Christmas 2010 Advent Scripture Readings

Our family was gone last week visiting our extended families in MS and AL.  That's about a 14 hour drive from where we are here in SW Florida!  Needless to say we had an amazing time with our loved ones, but are still recovering from the drive home.  I'll be sharing about our trip probably in three parts over the next several days here.  I took so many pictures, not so much of scenery, but of sweet faces; faces that we may not see for another year!  So I'll share the trip with you in three parts so as not to do so much damage to your eyesight :)

I've shared before that Fall/Winter are my favorite seasons of the year; primarily because of the Thanksgiving and Christmas seasons.  I love the Christmas decorations that are beginning to pop up everywhere.  We decorated our home before our trip, because I like to enjoy a festive home the entire month of December.  There just seems to be something different in the air this time of year.  Maybe it's the excitement and expectation of this time of year.  But sometimes I wonder exactly what people are so excited about.

Yes, I'm looking forward to the Christmas parties, Christmas music playing, the decorations which I love, spending time with friends and the giving of gifts to one another; and oh. my. goodness. the yummy food this season of the year offers.

But I want to be intentional and very deliberate about preparing room in my heart for "The Word" Who "became flesh and made His dwelling among us." (John 1:14a)

One of the ways I'll be doing that is following an Advent Reading Plan organized by a pastor that we served with when we lived in Greenville, MS.  One of the things he always encouraged us to do this time of year was to focus on preparing our hearts with Scripture.  He organized this set of Advent Scripture Readings and I thought I'd share it here with you for your use this Advent Season:

Christmas 2010 Advent Reading

Prepared by Dennis Salley

November 28          Luke 1:1-4; Galatians 3:26-4:7

November 29         John 1:1-18

November 30         Philippians 2:5-11

December 1           Colossians 1:13-23

December 2           Ephesians 1:1-14

December 3           Genesis 1

December 4           Genesis 2

December 5           Genesis 3

December 6           Genesis 12:1-7; 15:1-16

December 7           Genesis 17:1-8; 15-21; 21:1-7

December 8           Isaiah 7:10-14

December 9           Isaiah 9:2-7

December 10         Psalms 72

December 11         Isaiah 11:1-5

December 12         Isaiah 40:1-11

December 13         Isaiah 53

December 14         Micah 5:2-5; Genesis 49:8-10

December 15         Haggai 2:6-9

December 16         Malachi 2:17-3:5

December 17         Matthew 1:1-17

December 18         Luke 3:23-38

December 19         Luke 1:5-25

December 20         Luke 1:26-38

December 21         Luke 1:39-56

December 22         Luke 1:57-80

December 23         Matthew 1:18-25

December 24         Luke 2:1-20

December 25         Matthew 2

December 26         Luke 2:21-52

As I prepare room in my heart for Immanuel, the God Who is with us, I encourage you to do the same.

Preparing room,

Jennifer

Bringing Up Girls: Month of Thanksgiving - Day 20

Today I'm thankful for my girls:

What a high calling and amazing privilege it is to be shaping two members of the next generation of women.  I am humbled every day as I tread these waters of partnering with God in raising Cecily (12) and JennaBeth (20 months).

When I was pregnant with my son Bentley (now 5), one of the first books I couldn't wait to get my hands on was Dr. James Dobson's Bringing Up Boys.  It is a book I have gone back to many times over the past five years as I've encountered many questions about raising Bentley and one I'm sure I'll refer to many more times before he leaves the nest.

So, when I found out that Tyndale was offering Dobson's Bringing Up Girls:  Practical advice and encouragement for those shaping the next generation of women, I jumped at the opportunity to read and review this book for them.  Tyndale sent me a copy free of charge in exchange for my honest review.

Once again, Dr. Dobson did not disappoint!  In Bringing Up Girls, Dobson covers a wide range of topics such as:

• Girls in Peril
• The Fair Sex
• Why She Is Who She Is
• Teaching Girls to be Ladies
• Embarrassing the Angels
• Girls and Their Mothers
• Young Women Talk About Their Mothers
• Why Daddies Matter
• Fathers and Daughters
• Cinderella At the Ball
• The Obsession with Beauty
• The River of Culture
• Charming Your Daughter
• Puberty and Adolescence
• Bullies, Buddies and Best Friends
• Protecting Your Daughter from Invasive Technology

The book is somewhat a lengthy read at 272 pages, but well worth the time spent.  Dr. Dobson does get rather "technical" in places when discussing some of the medical and psychological aspects and these portions are a little difficult to muddle through.  However, Dobson's knowledge helpful in understanding the nature of girls. 

I really enjoyed the very practical advice he offers.  The chapters which were organized in a question and answer format were helpful as I had some of the very questions dealt with in those portions of the book.  Dobson doesn't just give you a lot of information to consider, but helps you think through answers and practical solutions, but provides tried and tested recommendations.  You also get the advantage of other contributors throughout the book.

Here's Dr. Dobson from the introduction:

"Children are a gift from God, and we are stewards of their welfare.  Training up our daughters in this sense implies helping them to navigate the cultural minefields that lie in their paths - teaching them eternal values, talents, and perspectives.  It means instilling within them an appreciation for truthfulness, trustworthiness, self-discipline, self-control, generosity, and sweetness of spirit.  It means teaching them modesty, morality, and manners.  It means helping them overcome the natural inclination toward selfishness, aggressiveness, violence, and slovenliness. It means teaching them to work and learn and think.  That is just eh beginning, which is why parenthood is such a daunting responsibility, requiring careful forethought and planning."

I am thankful for the guidance and knowledge with which God has blessed men like Dr. Dobson and thankful for Tyndale for sending me a review copy.  I will be returning to this resource often in the years to come.  I recommend if you have girls of your own or are a grandparent to get a copy of this resource.

This book can be purchased at Amazon.

Month of Thanksgiving: Day 19 - Costly Grace

One of the things for which I am thankful today is the blogging for books program sponsored by many publishing companies.  Here at Mother of Three, I review books for several publishers:  Thomas Nelson, Tyndale, Bethany House, NavPress, Banner of Truth, B & B Media Group, and Waterbrook.  I am really thankful for this program, because books are expensive.  Trying to live very frugally, I don't have the extra money to buy books.  That poses a huge problem for a book lover like myself.  However, with the blogging for books program, I am able to read to my heart's content and not spend a dime.  The publisher sends me the book and I agree to read the book and provide them with an honest review.

One of the recent books sent to me by the B & B Media Group (Thank you Audra!) for review was Costly Grace:  A Contemporary View of Bonhoeffer's The Cost of Discipleship by Jon Walker.

Rick Warren in his foreword to the book says this:

"We speak too often of winning, succeeding, overcoming, and conquering and too little of yielding, submitting, obeying, and surrendering.  Yet, we can only follow Jesus when we obey Jesus and his commands.  To say 'No Lord' is to speak a contradiction."

In the book, Walker does an excellent job of relaying Bonhoeffer's idea of "cheap grace" in contrast to "costly grace" by showing how we can become "like" Jesus in several areas:

• Becoming like Jesus through His call
• Becoming like Jesus in Obedience
• Becoming like Jesus in Suffering
• Becoming like Jesus in Our Loyalty
• Becoming like Jesus by Developing His Character
• Becoming like Jesus in Influence
• Becoming like Jesus in Righteiousness
• Becoming like Jesus in Authenticity
• Becoming like Jesus in Purity
• Becoming like Jesus in Transparency
• Becoming like Jesus through Redemption
• Becoming like Jesus in Loving Enemies
• Becoming like Jesus in Quiet Service
• Becoming like Jesus in Prayer
• Becoming like Jesus in Spiritual Disciplines
• Becoming like Jesus in Trusting the Father
• Becoming like Jesus in Our Acceptance of Non-Believers
• Becoming like Jesus in Abandonment
• Becoming like Jesus in Wisdom
• Becoming like Jesus in His Compassion
• Becoming like Jesus Together
• Becoming like Jesus in Our Work
• Becoming like Jesus through Persecution
• Becoming like Jesus in Our Faith
• Becoming like Jesus to Others

These thought provoking insights are divided up into short chapters, giving the reader a chance to meditate on and digest a small portion of rich material at a time.  At the end of each chapter, Walker gives a short synopsis of the cost of discipleship in relationship to the material covered in that chapter along with statements that would be considered "fallen thinking" and statements considered to be "kingdom thinking".  Finally, he offers a section called "Your Choice", where the reader is challenged to work through the truth shared and evaluate where they are in their own life.

Walker does a good job of breaking down amazing truth in an easy to read format.  I would consider his writing to be conversational.  I liked the way the chapters are organized:  At the beginning you get a quote from Bonhoeffer, scripture to consider, and then Walker gives you "Jesus' Objective".  Each chapter is 8 to 10 pages long and then the section at the end (given in the paragraph above) allows you to apply what you've read.

My only criticism of the book has nothing to do with content.  The editing was rather sloppy.  There were numerous places in the book where words were either left out of sentences or the wrong word was given in a sentence.  In reading and having the context, the reader would be able to figure out what was meant, but the mistakes happened often enough that it became a little annoying.  For example this sentence on page 211:
"Only be will he blessed who remains loyal to Jesus and His word until the end".

I would recommend this book.  It is one I'm sure I'll read again and refer to often.  I'll leave you with this portion from the introduction:

"Why instead of the abundant life, do so many of us end up living lives of quiet desperation?  We go to church; we read the Bible; we pray; we try to be good people and to serve other people; yet, for many of us, our life with Jesus doesn't seem to be much more than an add-on to our increasingly complex lives, where we are over-stretched and now seem to be facing a tsunami of uncertainty in many areas that for so long have seemed relatively secure - our finances, our jobs, our homes, and even our fundamental safety.  So, we try harder, work harder, pray harder, study harder, and try to figure out what we're doing wrong because that's what we think Jesus wants us to do.  And, all the while, he keeps asking, in a sense, 'Are you tired of this yet?  Worn out?  Burned out on religion?  Come to me.  Get away with me and you'll recover your life.  I'll show you how to take a real rest.  Walk with me and work with me - watch how I do it.  Learn the unforced rhythms of grace' (Matthew 11:28b-29 MSG).    Jesus calls us away from the hows and whys and whats into the rhythms of his grace, standing before us as the Son of God Incarnate, Jesus, God's Word in the flesh.  The answer to our frustrations is 'who' not 'what' or 'how'.  The Word of God who stands before us is not a problem to be solved, but a person to know...Instead of trying harder, we need to trust more."

This book can be purchased at Amazon.com.

Month of Thanksgiving: Day 16

Today I am very thankful for my husband and the amount of time and energy he puts into our children.  He works very hard and still somehow finds the energy to play, fix things for them and just "be there" for them.

I've often heard the old adage:  It's not the amount of time, but the quality of the time you spend with your children that counts.  In some ways I agree with that and some I don't.  Children need to know their father loves them and that they can count on him.  I'm thankful to be able to say that without a doubt my children know their father is there!

Speaking of being there, I'm so glad Mike was so helpful last night, because he bathed JennaBeth two times!  Why you ask?  Well, because he had bathed her before supper.  They had been out playing with the neighborhood kids and she was filthy.  I  fixed spaghetti and meatballs for supper and this happened...

I think the pictures explain the need for the second bath!

Visit Rebecca Writes and find out what others are thankful for today!

Leave a comment here telling me one thing you are thankful for today!

Month of Thanksgiving: Days 11-15

Although I haven't had time to post the past few days, I have lots from each day for which to be thankful!  God has blessed my heart so these past few days.  I'm rejoicing that...

"Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights, who does not change like shifting shadows."  James 1:17

For one thing, it has just felt like a very relaxing few days.  God has blessed me with a peace in my spirit that I can't explain.  There's been plenty to worry over; there always is, but I've not gone there with the enemy.  God has supernaturally given me that "peace that passes all understanding".

On Saturday, me and the three kiddos all went and got haircuts.  Saturday was an especially fun day for me.  Cecily (my oldest) and I seemed to connect like we haven't in a long time.  We had good conversation.  It wasn't that we were doing anything special; God just blessed in the midst of the ordinary.

And because we are going to be visiting family some over the next week or so, we went ahead and decorated the house for Christmas.  This is always a fun time with the kids.  Cecily and Bentley put the ornaments on the tree and it was sweet to see such excitement in the home.  And then on Saturday night we had family movie night.  It was just an overall fun and sweet day together as a family.

While the kids and I were getting haircuts, Mike went and helped a couple in our church who were moving.  It was such a joy to help these folks out.  They have been such a blessing to us.  I'll never forget how overcome I was with the love of our church family for us, when we made our move in May of this year.  The husband of this particular couple stood propped up against the wall in Cecily's old room taking down her loft bed (which was a chore by the way!)!  He was experiencing some sever pain and trouble with his knee at the time, but was still there to help us!  I could really almost cry thinking of his sacrificial giving to us on that day.

The daughter of this couple sent back with Mike a bag full of hand me down clothes for JennaBeth.  Her daughter had grown out of some things and she wanted to give them to our littlest one.  I am so very thankful for this sweet gift, because JennaBeth has started growing out of most of the clothes she had in her closet and really needed some things.  The sizes in the bag were exactly what she needs now!  She'll be able to use them immediately!  I was reminded that God knows our needs and knows exactly when they need to be met.  For that my heart swells with thanksgiving to Him!

Then on Sunday, the day of prayer for the persecuted church, I was very thankful to be able to set under very strong expository preaching of God's word without fear and free of persecution.  The title of the sermon was:  The Power of Thanksgiving and the text was Ephesians 5:20...

"always giving thanks to God the Father for everything, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ."

How appropriate.

At the beginning of the sermon our pastor asked us, "Are you humbly thankful or grumbly hateful"?  He then shared this quote from G.K. Chesterton:

"I would maintain that thanks are the highest form of thought, and that gratitude is happiness doubled by wonder."

Here's the outline of the sermon with some of my notes:
I.  The Causes of an Unthankful Heart
    A.  A spirit of self-sufficiency (self-trust)
          1.  There is no place for self-congratulation in biblical thanksgiving.
          2.  Phil. 3 - We can't even worship apart from the Spirit of God helping us.
          3.  Story of the 10 lepers from Luke 17
    B.  A spirit of ignorance
          1.  Our view of God is very important:  You see the trinity in verses 18-20 of chapter 5.
    C.  A spirit of entitlement
II.  God's Call to Live Thankfully
    A.  A continuous response to understanding what it means to live by faith in God's grace.
          *  James 4:5-6 (An example would be that you would not be thankful for a diagnosis of cancer, but
              thankful to God, Who is Sovereign and can sustain you through any trial.)
    B.  A continuous focus on the sovereign love, wisdom and power of God.
         *  Romans 8:28  (Not all things are good, but that God is more than able to work everything for good.)
         *  Psalm 135:6
    C.  A continuous consideration of the gracious benefits that are ours through Jesus Christ.

Sunday afternoon the two littlest ones played outside with a big group of neighborhood kids.  It was such a delight to hear their laughter and screams of joy as they played tag and ran and had such fun in the cooler weather.  I'm thankful that we live in a neighborhood with lots of families with young children and that my little guys have been able to make friends. 

While they played outside, Mike, Cecily and I watched a movie. In between watching the movie and peaking on the littles a few times, I finished up my Christmas decorating.  I also got to find a special place for my new Yankee Candle (Mistletoe) which a sweet lady in our church blessed me with that morning.  She and I share a love for Yankee Candles and she knew that I had plans to get a Christmas scent to enjoy this season.  It was such a sweet surprise and just one of the many ways God chose to bless me this weekend.

Praying that we all will continue to have the grace to live out Ephesians 5:20,

Month of Thanksgiving: Day 10

Today I am very thankful for healthy, growing and developing children!  We have three ages 12 (almost 13, she reminds us everyday!), 5 and 20 months.  They are all three changing it seems everyday.

The littlest one is learning more and more each day and her vocabulary and understanding is increasing by the minutes it seems like.  She watches every move her big brother a.k.a. "bubba" makes and thinks she can do everything he does.  You can tell she loves him so much!  When she wakes up in the mornings, she starts calling, "bubba, bubba" as loud as she can.  She does the same thing when she wakes up from her naps during the day.

Bentley (our 5 year old) loves his "big tister" so much!  And she loves him!  You wouldn't know it on some days if you could hear them.  Little brother can be just that a little brother, but at the end of the day they love each other bunches and it is sweet to see them together.  Cecily is so good to take up time with her little brother and sister.  In the picture above she had built a "fort" in the living room and read books to Bentley.  Now, NO ONE can build a fort like "big tister"!

This picture is of JennaBeth at  her 18 month check-up with the pediatrician. 
I'm blessed and thankful to have healthy children.  I am painfully aware that there are many moms who can not say that and I think of them and their children often.

Learning to help is another thing I have prayed my children would learn and desire to do and I see that happening.  It's exciting to see it in the younger two.  Their big chore is to take out the the items to be recycled to our recycle bin in the garage each evening.  Baby sister is big brother's "helper".  She loves to do this with him.  When a pile of things build up on the kitchen counter, I'll say, "It's time to recycle" and JennaBeth comes running around into the kitchen saying, "cycle, cycle" and is ready to go.  Many times Bentley will notice things need to be taken out and he'll call to JennaBeth, "baby tister, it's time to do our chore".  He'll hand her a few items she can carry and tells her to come help him.

The two of them are out on our lanai right now playing and it is music to my ears; all except the screaming on baby girl's part.  Apparently her brother isn't playing with her just right!

One of JennaBeth's newest words she has learned is "Sissy".  I took this picture before we left for church on Sunday.  She was saying "sissy" when I snapped the pic.  I love to see the smiles on their faces!

Speaking of words, we were working on all the grandparents' names this morning.  JennaBeth has papaw, pops, mamaw and nana down, but is having trouble saying "granny" (what the littles call my mother).  Every time Bentley and I would ask her to say "granny" she would say "maw"; not mawmaw, but just "maw".
So, granny, for now you are "maw"!!

Check out Rebecca Writes and be blessed and encouraged to be thankful for something today!

Thankful and blessed,

Month of Thanksgiving: Day 9

"My counsel for you is simple and straightforward:  Just go ahead with what you've been given," says Paul.  "You received Christ Jesus, the Master; now live Him.  You're deeply rooted in Him.  You're well constructed upon Him.  You know your way around the faith.  Now do what you've been taught.  School's out; quit studying the subject and start living it!  And let your living spill over into thanksgiving."  Colossians 2:6-7 MSG

I was finishing up a book this morning I've been reading (Costly Grace:  A Contemporary View of Bonhoeffer's The Cost of Discipleship) and came across this passage out of Colossians in the Message Version of the Bible.  I was struck by the wording "quit studying the subject and start living it" and "let your living spill over into thanksgiving".  

One of the grace gifts Mike and I have in our lives that allows us to do those very two things are supportive parents.  That's what I'm very thankful for today.

Mike and I have been married for a little over 18 years.  He was surrendered to the ministry when I married him; so I knew "what I was getting into" so to speak.  One of the things I was fully aware of was the fact that most likely we wouldn't always live close to our families.  Some of our places of service have been close, but the last few have not been.

Mike currently serves as Associate Pastor at our church in SW Florida which puts about 1,000 miles away from our families in Mississippi and Alabama.  Living such a distance from them, we only get to see our parents and siblings once a year.  My mom and stepdad and my dad and stepmom have been able to make a couple of trips to see us in the Summer, which has been very nice!

Our parents, both mine and Mike's, have always been so encouraging and supportive of our life in the ministry.  They understand the supreme importance of our obedience and trust in God for the places He would have us serve.  They pray for us.  We have never once been given the guilt trip of "Why are you moving the grandchildren so far away?".   We don't have the pressure of "When are ya'll gonna move back home?"  This gift of supportive parents frees us up to "live a life of extraordinary quality, one that carries significance beyond ourselves" (Costly Grace, by Jon Walker).

Now I won't lie to you and have you believe that there are never tears or sadness on one side or the other.  It's natural to miss them and them miss us!  I'd be a little concerned if they didn't miss us!  I'm 39 years old and there are still times that I just plain ole miss my mama!  And yes there are days I shed a few tears at what they are missing when it comes to the grandchildren growing up.  But God always gives much grace on those days and they are the ones that the phone calls last an hour or longer.

And I am thankful for the internet!  One of the primary reasons I started blogging was to provide a way for our families to keep up with what our family is doing and what the grandkids are up to at any given time.

So, on that note...

I'll post this picture of the grand younguns and say, "We love you and miss you Granny and Pops, Papaw Sonny and Mamaw Judy and Papaw Conrad and Nana.  We can't wait to see ya'll at Thanksgiving!"

Continuing to be thankful with Rebecca and others,

Month of Thanksgiving: Day 8

Today I am very thankful for my church and for being able to be a part of the Ladies Ministry Team.

One of the events we host each year at the beginning of November is called "Holiday House".  Different people offer to decorate tables.  For the past three years, Cecily (my oldest) has been involved in putting together the Kid's table.  Here she is doing that this on Saturday evening...

She always does a very nice job and it is a joy to be able to serve with her in this way!

The ministry team invites the ladies of our church to join us for a nice dinner.  I was so pleased at the crowd we had this year.  Many of our ladies invited friends to come with them and we had a nice crowd of our own ladies and their visitors.

I thought the tables were beautiful as they always are and the fellowship was so sweet.

As amazing as that all is, the most fun each year at Holiday House is packing shoe boxes for Operation Christmas Child.  Each person attending brings a shoe box and items in which to pack the box.  It thrilles my heart each year to see our youth girls join us "older" ladies in this ministry and be excited about it!

I can't quite put into words the excitement in the room as everyone gets up from the tables and begins the process of selecting items and packing their shoe boxes.  Such joy is expressed on each face.

Everyone has so much fun!  I really can't think of a better way to spend an evening than involved in a ministry like Operation Christmas Child.  I'm thankful to share this event with such sweet ladies.

So sweet to see two sisters packing shoe boxes together...

With some of the other things I was doing that evening, I only got to pack one box for a little boy age 5 to 9...

I'm praying that the LORD will be pleased to delight the little boy who receives the box I packed with such joy this year and that it would possibly be the very thing the LORD would use in that little boy's life to draw him to saving faith in Him!  I'm asking LORD that it would impact the little boy's whole family!

One of the new features that was sent with the promotional materials this year for OCC was information sheets you could include with the items in your box.  Many of our youth girls filled these out and put them in their boxes.  They were able to show where they lived and tell a little about themselves so that the child receiving the box would know a little about who had sent them this gift.  They could also include their address so that the child receiving their box could correspond with them.  Here is Cecily writing her letter...

I always come away from Holiday House feeling like God has smiled upon what we've done.  I pray it pleases Him and the boxes will glorify Him as love is shared with each of the children receiving this small gift this year...

Visit Rebecca's place and see what others are thankful for today!
Blessings,

Month of Thanksgiving: Day 5

I am thankful today for the truth of God's word in Lamentations 3:18-24,

"So I say, 'My splendor is gone and all that I had hoped from the LORD.  I remember my affliction and my wandering, the bitterness and the gall.  I well remember them, and my soul is downcast within me.  YET this I call to mind and therefore I have hope:  Because of the LORD'S great love we are not consumed, for His compassions never fail.  They are new every morning; great is your faithfulness.  I say to myself, The LORD is my portion; therefore I will wait for Him."

I am thankful for God's mercy and grace and that His compassion for me never fails!

I was painfully reminded of my sin and need for the LORD every minute of the day when I went to buy groceries for my family today and allowed myself to be consumed with worry and anxiety over trying to stay within a very tight budget.  Worry really adds up to not believing in the LORD and not trusting Him to take care of me and my family!  I was immediately convicted of my sin.

And as soon as I began to get all worked up, the LORD in His compassion and mercy towards me through the power of the Holy Spirit, reminded me of how trustworthy He really is. The words of Lamentations 3 ministered to my wandering heart and brought me back to Him!

And then, I got home and put away groceries.  I sat down to check Facebook and this was one of my friend's status updates:

Be happy with what you have...grateful for what you are given...and never want more than you need =)

I'm so very thankful that when my heart wanders, as it so easily does sometimes, the LORD gently and sometimes not so gently, leads me back to His side.  Today He was gentle with me!

 

Blessings,

Month of Thanksgiving: Day 2, 3 and 4

As you can tell by the title of this post, I'm playing catch up!  I worked the election down here in Florida on Tuesday which involved about a 15 plus hour day.  People really showed up to vote of which I am very thankful.  We had 14 voting booths set up and there weren't many times throughout the day that they were not all full with a few people waiting.  I am thankful to have been a part of the process and of having the privilege to vote.

I must have picked up a little stomach bug from one of the 800 plus people that were in my face at the polls on Tuesday, because I was sick all day yesterday!  I felt like a dead woman walking, but I'm feeling 100% better today; another thing for which I am VERY thankful!

And that brings us to today!  I am so thankful for these very special peeps...

my husband Mike, and my three little people, Cecily (12), Bentley (5) and JennaBeth (20 months).

Being away from them for 15 hours on Tuesday made me realize how very much I love them and missed them that day!  I'm thankful that as crazy as life is sometimes that it is our crazy life together!  I really wouldn't want to share it with anyone else than them!

Visit Rebecca over at her place and see what others are thankful for today!  It will encourage you and urge you on toward thankfulness in your heart!!  And don't forget to let me know in the comments what you are thankful for!

Blessings,

November: Month of Thanksgiving

I am going to be joining Rebecca over at Rebecca Writes for her Month of Thanksgiving posts.  I will attempt to include a daily post about something I am thankful for each day during November.  It would be encouraging to me if you would join me!  Leave me a comment each day you stop by of something on that particular day for which you are thankful.  And if you do a "thankful" post of your on on your blog, then let me know that and make sure you leave a link to your blog in the comments so that others stopping by can be encouraged as well.

Today I am thankful for my five year old son's involvement in Kids' Quest Catechism Club at our church.

In case you can't read the print in the picture, here are his first five questions/answers to begin memorizing:

1. Who made you?  God
2. What else did God make?  God made all things.
3. Why did God make you and all things?  For His own glory.
4. How can you glorify God?  By loving Him and doing what He commands.
5. Why are you to glorify God?  Because He made me and takes care of me.

Thank you Sean and Leslie for working with our kids on Sunday evenings!  I appreciate and am thankful for all you two do to serve in our church!

"Come, let us sing  for joy to the LORD; let us shout aloud to teh Rock of our salvation.  Let us come before Him with thanksgiving and extol Him with music and song.  For the LORD is the great God, the great King above all gods.  In His hand are the depths of the earth, and the mountain peaks belong to Him.  The sea is His, for He made it, and His hands formed the dry land.  Come let us bow down in worship, let us kneel before the LORD our Maker; for He is our God and we are the people of His pasture, the flock under His care.  Today if you hear His voice, do not harden your hearts."  Psalm 95:1-8a

Now, it's your turn.  What are you thankful for today?

Blessings,