going to have to remember that. A inspiring and beautiful post, as always.
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