Grateful Despite Spring's Tease - Tracy Krauss

Spring has been taking it's sweet time around these parts! While it's sunny out today, we got snow just the last week! While flowers are blooming elsewhere, that ain't happenin' here in northern BC!

However, spring can still bloom in our hearts. I am so thankful for the warmth and care of family and friends. I have two more grandbabies on the way (we'll be up to seven by the end of 2020!) and I am blessed to have all four of my children live within a short driving distance. (Not that that is doing me much good these days, with physical distancing!) 

I am grateful for a job. With so many out of work, I am basically carrying on as usual since I already worked from home as an online teacher consultant. As well, my husband has been working non-stop these past several weeks. He normally is away for two weeks at a time and lives in a camp, but he will be gone for a record nine weeks by the time he returns home in May. His employer made the decision to keep its employees in one place for an extended period rather than have them coming and going. Although living as a single person is not my favourite thing, we are grateful that he has been able to work and that we can talk or video call each other every night. 

I am grateful for health and relative freedom from pain. As many of you know, I was hospitalized in January for two weeks with recurring heart issues. I was pretty much home bound afterwards even before Covid 19 hit, but I have learned to listen to my body and have been able to get out walking and carrying on in a fairly normal fashion thanks to modern pharmaceuticals and a bit of stubbornness. I'm grateful that I was able to get all of that sorted out before restrictions on medications came into effect. 

I am also grateful for all this wonderful time I have on my hands to pursue my varied interests. Writing, sewing, painting, playing the piano... and I've even started learning a second language through Rosetta Stone! I decided it was time to quit procrastinating or using my age as an excuse. As my 87 year old friend Jacqueline used to say, "Age is irrelevant!" She climbed mountains, travelled, and tried new things - all while looking very stylish I might add - never frumpy - right up until the day she died. 

Yes, there is much to be thankful for, even if spring is teasing us here. I thank the Lord everyday for another day to worship Him!

Tracy Krauss is currently serving as InScribe's president and writes from her home in Northern BC. https://tracykrauss.com  -fiction on the edge without crossing the line-

Being Thankful Is A Choice - Lynn Dove

Second only to Christmas, I go a bit overboard with house decorating for Thanksgiving. I scatter (fake) fall leaves liberally around the house, and fall colours of red, gold and orange are seen everywhere. In our home, Thanksgiving is a time of celebration, tradition, and remembering God's goodness to us over the past year. I usually cook up a big turkey with stuffing, gravy, caramel potatoes, sweet and sour red cabbage, some mixed veggies, fresh dinner rolls and of course pumpkin pie for dessert. Over the years my son-in-law has added to the menu by making yams (with marshmallows). Yummmm!

With a grateful heart, I can come to the thanksgiving banquet and rejoice in His goodness to me and my family... ...But I was reminded the other day that being thankful is a choice. It is easy to praise and thank God when, for the most part everything is going so well in our lives. It is far more difficult, but I would say far more honouring to God, when we can praise Him and give thanks to Him when life is frought with challenges and struggle.

I read a letter from a woman in our church who has probably had one of the most challenging years of her life. Her husband will not be with her this Thanksgiving. She has had financial burdens and has struggled with house and car repairs on her own. She admits that many times she has wept before the Lord and spent many a sleepless night, overwhelmed at times by the stress, the pain and heartache, but she says, 'Through all the trials and tribulations of this past year GOD IS SO GOOD'. She can praise Him wholeheartedly. She has chosen to be "thankful in all circumstances" (1 Thessalonians 5: 18).

Our Sunday School teacher asked us, "Are you a "whiner" or a "shiner" based on Philippians 2: 14-16 "Do everything without complaining or arguing, so that you may become blameless and pure, children of God without fault in a crooked and depraved generation, in which you shine like stars in the universe as you hold out the word of life..."

As we discussed the passage at length, I couldn't help but think about this precious woman and the heartfelt letter of praise she wrote. She has gone through so much upheaval this past year but still manages to "shine" in the face of adversity.

No matter what your circumstance may be at this time, choose to be thankful. "Sing and make music in your heart to the Lord, always giving thanks to God the Father for everything, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ." (Ephesians 5:19- 20)

On Being Thankful - A Perspective about Attitude - Glynis Belec by Glynis M. Belec

I wish I was wiser.Why can't I get published more?

How is it that other people get 1000s of hits on their blog and I only get hundreds?
 
If someone asks me a biblical question and I cannot answer it, I feel less of a Christian.

We don't have our sod in yet and we have lived in our new house for over a year now.

I am too fat.

I am too wrinkly.

I am too tall if I wear high heels.

I am directionally challenged and get lost too often.

I forget all the time. The chemotherapy fried my brain.

My book isn't finished.

I have to look after my Dad every day.

I wish I could draw or paint

It's too cold.

It's too hot.

My feet hurt
I have to pay the dispensing fee on my medication
I don't know what to make for supper
My husband snores                                                                       
Some people gossip at church
I've nothing to be thankful for today. Everything went wrong.

  ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

GIVE THANKS

WITH A GRATEFUL HEART
GIVE THANKS
TO THE HOLY ONE
GIVE THANKS
FOR HE'S GIVEN
JESUS CHRIST, HIS SON

 AND NOW LET THE WEAK SAY I AM STRONG

LET THE POOR SAY
I AM RICH
BECAUSE OF WHAT
THE LORD HAS DONE
FOR US
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

 

I wish I was wiser.

My students love me and think I am pretty smart. Kyle asked me yesterday if I know the meaning of every word in the dictionary when we were discussing vocabulary. He made me smile.

Why can't I get published more?

God has me just where he wants me in my writing career. I am thankful that I write a regular column, that I recently won a couple of prizes in a writing contest and that my writer's group value my teaching and some of them are making contacts and getting published. I also like it when I can grasp snippets of time in my busy day to write.

How is it that other people get 1000s of hits on their blog and I only get hundreds?

Thank goodness people are reading my blog. If I were to line up 100 people that would be a lot of people who are being reached by my words. What if I encourage even one? What if one person draws closer to God because of something I wrote? What if one woman was saved from later stage cancer because she read something on my blog about detecting ovarian cancer early?

If someone asks me a biblical question and I cannot answer it, I feel less of a Christian.

I have quite a few different Bibles. If I need to look something up, I can use any one of these translations or I can use my laptop computer to search for answers. Most of all I can pray without fear of persecution and ask God to reveal things to me.

We don't have our sod in yet and we have lived in our new house for over a year now.

We finally own our own home. It has a been a bit of a journey but my happy hubby did a lot of the work. We have been trying to spend wisely and divvy our paycheques. We always have a roof over our head and we work on the finishing touches when we have the time and the money. I think the sod will be in before the snow flies!

I am too fat.

I sure don't get cold too often! :) My grandchildren love to snuggle. My reflection is only surface. I love my stairs - they are a great place to get extra exercise.

I am too wrinkly.

Miss J. said that when I laugh I get lines on my face. I love my laugh lines. Laughter is the perfect cover for wrinkles.

I am too tall if I wear high heels.

Grace and finesse were never for me. If I wore high heels, I would likely end up having to wear support stockings - not  a pretty sight.  

I am directionally challenged and get lost too often.

Only Onstar and Google Maps know how often I get lost. They are not about to tell.

I forget all the time. The chemotherapy fried my brain.

But the chemotherapy also fried the cancer cells. Another good check-up again this past month. So far, so good. One day at a time sweet Jesus.

My book isn't finished.

My book is at least underway and I received some positive reviews from an editor I met at a writer's conference.

I have to look after my Dad every day.

My 85 year old Dad has all his marbles, is still able to live alone, trusts me with his affairs and still calls me Dinny (my childhood nickname)

I wish I could draw or paint

I can write and teach.

It's too cold.

I have a full wardrobe and I live in a warm house.

It's too hot.

I have an oscillating fan by my bed with a remote control. We have air conditioning in our new house. We live in Canada. Soon the snow will cool me down.

My feet hurt

I don't need a wheelchair or a walker. If I have pain, I have medication that is paid for through a drug plan from my hubby's work.

I have to pay the dispensing fee on my medication

I read about the man who has a terminal disease and he has to pay for his own medication - $3000 a month.

I don't know what to make for supper

I have a choice. I have food in my freezer, produce in my garden and I cannot recall the last time I ever had to go hungry because the cupboard was bare.

My husband snores

I have a man who loves me despite all my foibles; who has stuck around for 34 years as of next February and who brings me a cup of tea in bed then kisses me good morning (every morning.)

Some people gossip at church

Our church is a loving caring safe place and when I was first diagnosed with cancer I had over 100 cards decorating my wall. People visited regularly and I had meals for weeks and then some. Some of the ladies organized a team and looked after my garden and flower beds all summer long. My congregation prayed without ceasing for our family.

I've nothing to be thankful for today. Everything went wrong.

The brilliant sun shone down on me as I was outside gathering the last of my fresh tomatoes off the vine. One of my students thanked me implicitly for the help I gave her on her project and with her math this afternoon. My granddaughter said she wanted to stay at my house today instead of going home. My sister said she appreciates me. I am sitting here looking at photographs of my family who are all coming for dinner on Thanksgiving Day. I am so excited. Jesus love me this I know (for the Bible tells me so!)

"...be filled with the Spirit, ¹⁹ speaking to one another with psalms, hymns, and songs from the Spirit. Sing and make music from your heart to the Lord, ²⁰ always giving thanks to God the Father for everything, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ." Ephesians 5:18b- 20