Great Is Thy Faithfulness

On facebook, many of my friends there are choosing one thing everyday to be thankful for until Thanksgiving. Awesome! There's just something wonderful about being reminded of all the things God has blessed us with in this country. Most posts contain simple things, like a warm house, a cup of hot coffee, or a crackling fire. But others have walked through some huge milestones this past year.

One family will be celebrating their son's ninth birthday, and he still has a Hickman Catheter from his second bone marrow transplant. They are beyond grateful for this birthday and the healthy progress he's making.

Some are missing family members who have died this past year, but continue to be thankful for those lives, regardless. They'll never be forgotten. It's a struggle, yet they do not despair.

Others have spouses, or sons and daughters in the military, and will have empty chairs at the dining table over the holidays. Still they say: "God is good, and we are grateful."

Me? I'm grateful for the small things like that fire and a good cup of coffee. But I'm also grateful to the Lord God of the Universe for His non-stop faithfulness to me over and over again. Great is Thy faithfulness, Lord unto me.

Here it Comes, Ready or Not!

I was in a store yesterday, waiting for my husband who was running an errand. I slowly walked from rack to rack, not really paying attention to what was playing on the overhead speakers. But soon I began humming along.  Hummm...dreaming...hummm...of...hmmm...a white...What? Excuse me? A Christmas Carol, they were playing/I was singing, a Christmas Carol on Nov. 3rd. No way! Yes way!

Don't get me wrong, I love the holidays, especially Christmas. But there needs to be a law stating Christmas Carols cannot be played during the first week of November.

Regardless, I refuse to get caught up in any marketing ploys used to push people into the yearly shopping frenzy. I will continue to keep Jesus at the center of the celebration and focus on the gift of His birth.

How about you?

DECK THE HALLS WITH BOUGHS OF HOLLY, FALALALALALALA!

A Woman of Substance

 She's raised six children, has twenty-two grandchildren and about that many great-grandchildren...and...she knows all of their birthdays...amazing! We're related, second cousins, but she's more like my mom/aunt, and we both love the Lord. Visiting her is a joy since before moving to Gresham, Or., from Montana, we hardly ever got to spend time together. Our visits usually center around lunch, a little shopping and lots of talking. 

Her memory is perfect most days, but it makes me sad to see her body failing. She, of course, doesn't like it either. During our last visit, I didn't want to leave, because every minute was so precious.

The good news for the two of us is this: We will have eternity together...loving, reminiscing, and worshiping the Lord God of the Universe. When she's gone, she will have left so much behind and for that, I am grateful.