Happy Thanksgiving!

The day after Thanksgiving, I’m sure we’re all still recovering from our Thanksgiving meal. To me, it seems that every year our food gets better and better. Our dietary needs have changed drastically from our first Thanksgiving. Yet, despite not being able to have your “traditional” dishes, the women in our family have found ways to make the dishes healthy and oh so delicious!

My favorite dish on the Thanksgiving table is ‘stuffed celery’. Cream cheese, cheddar cheese, black olives all mixed and stuffed into celery pieces. YUMMY! A close second is my grandma’s pecan pie. I’m not sure what she does with it, but I know she makes it with a whole lot of love.

As far as Thanksgiving memories go, Shaun already covered one of my favorites – his first Thanksgiving and killing a chicken. But my most favorite, by far, is going to have to be this year!

Surprise!

Since July, Shaun and I have been planning to surprise the family for Thanksgiving. We booked our flights and made plans to be here (in Southern California) for two weeks for Thanksgiving. All was going so well. We managed to keep our mouths quiet and not spoil the surprise…until. Three days before we set to depart, mom texted me all excited, letting me know that she and dad were making plans to go on a business trip to Idaho. My heart started racing as I asked her when they were planning to be gone. She responded, “November 29 to December 2”. I shouted to Shaun downstairs, “Shaun, we have a problem!!!”. Quickly bringing Shaun up to date, we decided that we had to tell her we were coming in three days.

How It Happened

A Skype and telephone call later, both Mom and Dad now knew we were coming. Their responses were priceless and full of emotion as they slowly realized just how soon we would be there. It was hard to mellow our excitement the next few days as the big surprise was fast approaching.

We had made plans with our friends to meet Michael at a coffee shop for his personal surprise. When we showed up at the shop and sat down to join him and his friend, he was speechless…well, ‘one-wordless’. As his brain was catching up with what he was seeing, all he could say was ‘whoa’. 12 times, to be exact. He got up, gave me a ginormous hug, and shed tears of joy! The surprise worked!!!

The following day we surprised the grandparents. Mom had tried out a new recipe and asked them to come over to try it out. Shaun and I were hiding as they came in and settled down in their seats. Once settled, we casually walked in (as if we lived there) and said “hi” in passing. Let’s just say, I’ve haven’t seen Grandpa get up so fast in a very long time! Our house was filled with many tears and endless amount of joy.

The best part of the surprise, I find are the reactions. This was proven once again at church on Sunday. We will never forget the excitement and shock from some of the members, which was so fun to see.

Thankfulness

Before I round off my blog, I would like to share some things for which I am thankful and something that has been on my heart the last few weeks.

This past year the Lord has put a desire in our hearts, and it has blossomed into our family business. I am so thankful for the commitment each one of us has put in (and is putting in). The excitement that we all have in the business and seeing how it is being developed; even seeing how people respond to it already, all I can say is: “Thank You, Lord!”.

I am very thankful for my loving and godly husband, who is always thinking of others more than himself. Very evident in the decisions he makes. His commitment to God’s Word and our marriage is encouraging and challenges me to do the same. Words can not explain how thankful I am to God for His blessing in my husband, Shaun.

Something to Think About

In conclusion, I thank God for His provision in everything! We are all very blessed, not just with what we have, but to even be alive. Here is what has been on Shaun and my heart’s the last few weeks, and I thought I would share it with you.

Contentment. We can so easily be discontent with what we have, or the things that are happening around us, or even the people in our lives. Shaun and I have been challenging ourselves to be content with all we have, even in the little things. We think about how the Lord has given us everything at this precise time, and although we may have wished it different, this here is God’s perfect timing. Nothing we do can change God’s plan. Everything is in His hands. Fulfilling His will.

With Christmas approaching and Thanksgiving sales booming, think about all that you have. Everything that God has given you. Realize that everything on this earth is a gift from God. The air we breathe; the food we eat; the people we meet; the talents we use; the ability to speak and think; the ability to feel and touch; laughing; crying. The list goes on and on.

Let us be thankful for it all and be content; not looking at the things we want, but looking at the things we already have. Thanking and praising God for it all, and giving Him all the glory and praise due to His name!

God and God Alone by Steve Green

God and God alone created all these things we call our own
From the mighty to the small the Glory in them all is God’s and God’s alone

God and God alone is fit to take the universe’s throne
Let everything that lives reserve it’s truest praise for God and God alone

God and God alone reveals the truth of all we call unknown
And the best and worst of man won’t change the Master’s plan it’s God’s and God’s alone

God and God alone will be the joy of our eternal home
He will be our one desire Our hearts will never tire of God’s and God’s alone