12 Days of Thankfulness. Day 6

Day 6: Writing:

I'm not sure, but I think I might just be a writer

And I'm thankful for that.

 I'm not a writer because I have a blog

Or even because I've written some poetry

Nor even because I written many Christmas Plays.

Those things don't make me a writer, any more than sleeping in a garage would make me a car.

 It's something way more simple than that.

Something that happened twice yesterday and once today.

Yesterday two friends asked what I would be writing about today. And one friend told me

she was enjoying my 12 Days of Thankfulness Series.

That's it.

Now I know to you it may not seem like much

But to me it's HUGE.

That someone is interested in what I have to say

And then waiting for what comes next

Is powerful

Truth be told, there wasn't going to be a Day 6.
Not because I'm not thankful.
I am.
But because I didn't think anyone was interested.
Without feedback you don't know what to think
I usually think the worst




I know people read my blog. There are stats to tell me how many people view my page.
But when you get 70 people who read it and no comments
It can be a little discouraging.



But what I say does matter to someone.
 It matters to my three friends.
It matters to God.



And so I'll keep letting my thoughts
Flow through my pen.

"Yesterday I had a thought
And pondered it for quite some time
I twisted words around inside
And tried so hard to make them rhyme
The words would not come easily
I worked with them both day and night
Because it means so much to me
That you might read, what I might write"
(Me)


I'm thankful that I can write...and that people care to read it.

What's Playing:

In the Kitchen:

Chicken Soup with Alphabet Pasta.

On the Music Player:

Go Tell it on the Mountain: Steven Curtis Chapman

In My Heart:

Colossions 4:6

"Let your words be full of grace, seasoned with salt"

And remember...

12 Days of Thankfulness. Day 5

Day 5: Facebook



I like facebook

Scratch that

I love facebook

Just keeping it real.

I do love facebook and I'm thankful for it.

Can't imagine life without it now. And yet somehow I managed to exist for 41yrs bfb

(before facebook)

Don't get me wrong, I too, like many facebook users get a little bit frustrated with the constant

changes and some of the issues surrounding privacy, but on the whole I really enjoy using

it and it has become a part of my everyday life. I look forward to going online.

But I won't lie. I didn't always feel this way.

Facebook and I used to have what I would call a love/hate relationship.

It was an offline again online again thing.

I have seen things on facebook which have shocked, surprised, disappointed,

hurt and annoyed me. None more so than when these things have 

been done by people who I've called friends.

But I think I'm over that now.

I came up with an analogy to help me understand the behaviour of my friends

 and now I see facebook like this...

Take 308 people and put them on a  beach.

 (308 is the number of facebook friends I have today, although

 the number could change after they've read this)

A handful of those people will find a shady tree and sit beneath it, watching activities from a distance. Some may stoll along the boardwalk. A few will sit on deck chairs on the sand,

while others will go down to the waters edge.

 Many will paddle and get their ankles wet. A few will

go in up to their knees. And finally

there will be those who go deep into the water,

completely in over their heads, and loving it.

Everyone of those 308 people will have a different experience on the beach.

And everyone will still have a good time.

The same is true of facebook

You'll have those who use facebook from afar.  And those who are in over their head.

And there is nothing wrong with that. Facebook is as individual as the people who use it.

I used to get upset that my some of my friends don't  interact on facebook

the same way that I do.But not anymore.

Some friends will communicate with me. Some won't.

I'm okay with that.

Now, I just see facebook for what it is. A great tool for communication.

 Communicating is so much easier now.

And I'm thankful for anything

that makes for an easier life.

However, since facebook is always making changes, there is one change

that I'd like to make. The logo. I think it should be

PINK.

What's Playing: 

In the Kitchen:

 Mint Chocolate Chip Cookies

(I found this recipe on my friend Naomi's Blog

you HAVE to bake these. Today!)

On the Music Player:

All I Want for Christmas is you: Mariah Carey

In my Heart

Hebrews 10:25

"Let us not give up the habit of meeting together"

And remember...

12 Days of Thankfulness. Day 4

Day 4: Motherhood

Boys Boys Boys.

I am the mother of two boys. And for that I'm thankful.

But it wasn't always that way.

When I first found out that I was pregnant, I went along for the routine ultrasound which would tell me the sex of my baby. I waited for the the sonographer to tell me what I already knew.
 That I was having a baby girl.

"It's a boy" she exclaimed.

"A boy???"

I faked a smile.
Then cried all the way home.

I should've just been happy to be pregnant.  I should've been, but I wasn't. I really wanted a girl.

I was one of four girls. My mom has six sisters and one brother. My dad has five sisters.

I was surrounded by girls. Girl World.

What did I know about boys?

The only image I could conjure up in my head was based on the childhood rhyme I grew up with

"What are little girls made of...sugar and spice and all things nice

What are little boys made of...snakes and snails and puppy dog tails"

My mom said "God made pregnancy last 9 months for a reason,"

And she was right. It wasn't all about the physical changes to me my baby.
 It was also about letting go of my "expectations"

And so, on Dec 29th 1998 my son Elliot was born. A beautiful baby boy.

My heart did a 360, my head quickly followed.

Two years later he had a brother, Ethan


My world became  one of cars, trucks and trains. Grass stained pants with holes in the knees.
Odd socks and rocks that end up in my washing machine
And always, always a "little puppy smell"


I wouldn't change a thing. I'm a mother of two adventurous little boys. And I'm thankful.


Now excuse me, as much as would love to spend the day blogging about boys,
I have to prepare for a birthday party
I will be spending the afternoon shooting a bunch
of 13 year old boys at LaserQuest


I guess boys will be boys

What's Playing:

In the Kitchen:
Cake Pops (for Elliot's Birthday Party)

In the Music Player:

Mary's Boy Child: Boney M

What Child Is This?: Alana Bridgewater (Gospel Christmas Project)

In My Heart:
 Psalm 127: 3

Children (sons) are a heritage from the Lord, they are a reward from Him


And remember...

12 Days of Thankfulness: Day 3

Day 3: Joy

You'll see this three letter word a lot this season.

It's everywhere.

On Christmas Cards, gift wrap, in carols and songs.

Joy Joy Joy

The dictionary defines it as...

noun: 1. A feeling of great pleasure and happiness

2. A thing that causes joy

A feeling?

I hope it isn't just a feeling.

My feelings are up and down and all around.

I can't trust my feelings and certainly can't make decisions based on them.

I don't think of it as just a feeling of happiness either

I am seldom ever happy.

Chemical imbalances in my brain make me feel unhappy most ot the time.

It's called depression

I suffer from live with depression EVERY day

It's hard to feel happy. But I do have Joy

And for that I am thankful.

I have found the source of my Joy comes from within

It's more than just a feeling

Someone once said... Joy is Peace dancing

And Peace is Joy at rest.

Joy is something that is present ALL the time regardless of our circumstances or feelings

Joy is making a choice

And it's also a gift.

from God

btw...If you, like me choose Joy today, then you might want to avoid the mall.

All that driving around trying to find parking is sure to kill anyones Joy.

What's Playing

In the Kitchen:

Cheesy Hash Brown Casserole

+ lot of dishes at the Christmas Banquet.

In the Music Player

Joy to the World: Mariah Carey

(even if you don't like Mariah...your toes'll be tapping to this one)

Joy to the World : Avalon

In my Heart

Nehemiah 8:10

"The Joy of the Lord is my strength"

12 Days of Thankfulness. Day 2.

Day 2: Music

"Thank you for the music, the songs I'm singing
Thanks for all the joy their bringing

Who could live without it, I ask in all honesty

What would life be?

Without a song or a dance what are we?

So I say thank you for the music
For giving it to me"

Do you know how much  I like music?

I think it would be more accurate to say I LOVE music.

I secretly wanted to be the blond girl in ABBA. Seriously. So now you know.

Do you know I also love Christmas Music.

and I have a few too many Christmas CD's

Here are some of them.

 There are also a few too many in my car. But lets not go there.

Christmas Music starts after Hallowe'en and ends once the snow has gone.

Yes, that would be in March!

I've always loved Christmas Music,
 But it has never meant more to me than it does right now.

My 13 yr old son has recently started playing the saxophone at school.
He's learning to play some Christmas Music.

He's actually quite good, perhaps even the best in his class.

But what makes this all the more special is that music has given him a voice.

My son Elliot stutters. Badly.

People often don't hear his voice, because it takes him so long to say what he wants to say.

No one has time to wait for him. They talk over and above him

They talk down to him.

They walk away.
They don't listen.

But people listen to his voice when he plays music.

The saxophone and piano have been a way for him to communicate, when words fail.

Music seems to come naturally to Elliot.
As natural as speaking should be

He has a beautiful gift. And a beautiful voice.

He fills my home and my heart with his music.

And I'm so very thankful that because of music, Elliot is finally heard.


"So I say Thank you for the music
for giving it to me..."

What's playing:

In the Kitchen:
 BBQ Chicken and Saute Vegetables

On the Music Player:
 The Music of Christmas: Steven Curtis Chapman
Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas: Kenny G
Anything by Elliot

In my Heart:
Ephesians 5:19
"Sing and make music in your heart to the Lord"



And remember...

12 Days of Thankfulness. Day 1

What?

I saw this on a blog this week and

it really made me think.

It also made me quite sad, because I realized

I wouldn't wake up with very much at all.

See, I didn't thank God for

anything yesterday.

Or the day before...

or the day before that.

 

And yet I've so much to be thankful for.

So, now that this season has rolled around again, I'm going to

spend the next 12 days being thankful. Not asking for anything

but just be thankful for what I already have.

Day 1: My home.

This is my house.

It's beautiful.

But if you're looking for pictures a wonderfully decorated

home, find another blog or read

Better Homes and Gardens

My home just doesn't look like that.

But it's not about the house really is it?

Is it?

 

That's not what makes it a home.

It's about what you put into it

A little sweetness. A lot of love.

Love is what makes a house a home.

(And no this is not my gingerbread house. My gingerbread

house, much like my real house is less than perfect.)

Yes my home is less than perfect.

But it's mine and for that...I'm thankful.

 

What's Playing in my Home?

In the kitchen:

Spicy Tomato Soup with Grilled Cheese Sandwiches

On the Music Player:

"I'll be Home for Christmas" Amy Grant

In my Heart:

Psalm 127v1

"Unless the Lord builds the house, its builders labour in vain"

I will leave you with a prayer for your home

A Lutheran Prayer

Lord God, our home is among the most precious gifts we receive in this life.

We realize this all the more as we remember our Lord Jesus.

 He set aside home and family.

 Having no place to lay His head throughout His ministry, he chose to sojourn among those

He came to save.

We prayerfully invite Him to dwell in our earthly abode even as He continually invites us by Word and Sacrament to dwell forever in our heavenly home, which He prepares for us.

Make us ever grateful for this shelter from life’s storms.

Keep this house always the home of comfort, joy, peace, and forgiveness.

According to Your will, protect this home from the spiritual assaults of Satan, but likewise make our

home a fortress against the calamities of nature and the wickedness of sinful man.

Grant us the virtue of hospitality, the joy of harmonious living, and the blessing of gathering around Your Word and bringing our families’ prayers before You.

May all who dwell in our home be blessed by Your presence and Your peace,

and may all who go forth give thanks for the grace they receive from You,

through us Your dear children

We receive Your loving kindness in our home as a reminder of the eternal home we inherit through Your Son, Jesus Christ, in whose name we pray.

Amen.

And remember...

Poppy

poppy...

 o petal face,

of bloodstain red

that rose from

opium graveyard bed

to honour the fallen

and the dead

barely men, as yet...

..and each november

i'll remember

within, a deep and

blackened core

like hearts, that

chose to settle scores

conceiving death

by birthing war

without regret...

...and each november

i'll remember

stand bold upon

your strong green stem

just like courageous

servicemen

whose sacrifice
gave hope again

and paid our debt...

...so each november

i'll remember

blow freedom winds

sow poppy seeds

that we today

pause and take heed

of valiant acts

and heroic deeds

lest we forget...
...so each november

i'll remember

wear a poppy today...

and remember