Skip to main content

Truly Thankful

Wow, what a Thanksgiving week it's been for 2017!  Monday morning started with a scheduled C-section for Aubree, followed by numerous visitors, days and nights of sleeping for 2 hours at a time, countless prayers, coming home, and finally Thanksgiving with our families on Thursday.  I can proudly say that I have an amazing family, both immediate and extended.  But I must humbly admit that a large part of the reason I am who I am today is because of all of these people.  It's crazy as we stood around yesterday reflecting in my head on a memory and impact that each person there has had on my life.  Sometimes we tend to take family for granted and allow them to slip from being a high priority to falling behind friends, success, and wealth.  But our family has literally done it all for us over the past few days.  They have watched Thomas, cleaned, cooked, brought food, prayed, called, texted, delivered coffee (that I was without for 2 days), and made adjustments to Thanksgiving traditions in order to allow us to be a part of them with our newborn.  (Okay maybe the newborn was the reason for the adjustments lol).

I probably left something out that they've done for us or potentially failed to notice something else.  And I am not going to attempt to name everyone who has been there for us for so long and this week especially.  Having family to take on so much of the burden of one child while having the second makes like doable.  Having family adjusts their schedules and giving up on their preferences to meet and eat when works for you shows how much they care.  I'm terrible at getting all emotional and sappy when I'm stressed and wanting to make sure everything goes just right.  Unfortunately, I'm better at writing out my feelings than expressing them verbally.  But I cannot say how thankful I am for each of you that has helped us lately.  I pray that you know how much Brittnee, Thomas, Aubree, and I care about you and what family truly means to us.

As I scrolled through Facebook and Instagram this morning, I couldn't help but notice that many people felt the same way.  Almost everyone had quotes of gratitude, bible verses about thankfulness, or photos of family posted.  No one had a picture of their new car, TV, phone, furniture, or some other material item.  As a people, our Christian values are so woven into our being that we don't even realize it at times.  Today, Black Friday, many people will (or already have) be hitting the stores to spend thousands while saving hundreds.  But deep down we know what's really valuable.  Family like we have cannot be bought on Black Friday.  There's not a deal or a coupon that can give you that kind of love and support through the good times and the bad.  So go shop, buy a gift, get a good deal.  But remember, the gift you buy is not the most important thing - the recipient of that gift is.

Saying 'Thank You' is not enough to show all of you how much we care.  Just know that we do, and that when you need us, we will be there for you as well.  Happy day after Thanksgiving!

Comments

Popular posts from this blog

2020 is Hindsight...Finally!

Wow, what a year! 2020 could literally be an entire decade, maybe more, of history, change, and lessons rolled up into these twelve months. While many aspects of 2020 were kind of sucky and we would like to forget them, it will certainly be a year to remember. And it will be enlightening when this year is looked back on in 10, 25, or 50 years to be discussed. I wonder if we'll seem like geniuses or idiots? Probably both to some extent! While there is so much that I could consider and analyze about this year, I'll try to break some of it down into four dimensions - Physical, Spiritual, Mental, and Social/Emotional. These are events and happenings from my world and perspective and I'm trying to be open in sharing and would love to hear from others on events you found most transforming. Physical When COVID cause gyms to close, that messed me up. Our town and state were late to be hit with severe cases and therefore later than many across the country to close up shop. I'm n...

Worship > Fellowship

I believe that worship, true worship of God, is more important than fellowship with other believers.  Now I'm not saying that fellowship and relationships aren't important.  But I am saying that if I'm not worshiping God, if I'm not right with him, then my other relationships can't be right.  My fellowship and worship with him is more important than my relationship with my wife, my son, family, friends, my church, and my community.  Think about it.  How can I love my wife like Christ loved the church if I don't love Christ?  I wouldn't know how to love without knowing him.  Why should she submit to me if I'm not worth submitting to?  And yes I do believes wives should submit, but I also believe that won't be an issue as long as she's submitting to a godly husband.  (Ephesians 5:22-25) Our love for others must flow from our love and worship of God.  1 John 4:19-21 reads, "We love because he first loved us.  If anyone says,...

Magnify

"Oh, magnify the Lord with me, and let us exalt his name together!" - Psalm 34:3 We often talk or sing about magnifying the Lord or magnifying his name, but what does it really mean to magnify something?  According to Webster, the simple  definition of magnify is: - to make something greater - to make something seem greater or more important than it is - to make something appear larger I've spent practically all of my life in church, but not necessarily walking with God.  I didn't pray about where I would attend college, get a job, or buy a house.  I took the lower cost college and searched for best available in the other two categories.  I have since learned that if I will focus on God, he will direct me to where I should be and what I should be doing.  It's like looking through a magnifying glass.  You can be glancing around and going in many different directions, but then the Lord steadies your hand and you begin to see the image under t...