There’s no way I could have a series on gratefulness without highlighting my sweet family.
This month, we gathered to celebrate all the grandchildren! One has a birthday towards the end of October, two have birthdays in November, and one just recently arrived from Uganda. So, as you can see, there was much to celebrate!
When I look at the picture below, my heart is filled with gratefulness and my eyes fill with the tears to prove it. 🙂
I see a hubster who is the most faithful man I know. He makes dreams come true that I didn’t even know existed.
I see two sons who not only love God, but pursue Him, as well as community with other believers. I learn from them…often. I take no credit for the amazing men they’ve become but truly give God all the glory.
I see two a-mazing daughter-in-laws whom I began praying for when our boys were in elementary school. Of course, I didn’t know exactly who I was praying for…but God did! They are godly women who love their families well. Brian and I often talk about what amazing wives and mothers they are (which is no surprise if you knew their mothers!)
And the grandchildren. Oh my. Well, when I see them, my heart bubbles up with pure joy. Each, already with their own personalities and strengths (note: Grammy’s don’t see weaknesses.)
Many of you prayed for Judah, Liv, Brandon, and Megan while they were in Uganda for 60 days. Thank you! Judah is a happy little boy with a quick bright smile that lights up any room. I have no doubt that he, and the story God is writing for him, will one day be used to bring true Light to dark corners around the world.
I pray this Thanksgiving — and every day — we will be reminded of the treasure found in our families. One day, when all is said and done, it will not be the temporary things of this world we’ll remember, or be grateful for. It will be our families and how we loved one another well. Yes, that will matter most.
(Left to right – Brian, Zach, Piper, Gabe, Sarah, Judah, Me, Brandon, Liv, and Megan)
Enter his gates with thanksgiving, and his courts with praise! Give thanks to him; bless his name! Psalm 100:4
Some of my best memories are those that surrounded the holidays. For an only child, I was blessed to have a large family that gathered every Thanksgiving and Christmas. Grandparents, parents, aunts, uncles, cousins. I didn’t realize what a blessing I was experiencing until it was over, for the most part, after the passing of my grandparents.
We must grasp the power of showing our gratitude towards others while we can.
A few years back, Brian and I took time to brainstorm specific ways we’re thankful for those who would sit around our Thanksgiving table that night. We wrote both serious and funny reasons on slips of paper and put them in tiny Thanksgiving-themed bags. I printed off simple tags that read Why We’re Thankful for You, tied them to the bag, added their name, and used them as place cards.
After we finished eating that night, each person took a turn drawing a slip of paper from their bag and reading it aloud. It added a little more meaning (and laughter!) to our time together, and for this I am grateful.
{If I do it again, I may get everyone involved by writing down one reason for each person before the meal.}
Practically any place card can become a personal opportunity to show our gratitude. The tent-type works especially well. I’ve used these for tea parties before.
Thankfully, it’s not about our level of craftiness—it’s about finding simple, meaningful ways to show our gratitude towards another person—and there’s no better season to put our feelings into action.
I pray that you and those you love will have a very blessed Thanksgiving.Â
Enter his gates with thanksgiving
and his courts with praise;
give thanks to him and praise his name.
Earthly wisdom is doing what comes naturally. Godly wisdom is doing what the Holy Spirit compels us to do. -Charles Stanley
I, like you, have tasted both the natural and the Spirit-led. After having tasted the latter, we can’t help but refuse to settle for anything less.
But sometimes it’s not easy telling them apart at first. This is what happened when, over the summer, I began nurturing grandiose ideas for my blog. Nothing was inherently wrong with them, but as I worked through the ideas, I felt unsettled, never at peace. Nevertheless, I pushed on for weeks, believing it was simply part of the hard work required in making things happen.
A particular writing friend of mine loved me enough to call me to task on my ambitions. Were these my ideas or God’s? As I prayed about it, God revealed in a number of creative ways that the ideas I’d been working so hard on were not part of His plan for our blog right now. When He confirmed this in my spirit, peace settled over my soul like soft snow rests on gnarly branches.
No matter how hard we work if we’re not in step with the Spirit, all is in vain.
I’m grateful that the One who indwells us is not an “It” but a “Him”. The Holy Spirit is personal and active in our lives. When in step with Him, life takes on an abundant edge that it misses otherwise.
How are you grateful for the Spirit’s work in your life today? Please share in the comment section!
If we live by the Spirit, let us also keep in step with the Spirit. Galatians 5:25
{I decided not to share the specifics of my former grandiose ideas because the Lord is calling others to do exactly those things—PTL—but not me, at least for now, and for this I am thankful.}
We’re often encouraged to jot down in a journal the little things in life that we’re grateful for…and for good reason. Shifting our days into a lower gear allows us to notice the seemingly trivial details of life, giving us an opportunity to notice their value, and being grateful for them.
Taking photos is an excellent way to slow down and to focus on the details.
Recently I came across a Gratitude Photo Scavenger Hunt by Sarah Dawn Designs. (The only links I could find to her Web site were broken but I want to give her full credit for coming up with this creative and timely idea!)
Below is the “Something I’m Grateful For…” scavenger hunt list. Some photo ops include: Take a pic of something you’re grateful for in nature, in the city, in the workplace, etc. My favorite lands on November 30th: Take a photo of how you intend to spread the spirit of thankfulness.
This exercise in gratitude is not only fun and beneficial for us adults, but also for our children and grandchildren!
{double click to enlarge, save image to print}
Having trouble saving/printing this image? Go to this Pinterest site {Sarah Dawn Designs, 2011} to download.
If you’re a novice photographer, such as myself, you too will love Mary Denman’s site. She gives practical advice on taking the best pictures possible (even with our phones!)
So, which of these 30 ideas are you most looking forward to photographing in November?Â
Cathy Baker
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