A plan

That in spite of my desires, thoughts and plans, God has a better one.  That when I pray He answers, even if it isn’t the way I think it should be.

That His plan began before my birth, and doesn’t end for me.  That if I just trust and follow He will reveal His plan in my life.

I’m thankful that I don’t have to come up with the plan.  I am sure I wouldn’t be good at it.

I’m thankful He has a plan for my husband and children too. That I can rest in that knowledge and trust them to His care.  What a load off my shoulders when I trust them to Him.

Jeremiah 29:11  For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.¹² Then you will call on me and come and pray to me, and I will listen to you. ¹³ You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart. ¹⁴ I will be found by you,” declares the Lord..

Psalm 139:¹³ For you created my inmost being;
you knit me together in my mother’s womb.
¹⁴ I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made;
your works are wonderful,
I know that full well.
¹⁵ My frame was not hidden from you
when I was made in the secret place,
when I was woven together in the depths of the earth.
¹⁶ Your eyes saw my unformed body;
all the days ordained for me were written in your book
before one of them came to be.
¹⁷ How precious to me are your thoughts,^[a] God!
How vast is the sum of them!
¹⁸ Were I to count them,
they would outnumber the grains of sand—
when I awake, I am still with you.

 

Thank you Lord for your good plan!

 

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Memories

I was thinking about the fact that we can remember things.  What would life be like if we couldn’t?  It’s a crazy thought.  I mean we wouldn’t be very smart.  We wouldn’t learn lessons well.  But saying we could learn but just not remember emotional things, life would be pretty dull.

I had a fun lunch and shopping with a friend yesterday afternoon. I was thinking back as I was driving back home over the experiences we’ve shared in the 15 or so years we’ve been friends.  Pregnant together, too many meals to count, babysitting each others kids, ladies conference, shopping trips, vacations.  I was thinking how sweet it is that we have memories.  Memories of favorite things, favorite people, favorite activities.  I’m the kind of person who prefers to make a memory than get a gift.  I’d rather do something with you than have you buy me something.  A memory lasts forever.

I try to be intentional in making memories with my kids.  They enjoy talking over experiences we’ve had.  Even small things like the smell of my mom’s pantry, or Sunday pasta dinners at Great-Grammy and Grampy’s.  Funny memories of things people have said or done.  They remember people’s laughs and try to copy them 🙂  Yes, Aunt Sam, your laugh is often copied 🙂  They talk about things that were hard at the moment but we can laugh about now.  Trips we’ve taken, getting lost, being surprised, so many fun memories.

I heard an idea recently that I really liked.  It was suggested that you take a jar and write on small pieces of paper things as they happen to you throughout the year.  Then on New Year’s Eve read the papers back and talk about them.  What a great way to remember things that you might forget in the midst of living.

I am thankful that God has given us the ability to remember.  I haven’t lost special people because of this gift.  I can remember my grandmother holding me on her lap, in her rocking chair.  I can remember my grandfather’s tight hugs.  I’m thankful for those memories.

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Mountains

I love mountains just as much as the beach!  They are majestic and powerful!  They too remind me just how small I am.  The fact that they have been there for thousands of years, immovable.  The way they stand against the sky, guarding the valley below.  The way the vegetation grows on them-large trees near the bottom, slowly things becoming smaller and smaller, buffeted by the wind, weather beaten and gnarled.

I’ve blogged about Mount Washington in NH before.  It is one of my favorite places to visit.  The power of the weather on that mountain is awe inspiring!  They have a live camera feed that you can watch and check out the conditions at any time.  If you are ever feeling like complaining about your weather, it is worth checking out 😉  Here’s a link to their current weather.  Tomorrow wind chills 30-40 below!

The Rockies are another amazing mountain range.  I’ve had the privilege of driving through them and absolutely loved it!  So different from the mountain ranges in the northeast.  Just as beautiful in their own way.  I loved the diversity of terrain.

God is quite an artist!  He has given us so much proof of His existence when we look to nature!  I am thankful that His creation points us to Him.  I am thankful He provided us with such a beautiful place to live.

 

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The Beach

I know, call me a slacker, but yesterday was a busy day.  Laundry, cooking, school, driving my son around, what I would have loved to have done is gone to the beach 🙂  The beach is one of my favorite places.  The sound of the waves, the blue sky, the birds, laughing kids.  I could stay there forever.

It’s that place I go when I am in need of peace.  There is something soothing about it.  It reminds me of just how small I am in the scheme of things.  And just how big my God is!  I like to think about and imagine what it would look like under the water if I could see.  How many incredible fish and creatures are swimming under there!

I am not a fan of the sand, it sticks to me for days afterward!  My family knows not to get me sandy! 😉  They love the beach just as much as me, maybe even more because they love the sand too!

I am thankful that God gave us such a beautiful edge to the sea.  He didn’t have to make it pretty, but he did!

 

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Music

I love music!  I’m not musical at all, don’t play an instrument, don’t think I sing well, can’t dance, but I can enjoy it! 🙂  I love that music can lift me up when I’m down, inspire me, get me in the mood to celebrate.

I typically avoid Christmas music until after Thanksgiving but this year I caved and we have already started listening to it.  I love that it helps me focus on the real reason for the season.  I love that even though it’s warm outside I can enjoy the thought of snow.

I love dancing with my girls to Wii dance party music.  They enjoy beating me! 🙂

I love when we are riding in the car and girl music comes on the radio and my girls and I crank it up and sing and my son rolls his eyes and asks to change the channel 😉

I love a song that has words that challenge me and inspire me to do something.   Or remind me of a truth.

I love that a song can take me back in time and bring up a long forgotten memory.

Music is what I am thankful for today 🙂

 

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A full heart

I am thankful today for my newly 12 year old daughter, Rebecca 🙂  She is in her last preteen year! 😦  How did this happen?  One year from today, Lord willing, I will have 3 teenagers!

I was remembering last night, the day of her birth.  She is such a blessing.  I’ve blogged about her before so I’ll spare you the repetition, but I absolutely adore her! 🙂

We celebrated her day with a family game of rummy over a breakfast of gluten free blueberry buckle muffins, her choice.  Then we went to an amusement center for a go cart race.  She won!  She and her dad had a special lunch date of Greek food, then they checked out the ipad mini at the Apple store.  She’s been saving her money since Christmas for her next big purchase.  We’ll go buy it on Wednesday 🙂  She’s excited!

Then she and her siblings and some friends all decorated her cake, and played more cards.  We had friends over for an italian feast of salad, garlic bread, and lasagna (with appropriate items gf 🙂 ).  Then cake and gifts, complete with a “snowball” fight of tissue and wrapping paper.

Her youngest guest was 20 months and her oldest in his 50’s and a bunch in between.  I love that her favorite people are all ages.

She received some gifts that were perfectly suited to her 🙂  She’ll be crafting and creating in the next few weeks!

A great way to spend a day, celebrating a special girl.  I’m thankful for a full heart tonight, and for my sweet Rebecca!

 

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Books

I really don’t remember picking up a book and not being able to read it.  I remember sounding out Dick and Jane books in kindergarten and loving that I could read.  🙂  I remember reading to my younger sister in the summer, by the light from the streetlamp, long after we were put to bed.  I remember reading and rereading all of my favorite books-The Little House series, Judy Blume, Beverly Cleary.  Library day at school was one of my favorite.

Books are informative-anything you want to know you can find in a book!

Books are like friends-they take your mind off your troubles and bring you comfort.

Books are like vacations-you can travel to far away places.

Books are like time machines-you can travel forward or back in time to anywhere someone’s imagination can take you.

Books are like air to me-I am not sure I could survive without them 😉

Today I am thankful for books!  Books that challenge me to think outside of myself, to put myself in someone else’s shoes, that give me a glimpse into the life of someone I may never meet.  Books that introduce me to people I will not have the chance to talk to this side of heaven.

My hubby will tell you I have too many, but there is no such thing!  🙂  There is definitely such a thing as too few bookcases though 😉

 

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Homeschooling

I am thankful for homeschooling.  I know my children better than I think I would if they were in school.  This is not to say I know them better than brick and mortar school parents know their children!  I just think for me, it would be tough to know all four of them as well as I do if they were in school all day.  I would struggle personally, to have the time to spend knowing them.  I know myself, and know my limits.

I love that they eat lunch together every day.   I love that they know what the other ones are studying and can talk about it together.  I love when the olders see a book the youngers are reading and tell them what a great book it was.  I love hearing them laugh as they go about their day.  I love that they play cards over lunch.  I love that they enjoy being a family.

I love that I get to spend the day with them.  I love that I get to share my favorite books and movies with them.   I love reading to them, and sharing their world of discovery.  I love hearing them use information they’ve learned in real life.  I love seeing them struggle with something and then the lightbulb going on!  I love hearing Schoolhouse Rocks songs that I knew when I was a kid 🙂

I might be a quivering pile of jello when they all move out!  Check on me then!  Today I am thankful for the privilege and blessing of homeschooling!  (Remind me I said this on the hard days 😉  )

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Kids in the kitchen

I am thankful today that my children like to cook 🙂  This is a good thing!  They are making homemade pizza for dinner as I type.  They give me lots of input in what we should have for dinner.  Hence the need to help me cook it.  😉

When they were younger they had assigned days where they would help me in the kitchen.  They loved the one on one time with me, and I loved that they were learning valuable life skills.

When they were much younger they started prepping their own breakfast.  My son loves eggs and wanted those for breakfast everyday.  That is what began his cooking skills.  He would microwave (back when we allowed microwaving!) his eggs every morning.  Lunch began because of all their different desires.  I was not going to prep four different lunches.  And they preferred leftovers to sandwiches.  I used to read to them sometimes when they were eating.  I used the time they were preparing their lunch to correct their schoolwork.

Today I mostly cook dinner but they are perfectly capable of preparing a meal on their own.  And my girls bake some amazing desserts! 🙂

I know this skill will serve them well in life.  Whatever they decide to do in life, they will need to eat! :-)Max claims he is never getting married, so I tell him he will need to cook for himself, as he may not live with his dad and I forever! 😉  And I’m sure his wife will appreciate this skill someday!

Now if they would keep me informed of what ingredients we are out of, we will be doing great!  I was just informed there is no cheese for the pizza! Off to the grocery store I go!

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Heroes

Today  I am thankful for the heroes that serve our country.  Those who put their lives on the line, both near and far to protect our nation and it’s ideals.  The soldiers who have fought in the wars we all know about, and those whose battles are less famous, and those who stand at the ready for a time they are needed.   The sacrifice is huge, not only for that soldier but for their families and friends.  Thank you for your courage, dedication and sacrifice.  The wounds we see and the ones we don’t, I pray the Lord heals all for you.

And because we don’t have a day to recognize these heroes, I want to say thank you for first responders.  We don’t realize how important they are until we need them.  We don’t think about the sacrifices they face until we have called them in the middle of the night, desperate for their help.  Just like our soldiers defending our country, they too miss birthdays, holidays, anniversaries because of someone else’s emergency.  Their families too sacrifice for this calling on their lives.

Today I am thankful that these heroes are brave in the face of danger, selfless in their service, and dedicated to their calling to serve all of us!  You have my admiration, respect and heartfelt gratitude! I am honored that I can call some of you family and friends.

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