THANKS TO GIVE

So another Thanksgiving has passed...life changes so much as you age...besides the wrinkles on my face, hands, and body, the way you view life changes with you. As you get older, you lose people, watch friend's parents pass, or even friend's kids pass, you are handed a regular diet of sorrow...things that you never heard of when you were younger you experience on a regular basis....the longer you live, the harder life can be to find joyful moments....it's no wonder old people get cranky!!

I learned in my Medical Terminology class last week the word "presby" means "old age" in Med. terms...suppose the Presbyterians feel ok with that??? (not so sure they would appreciate it) and the amazing thing I have learned is how complicated our body truly is....we have so many tiny cells doing a lot of big work...things that you don't even have a clue about are going on inside there....millions, let me repeat that "MILLIONS" of cells going about doing the thing they do since the day they were formed...involuntarily...you aren't even aware...it's amazing to me how people can believe that "BANG" it just happened all by itself....I am still waiting for my body to go "BANG" and I turn into a....a... I don't know, who knows what the next BANG might bring to life...scary, huh?

Back to Thanksgiving...we had a quiet day with our kids...good food, fun games, and great dessert...and the grandpups were here too...it was nice...but I wanted to list 10 things I am so thankful for in my life...so here goes:

1. A God who loves me, unconditionally, mercifully, and is so gracious with me in my current state...He has forgiven me, and given me the free gift of eternal life. He is working all things together for my benefit in my journey to become more like His Son Jesus Christ...I live to glorify Him. Thank you Lord for giving me life.

2. The Word of God, my Bible...it is the "lamp unto my feet" when darkness would overtake me, a guide when I feel like I have lost my way, and full of wisdom that He wants me to benefit from...Thank you Lord for allowing me to live in a place that allows me to freely read from your Word.

3. Family...Bob, thank you for your unwavering love over these 30 years of marriage, and for not quitting even when we might have felt like it...To Josh, Jenna, Julia, and Luke, thank you for letting me be your mom and mom in law, and for allowing me to make mistakes and forgiving me when I fall extremely short of all that title holds, and for putting up with my quirks...Mom and Dad, thank you for raising me to love the Lord, and to care about others, not just myself...To my siblings, thanks for contributing to the person I have become, whether I liked it or not, you have influenced my earliest years for better or worse, I still learned to live beside you and be tolerant, you were my first "friends" and I love you for it...To extended family, thank you for letting be part of your life, and sharing part of yours with me...you each provide me little unique and different gifts of love...

4. Friends...Teri, Donna, Jodi, Suzanne, Kerri, Martha, Cathy, Karen and others...you all have touched my life at one time or another, you have been there for me, listening and sharing, loving and caring, giving and allowing me to give to you too...you are my reprieve from the hard days of life, and I enjoy the time we laugh and cry, and giggle and act silly when we feel like it...our memories bind me to the past, and grant me access to happy moments when life would otherwise overwhelm me...I know you are there for me, and for that I am forever grateful...

5. My skills and talents...I am glad I can do many (not all) things well, and that my mind can learn and wants to be ever challenged to the things I haven't yet learned about life and myself...never underestimate yourself...believe you can never get too old to learn more...thank you Lord for a "semi" sound mind...

6. My country, and the freedoms we enjoy...no matter how dim the light gets, I know God is there, and He has blessed this nation richly, thank you for allowing me to be born here Lord.

7. For a home, a place to rest, to lay my head, and to just hang out in...Dorothy has it right because "there is no place like home" and that is the absolute truth...when I feel sick, tired, weary, sad, there is only one place I want to be and that is home...messy, clean, or otherwise...it is home.

8. For food, especially chocolate!!! Starbucks...and tea too...along with these heathly foods, comes good health, and I am thankful that even though I have been Knocked out for procedures I could have lived without experiencing, I am still so glad I have been as healthy as I have been...I thank you Lord for the blessing of health...grant me much more I pray, and then take me swiftly.

9. I am thankful for music, bet that surprises you....but the gift of music can minister to a weary heart, a sad contenance, a tearful day...all kinds of music, and I especially love the Lord's music...it makes a glad heart in me...

10. I am thankful for each day, each, hour, each moment I get to live, hoping I can please my Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ with how I live it...every day is a gift waiting to be unwrapped...I hope I never fail to cherish it...

So there are my top 10...from there I could mention Disneyland, favorite restaurants, my favorite store Home Goods, cupcakes, a reliable car, daisies, overcast days, time with my hubby, clocks, church, parties, forgiveness, my old job at Beazer that I hope to get back one day...my favorite movie, oops I don't have one...don't have a favorite color either...basically, I don't have a lot of material need favorites...I have learned to be content with little and focus on the blessings that are not replacable...that is what I cherish most....thank you Lord for the many blessings that you have given to me whether I deserve them or not...I am blessed indeed.

I am Happy to be Giving Thanks. God bless you all...

HAPPY ANNIVERSARY - 30 YEARS

My darling husband took me away for a 3 day escape to the Apple Farm Inn in San Luis Obispo...we had the most wonderful time and I can't thank him enough!!! It felt like a week off...he didn't even care about watching TV, he spent all his time and attention on me! How could I rate...it will be the highlight of my married life to him, like my honeymoon...I only hope we can do it again one day...we ate great food, and went to the beach, saw a sunset, visited Avila Beach Barn, a cute like veggie farm with a bakery and sweet shop, walked around downtown, and just sat and enjoyed the quiet and read, did sudoko and other word puzzles together...it was so nice!!! This is a picture of our room, it overlooked the creek...oh, and he gave me princess cut diamond earrings!!! I felt like a queen...Thank you my best friend and lover....I was blessed the day God gave me you, and I am grateful for all these years, whether hard or easy years, we got through them and have stayed committed...thank you for putting up with me!!
You have my whole heart, and I will love you till the day I die....thank you for loving me...