Thankful Reflections

We had a wonderful Thanksgiving as I hope all of you did also. My daughter-in-law Laura worked hard on Thanksgiving day, preparing a salad, making a pie and a dessert. Then on Friday, our gathering day, she was invaluable, making dressing and overseeing the turkey and lamb and vegetables. John got the potatoes ready. Everyone had plenty to eat and there were even a few noodles left over for Paige to take home.

Even after such a big meal the "kids" were ready to enjoy the nice weather and headed outdoors for a foot race down the street. The winner and loser were both a surprise. Brady won, narrowly beating out Graham and Payton, then Mark and Piper were right behind. John said he needed a kickstart to get going.

Then it was a game of football in the back yard. Nearly everyone of the men and kids participated. They had a great time. Some even came in worn out and in pain. All were breathing hard and smiling. Paige captured much of the action in photographs so all could be remembered.

Before the day ended Paige got family photos in the back yard. So wonderful! 

Jesus already knew what happened on Thanksgiving and every other day. He knows everything we ever did. And still He loves us! What a blessing we have in our Lord Jesus Christ.

"Then leaving her water jar, the woman went back to the town and said to the people, "Come, see a man who told me everything I ever did. Could this be the Christ? They came out of the town and made their way toward him," (John 4:28-30 NIV).

I'm so thankful for a day of having our whole family together. My heart is full of blessings.

Happy Thanksgiving!

“Come, let us sing for joy to the Lord; let us shout aloud to the Rock of our salvation. Let us come before him with thanksgiving and extol him with music and song,” (Psalm 95:1-2 NIV).

 

One of the hymns I think of during Thanksgiving is “We Plow the Fields, and Scatter” by Matthias Claudius, 1782. The words speak to the season and God’s constant presence and touch in our lives. Read the words or sing along with me.

 

“We plow the fields, and scatter The good seed in the land, but it is fed and watered By God’s almighty hand; He sends the snow in winter, The warmth to swell the grain, The breezes and the sunshine, And soft refreshing rain. All good gifts around us Are sent from heav’n above; Then thank the Lord, O thank the Lord For all His love.  He only is the Maker of all things near and far, He paints the wayside flower He lights the evening star; The winds and waves obey Him, By Him the birds are fed; Much more to us, His children, He gives our daily bread. All good gifts around us Are sent from heav’n above; Then thank the Lord, O thank the Lord For all His love.  We thank Thee then, O Father, For all things bright and good, The seed-time and the harvest, Our life, our health, our food; Accept the gifts we offer For all Thy love imparts, And what Thou most desirest, Our humble, thankful hearts. All good gifts around us Are sent from heav’n above; Then thank the Lord, O thank the Lord For all His love. Amen.”

 

May your Thanksgiving be filled with joy and love and may you make memories to cherish and warm your heart for years to come. Have a blessed Thanksgiving. 

Thanksgiving Preparation

One important part of the Thanksgiving meal is the planning. Here I am at 2 a.m. ready to do some planning. I was wide awake so what better time to get things done. As I plan for what we will eat on Friday (that is when everyone will gather this year) I have to remember I won't be doing the work because of my right hand healing.

First I need to check the weight of the turkey and the lamb (a Stewart family dinner tradition) and figure out how much baking time is needed for both. Then establish a schedule for cooking so that everything gets done in time for a noon dinner. 

Next I need to make a list of other things that need to be done including the meals for our Virginia family that arrives today. John already started planning those meals as we needed to buy groceries for the week.  The table will need to be set and an extension table will be needed for the 16 to sit around on Friday. 

"At mealtime Boaz said to her (Ruth), "Come over here. Have some bread and dip it in the wine vinegar." When she sat down with the harvesters, he offered her some roasted grain. She ate all she wanted and had some left over," (Ruth 2:14 NIV).

As we gather together on Friday our hearts will be full. Having the whole family together is such a huge blessing and not one I take for granted. I'm thankful for each and everyone who will join us. I pray for each of you to have a blessed Thanksgiving and enjoy the preparation and planning as well.

The Family Table

As Thanksgiving approaches one of the most important things that comes to mind is the family table. Our table is about 32 years old. We got it when we moved out of our mobile home into a house in State Center. It was a big event and I was so thrilled to have a dining room table that would expand for extended family dinners. 

There is nothing quite as wonderful as having the whole family gathered around the table for a meal. Our family has grown to include fiancés' children and a boyfriend of a granddaughter so we have to add another table to make room for the whole family and it is still wonderful, crowded but wonderful! When the whole family is together there are stories told and laughter shared. God is so good.

"She has prepared her meat and mixed her wine; she has also set her table," (Proverbs 9:2 NIV).

I'm so thankful that my daughters-in-law have offered to help make the meal this year. Laura is coming early from Virginia to make the preparations with John's help. My job will be to advise as needed and stay out of the way. Even if things aren't quite like usual, the table will be full of family and love.

"They set the tables, they spread the rugs, they eat, they drink!" (Isaiah 21:5 NIV).

May you have a blessed Thanksgiving around your table or someone else's. God bless.

Giving Thanks

It's the season of thankfulness and there is so much to be thankful for.  At different times in my life I have kept a gratefulness journal. Counting our blessings helps us lift our spirits and gives us a true and complete view of our reality. Let's start with the fall season we are in. Although in Iowa we have a week of cold (30's) we have had a beautiful autumn. The weather has been mild and so pleasant. The fall colors were incredibly beautiful, some said it was due to the dry weather.

Family is really the first on our list of thanksgiving. We are so thankful for the family we love so dear. I'm thankful for our two sons and their families. They have been through a lot this year, challenges and health concerns yet they have jobs and are continuing to provide for their families. We love our grandchildren and have enjoyed watching them grow and mature in many ways. We are so blessed to be grandparents.

Health is yet another thing to be thankful for. The health of all our family members is important to us. Thankful for good health and for less cases of severe COVID. Thankful for vaccines that help us stay well or lessen the severity of the flu and COVID. 

Faith is yet another thing to be thankful for. I give thanks for having faith in God because I can't imagine having to live life without faith.

"For I am convinced that neither death, nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord," (Romans 8:38 NIV).

May God bless your day and fill it with thoughts of thankfulness.

Wherever I Go

No matter what you are going through, God is there with you. He has been with me through the two years I have struggled with my bad writing hand. And He will continue to be with me as my hand heals and physical therapy helps bring my new joints to life. I know it won’t be a fast process but it wasn’t a fast path that got me to this point.

 

I’m still dealing with a lot of can’ts . I can’t write with my hand yet. I can’t wash my hair with that hand nor shower without a plastic sleeve. I can’t eat with my right hand. I have to brush my teeth and comb my hair with my left hand. I have to use my left hand to curl my bangs. I can’t stir or cook or open my yogurt container. I can’t shave my legs with my left hand!

 

What are you discouraged about? If you face something that scares you or makes you sad, turn it over to Jesus and let Him handle it. Your future is in His hands, already planned to His satisfaction.

 

“Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be terrified; do not be discouraged, for the Lord your God will be with you wherever you go,” (Joshua 1:9 NIV).

 

Whatever you face, God is with you…in the hospital, in a nursing home, on the playing field or court, at work or in prayer, God is always there!

 

Thank you God for always listening to our feeble whispers and for helping us strive to be strong and courageous. Amen.

 

#850 gds

  

Not So Handy

Most of you know that I had right hand surgery in October so I haven’t been writing my blog for a few weeks. I’m back. I can now move my fingers enough to type two-handed so it will go faster than trying with just one hand. I also had Mohs surgery on my left hand last week that limited my use of that hand for a few days. It has been challenging, to say the least. It wouldn’t have been possible without my dedicated husband. John has been wonderful.

 

I have my right hand in a splint rather than a cast and the stitches were removed so I have steri-strips over the incisions. It was a 6-hour surgery so I still have some slight swelling made better by keeping it raised above my heart all night and as much as possible during the day. John created a device to hang my hand up. He used a ladder with a pvc pipe attached by drilling a hole through it and screwing it to the ladder. There is another hole drilled at the opposite end where he attached a hook for hanging the sling that was used in the hospital. It has worked well. 

 

The stitches in my left hand will come out on the 16^th. I can’t make a fist with that hand but my fingers are free to move now. I have learned to have patience and to accommodate inabilities with the abilities I have. 

 

“I know what it is to be in need, and I know what it is to be in plenty. I have learned the secret of being content in any and every situation, whether living in plenty or want. I can do everything through him who gives me strength,” (Philippians 4:12-13 NIV).