Thanksgiving - a way of life!

This month has been full of friends, family and fun as I traveled and visited.  I visited two church families, attended the CMF board meeting and the ICOM (International Conference on Missions), traveled from Tennessee to Indiana to Illinois and back to Indiana and then I flew to Colorado.  I Celebrated the Lord's work in Turkana, America and around the world.  I also enjoyed spending time with family for the Thanksgiving holiday while also missing my 'family' in Kenya.

Through it all, I have continued to give thanks to the Lord for His many and varied gifts.  I am amazed that I have passed the milestone of 1000 gifts in my numbering of the Lord's blessings to me this year.  (See my last post for that 1000th gift.)  In the process, I have formed a habit of making Thanksgiving a way of life.  His gifts are so bountiful!  I shouldn't be surprised that I could pass 1000, but at the beginning, I wasn't sure I would persevere and make it to the 1000 mark.  It has been a year full of challenges, hard things, happy and sad moments, and transitions.  This habit of giving thanks has helped me to keep my focus on the Lord, be at peace and even have joy in the midst of the hard things. I really encourage you to try it.  Just start by jotting down something you noticed today that blesses you and makes you want to give thanks.

This week after the Turkey was baked and consumed, I sat down with my family and watched an old classic on TV.  It was Charlie Brown's Thanksgiving shows.  I wanted to share a quote from that show spoken by Linus after Charlie Brown's meal for his friends doesn't turn out very well.

"Thanksgiving is more than just eating food...We should just be thankful for being together"

My heart is so full of all those I have spent time with in the past few weeks.  I am so thankful to have been able to see and catch up with so many people.  I am thankful for just 'being together!"

1015.  Great workshops and worship at the ICOM.

1016. Cuban dinner and Italian desserts with friends.

1017. Biscuits and gravy with friends to celebrate Erin’s birthday.

1018. Dinner with my great aunts and cousins!

1019.  Non-starting car again!  But time for them to figure it out while I am in CO.

1020. Safe, uneventful flight from Indpls. to CO.

1021. Family and home.

1022. Shopping for the feast.

1023. Kitties and boxes.  :)

Ashes

Little Bit

1024. Gyros with friends and family.

1025. Game night with Lee, Amy and Haylei.

1026. Real turkey for Thanksgiving!

1027. Home with family this year.

1028. The feast – such abundance!

1029. The desserts!

1030. Charlie Brown Thanksgiving shows.

1031. Out trading in books with Mom.

1032. Turkey, Cranberry sauce and Miracle whip sandwiches – my favorite Thanksgiving leftovers!

1033. This sunset – Go God!

That 'wavy' mountain means I'm in my "CO home" to me!

1034. And this later during the sunset event!

1035. Window shopping and walking with Indy.

1036. Indy helping to lead worship.

1037. Broncos game with Judy Boyer, Mike and Dad…so much fun!

Photo taken from  http://sports-odds.com/american-football/120309-denver-broncos-vs-kansas-city-chiefs-nfl-week-13-picks.html

1038. Broncos win!!

1039.  Elk seen safely crossing the road.

1040. Frosted trees on the home.

1041. A walk with Indy to the rocks.

I didn't know there was an 'Elvis' rock in the back yard!  :)

1042. A fire in the wood stove – it was so cold!

I hope your last few weeks have also been full of thankfulness!  Have a great week and remember to give thanks!

I'm linked up with Ann over here today.

Over 1000 blessings to celebrate!

Wow!  I have counted over 1000 blessings from the Lord since the beginning of this year.  Celebrate and give thanks with me to the giver of all these blessings!  Giving thanks everyday for the gifts from the Lord is such a wonderful way to stay focused on Him.  When we are thankful, it is really hard to grumble and complain or to worry about what is to come.  Giving thanks gives peace and joy!

"The only answer to God's Unending Grace - is Man's unending Gratitude!"  (Ann Voskamp)  I plan on continuing to number His blessings to me just as He numbers my days.  Do you want to join me?

972. A great worship time with The Church Of Jesus folks.

973. Good music by John Hurst.

974. Birthday Parties!

975. Quiddler with friends.

 3‘N’ gifts

976. New life possible in Christ.

977. No political adds on the movie channel!  :)

978. Nighttime visit to celebrate Dave’s birthday.

979. Worship with both LOCC & DCC.

980. Hard thanks – car trouble still.

981. Helpful people.

982. Wahoo!  Broncos win!!!

983. Some packing done – changing apartments.

984. Fellowship and great music by friends.

985. Election done and no eruptions of violence here.  Praying for the same in Kenya next year!

986. Girls night out!  Fun and more fun!

987. Friends willing to store my stuff for 3 weeks.

988. A nice apartment to call home for a short while.

989. Help moving things 'till I move to the next apartment.

990. My car made it all the way to IN with no starting problems.

991. A nice bed to sleep in at my brother’s house.

992. Mark loaned me his new car to drive to Naperville.

993. Nice auto shop man to work on my non-starting (again!) car. 

994. Bethany and Mark’s Mexican concoction.  :)

995. Lunch with friends in Naperville area.

I had a hot beef sandwich - a Chicago favorite I'm told.

996. ‘Lessons with Lynn’ fun at NCC.

In Turkana - sing a song with the pumpkin on your head!

Everyone clap your hands!  They got it!!! 

997. Turkana word/ vocabulary help over facebook!

998. Great questions during my Sunday school presentation.

999. A wonderful visit and lunch with NCC folk.

1000. So many gifts this year!  WAHOO! 1000 so far and still naming them!

1001. Safe trip and friends at the end of the drive.

1002. CMF board meeting fun.

1003. Cheesecake factory dinner with friends.

1004. Poolside chats during free time at board meeting.

1005. This vibrant tree seen from Mark’s home.

1006. Lunch with Sharon and Chet.  Catching up is so much fun!

1007.  Seeing fellow African missionaries at ICOM.

1008. Paperwork done and turned in.

1009. Lunch with Kip and catching up at the ICOM.

1010. Chance meeting and dinner with NCC folks at ICOM.

1011. Chick-fil-a chicken biscuit!

1012. Milligan alum dinner – great food and friends.

1013.  So many friends seen and met at the ICOM!

1014. A God arranged meeting with old friends!

1015. A hug from Roghug!  :)

I am so very blessed and these are just a small portion of all the ways the Lord has blessed me the first half of November.  I hope you are enjoying your month!

I'm linking up with Ann over here