What are you thankful for?

Thanksgiving still remains my favorite holiday. I have such fond memories of this time of year and I love what the day is about. I love getting together with family to fellowship and laugh and share. The exquisite food is nice, too :).

I look back over my almost 27 years, remembering how I've spent this holiday... As a little girl, always going to Grandmama Kay and Pop-Pop's for Thanksgiving dinner and sitting at the "kids table" with my brother and two cousins, John and Jim. While I was the only girl, I still always had a blast with those silly boys. We still laugh about how at some point through the dinner we would give in to naughtiness and catch something on fire over the decorative centerpiece candle. Usually it was a napkin or piece of food. I think a couple of times we attempted to melt a fork. And the sad thing is this behavior continued well up into young adult-hood.

Then came the time when we were dating and bringing significant others, fiances, and soon our spouses to dinner. We are now even across the board - four guys and four girls. Fortunately we still get to sit at the "kids table," which has now out-grown the "adults table." My brother and sister-in-law now have a little boy and TWO MORE on the way, another boy and a girl :). And my cousin John and his wife just had a baby boy only weeks ago. My, how the crew is expanding, or should I say, my, how BLESSED we are!!

We now usually meet at my Aunt Brenda's for Thanksgiving lunch as it is easier on my grandmama and we work around schedules of our spouse's families. And while much has changed, much remains the same... My grandmother still makes the most delicious, perfect pumpkin pie on earth that I look forward to devouring. My cousins, brother, and I still joke about our former (and sometimes present) childish antics at the dinner table. We still have multiple jello dishes every time... strawberry pretzel salad, orange glop, fruit salad... not sure why we love our jello dishes so much and Kate (my sister-in-law) from New York doesn't cease to poke fun at that fact. :)

We are thankful for the new lives God has given and those He has taken home. Pop-Pop, my grandfather, was taken to his heavenly home three years ago, but I feel his sweet spirit still when we are gathered. I sometimes wonder if he looks down upon us and smiles at the beautiful, growing family he left behind along with his legacy to love others in the most genuine way.

As I reflect and look forward to this week...

I'm thankful for:

- God's all-consuming love, my salvation and relationship with Him

- my husband and the new family I gained through him

- my sweet, sweet puppy that loves me fully every day no matter what and that brightens up my life

- being an aunt (and a very cool one, I might add)

- living in difficult circumstances right now so that I can even MORE appreciate moving into our new home in December

- a family that supports and loves me

- music that stirs and inspires my soul

- the musical gifts God has given me and for giving me the opportunity to share in worship

- the many friends we've met along the way through moving five times in three years

- God providing our needs EVERY TIME

- the body of believers God brought us to here at our new home

- that Pop-Pop lived out love, joy, and selflessness every day and that I can learn from his example

- a dad who loves God and exemplifies hard work and servant-leadership

- a mom who lives as a godly woman overflowing with the love of Jesus

- growing up with my brother, a sweet, caring, funny man of God

- growing up on a farm with big, beautiful trees and fields under perfect blue and pink skies

Happy Thanksgiving to all!

~ jenn