this day

Dew and rain, bless the Lord

Frost and chill, bless the Lord

Ice and snow, bless the Lord

Nights and days, bless the Lord

Light and darkness, bless the Lord

Lightnings and clouds, bless the Lord

Let the earth bless the Lord, priase and exalt him above all forever.

         Daniel 3:68-74

Thanksgiving morning

up at 6:30
not to put the turkey in or begin that wonderful smell I can remember waking to as a child...

I do not need to cook this year, we are going to my wonderful husband's family home...to celebrate with all 28 members of our family...
and all I have to do is bring sweet potato casserole for 28?!?

[I am thankful that his step-mom loves us, as her own, allllll of us.... She opens her home and her ovens continually as we come and celebrate birthdays, holidays...any day...
She especially loves this day, Thanksgiving!
And I am happy to just go and be there and help clean up this year...Especially since she is kind enough to include 3 members of  'my family' who have recently moved into the area.]

I am thankful for the quiet dark of morning, the way the colours begin to gradually come into the day...for the silence...and then for the stray sound of one or two single birds who linger still at this time of year.
I am thankful for waking up in our warm bed...safe still, from the moment I crawled in, the night before...
Nothing happened to even rouse us in the night...
My hubby still sleeps beside me, in our favorite place in the world, truly it doesn't take much!

I am thankful  that two of our children are home for the holiday and sleeping once again in their beds...
and the other one is  just steps away living his college years, safely in our garage apartment...
and the one who is so far away is in love, and happy...and will skype with us today!

I am thankful  for the simple abundance of just those few things.

Having my husband sick at this time for two years in a row...
and having worked with hospice and the hospital this past year...
I know you don't always get to sleep and wake in your own bed...
and sometimes you don't know if you will wake in the morning...

Last Thanksgiving... we had the blessing of my mom being here for the first time...in our married life,  but only because her marriage was destroyed when her husband left her after 30 years, at 65 years of age!?!?

Nothing is a given.
Our relationships...
The breath  we breathe...
our very lives
are daily gifts...

The security we live in, walk in, the fact that we can walk...
[I am thankful that my feet don't hurt anymore!?!? plantar fasciaitis]

And just the attitude of gratefulness is a gift.
I've seen people who can hardly breath, grateful just to still be alive...
[Wondering why they have to suffer and make the ones around them, who they love suffer...]
but grateful
not bitter.
I've seen young people who should be thankful, with the attitutde of  anger and distrust...

And I've seen God in these days of our lives break that anger and release that trust and bring them back into love and gratitude
for this day...