Dear Family,
Skipping
over Thanksgiving only makes sense if you are trying to sell something. Being Thankful for what we have is the
opposite of wanting more. Being thankful
for where we are, who we love, and who’s we are may lead to contentment. Oh, the horror! Let’s play Christmas music so they don’t
remember to be thankful.
Choosing
to count our blessings can be a daily, weekly, and yes, yearly task. Daily I ponder what to add to this blessings
letter. Weekly I ask for editor (family)
approval and then publish, yearly we all gather and announce our thankfulness
for each other and what God has given us.
The purposeful choice to remember God’s goodness produces joy in our
hearts and minds. When we take our
thoughts captive God blesses us with peace.
What a great sermon we had Sunday, Nov 6th (https://fb.watch/gGbPzMtFwf/).
So,
on to how God and my family have given me joy.
Bobby
cleaned under the refrigerator and under the kitchen sink this week. He took all the magnets off the old
fridge. He took everything out of under
the kitchen sink. He awaited and was
there for new appliance installs. He
removed items from the fridge and placed them in a new fridge. This is Bobby’s gift to me. I was gone at work. I came home and was pleased. Yay, Bobby.
Adriel
came over to gather her laundry and exclaimed with delight about the new look
in our kitchen. She is delightful to be
with and I am glad every time I see her.
We talked for a while, and it is lovely to hear her take on life and
what is going on in her space.
Seth
put Adriel’s laundry in the dryer because I had a cold. This generation fears a cold! I wasn’t allowed to touch her stuff, but a hug
was just fine. I am thankful for Seth
and his willingness to help.
Chatting
with Adriel on the phone is lovely. She is
a bright splash of joy in an increasingly dark and dreary world (5PM on the
drive home is a perfect time to talk).
Middle
School group had abundant energy and the joy of gathering. Just being together can energize some and boy
were they excited to be together. When
it was time to sing there was praise and gratitude. When it was time for the lesson there was
thoughtful discussion. My favorite student
quote of the evening; “The past is behind us, the future is before but today is
a gift, that’s why it’s called the present.”
How lovely when considering it is good to be thankful.
I did have to
chuckle right after singing how Holy God is when Bobby asked, “Who knows the
definition of holy?” After hearing the
right answer a student leaned over to me and mentioned that Swiss cheese is
also holy. I was thinking along the same
lines. Holes in clothes also counts as a
definition but I didn’t want to answer that way and get into trouble. I felt a bit of camaraderie with our silly
humor.
High
school group has deeper voices and deeper thoughts. There are smiles, greetings, and
competition. One person even exclaimed
with joy when Bobby was handing out the lesson.
“Oh yeah, I love fill in the blanks.”
I do too! It gives us a chance to
guess the answers, interact with the text, and be affirmed if we were right
about the answer. Sometimes this disintegrates
into silliness though. The blank was, “Everything
good U--------- comes from God.” When
they gave up, guesses included; umbrella, understandably, etc. The true answer ultimately. Such fun, I enjoy laughing with the group.
A
friend offered us Elder-immune gummies because we all had a cold. I had been thankfully taking it with my cold
calm, lemon, honey, and regular exercise.
I offered the Elder-Immune to Seth.
He was suspicious. He read the
label thoroughly. His conclusion, “They
don’t answer any of the questions I have and look just like an
advertisement. It looks suspect.” Seth then refused to take any. I had to chuckle when I also remembered that
Seth wouldn’t ride half the rides at Disneyland because he read the warnings at
the age of 13. . I did try persisting with, “But they taste
good!” This was met with Sarcasm. “Ohhh, that makes sense, all things that
taste good are good for you. Take kale
for example, and then there is salad.”
He went on but I got the point and had to backtrack. This is true, not all things that taste good
are good for our bodies. I asked if he
trusted our friend and he said, “Mmmmm, not really.” (By the way, he doesn’t trust me
either). I am so glad Seth is not like
me. I’m a leap-before-you-look type
which can be fun. It can also lead to
regrets and drama. I like that Seth
thinks things thru before doing them. He
may save himself some heartache.
Seth
mowed the lawn this week and it looks fabulous.
I am glad for the ways he helps us out.
Thursday
when Bobby came home to find me sleeping, he declared me not well enough to
join the elderly at home group. I might
spread germs. When he mentioned this to
those at home group they were taken aback.
“Are you calling me old?” LOL,
now he had to contend with pretend hurt feelings on that front. (Anyone not youth group age might be considered
old to a youth pastor.) I was glad to
have a restful evening after working full-time and having evenings out for youth
groups.
Friday
Bobby took the Middle School group to Tapawingo for a retreat. How fun to visit a summer camp in the
fall. I know they have games, songs,
messages, and a big gym to keep them preoccupied. I’m glad God will work in and thru our church
to grow kids’ faith. I am also happy he
is back safe and sound.
May
you find joy in the tasks God has for you.
May you delight in our crisp fall air.
May you know how deeply, how fully and how richly you are loved. Hugs,
Cristy
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