Most Thankful

When you are celebrating with your friends or families today and setting aside what I hope will be a day of reflection and of thanksgiving, what are you most thankful for?

At the end of it all I am most thankful for people.  Yes, all people.  How many people in my life are there that I don’t tell them that I am thankful for them, that I appreciate them, that they have an impact on me?

Today, or tomorrow {or whenever you read this} I want you to think who you are most thankful for and maybe don’t know it.  Please write in the comments section and then commit to doing something for or saying something to that person.  Your comments can be anonymous.

Brave

Via

I love reading the thoughts of another blogger named Hayley.  She is a woman who is a different place in life as a mom to almost 4 boys.  Yikes! I am inspired by and thinking because of her article called “Brave.”  I like to dream, but I don’t know if I am brave.  In a lot of ways I really am not.  I don’t like to fail.  And wow, do I not like others to know my failings.  I am learning.  I am learning how to open up.  And yes I fail.  Miserably.  I am exceptional at failure.  And it is teaching me that I need to let others know that I know that they will fail and that I will give grace and that I love them.  I need to learn how to communicate those things better.

 

A little deep for a Monday, but I feel so inspired by a conversation this morning and recent thoughts. 

Are you brave?

Giving Thanks

Do you remember last year’s thanksgiving adventures?  If you want to refresh your memory go here .  I’m overdoing it a bit this year with four thanksgiving meals.  Yes, four, but I figure I have a lot to be thankful for. 

I have been slowly reading through One Thousand Gifts.  It talks about what we have to be thankful for!  There are statistics that say if you are able to read this blog post than you have internet which puts you in the top percents of the world.  And there are statistics that say if you had clean water to drink today {which is more important than the internet} then you are in the top percentage of the world.  And those are silly things that we do without thinking.  Think of all the things that we don’t offer thanks for.  What are the simple things that you are grateful for?  I am thankful that I got to spend my thanksgiving in Italy learning and growing with other students.  I am thankful that I was able to fly on a plane and visit Spain.  I am thankful that none of those things were difficult for me to do {even though it was difficult for me to pack apparently!}

I am even thankful for an awful meal last year, because it means that I appreciate this year{‘s} so much more.

{Last year we had dry turkey and gravy, garlic with mashed potatoes, canned creamed corn, overly sweet stuffing, coleslaw, and no pumpkin for dessert}

Coming to the Table

I went and studied in a coffee shop.  It’s one of the quirky and whimsical ones in the area.  There are so many coffee shops around and they all have a different feel.  There are the ones that are good for the coffee, ones that are good for the tea, ones that are good for the food, ones that are good for studying, and ones that are good for having conversations.  It struck me how odd it is that each coffee shop is different.  They all serve coffee, and all will make you a latte.  But…they all taste different.  And because they are different you enjoy your time there and get work done in different ways.  It reminds me of how we as people are all different.  We all bring something to the table.  And we bring different things to the table depending on who we plan to meet there and what our purpose is.  How neat is it that we bring something to each situation that is unique.

I am so thankful that I don’t have to be the same as the guy or girl sitting next to me.  I am so glad that I have something to offer the world, or someone’s world, that no one else can bring.   As we get ready to sit around a table, whether it is full of family or friends, what are you bringing?  What do you offer up that no one else can bring to that table? 

Is it peace? 

Is it a gentle spirit? 

A booming laugh? 

A listening ear? 

A curious intelligence?

My roommate was so encouraged to know that there are 9 intelligences in her psychology book.  She feels as if she doesn’t think the same way as her sister and brothers.  Which is ok, it’s good.  But in a way I believe that each person has a unique intelligence.  They might seem like some of the categories her textbooks describe, but none of us fit in a box.  We are all different.

We all might be the same coffee drink, but we all taste a little different.  We all offer up something that is not the same.

 For that I am grateful

We've got Apples!

The house that I grew up in has an apple tree in the backyard.  We used to have 2 trees, but they both started to show signs of disease.  Anyways I grew up with these apples that were only good for baking.  Just plain they are tart!  We would make all kinds of goodies, and in the process of peeling we would eat apple peel strings.  Sweet times!

 

 

The campus ministry I am a part of announced a community program where people would invite friends over to make apple pies and treats and then give them to people in the community. The night that was planned is the night that my biblestudy meets…so we incorporated it into study!

 

 The girls had so much fun and we made 4 pies.  Dutch Apple style.  It was easier than trying to do two crusts.  I went cheap on this one, and with lack of time as a college student we went with store bought crusts.  The girls cut enough apples to make an apple dessert {Apple Kuchen} and a pot of applesauce.  And there was still more apples.  I am still trying to use them up, so you will probably see one more post of apples! 

What is your favorite apple dish?

I couldn't resist...

Here is a review of some of the places in "my city." 

Enjoy!

 

NYtimes