Thankful

I believe that the more thankful you are in life, the happier you are.

Thankfulness=Happiness.

When gratitude seeps into your heart the worry and stress start to dissipate.

I have a confession to make, this year I haven't been very thankful/grateful...everything seems to be crashing down around us right now and I have been downright cranky this Thanksgiving weekend.
I looked back at my Thanksgiving post last year and it was a GREAT reminder for me:

I read a verse the other day that I've been mulling over:

"And we urge you, brothers, warn those who are idle, encourage the timid, help the weak, be patient with everyone. Make sure that nobody pays back wrong for wrong, but always try to be kind to each other and to everyone else. Be joyful always; pray continually; give thanks in all circumstances, for this is God's will for you in Christ Jesus.

Thessalonians 5:14-18

In All circumstances...

Learning to be thankful - even when I cannot see, hear or understand what God is doing or how He is working - is authentic thanksgiving and the direct result of a living, active and personal faith in God. We often hear that we need more faith in order to be more thankful. I don't think so! We operate in faith every single day. We flip a switch believing in faith that light will appear. We turn a key believing in faith that a car will start. We even go to a doctor we hardly know who scribbles an impossible - to - read prescription which we promptly take to a pharmacist we have never seen. This unknown druggist proceeds to fill the prescription, giving us a medicine with a name we cannot even pronounce. And we take it - all in blind faith!

I believe that instead of pleading for more faith, we need to exercise the faith we already possess. As we continually step out in faith, not only will that faith grow stronger, but we will begin to trust God more, naturally developing an attitude of thanks. Faith does not believe that God can or will act. Faith believes that God is answering as we pray. And that truth, will send us to our knees in praise and thanksgiving.

So, today I am choosing to change my attitude and be thankful for a loving God and choose to realize how very blessed we are. And I am thankful.

I'm so, so, so grateful that this man is the father of my children:

I am thankful for Bryan's job at Nike and that he was able to have 5 days off with us.

I am thankful for my family:
I'm thankful for moments like this morning when I asked Gabe if he could help me out and get my pumpkin bread since I was feeding Jayce and he said "Sure Mommy I can do that for you I have strong arms" then when I said "Thank you Gabe" he looked at me with so much love and said "no problem Mommy!"

I love when Jayce looks at me and grins like this and I feel like he's in LOVE with me. Like he doesn't see a single flaw yet.
I am SO thankful that God chose me to be Gabriel's and Jayce's mother...that I get to stay home with them, and feel the trials and the JOY that come with that every day.

I am thankful for my little Bible study group and for the inspiration and encouragement I get from those 3 ladies/friends

I am thankful for my parents... parents who love me and want the best for me. They have taught me which sources and tools to use to over come challenges in this life. They are good examples of living what they teach.

My list could go on & on! I have so many wonderful things to be thankful for, especially @ this time of year. We have been blessed beyond measure. I just need to do "my part" in showing gratitude for the many blessings that I have been given.

Thanksgiving Day was a good day! We had SO much good food...
Nathan made this AMAZING homemade salsa
We had Ham and Turkey
YUMMY baked mashed potatoes
Stuffing and gravy
Kings Hawaiian sweet rolls (our favorite)
Brown sugar cooked carrots
mmmmm it's making me hungry right now. :)

Mom put together a thanksgiving scavenger hunt for the kids and we did a pine cone hunt much like an Easter egg hunt.

Us adults did an Affirming you paper. We circled all the words or phrases we believe to be true about that person. Then write and share your top 5 you think best describe them. I had my dad.

Some of my favorite moments:

• The kids all piling on Bryan
• Jayce telling Aunt Janell what for and trying to bite her
• Gabe and Jaden playing with phones under the table
• Jayce and Daddy had a nap

Happy Thanksgiving!!