This is most decidedly my favorite holiday. There are no giving or receiving of gifts. There are no fancy decorations, just simple reminders of the season. But the meaning and spirit of thanksgiving can easily be passed on to others: being thankful - thanking God for his multitude of blessings. We celebrate with family and friends and abundant food. We lift are hearts and hands in praise of the might God who gave us life and promised life abundant as we follow him.
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| Visiting before the meal |
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| Smoked Chicken |
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| Friends getting it ready |
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| The boys |
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| The girls |
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| Giving Thanks |
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| So much food! |
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| McLean pies |
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| Hidden Turkey |
I look at the gifts given: love, joy, delight, faith, hope, fruitfulness, gratefulness and I discover that I am not awed by them. I am often not inspired by these gifts freely given yet so costly to give to me. But, I want to be moved, changed, and inspired to love and bear more fruit!
After Thanksgiving, we experience the downside. I think here I more readily see the spiritual battles we are fighting - the sin, the depression, the relationship issues, hurting kids and adults. And that's among the missionaries! Why does God allow us to be beaten down and be under spiritual attack?
I honestly believe it's because God wants us on our knees. It takes a strong person to get to the field - uproot and leave family, friends, creature comforts, familiar surroundings; raise financial and prayer partners; pack up or sell everything; be committed to the work. But that same strength is our downfall. We can do it all. We can pull ourselves up and do anything. Do we need friends? Accountability partners? Prayer partners? Or can we just try harder to succeed? It's only the overwhelming times that force us to rely on the one who we know is our only hope, our source of strength, our guide and light, our bread of life, our living water. We know all those things intellectually, but it takes trials, struggles, shortcomings, loneliness and sometimes even despair to see the broken vessels we truly are. And then, when we are weak, HE is strong. I am thankful that HE is strong. He hears my prayers, my longing for hope, my need to fit in and have family, my desires to love and be loved.
HE hears yours too.
We are rushing towards Christmas now. My birthday, Ben's, and Chris's too come first. Life will be busy with parties, meetings, teaching, work at the library, visits with friends and much work. But it is my hope and desire to be on my knees with the one who has saved me and loves me with an unfathomable, unending love to lift up this broken world. Pray for peace, inside and out, amidst the troubled times we live in.
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| Someone is 17 |
Fieldtrip to RFIS to see the plants
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| Lipstick tree. The seeds are really used by cosmetic companies! |
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| It was red! |
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| Giant Palm |
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| Beautiful tall trees (sorry I don't remember the names!) |
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| This fruit isn't ripe yet |
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| The Jackfruit was ripe! |
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| Learning about plants |
Medieval Festival
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| Noah showing how to use a bow at the medieval feast |
Greenhouse
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| PreK teacher after a long day and mid illness |
Library skills class
Church
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| Someone said we matched at church... |
Sunset
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| I vote overseas for the first time |
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| Hortense's cinnamon rolls. YUM! |
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| At the seamstress - her daughter is also named Kristin |
Walks with friends
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| We do have trash pick up sometimes. But I hate that the beauty is marred by trash. |
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| Traffic gets worse the closer to Christmas |
Celebrating Birthday at school
REAL mail!
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| Last dinner with our friends the Cawleys |
Soccer Season
Thanks for reading and praying.
Remember to pray for missionaries, pastors, leaders - their kids and marriages, work and rest. We are all sinners but those public arenas make thinks harder and targets for so much.
Pray for peace and justice in Cameroon.
Pray for Chris's work using Scripture integrated with Music and Arts to share the gospel and glorify God in worship. Pray that the local songwriters search the scriptures for their inspiration and thus deepen their faith. We know His word does not return void!
Pray for a good place to live next school year in Virginia (Bedford County)
Pray for teachers at the Greenhouse and RFIS. The needs are overwhelming: pre-K, K, 1-2, 3-4, art, music, librarian, math, science, history/social studies, PE, computer, advanced German/Spanish, ELL/ESL, Middle school Humanities, Head of school/principal, Guidance councilor, chaplain....
Pray for Noah's college decisions.
