Hello all,
I have not fallen off the face of the planet I promise! The last few weeks at work have been hectic, hectic, hectic. My sweet boss has had so many trips back and forth and my job is just to get her ready and go. :-)
The first week of december my dad and I talked and decided that financially it was just not a wise thing for me to head over to Bots for Christmas. The ticket would have been 3x's what it normally is and though it would have been nice, we just felt it was not great stewardship of God's resources.
So last saturday morning, I got up before the sun and drove from Dallas to Nashville. It was a long drive with an hour stuck in traffic with the car turned off and talking on the phone. But I made it safely to my sweet friend Annie's home. We have been friends since our childhood in Kenya, living a good portion of that childhood side by side, so any time spent with her is a special gift.
I got up on Sunday morning (though I did let the sun get up before me this time) and continued my trek to Burlington, North Carolina where my aunt and uncle (on my dad's side) reside. My granny had already been there for a few days, so it was a great reunion.
Christmas Day was great! My cousin showed up from a long trek himself and we all had a great time together.
The AHA gives us an entire week of for Christmas so I have stayed on here and enjoyed spending time with my aunt (discovering just how alike we are is fun and sometimes scary) and granny.
I leave tomorrow morning back to Nashville, where I will see the New Year in with my Annie girl....I can't wait!
Hope that your Christmas season has been just as wonderfully blessed as mine!
Love to all!!
See you in the New Year!
Friday, December 28, 2007
Wednesday, December 05, 2007
The Giving of Thanks
Going into the holidays is one of the most difficult times of the year for me. As a TCK it is a fact of life that my heart is in several different pieces and has its place on several different continents, however, during the holidays those feelings are magnified a thousand times over.
This year is no different. The past few weeks have been a struggle with my coming to terms with the fact that once again it doesn’t matter where I am, I am far away from those I love.
Then I took a step back and decided to try the “thankful” route. Starting a prayer with “Lord, thank you for….” and going from there always helps me know just how incredibly blessed I am, and more than not pulls me from the doldrums that threaten to take over if I am not careful.
My prayer this week started like this…I pray that it brings hope to you wherever you may be in your walk.
“Lord, thank You that I am breathing. I realize that every breath that I take in is not only a miracle, but it is mercy from Your hand, and that every breath I breathe out is simply Your grace imparted on my life.
Thank you that I can get out of bed in the morning. Even when my brain is tired from lack of sleep that comes from an unfaithful lack of trust, You still bless me with energy and sufficient muscle combinations to get out of bed.
Thank You for blankets that keep me warm through the night, so many are cold this morning.
Thank You for clean running water and electricity that is on as long as I pay the bills (thank You for the money to do so). I know these are conveniences that not everyone is blessed with and I confess that I so often take them for granted.
Thank you for creating animals to have as companions. Thanks for giving me a cat that wakes me up with a warm purr every morning, even when I do not want him too. His antics make me laugh out loud and he is a blessing from You.
Thank You for my cute little car, Cecil. Thank You that not only does he run smoothly and get me from place to place, but that you gave me the type of car that I had wanted for such a long time. Thank You for knowing and granting the details.
Thank You that all the lights were green this morning, and that You granted me safety on my way to work. Thank You for the patience to sit in traffic when every single one is red.
Lord, thank You for an amazing job that I so do not deserve and for a boss that inspires me daily and is so incredibly kind and pleasant to work for. Thank You for granting me favor in her eyes. Help me to serve her today in the same way that I would serve You.
Thank You for my coworker friends who make me laugh, and encourage me. Thank You that they listen to me rant when I am frustrated and encourage me when I am low. Thank You for what they teach me and help me to learn. Thank you for a work environment that is safe, clean and, even on the long days, worth it.
Thank You for food that you have blessed me with throughout the day. I confess that I do not always eat what is good for me, forgive me when I put gross junk into Your temple.
Thank You for the beauty of the sunset I get to watch on my way home at night, or in the winter time the beauty of the moon as it rises. How different this world would be if You had created it in only monochromatic colors.
Thank You for friends to talk to on the phone even if they live far away, and thank You for the friends that live close by. Forgive me for not taking more time to live life with them. They are all so incredibly wonderful and offer friendship and love that I do not always deserve.
Thank You for an incredible apartment to come home to. It is warm and clean, and in a safe neighborhood. So many people cannot claim these luxuries and I confess that I do not always see them as such.
Thank you for the fact that even though I am always way too far away from people in my life, whether they be in Africa, Europe, Asia, or the USA that I still have them in my life. Thank You for the roles they played in the season that we were actually in the same place at the same time, and for the roles they play now even though we are so far apart. God I ask for Your blessings to pour out on them. For those of them that do not know You, may they find You, for those that do may they rejoice in the knowledge of You.
Thank You for my family, both blood related and God related. Each one is a gift from you, thank You for the relationships I have with each one.
Thank You most of all for the gift of Your Son. Without Him my life has absolutely no meaning, hope, joy, peace, or purpose. Please forgive me when I allow my selfishness to get in the way of remembering that.
Thank You for walking through my day with me. Bless those I love who are laying their heads down at the end of a long day, bless their sleep and their dreams, and bless those just starting into what is my tomorrow in far away places, keep them safe and bring us together soon.
I love you, Lord!
Amen
This year is no different. The past few weeks have been a struggle with my coming to terms with the fact that once again it doesn’t matter where I am, I am far away from those I love.
Then I took a step back and decided to try the “thankful” route. Starting a prayer with “Lord, thank you for….” and going from there always helps me know just how incredibly blessed I am, and more than not pulls me from the doldrums that threaten to take over if I am not careful.
My prayer this week started like this…I pray that it brings hope to you wherever you may be in your walk.
“Lord, thank You that I am breathing. I realize that every breath that I take in is not only a miracle, but it is mercy from Your hand, and that every breath I breathe out is simply Your grace imparted on my life.
Thank you that I can get out of bed in the morning. Even when my brain is tired from lack of sleep that comes from an unfaithful lack of trust, You still bless me with energy and sufficient muscle combinations to get out of bed.
Thank You for blankets that keep me warm through the night, so many are cold this morning.
Thank You for clean running water and electricity that is on as long as I pay the bills (thank You for the money to do so). I know these are conveniences that not everyone is blessed with and I confess that I so often take them for granted.
Thank you for creating animals to have as companions. Thanks for giving me a cat that wakes me up with a warm purr every morning, even when I do not want him too. His antics make me laugh out loud and he is a blessing from You.
Thank You for my cute little car, Cecil. Thank You that not only does he run smoothly and get me from place to place, but that you gave me the type of car that I had wanted for such a long time. Thank You for knowing and granting the details.
Thank You that all the lights were green this morning, and that You granted me safety on my way to work. Thank You for the patience to sit in traffic when every single one is red.
Lord, thank You for an amazing job that I so do not deserve and for a boss that inspires me daily and is so incredibly kind and pleasant to work for. Thank You for granting me favor in her eyes. Help me to serve her today in the same way that I would serve You.
Thank You for my coworker friends who make me laugh, and encourage me. Thank You that they listen to me rant when I am frustrated and encourage me when I am low. Thank You for what they teach me and help me to learn. Thank you for a work environment that is safe, clean and, even on the long days, worth it.
Thank You for food that you have blessed me with throughout the day. I confess that I do not always eat what is good for me, forgive me when I put gross junk into Your temple.
Thank You for the beauty of the sunset I get to watch on my way home at night, or in the winter time the beauty of the moon as it rises. How different this world would be if You had created it in only monochromatic colors.
Thank You for friends to talk to on the phone even if they live far away, and thank You for the friends that live close by. Forgive me for not taking more time to live life with them. They are all so incredibly wonderful and offer friendship and love that I do not always deserve.
Thank You for an incredible apartment to come home to. It is warm and clean, and in a safe neighborhood. So many people cannot claim these luxuries and I confess that I do not always see them as such.
Thank you for the fact that even though I am always way too far away from people in my life, whether they be in Africa, Europe, Asia, or the USA that I still have them in my life. Thank You for the roles they played in the season that we were actually in the same place at the same time, and for the roles they play now even though we are so far apart. God I ask for Your blessings to pour out on them. For those of them that do not know You, may they find You, for those that do may they rejoice in the knowledge of You.
Thank You for my family, both blood related and God related. Each one is a gift from you, thank You for the relationships I have with each one.
Thank You most of all for the gift of Your Son. Without Him my life has absolutely no meaning, hope, joy, peace, or purpose. Please forgive me when I allow my selfishness to get in the way of remembering that.
Thank You for walking through my day with me. Bless those I love who are laying their heads down at the end of a long day, bless their sleep and their dreams, and bless those just starting into what is my tomorrow in far away places, keep them safe and bring us together soon.
I love you, Lord!
Amen
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