Thankfulness despite our circumstances. Some times the Thankfulness comes in a long list. We spout off a litany of things we are grateful for. Almost as an after thought. Food, family, shelter. As if we take them for granted. We expect to be Thankful for them. Yet our basic Thankful list is often the hearts cry of others. Those longing for shelter. The cry of a mom for a child. The basic need of food and water agonizingly not met. Grief amidst war torn areas. Yet gratitude flows. Despite their circumstances. People marginalized yet thanks and joy radiate. How can this be? Our ... View Post
Day #21 of Thankfulness
Holy. We cross the threshold of the Notre-Dame Basilica. A 2 hour trip taking us 4 hours because of a car repair. Yet fun. Relaxing. Holy. I am awed by the intricacies of the architecture. Who was the designer? How long did the artists work? What were they thinking as they created this work of Art? I sit in that place. I take in all I can. The holy meets my aching, tired, soul. I am in awe. Such gifts of talent given. Candles lit in memories of loved ones. I want to weep. I want to light a candle for my boy. I want to remember. The kids say I need to come see another ... View Post
Be On The Look Out, Day #20 of Thankfulness
Be on the look out. When your day gets so bogged down in the every day it's hard to see very far. A situation we're dealing with here on the farm didn't work out so well My farmer and I were both just searching for why this had to happen. I felt disillusioned with mankind, betrayed, and beaten down. I pulled clothes out of drawers to clean to try to process this event. (I don't usually like to clean, but this helped) I dug into the Ancient Word searching for truth and meaning. Still coming up empty. Be on the look out. Maybe sometimes there isn't an answer. Sometimes the ... View Post
Family, Day #18 of Thankfulness
Sometimes family dynamics can be overwhelming. We listen to our kids and try our best. Occasionally, it's not good enough. They're angry and upset about things they can not even understand. We had this day yesterday. It was rough. Emotional. I felt helpless. I want to fix all their worries and pains. Yet, I was part of the problem. Family. The college girl is so wise. She is calm and asks questions that allow an opening in a conversation. The other family members in the discussion work hard to share, to explain. There are tears. There was real. There was love. There was ... View Post
A Snow Day, Day #17 of Thankfulness
A snow day. There was nothing spectacular about the day. It was truly busy. Cleaning. Laundry. Errands. A snow day for the kids. I had a long list of things to accomplish. They canceled school. I love having my kids home. My list would have to wait. A frittata and bagels on the menu. Hot coffee and fellowship around the farmhouse table. It was late when we left to work on errands. They went quickly. We stopped for coffee. Still using a gift from a friend. We arrived home. The kids were wound up! They're teenagers! They should know better. Christmas music on the ... View Post
Coming Home, Day #16 of Thankfulness
She's coming home today! I can't wait. Our college girl has clinical and then will make the journey North. This is her last "Journey North" for Thanksgiving while in College. Where in the world did the time go? I drove to pick her up with a friend for the first year. So many day trips down and back. Now, she drives her own car, and next year, only God knows. She's coming home and I'm so excited. Her bed is freshly made with clean sheets. I'll vacuum and add a few special touches today. She has asthma pretty bad and our home is not the cleanest. I will spend much of today trying ... View Post
