Blessed (and Grateful) Be

Sometimes my heart is washed in tears,

or overcome by foolish fears,

but most days find me safe from harm

with all I need to keep me warm.

 Though every life has best and worst,

I should be grateful last and first

for gifts I’m given, large and small,

that show me God is over all.

Tall trees rise up, embracing sky,

in colors pleasing to the eye.

My spirits soar as shades of blue

emerge through leaves of changing hue.

Each budding branch of early spring

erupts in anthems sparrows sing.

My fingers brush the velvet skins

of blossoms, and new life begins.

 My feet are grounded in the earth,

and they have carried me since birth

to places near and places far,

traveling under sun and star.

My fate belongs to me alone,

compelled by neither king nor throne.

I choose the pathway I will trod,

a freedom granted me by God.

 Words are my joy, their power profound:

unspoken, parsed, released to sound

or written on an empty page,

the hearts of others to engage.

 A family gathers ‘round me near:

loyal husband, children dear,

mother kind and father rare,

brothers and sisters beyond compare.

These golden treasures feed my soul,

comfort me, and make me whole.

The morning dawns and yields to night.

Sunrise. Sundown. All is right.

I offer gratitude each day,

my thanks a gentle price to pay

for blessings large and blessings small

that God extends to one and all.

HAPPY THANKSGIVING 

TO YOU AND YOURS!

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Thanksgiving Divorce

A man in Phoenix calls his son in New York the day before Thanksgiving and says, "I hate to ruin your day, but I have to tell you that your mother and I are divorcing; forty-five years of misery is enough."

"Pop, what are you talking about?" the son exclaims.

"We can't stand the sight of each other any longer," the father says. "We're sick of each other, and I'm sick of talking about this, so you call your sister in Chicago and tell her."

Frantic, the son calls his sister, who explodes on the phone. "Like heck they're getting divorced!" she shouts. "I'll take care of this." 

She calls Phoenix immediately and screams at her father, "You are NOT getting divorced. Don't do a single thing until I get there. I'm calling my brother back, and we'll both be there tomorrow. Until then, don't do a thing, DO YOU HEAR ME?!" and hangs up. 

The old man hangs up the phone and turns to his wife. "Okay," he says. "They're coming for Thanksgiving and paying their own way." 

∞§∞

 Sounds like a happy ending to me.

;) 

Thanksgiving Trip Round-Up

Our hostess with the mostest.

Our host, take 1.

Our host, take 2. (Rico Suave style)

Our excellent grandson, just home from Disneyland.

Close-up of excellent grandson.

Carli and Jeremiah, at The Muppets, a very silly show.

Dave (the hubby) and Ryan (son 2).

Kitchen setting.

Family room setting.

And that's all you're getting.

Cause that's all I've got.

(I was slightly remiss in taking photos!)

On to Christmas------------>

=)

Nothing Beats These Tasty Treats!

From a distance.

Up close and personal.

∞§∞

Just a little sample of the mouth-watering delights Heather

offered us for Thanksgiving dinner yesterday. Need I say more?

And I didn't even take pictures of the pie array...

=)

...because I was too busy putting a big dent in it!

Another Thanksgiving Prayer

A Thanksgiving Prayer

©1991 by Susan Noyes Anderson

I’m thankful for my mother,

and I’m thankful for my dad.

I’m thankful for my sisters,

and for all the fun we’ve had.

I’m thankful for my brother, Tom,

(even when he’s jerky).

But most of all, I’m oh-so-thankful

not to be a turkey!

Okay, I freely admit that this poem and "inspiration point" are not necessarily compatible. ;) Guess I just couldn't resist the opportunity to fake you guys out.

Happy Thanksgiving!

=)

Thanks, Indeed...

When asked by his preschool teacher what he was thankful for,

Bryce replied, "Everything. Except for the not awesome things."

heehee

;)

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Grateful, We Gather: A Prayer of Thanksgiving

I was glad to see Jenny pick a Thanksgiving theme for our Saturday Centus today, because my life is full of blessings for which I am grateful. The prompt is "We gather together to ask the Lord's blessing," a hymn that originated in the Netherlands and is likely based upon Psalm 100:4-5.

Whenever I think of gathering, the first thing that comes to mind is family, for mine is a particularly warm and wonderful one. The second thing I think of puts family in a larger context and is expressed in the final line of my poem today.

∞§∞

GRATEFUL, WE GATHER: A Prayer of Thanksgiving

©2011 Susan Noyes Anderson

We gather together to ask the Lord's blessing,

for richly He's blessed us, in years now gone by.

The warmth of our hearth and the love of our family

are more than good fortune; they're gifts from on high.

Beside us to guide us, His hand reaches o'er us...

protecting, directing...our good He secures.

No matter the storm or the tempest that threatens.

in Him are we anchored, and safety endures.

With love do we praise Him and ever extol Him,

our Rock and our Anchor in days that are past.

We trust Him today, and we'll trust Him forever,

until at His feet, we are gathered at last.

∞§∞

"O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, how often would I have gathered

thy children together, even as a hen gathereth her chickens

under her wings, and yet would not" (Matthew 23:37).

***

first picture is by Norman Rockwell

last two pictures are by Greg Olsen

Life Is Beautiful

The view is great.

Pumpkins await.

Helpers are dutiful.

Life IS beautiful.

=)

pumpkin photos by tendershootz

Quilts are beautiful, too, so don't forget to comment here

and become part of my 1000th-post contest!

The lucky quilt winners will be announced on Thursday.

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No Regretro

I wanted to write a few words about gratitude today and ended up thinking more about my relative lack of that quality. Not that I never feel it, because I do––just not at the level (or with the frequency) my daily experience merits. It's true. Every time something traumatic happens in my life, the one thing I immediately realize is that I wasn't grateful enough for my circumstances as they existed before. Without fail, my appreciation for the status quo was out of sync with the quality and enormity of my blessings. In other words, I didn't realize how good I had it...until things got worse!

Needless to say, retroactive gratitude is a bust. Getting the best bang for your thankfulness buck means staying in the moment. Finding joy in the goodness of today is sweet. Grieving that lost goodness tomorrow? Not so much.

With that in mind, I submit the following list of things I am grateful for today, right now, this minute:

1. a Heavenly Father who listens to and leads me

2. a husband I would choose all over again

3. children who make me proud every day

4. adorable grandkids

5. extended family members and strong roots

6. enough close friends to fill my needs

7. enough really good friends to need me

8. the chance to serve a congregation of young adults

9. financial security

10. a comfortable, cozy home

11. beautiful, peaceful surroundings and 5 senses to enjoy them

12. good health for me and my loved ones (or good enough health)

I'll stop with an even dozen, but I could go on indefinitely. We are also blessed with spiritual gifts, and these enhance the quality of life immeasurably: intelligence, talents, curiosity, sense of humor, the ability to give and receive love...Again, I could go on forever.

This year, I will focus on being grateful every day and not in retrospect, enjoying life in full measure and mindfulness––from the small, steady things to the large, life-changing ones––complete with frequent stops to smell the roses (ever blooming) in between.

Appreciating Autumn

Autumn is a feeling,

and it takes you for a ride.

It puts you in the driver's seat

and welcomes you inside.

Fall paints as many colors as

a rainbow, bright and bold,

and teaches you to find what's true

in orange, red, and gold.

It shows you what you're made of,

and the harvesting feels good.

Hard work is never wasted

when you've done the best you could.

To reap a great reward brings joy

and deep reflection, too.

The heart remembers all is well,

and love belongs to you.

As seasons come and seasons go,

every end is new.

=)

photos of grandkids by tendershootz

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