Merry Christmas!

 At that time the Roman emperor, Augustus, decreed that a census should be taken throughout the Roman Empire.  (This was the first census taken when Quirinius was governor of Syria.)  All returned to their own ancestral towns to register for this census.  And because Joseph was a descendant of King David, he had to go to Bethlehem in Judea, David’s ancient home. He traveled there from the village of Nazareth in Galilee.  He took with him Mary, his fiancée, who was now obviously pregnant.

  And while they were there, the time came for her baby to be born. She gave birth to her first child, a son. She wrapped him snugly in strips of cloth and laid him in a manger, because there was no lodging available for them.
 
  That night there were shepherds staying in the fields nearby, guarding their flocks of sheep.  Suddenly, an angel of the Lord appeared among them, and the radiance of the Lord’s glory surrounded them. They were terrified,  but the angel reassured them. “Don’t be afraid!” he said. “I bring you good news that will bring great joy to all people.  The Savior—yes, the Messiah, the Lord—has been born today in Bethlehem, the city of David!  And you will recognize him by this sign: You will find a baby wrapped snugly in strips of cloth, lying in a manger.”
 
 Suddenly, the angel was joined by a vast host of others—the armies of heaven—praising God and saying,

 “Glory to God in highest heaven, and peace on earth to those with whom God is pleased.”
 
 When the angels had returned to heaven, the shepherds said to each other, “Let’s go to Bethlehem! Let’s see this thing that has happened, which the Lord has told us about.”

 They hurried to the village and found Mary and Joseph. And there was the baby, lying in the manger.  After seeing him, the shepherds told everyone what had happened and what the angel had said to them about this child.  All who heard the shepherds’ story were astonished,  but Mary kept all these things in her heart and thought about them often.  The shepherds went back to their flocks, glorifying and praising God for all they had heard and seen. It was just as the angel had told them. (Luke 2, NLT)

Thankful... Day Eleven

Today, I am thankful for all the veterans who have served in our nation's armed forces.  You are owed a debt of gratitude that can never be repaid. 

 

To my own family members... "Thank you!" Dad and Grandad!

 

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I am linking up with Dawn (another Dawn!) at the Goodlife for 30 Thankful Days.  What are you thankful for?  Feel free to link up and join us or leave your answer here in a comment!

 

 

Thankful... Days 7 and 8

Yesterday and today I am thankful for RAIN.  While it hasn't been enough to even begin to remedy the severe drought we're experiencing here in Central Texas, just the cloudy, dark days and the occasional rain drops splashing against my windows was enough to refresh these parched Texans and renew our hope for more.

More... please, Lord!

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I am linking up with Dawn (another Dawn!) at the Goodlife for 30 Thankful Days.  What are you thankful for?  Feel free to link up and join us or leave your answer here in a comment!

Thankful... Day Six

I am so thankful for worship music.  I almost always have a song "stuck" in my head.  It's not unusual for me to fall asleep with a song running through my mind and wake up the next morning with that same song still playing. God speaks to me through these songs of worship and praise.

Our ladies' Bible study group is currently doing Beth Moore's study "Here and Now, There and Then" on the book of Revelation.  Throughout this study I have often had Chris Tomlin's song "I Will Rise" pulsing through me as I've read the apostle John's words as he recorded the images and visions from God.  It's been the perfect sound track to this study!

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I am linking up with Dawn (another Dawn!) at the Goodlife for 30 Thankful Days.  What are you thankful for?  Feel free to link up and join us or leave your answer here in a comment!

Thankful - Days Four and Five

Well.

Three days into a 30-day commitment and I've already failed. So, to make up for it, I'll tell two things I'm thankful for.

First, I'm thankful for quiet days at home.  Yesterday was one of those days. Now, by quiet I don't mean that I sat around and listened to the hum of the appliances. It was still a busy day.  But, it was a busy day in the quiet solitude of my home. After a hectic few days away from the house, I'm always reminded that this social gal still craves the solitude of my own home to relax and recharge. 

Second, I am thankful for our community's school district.  Each year, Bud and I prayerfully reconsider schooling options for our children.  So far, we believe that we are in God's will in sending Kat to our local public school.  Is it perfect? Not by any means - no school is.  But it's a great district filled with administrators, faculty and parents who care about education and work hard to provide the best possible for our students.  Beyond the classroom, we are blessed to be in a district that is able to provide exceptional opportunities for the students to participate in sports and the arts.  I was especially reminded of my thankfulness as I watched Kat dance in our district-wide dance recital today.

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I am linking up with Dawn (another Dawn!) at the Goodlife for 30 Thankful Days.  What are you thankful for?  Feel free to link up and join us or leave your answer here in a comment!

Thankful... Day Three

Today, I am thankful for my friends.  God has blessed my life with Christ-like women of faith who encourage and build me up in my walk.

I am thankful for forever friends. The ones who have history with me. They knew me then. They know me now. And still they love me.

I am thankful for praying friends. The ones who will diligently pray until I say stop. Ones who will pray even when I don't know to ask them to do so.

I am thankful for faithful friends. The ones who show up during the hard times and ask to help.  And the ones who do without even asking.

Many will say they are loyal friends, but who can find one who is truly reliable? (Proverbs 20:6, NLT)

The heartfelt counsel of a friend is as sweet as perfume and incense.  (Proverbs 27:9, NLT)

As iron sharpens iron, so a friend sharpens a friend.  (Proverbs 27:17, NLT)



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I am linking up with Dawn (another Dawn!) at the Goodlife for 30 Thankful Days.  What are you thankful for? Feel free to link up and join us or leave your answer here in a comment!

Thankful... Day Two

I went to Sam's Club this morning.  It was one of those "big" trips as it seemed like we were out of everything from necessities to the extras.  Since I had no other commitments this morning, it was an enjoyable trip and I took my time wandering up and down every single aisle as I filled my cart with all the items on my list. (And then some.)

The cart was so full that it was difficult to steer as I approached the check out lanes.  Even more so as I pushed it uphill toward my vehicle at the back of the parking lot. (Can someone please tell me why parking lots are always uphill when you're pushing a heavy cart?)  Loading the items into my vehicle and then into the kitchen at home took an extra long time due to the "haul" and the fact that I had forgotten to take my bags with me. Finally, all was in the house and I closed up the garage and headed back into the kitchen. 

It was at that moment that it hit me.

The almost overwhelming amount of food and... well, stuff.

I don't say that to brag.  It was a humbling moment that turned into gratitude and thankfulness. 

Thankfulness that I live in a country where the bounty is plentiful. Thankfulness that in a tough economy Bud has a job and salary that allows me to purchase all our needs. (And then some.) Thankfulness that I am able to bring them home to a lovely home. Thankfulness that I am able to prepare tasty, healthy meals for Bud, Burrito and Kat.

Indeed, I am blessed... and thankful!

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I am linking up with Dawn (another Dawn!) at the Goodlife for 30 Thankful Days.  What are you thankful for? Feel free to link up and join us or leave your answer here in a comment!