Thanksgiving 2013
Happy Thanksgiving!! I love the holiday season. When we first moved to Madagascar, the holidays were the toughest time of the year. I missed my family. I missed the cool weather. I missed American food! With each passing year, I have become more and more accustomed to holidays here in Madagascar - and Thanksgiving is no exception. I've always enjoyed Thanksgiving...but I have to admit, the anticipation for Thanksgiving has grown larger than life here in Mada. Our team literally began planning for Thanksgiving over 4 months ago. Seriously. Now part of it was because we have to have family and friends send packages nearly that early to get food in time...but part of it was just because we were that excited. So, when the day finally came...well, we had a lot of expectations riding on it! : ) And it was amazing!! We had amazing food, fellowship, and fun. I can't explain how full my heart is. What an amazing group of people we are surrounded by. I love that we can spend hours eating food, chasing kids, and tossing the football and still want to hang out until the late hours of the night playing competitive (!) board games and watching the parade (which doesn't start until evening our time!).
There are so many negative things that Satan wants me to focus on each day. He wants me to feel sad, lonely, and discouraged. But how can I feel that way, when God continues to pour out his blessings on me each day?! How blessed I am!
This year, the girls and I read 1000 Gifts and decided to be more intentional in seeing the blessings that God has given us. The ones that are easy to see, and the ones that are difficult! Each day we have written down in our journals things that have brought us joy, laughter, and a spirit of thankfulness. Here is an overview of my list this year....
#1 When Jude wakes me with his happy baby talk
#5 Bill Grimme and his amazing leadership skills
#6 Scary movies and friends who will watch them with me
#10 Hearing Grant's voice after a night apart
#18 Friends who will drop everything to take care of me when I am sick
#27 A best friend who will always work things out with me
#34 A husband who will watch the kids so I can do ministry with nationals
#36 My favorite Malagasy song, "Miakara, Miakara!"
#40 Tulear Winters
#50 A nerdy best friend who loves memorizing the Bible just as much as me
#59 Lots of tears to say goodbye to best friends
#65 An amazing fireworks show!!
#70 Getting caught up on my to do list
#71 Being able to walk through the grocery store holding Titus' hand (w/out him running away!)
#75 A pastor for our church
#78 Little boys with fresh haircuts
#79 Neighbors who share everything
#82 Freshly mopped floors
#88 Jude sleeping through the night regularly
#95 When minutes fly by on the phone with Nickolee
#100 Toys laying in the yard
#109 Dothan and our time together
#112 That I am old enough to find quilting "cool"
#116 Jude taking a nap on the plane
#120 Titus singing Twinkle Twinkle with me
#121 Three boy's handprints in our new driveway
#126 Eli sharing a Bible story with Mahafaly people
#128 A hubby who is brave enough to take out my stitches
#138 My mom who goes out of her way to spoil us
#140 Settlers of Catan
#144 Dream Lites
#150 Manda's testimony reaching others
#154 Playing basketball by night light
#162 Hot apple cider on a cool evening
#168 Jude's cuddly hugs
#169 Eli's perfectionism with handwriting
#182 Persecution of believers in Ampotake
#185 Ice cream celebration after Titus' 1st day of school
#187 Watching Abbot and Costello movies with Eli and listening to him giggle - Thinking about my dad and missing him
#190 Loaded baked potatoes
#192 Dreams that make you laugh
#211 The Jesus Film
#216 Watching Jude scoot around the house following me
#220 Planting my first vegetable garden with Judy
#224 How God's timing is better than our own
#226 The little ones behaving during hut to hut visits
#235 Golden Girls with Kelly
#241 Talks on the porch with Kara
#249 Little toddler in a hoodie
#251 The moon rising over the Isalo mountains
#255 How music brings people together
#260 Kind Malagasy who will hold Jude so I can eat a meal peacefully
#269 Sitting on the front porch with friends
#276 Guards that I trust
#278 Babies going back to sleep in the morning
#283 80s movies
#285 Not being nervous when teaching
#292 Night time reading with Eli - the Wizard of Oz
#294 Laughter over a mishap meal
#298 Encouragement from Michelle
#318 Boys in capes!
#327 Drew and Christina's clever humor
#329 Planning parties
#336 Long emails from Dubby
#343 Sparklers
#344 Sharing Bible stories alongside other ladies at the prison
#348 Jude says, "Mama" to me!
#352 A friend who calls me to check up even when I say I am okay
#352 Wooden train sets
#358 Lottie Moon Christmas Offering
#366 The Game of Things
#368 Todd and Deborah's servant hearts and kindness to our children
#375 Our Ice Cream Shop!!!
#377 Making new goals for the year
There are so many negative things that Satan wants me to focus on each day. He wants me to feel sad, lonely, and discouraged. But how can I feel that way, when God continues to pour out his blessings on me each day?! How blessed I am!
This year, the girls and I read 1000 Gifts and decided to be more intentional in seeing the blessings that God has given us. The ones that are easy to see, and the ones that are difficult! Each day we have written down in our journals things that have brought us joy, laughter, and a spirit of thankfulness. Here is an overview of my list this year....
#1 When Jude wakes me with his happy baby talk
#5 Bill Grimme and his amazing leadership skills
#6 Scary movies and friends who will watch them with me
#10 Hearing Grant's voice after a night apart
#18 Friends who will drop everything to take care of me when I am sick
#27 A best friend who will always work things out with me
#34 A husband who will watch the kids so I can do ministry with nationals
#36 My favorite Malagasy song, "Miakara, Miakara!"
#40 Tulear Winters
#50 A nerdy best friend who loves memorizing the Bible just as much as me
#59 Lots of tears to say goodbye to best friends
#65 An amazing fireworks show!!
#70 Getting caught up on my to do list
#71 Being able to walk through the grocery store holding Titus' hand (w/out him running away!)
#75 A pastor for our church
#78 Little boys with fresh haircuts
#79 Neighbors who share everything
#82 Freshly mopped floors
#88 Jude sleeping through the night regularly
#95 When minutes fly by on the phone with Nickolee
#100 Toys laying in the yard
#109 Dothan and our time together
#112 That I am old enough to find quilting "cool"
#116 Jude taking a nap on the plane
#120 Titus singing Twinkle Twinkle with me
#121 Three boy's handprints in our new driveway
#126 Eli sharing a Bible story with Mahafaly people
#128 A hubby who is brave enough to take out my stitches
#138 My mom who goes out of her way to spoil us
#140 Settlers of Catan
#144 Dream Lites
#150 Manda's testimony reaching others
#154 Playing basketball by night light
#162 Hot apple cider on a cool evening
#168 Jude's cuddly hugs
#169 Eli's perfectionism with handwriting
#182 Persecution of believers in Ampotake
#185 Ice cream celebration after Titus' 1st day of school
#187 Watching Abbot and Costello movies with Eli and listening to him giggle - Thinking about my dad and missing him
#190 Loaded baked potatoes
#192 Dreams that make you laugh
#211 The Jesus Film
#216 Watching Jude scoot around the house following me
#220 Planting my first vegetable garden with Judy
#224 How God's timing is better than our own
#226 The little ones behaving during hut to hut visits
#235 Golden Girls with Kelly
#241 Talks on the porch with Kara
#249 Little toddler in a hoodie
#251 The moon rising over the Isalo mountains
#255 How music brings people together
#260 Kind Malagasy who will hold Jude so I can eat a meal peacefully
#269 Sitting on the front porch with friends
#276 Guards that I trust
#278 Babies going back to sleep in the morning
#283 80s movies
#285 Not being nervous when teaching
#292 Night time reading with Eli - the Wizard of Oz
#294 Laughter over a mishap meal
#298 Encouragement from Michelle
#318 Boys in capes!
#327 Drew and Christina's clever humor
#329 Planning parties
#336 Long emails from Dubby
#343 Sparklers
#344 Sharing Bible stories alongside other ladies at the prison
#348 Jude says, "Mama" to me!
#352 A friend who calls me to check up even when I say I am okay
#352 Wooden train sets
#358 Lottie Moon Christmas Offering
#366 The Game of Things
#368 Todd and Deborah's servant hearts and kindness to our children
#375 Our Ice Cream Shop!!!
#377 Making new goals for the year
Comments