In honor of Thanksgiving and because my last post was heavy, here are a few things I’ve been thinking about:
- I wouldn’t say my last post went viral, but hello people, it drew a lot more traffic than any other post I’ve ever written. Over and over I’m reminded of just how many are hurting. Maybe that’s you… and if so, can I ask you to pray for the others who are walking the same path? We need to be reminded that we’re in this together. I’m completely overwhelmed with the ways God is using our story.
- We got eight inches of snow for our first snow of the year… which just seems a little unnecessary and ridiculous to me. However, I’m always ready for a good pot of soup and it ’tis the season! (If I invite you over for dinner, chances are the recipes I use will be from Mel.)
- Remember when I wrote about my friends in Haiti and the cargo ship that sunk to the bottom of the ocean with all their belongings? I’m so excited to tell you that people have rallied alongside them! Not only did they receive enough money to pay for new supplies, they actually got TWICE what they originally had. It makes me want to cry, because I can picture their sweet faces and the joy in their eyes. Peter and I just returned from Haiti and we are still quietly shaking our heads over all we saw and experienced. It’s an amazing place, friends, and every time I go, I just love it more (I promise to write more about it soon). My friend, Neile, has been stocking a little Etsy shop with the sweetest little hand-stitched embroidery hoops and all her proceeds go to Waves of Mercy. I hope you’ll hop over and check it out. I had to buy the gumball one because the little boy was one of my favorites… and his name is Mackinlove. I mean, really. I could eat him up.
- Those cheap grocery store goldfish? They don’t always die after the first week. I’m telling you, we’ve had three going strong for over a year. In the same small bowl. Not always fed or taken care of. I think we might actually be sad when their time comes.
- This was a great blog post. I feel so helpless sometimes in my little corner of the world, unable to even articulate what I really think about all that’s going on around me, but when I read Sarah Bessey’s post, I nod along and think, “Yes. This is me.”
- I’m part of a Launch Group for a new book by Kristen Welch called, “Raising Grateful Kids in an Entitled World”. I’m excited to share it with you. I deeply desire for my kids to be grateful and I struggle with how to take them out of the entitlement they think they deserve. I read the first chapter last night and was nodding my head the whole time. (There are some great goodies if you preorder).
- Advent begins on Sunday and I can hardly wait. While I know there will be stress and busyness during the next month, I’m determined to quiet my soul, to prepare for the great joy that has been promised to us. That might mean I say no to a few things, but more than that, it means that in all the little, ordinary things I do, I want to see Christ. I believe He shows up in all our normal, everyday moments when I watch for Him. So it may mean that I’ll have a crazy busy month getting things ready for the ones I love most, but in the middle of it all, I hold my breath in anticipation of the One who came to rescue me.
- We are visiting my parents over the Thanksgiving holiday. Eliza received a “dumple bag” and “soup case” for her birthday and she is excitedly packing them with all the necessities for travel (And I use the term necessities loosely).
- Lastly, we’ve been watching Guy on a Buffalo at our house. You know you need something funny to laugh about as you’re digesting your turkey. Don’t thank me, thank my 11 year old son… because pre-teen humor is basically the best.
Happy Thanksgiving, my friends. I am grateful for you.
