unfolding: Thanks-living

Showing posts with label Thanks-living. Show all posts

Monday, December 31, 2012

December Thanks-living {a linky}

This month, my eyes were opened to the simple gifts God has given me through my family.

Here is the family in which I grew up. I found this Polaroid on Christmas at my mom's house. My parents live five minutes away from us. That is a huge blessing.

My brother has traded those plaid suspenders for a reddish beard and a Nerf gun. He has always been the one who makes us laugh. He wrote on my Instagram feed under this collage, "No deities were injured in the shooting of this shootout." He is a blessing. (And my son idolizes him, which goes without saying, especially when he can battle him in Nerf gun challenges indoors).

My husband was implicated in this game too. The three of them had an evolving obstacle course of targets. Stopwatches were also involved. I love that my husband and brother were friends before I was in the picture.

I also love that my husband always brings some fancy cooking to the party. He is so generous with his kitchen skills and happy to serve by offering something for the feast. He is a blessing to my family.

It was a special treat this year that my grandparents from Oklahoma were visiting for the holidays. There is no sweeter a couple. My grandpa is the kindest, gentlest man with an unshakable faith in God. My grandma is a firecracker (you know I like that), and has played the piano, organ, and sung in the choir at her country road church for more years than I have been alive. There is not a hymn she does not know. I'm certain. These two and their legacy of faith are huge blessings.

The memory of my other grandma and grandpa who passed away a couple of years ago is alive and well when I make these Italian anise cookies. Even though I miss them so much, the way the flavor of these cookies brings back the warmth of being in their home for Christmas - oh, the years of memories I have tucked away - is a blessing.

I spent much of my time this Christmas season on projects with or for my kids. I don't believe I've ever given as much to them as I did this year, in terms of my time or my heart. I was less distracted and intentionally more joyful with them this year.

I think part of why my heart was so invested in my kids this Christmas was because I spent a lot of time working on gifts for each of them. Because my daughter loves to read so much, I made her this bean bag chair out of turquoise corduroy and owl print fleece. She sat it in all morning on Christmas with her new American Girl magazine.

And because my little guy has an imagination like no other, I made him a teepee, his own secret hideout. Notice the armed and dangerous guard dog already at the door.

I'm not showing you these projects out of pride or a need for praise; I am sharing because I'm reminded of the verse that says, "Where your treasure is, there your heart will be also." When I sat at my sewing machine for many more hours than I expected on these projects, my heart was drawing closer and closer to my kids. I put in my treasure - my time, money, and talent - and found a great joy in my heart when finally I could give them my gifts. To be honest, it was a new kind of blessing for me. I've never felt exactly that way about giving him or her a toy I bought at a store.

And it wasn't about the gift, right? Ultimately, it was about the sacrifice. That is what bound my heart to them. I gave so much of myself that my heart became involved in a new way. I've just taken the long road in saying that God reminded me of an important lesson: the greater the sacrifice, the greater the blessing.

My favorite moment of Christmas was this one.

My family were all in a row, ending with my grandparents, at Christmas Eve service. Four generations all praising our God together. As I looked down and saw the candle glow on my children's faces, I got caught up with tears. This is a holy night. My babies are with me, safe, and healthy. My parents are alive and well. Even my grandparents are well enough to fly four states across to be with us.

Holy hours. God-given hours, Christmas gifts from God with my name on them. As we close out 2012, I hold all these holy moments in my heart with overwhelming gratitude. And I'm speechless in knowing He'll outdo Himself next year.

I'll end the year with this anthem, the song I just can't shake.

Happy New Year, my dear friends.

Thursday, November 29, 2012

November Thanks-living {a trip to my hometown}

We went away for Thanksgiving this year. Back to my hometown, where my in-laws still live.

It's about 2 hours away, but took 3 with traffic, as we cut through Los Angeles during a holiday week.

As I look back on our 4 night stay, I feel thankful for so much.

I'm thankful for my car that has never given us any problems for the last 7 years. I'm thankful for the luxuries it was stuffed with; the kids' pillows and blankies, a big box of Legos, the cupcake maker, and so much more. We have a good life, overflowing with material blessings. Our Volvo runneth over.

I'm thankful for my traveling companions. Readers, the whole lot of them. (Except the 3 hours and the reading didn't go so well for this guy. We had to pull over, get some fresh air and a 7-Up.)

I'm so thankful for that joyful smile. She is a happy and fun and childish big girl. Childish in a good way. Innocent. Not afraid to be herself. I remember this post I wrote about her what seems like forever ago...I wasn't so sure how her self-confidence would change with age. I'm thankful that most of the time, she knows who she is. I mean, that's pretty good for all of us, right? To most of the time be sure-footed in one's identity?

I'm thankful for my hometown, the warmth I felt, the familiarity and nostalgia I had from living in this comfortable, safe suburb for the first 20 years of my life. God first called me here and I met Him, and got to know Him in this town.

But most of all, I'm so very thankful for my family.

The family my husband has brought with him into my life - his parents and siblings and their families - have taught me so much. All the stories I hear of conflict involving in-laws don't apply to my experience. Though my husband's family culture is very different from the one in which I grew up, it has helped me become a more balanced person just as a spouse's differences can help regulate one's immature areas. I don't know if that made sense to you. But I'm saying I'm grateful for them in my life, and I wouldn't be the same person I am today without their love, support, and influence.

It would be nice to show a photo of them here. But we were so relaxed and enjoying our time being together (and let's not forget all the eating, eating, eating) that I never thought of it. In my hometown, in their home, I was truly in vacation mode. And I felt blessed to high heaven the whole time.

And lastly, look at this. Here is a photo of Jami and I. We are sitting at a Peet's Coffee wishing we had more time to chat and laughing about something I don't remember anymore. Jami and I met through blogging, before I knew she lived in my hometown. I loved her blog and how she shared her heart and her journey with God in such a humble way. It turns out that we went to rival high schools, graduated one year apart from each other, and she even attended my same church youth group from time to time. Yet we never met. And God is so tricky because He brought us together through blogging. Isn't that sort of weird? When I started blogging, I just never expected I'd meet a friend online and then start hanging out with her regularly.

Like we were supposed to be friends all along. I'm thankful for a God who sees past what seems weird, and meets our needs, however He sees fit.

Jami is just one of the many friends I've met in the blog world. Who would have guessed there was a community of Godly women seeking my same BFF named Jesus just like I am, writing about Him, sharing His stories, and doing their best to honor him as wives and mommies? Who knew?
For that, I'm so thankful.

Because this is fun, this blogging thing. I'm coming up on three years soon, and it keeps getting better. Really.

So what were you thankful for this month? It shoud be an easy one. It's November. You've already thought about it! So link up, homies.

(And know I'm thankful for you too. Always.)

Tuesday, October 30, 2012

October Thanks-living {a linky}

I really had to think about what I was thankful for this month. It was not much more than a blur of activity. But after a few minutes, I knew.

I wanted to focus on her. My first born.
I'm so thankful for her.

She came home from school with a trumpet. It surprised me because she was vying for clarinet in 5th grade music class. But the clarinets got taken before she had a chance to choose. I felt that mommy-bristling that happens when our kids don't get what they want. But soon after, my husband came home from work. He beamed at her, and said, "You don't know this, but you come from a loooong line of trumpet players." And he told us both for the first time how his father and grandfather were great trumpet players. His grandfather taught all four of his sons to play the trumpet, and for a time, they played in a quartet together.

Isn't that an unexpected twist to the music class drama that I was tempted to focus on? God knew. I'm so thankful He knew.

I did her hair Pippi-Longstocking style for Crazy Hair Night at Awanas. Which is a big deal, guys. I'm really bad at doing her hair. I've sweated and stressed and tugged and tangled and maybe even cried over being a mom who has never been able to do nice hairstyles in her daughter's hair. Ever since she was a toddler. I just stink at it, and I wrestle with inappropriate guilt over it. I know she really wishes I could French braid or put her hair into soft curls every so often like other moms, but I can't. It sounds ridiculous, but just trust me. I've tried and failed so many times. So this was a big deal. I'm thankful for this one success.

She really likes owls, so I found a template online and outlined it onto her pumpkin for her. Didn't it turn out great? I'm thankful that she's the kind of girl who isn't afraid to get her hands in the yucky stuff. She isn't afraid to try, and create, and laugh.

She brought her endless creativity to her costume this year too. She wanted to make it up. She was a butterfly fairy. She chose these wings, and then designed a crown and sash of flowers and butterflies to wear over a pretty blue dress. I'm so thankful that she is not afraid to be herself.

And here she is in my backseat. I'm so thankful she's been in this backseat of mine for the last 10 years. But this grown up version of her wears fedoras, passionately sings along with Taylor Swift as she reads the lyrics, and drinks chocolate milk like it's going out of style.

This last photo is from our mom and daughter date last weekend. We did some shopping, singing to the new Red album, and plenty of crafting the aforementioned costume.

To be totally honest, it was not my best day. I was hard on her at times. I struggled with the way our personalities sometimes clash. I have a need for order and structure in ways she does not. She has a need for processing things on the inside and I do not. I just barf all my thoughts out at her half the time, and they're not always pleasant ones.

And so I think the thing I'm most thankful for this month is her grace and forgiveness. She is so overwhelmingly gracious to me.

I hope one day to be more like she is.

Saturday, September 29, 2012

Thanks-living September {a linky}

Sometimes it's the simple things that I'm most thankful for.

We went to the beach with relatives visiting from Oklahoma. Since God knows one of my love languages is animals, he brought this friend on over. Paco the Pelican, as he is now known, wasn't afraid at all.

He just looked at me. Posing.

Isn't he beautiful?

Incidentally, we saw dolphins, fish, and giant orange and pink sea stars stuck to the pylons.

It was an extraordinary walk on the pier.

I'm thankful this month for opportunities to serve God. You know, he doesn't need our help

But He chooses to use us.

This month, it has been such a huge blessing to start 101 Wednesdays. So many women have responded, in my face-to-face life, through the blog, and a few even shared that they were thinking of starting their own studies in their communities. I knew God had been moving my heart to start it up; I just couldn't have predicted how inspired, humbled, blessed and satisfied I'd feel after doing so. (That's how you know you are where you're supposed to be, I think.)

I'm thankful our church encourages kids to serve the Lord too. My girl serves on the Power Hands team. It's only for 4th graders and up; they lead worship and hand motions for all the littler kids.

(And that's my mommy. She was looking so cute I had to take a photo of those two. She always looks cute, btw. I'm thankful for her too. She's a fun mommy and a very popular Nana.)

I'm thankful for quiet times and creativity.

I've been getting some myself, now that the kids are in school, and it's wonderful. I am really loving making things - special, one-of-a-kind things - for my shop. I'm very thankful for friends like you who have encouraged me and loved the results.

Here, my little guy is having some creative time of his own writing comics. He wrote multiple stories, some with three chapters, over the span of a few days. They are quite funny. My favorite was called "Episode 2 - My way" which was a silly version of a Star Wars epsiode.

Lastly, I'm thankful that God goes before us. He knows what will happen tomorrow, and next week, and next year in my life. It's been a rough transition getting back to the school routine. Early mornings, busy afternoons, loads of homework, things forgotten, half-eaten lunches and tired everyone. It's tempting to dwell on the unpleasant aspects of September, for me anyway. But I'm choosing to be thankful that I don't need to figure things out ahead of time.

I don't need to know all the answers.

I have a good God.

And He goes ahead of me, making sure I will have what I need.
Tomorrow, and next week, and next year.

What about you?

What blessings did you find this month?

Thursday, August 30, 2012

Thanks-living through August {a linky}

We've had some great times this month, truly. Yesterday, I told you a bit about Hawaii, and how I went in the water, changing pace from being the not-so-fun mom. But there were other great moments too.

Both my kids performed in, I think, SEVEN showings of Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat at a local theater. That spanned our whole summer, actually, and was so much fun! Despite the look on my son's face at this moment, they both loved it.

Also, Kevin and I celebrated our 15th anniversary on the 8th. I'm so thankful for the ways the Lord has carried us through those years. At times, it has not been an easy road for us, and it is God alone who helped us weather those storms. We had a date night in Hawaii, where we went to a nice dinner and came up with 15 stand-out memories from our 15 years. It was great to walk through the years, chronologically, laughing and groaning over some of the times we've shared. Obviously, we remembered different things, and even remembered things in different ways.

But as I sit here and reflect on the month past...what I'm most grateful for...I'm finding it's the promise of change.

That sounds weird. Most people, including me, don't like change. But believe me when I say we've needed it. Don't you ever feel like life can become a stuffy attic that is just begging for a fresh breeze to blow through? Well, that's where we've been, circumstantially speaking, for a while now. I see the Lord at work, ready to breathe some fresh air into our lives. Ready to stir things up a bit and require us to trust Him.

In my younger years, I was much more afraid of change. But now, I guess I've learned that I'm not the boss, and if I were, I'd make a mess of our lives. I've learned that life is best when we follow God's lead. So when I see Him start to move, I get a little excited. My brain tries to wedge itself in and have a say in things; I'm tempted to take control and start feeling fearful. But my heart knows whom I want and need to follow.

So as we wrap up our summer over here (school starts next week, after Labor Day), we're fitting in the last of the beach days and use of the outdoor art station. I've really loved our summer. I will miss my kids when they're in school. I will.

But I'm excited for a new season. Could it be that God is planning to change things up in our season of life just as the natural season rolls into Fall? Just as the breeze picks up and change is visible all around us? It sounds like Him, to give us a parable of His work right as it's taking place. I'm thankful that in nature, and in spirit, the Lord does not let us stagnate. He is good, so I can trust Him.

What about you?