Thankful During Thanksgiving

I’m sad to say that the first Thursday I’ve missed in writing “Thankful Thursday” posts was Thanksgiving, the day our nation takes time off to be thankful. BUT, I’m thankful that throughout this past Thanksgiving week that I really haven’t spent much time at all on the computer, and that a large portion of the time that I have spent on the computer has been spent looking up recipes for family meals or looking at family photos.

Every year I’m more appreciative of the blessings that I have in my life. I’m blessed with a beautiful family. I’m thankful that my husband is leading our home to be centered on God. I’m blessed spiritually (Ephesians 1:3) because I’ve been baptized into Christ Jesus. I’m blessed by my spiritual family (the church), and I’m blessed to be able to labor with them in the Lord.  I’m blessed physically with a house (much more than we need), a warm bed on cool nights, clothing, and plenty to eat. And, even with some of the awful things that we see in our nation, I am blessed to be living in this Great Nation.

I hope you and yours had a wonderful Thanksgiving!

A New Perspective of Thankfulness

I wanted to publish this post on Father’s Day, but things came up, and I didn’t get it completed by then. In times past, I probably wouldn’t have written the post since I missed my *deadline* but I’m really trying to go with the flow a little more these days, and to not let things like my artificial deadline deter me from getting things done that I really want to get done. Now that I’ve gotten past all the rambling . . . my thoughts:

I’ve always been thankful for my family; well, at least from the time that I knew how to be thankful for such things. I was thankful that I had a home that had two parents. I was thankful that my parents made time for my sister and me, and that they were always involved in my life. I was thankful that my home was focused on God, and that I was raised in a Christian environment.  I could continue on about some many other things that I was thankful for in regards to my home and upbringing.  I truly was blessed by the home that I grew up in.

However, now that I’m a parent myself and as I watch my husband parent, the level of thanksgiving and respect that I have for my parents has increased dramatically. It is hard work being a parent (I’ve said this before) and I don’t even have a teenager yet (or close for that matter!). I am so thankful that my parents made their job of parenting a priority in their lives.  Although I am far from perfect, I know that I wouldn’t be the person I am today if my parents hadn’t done the things they did for me.

I initially thought about all of this because I was thinking about Father’s Day, and how blessed I am that my husband is the father of my children. Although I always expected him to be a great father, seeing him in action as a father is amazing to me. I have learned so much from him, and I look forward every day to our journey in parenthood together. I am so thankful to have a home that is dedicated to God and serving Him first.

Happy Father’s Day to fathers everywhere, but especially my dad and my husband! The world needs more strong dads like you!

(To see last year's "D-A-D" shot click here!)

Our Thanksgiving Meal

I've certainly always enjoyed eating our Thanksgiving meal, but as I've gotten older I've found that I also greatly enjoying preparing the meal as well. This year we have the privilege of hosting Thanksgiving at our home, so I'm busy preparing the menu, making sure to include everyone's favorites. Here's our typical Thanksgiving menu:

• Turkey
• Ham
• Cornbread dressing - my favorite dish of the meal!
• Mashed potatoes. I'm thinking I might try Pioneer Woman's recipe and make them a day ahead of time.
• Sweet potatoes. I use this Tyler Florence recipe, minus the bananas and I substitute marshmallows for the crumb topping.
• Crescent rolls
• Fruit salad
• Green Beans
• Corn
• Gravy
• Cranberry sauce
• Dessert
• Our desserts vary from year to year. I think I might try this pumpkin cheesecake recipe this year.

What will your Thanksgiving meal include?

On a side note, please continue to bare with me as I'm changing the look of my blog a bit. It still isn't looking quite like I want it to look yet!

Thankful!

If you've read my idea behind this blog, you might think that I'm dissatisfied with my life considering all the things that I really want to change. However, that is not the case at all! I love my life! I am blessed in more ways than I can count!
I've been contemplating what to type next for many days now, because I am thankful for so many things it is hard to them all into words,and honestly, I can't. Here are a few of the many, many things for which I am so thankful!

• God: We are on this earth because God saw fit to create us. We are able to spend an eternity in heaven with Him, if we are obedient to His Word, because He sent His Only Son for us.
• The Bible: I am so thankful that God gave us His revealed Word!
• The availability of prayer: It is such a comfort to be able to communicate with God.
• Spiritual family: I cannot begin to describe the blessing of my spiritual family. My brothers and sisters in Christ surround me, and we help each other on our journey to heaven.
• Physical family: I am thankful for parents who raised me in the Lord. I am thankful for a strong Christian husband, who constantly challenges me and makes me a better person. I am thankful for my beautiful baby girl, and the blessing that she has been to me.
• Friends: I am thankful for friends that I can laugh until I cry with and who also encourage me.
• And many, many more things I don't have the time to list.

I hope you had a wonderful Thanksgiving! What are you thankful for?