Abundance

Friends, since we are soon ready to celebrate Thanksgiving Day, I think it is appropriate to share a few thoughts about living the Abundant life. When I sit and reflect upon my abundant blessings, I am deeply humbled and grateful to our Creator who gives us His good and perfect gifts from above.

I give thanks for living in this expansive and beautiful land that is rich in resources and where I do not go to bed hungry at night.  There is an ABUNDANCE of healthy food and pure water to drink and safe shelter for me and my family.

I give thanks for my loving husband who walks through the door every night after a weary day of work and continually provides for his family whom he dearly loves.  There is an ABUNDANCE of sacrifice and love from my husband who sticks by me "for better or for worse, in good times and bad, for richer or poorer, in sickness and in health."

I give thanks for my four sons who have compassionate hearts and hands that care for our own family's needs as well as reaching out to the community and offering help and joy where needed.  There is an ABUNDANCE of their support, sacrifice, love, and care as our family walks through all seasons---easy, hard, and the in between.

I give thanks for our extended family members who enrich our lives with their continual love, support, care, and understanding.  There is an ABUNDANCE of their stability as they have helped us raise our own family.

I give thanks for the access to good medical care that is helping me traverse the hard and winding road of serious health challenges. There is an ABUNDANCE of wonderful individuals who lovingly care for me in critical ways by providing their expertise in helping not only me but also my husband so that we can, in turn, offer hope and encouragement to others. 

I give thanks to my DEAR friends who surround me continually with love, support, joy, and encouragement along this path of life.  There is an ABUNDANCE of compassion and authentic love for which I am humbled. 

I give thanks for this beautiful community in which I live that has been a wonderful, safe place to raise our family.  There is an ABUNDANCE of good people and opportunities that continually enrich our lives day to day. 

I give thanks for the ability and opportunity to stretch my hands and offer my heart across the table as well as across boundaries of culture, race, creed, gender, and political agendas because we are ALL sisters and brothers in Christ.  There is an ABUNDANCE of goodness that we can share with one another if we so choose. 

I hope this Thanksgiving we all will find in our hearts a reason to give abundant thanks even in our brokenness because there is always, always something to be thankful for!

Wishing all of you a happy and blessed Thanksgiving!

Interior Painting

Since the beginning of September, our sweet, colonial home has been getting a bit of a make-over.  It was certainly time, in fact, well overdue. You probably already know how one renovation project can lead down the slippery slope of another, and another, and so on.  Well, that is exactly what has happened to us!  Although I truly enjoy the final creation, the process of getting there was certainly tedious and disruptive.  No, our house projects haven't been featured on HGTV nor have Chip and Joanna Gaines appeared in our living room, but we were honored to welcome a reliable team of contractors and interior designer to bring the make-overs to a lovely completion.

A year ago we plunged into the deep end and decided to create a master suite bedroom and bathroom. It is truly lovely, and the colors and design are serene and inviting.  We were careful about all the details which took many months to complete.  The daily disruption was difficult especially with the challenges of my chronic M.  The noise, smells, meeting with the team, and being on task to make decisions were just a few of the "outside my comfort zone" things from which to contend.   But every bit of difficulty was tackled, and the end goal was well worth it for sure!  Since we were "on a roll", we decided to add some fresh coats of paint to the tired looking walls.  WOW---what a huge difference that makes!  Our sprits are lifted just being present in the rooms with some new colors.   They are nothing fancy, but the rooms glow with new character and a freshness which are very inviting.

TRANSFORMATION.

Just as our house rooms are getting an interior paint job, so, too, can our hearts. I think now especially since our nation's atmosphere is more caustic than ever, it would be beneficial to stop and take a peek at our own attitudes and how we might be acting toward and with one another.  Are we invoking more animosity and pushing our views loudly and negatively, or are we inviting love and discussion and listening?

God is our Master Painter, and He gives us fresh coats of love, mercy, and grace so that we can be renewed and transformed in order to shine our lights brighter in this dark and sad world.

May the fruits of the Holy Spirit be in our minds, in our hearts, and on our lips.

A step into yester-year

 

I haven't been blogging lately as I have had tech troubles.  This is frustrating to me because I generally do not know how to fix the problem, but, thank goodness, my oldest son usually comes to my rescue with his knowledge of figuring out solutions!  Yay!  Now I am hopefully back on track and will try to resume my blogging on a more regular basis.  

 

Earlier in the month, a unique opportunity provided itself with a chance to wear my nurse's cap, so to speak.  When I graduated from nursing college a million years ago, we actually WORE a nurse's cap.  We worked darn hard for that cap and pin, so I wore them both with my white nurse's uniform dress.  O.k. Now I am really dating myself!!  Yiikes!  

 

I did not don my real nursing attire, but I was grateful to have assisted my mother in recovering from a total hip replacement.  Hubby and I took off two weeks and drove to PA to be at her side.  We made a good team, just like always.  He busied himself with many house and lawn projects while I mainly took charge of her care.  I certainly utilized my nursing knowledge in many aspects of her care.  There was even an unexpected setback which called for emergent medical attention, and I was so grateful for my nursing instincts that "kicked in" at the right time.  I am happy to report that mom has been making excellent progress with her healing!  

 

More than just an opportunity to provide healthcare for my mother, it was a good time to connect emotionally and spiritually.  This was a good thing for all three of us.  Amidst the trials and pain, lots of laughter and love were certainly shared.  I was thankful to have surrendered my fears and anxieties over wondering "if" and "how" I could possibly carry through what needed to be accomplished during those two weeks.  With my current physical health challenges, as well as my hubby's back and hip issues, I thought I might not be capable of being on call 24/7 for that amount of time on my own.  However, when we both prayed and surrendered to God's will, He provided us with answers and strength to carry out our mission and to do it well.  

 

"I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me." (Phillipians 4:13)

 

All three of us continue to be filled with gratitude and are amazed at how smoothly the recovery is unfolding---day by day, moment by moment.  God gave us mannna for each day and that is the beauty of trusting and surrendering to Him.  

 

"Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding." (Proverbs 3:5)

 

We have returned to our CT home and back into our ordinary, everyday routines.  Healing continues for my mother but also for Michael and me.  We are ALL stronger and uplifted by God's grace in walking through the Holy in the Hard.