Thanksgiving is right around the corner

 

Wow. I haven't written much this year and I don't really know why other than the fact that I've been busy. It's a sad excuse and one I'm ashamed to admit, particularly since I love writing. 

It's hard to believe how fast the year has flown. My grandmother always used to say, "The older you get, the faster time flies." Boy, was she right. At almost 67, it seems I blink and the year is over. 

Thanksgiving will be in 9 days! It's a time of year I've always enjoyed but this year, it will be very different. Instead of getting to spend the day with my family, I'll be spending it with some of my husband's relatives. 

I'd posted on Facebook about our plans to spend the holiday alone this year since the kids were doing their own thing, and was pleasantly surprised when my husband's cousin reached out. Her invitation to have us join their family was unexpected but very welcomed. Since most of my husband's relatives are already deceased or live far away, we don't get to see them often other than at funerals and I felt it important to accept her gracious offer. It will definitely be different, especially since I don't know his side of the family well, but I'm sure we'll enjoy being with them and making new memories. 

I'm thankful I won't have to do all the meal prep this year, as I normally do. I won't have to scour the house making sure everything is clean and tidy before the kids and grands rush in. Instead, I'll make a couple of dishes to take with us and I'll get a chance to enjoy the day in a new way. Of course, I'll miss the banter and laughter that normally accompanies the kids when they arrive, but it might be nice to have a peaceful, quiet holiday with older folks. 

Thinking back over the years, I have so much to be grateful for. I've almost lost my life several times, but God's allowed me to live. In 1971, my gallbladder burst and gangrene began to set in prompting my doctor to do emergency surgery to remove the organ. I'd suffered for an entire year before they ever figured out what was wrong with me. 

In 1991, I was in a terrible car accident. I was hit head on by a 2 1/2 ton truck. The driver was diabetic and had forgotten to take his insulin that morning. He lost conciousness while driving and hit me head on. My right leg was crushed and had to be put back together with steel pins. I was in a wheelchair for a year and a half. My bones didn't want to fuse back together and the doctor talked about amputation, but God allowed me to slowly recover. I spent another year on crutches before being able to walk without aid. I was so grateful.

In 2005, an endocrinologist discovered lumps in my throat. Biopsies revealed they were precancerous so I had to have my thyroid gland removed.

In 2014, I was diagnosed with stage 2B invasive ductal carcinoma breast cancer. Aggressive medical treatment which included surgery helped me survive. 

Earlier this year, I had another major surgery to repair a hiatal hernia. Just a few days after that surgery, I had complications that led to the development of an ileus (which basically means your bowel shuts down.) I was rushed to the ER and spent a week in the hospital until they could get me stablized. 2 more times this year, I've been rushed to the ER with tacycardia...it's like Satan has tried over and over again to take me out, but God said it isn't time yet. 

Every day I feel like I'm living on borrowed time. That's why I look for reasons to be grateful. I've started writing down at least 3 things each day for which I'm thankful. It's helped to shift my focus from my physical ailments to one of gratitude. 

The health issues aren't quite over though. In January, I'll have a total knee replacement. My left knee has given out. I've already had 2 surgeries on it and have had 4 cortisone injections trying to prolong the inevitable. I don't want another surgery, but I love walking so I'm going to have to do it. The doc says there's no cartilage in there anymore and I'm currently walking bone on bone. 

We have so much to be thankful for - not only the physical comforts we enjoy on a daily basis, but for all the blessings God allows into our lives.This Thanksgiving, I pray you'll find yourself looking for reasons to celebrate His goodness. There are others more unfortunate than you, whether you know them or not. 

This is the first year I've put my Christmas tree up before Thanksgiving, too! Since we weren't going to have any of the family here to celebrate Thanksgiving with us, I figured why not. At least I'll get to enjoy the pretty tree and decorations a few weeks longer than normal and I may decide to leave it up til mid January, too. 

Holiday traditions are wonderful. We find peace and comfort in the routine, but I think sometimes God wants us to be willing to be flexible. I'm trying hard to think that way and look for unexpected blessings in the flexibility. 

There's a wonderful book I read years ago called "1000 Gifts" by Ann Voskamp. The book focuses on her desire to live a life of gratitude after tragically losing her little sister. She learned that living Eucharisteo means living a life of thanks. It's a very poignant book and if you haven't read it, I hope you will. 

May you find much to be thankful for this year and may God bless you with the love of family and friends this holiday season. I'll try to write more in the days ahead, I've already made it one of my New Year's resolutions.

Every Day Should Be a Day of Thanksgiving

This morning, I woke up at 5:55 a.m. It's getting to be a thing. For the past several months, God shakes me awake at precisely 5:55 a.m.

The first time it happened, I didn't think anything of it. I got up, went into the kitchen, fixed a cup of cappuccino and began my devotional time. The second time, I thought it odd that I was awake at exactly 5:55 a.m om the nose. But subsequently, I've come to realize, God has picked this very specific time for me. 

In Gematria, the number 5 symbolizes creation, as in God's creation of man. Gematria is the study of numbers and their significance as they are used in the Bible. The number 555 in Jewish Gematria equals the word "today." Each letter has it's own number. t=100 o=50 d=4 a=1 y=400. Add them all up and you get 555. So, I guess maybe the Lord wants me to wake up at the specific time to remember He is the almighty creator and He created me and He wants my undivided attention today (and every day at 5:55 a.m.) Whew! Didn't mean to focus on all that, but hey...you learn something new every day, right? 

It doesn't matter what time the Lord wakes me to spend time with Him. I'm honored to do so. And this morning, He took me to Psalm 100 - the hymn all about giving thanks. How appropriate! Today is Thanksgiving!!!

Yesterday, I spent most of the day preparing food for today's meal. As I worked, I thought about all of God's provision for our family over the years. He has been so good to us. His faithfulness has remained constant and I know it will continue because He's promised that to those who love Him. 

I also thought about family members who've gone on to be with the Lord. My mother, my father, my grandparents, my in-laws, so many aunts, uncles, and cousins. I thought about their lives and how thankful I was to have known each of them. 

As I wrapped up my cooking, I began praying for several friends and family members who're facing their own battle with cancer right now. As I prayed, I gave thanks for each one of them and asked God to meet their specific needs for upcoming tests, for comfort, for peace, for healing. 

I didn't realize it until I heard my own voice, but at some point, I'd begun speaking out loud, as if another person was in the room with me. As I've gotten older, I find I do this more and more. God and I have some real time conversations and I treat those as if I'm talking with my very best friend. I think that makes God smile. And it helps me feel less alone during the day. 

Jesus is our constant companion. 2 Timothy 4:17 says, "For the Lord stood with me and gave me strength." His Holy Spirit never leaves us and we know, He considers us His friends because John 15:14-15 says, "You are my friends if you do what I command. ¹⁵ I no longer call you servants, because a servant does not know his master’s business. Instead, I have called you friends, for everything that I learned from my Father I have made known to you."

As I wrapped up my time of prayer with him and put the last piece of Saran wrap over the food I'd prepared, I thanked God for my life. Six and a half years ago, I wasn't so sure I'd be here. 

The day I received my cancer diagnosis, I also felt like I'd been handed a death sentence. I think a lot of people feel the same way. In talking with many of my friends and those I've met online through cancer support sites, that reaction is common. 

In all reality, every day should be a day of Thanksgiving for the person with cancer, but also for the one without cancer. 

We should always acknowledge our gratitude toward Christ for all He's given us, for all He's done for us, and for all His many blessings. 

As I gather with family today, to offer up thanks to my Heavenly Father, I hope I'll remember to thank Him tomorrow with as much gusto as I will today. 

I love the way Psalm 100 tells us to give praise to the Lord:

 "Shout for joy to the Lord, all the earth. Worship the Lord with gladness;
 come before him with joyful songs. Know that the Lord is God.  It is he who made us, and we are his
 we are his people, the sheep of his pasture. Enter his gates with thanksgiving and his courts with praise; give thanks to him and praise his name. For the Lord is good and his love endures forever; his faithfulness continues through all generations."

I highlighted the verbs to remind myself of my responsibility in thanksgiving. 

I pray you and your family will have a wonderful time of celebration. May ever day be a day we offer the gift of thanksgiving back to our Father, for He deserves our praise. 

There is always something to be thankful for...

Whether it's Thanksgiving or just any other day of the week, there's always something to be thankful for. The older I get, the more I realize the importance of gratitude and that's why I've found it helpful to keep a gratitude journal.

At the end of every day, I take a few minutes to jot down things for which I'm grateful. As I begin writing, my list grows quickly. Seeing God's blessings causes me to be humbled at His love for me.

If you've got something to write with and something to write on, you have the items necessary to being keeping track of your gratitude. Begin by making a list of your basic needs that have been met if you don't know where to begin and allow your list to expand from that point forward.

For example, the first thing I'm thankful for each morning is the fact that I woke up. The alternative could be good too, because I know if I didn't wake, I'd be in heaven with Jesus, but for now, I'm thankful I'm still here.

As I begin to start my day, there are so many other things I'm thankful for but I'm not only thankful for things, I'm thankful for people and emotions, and so much more.

When you become intentional about listing your daily gifts and gratitude lists, you'll find your attitude shifting. Instead of focusing on the negative in your life, you'll begin to see things in a new light. It's all about perspective and being grateful helps you become more focused on positivity.

It isn't difficult to give thanks. Try it! At the end of the day, think of 3 things for which you're grateful. Write them down. You may have a small journal or notepad. Put the date on your list. Try to keep it going for 21 days. They say if you do that, it will become a habit. At the end of the month, flip back through your lists and re-read them. You'll realize God has been blessing you all along, even when you've failed to give thanks for those blessings.

Giving thanks makes your heart glad! Try it, you just might like it.

Giving thanks in all things

Waiting is so hard! I have no idea whether I'm going to get good news or bad news. I know sometime around the first of this week, I'll receive a call with information about the results of my recent ultrasound. My breast surgeon thought it would be a good idea to check out a suspicious area. I'm glad she is keeping me under close scrutiny but I wasn't expecting her to find anything concerning at my last appointment. But she did. And now I'm waiting to hear the results. It would be so easy to give thanks if I get good news but would it be just as easy to give thanks if I don't? Listen to what the Bible says in 1 Thessalonians 5:18: "Give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you." Wow! That's powerful! Learning to give thanks in all things isn't only what I'm supposed to do, it's what I'm commanded to do. As I thought about this verse today, I realized I haven't done a very good job at giving thanks in all things. I've done some mumbling and grumbling recently about things I didn't quite like. I've questioned God about some things He's allowed in my life and griped how they were out of my control. It's tough to thank God for the hard things, but I want to do better. I want to try harder to grasp this verse and apply it to all aspects of my life.

I want to live a life that is supernatural. I want it to be a life that is hard to explain to those who don't understand what it is to live under grace. I want God to do a deep work in me where I can learn to give thanks in everything, no matter what...whether it's good or bad. I want my family to see me changed...that my roots have grown down deep into Jesus. I want them to see me turning my heart back to praise and adoration of my Father instead of focusing inwardly on myself and my situation. I want to become so intentional about gratitude that I look hard for it every. single. day.

So today starts the first day of my new lease on life...my journey with God in learning to give thanks in ALL things. I'm asking God to shift my focus and help me see that even in the hard things, He's always good.