Thankful Thoughts--Part 3, My Redeemer

 As I began my brief search of the Scriptures to see what the Bible has to say about giving thanks, I was truly amazed at the plethora of verses that I found in just a short time. It also made me sit up and take notice of some qualities that pertain to my Lord and Saviour for which I need to be especially thankful. So here's a much abbreviated list (If you are looking for more "Thanksgiving verses" I guess you will have to do some "diggin'" yourself ;) )



Notice the highlighted attributes of God that are mentioned in verses dealing with giving thanks. Also, my attention was drawn to how often singing and praising and rejoicing and sacrifice are entertwined with Thanksgiving. Thanksgiving produces an attitude of selflessness as we take the focus off ourselves and put it where it belongs--on Jesus!

 **Emphasis added**

  That I may publish with the voice of thanksgiving, and tell of all thy wondrous works.
--Psalms 26:7

Sing unto the LORD, O ye saints of his, and give thanks at the remembrance of his holiness.
--Psalms 30:4

To the end that my glory may sing praise to thee, and not be silent. O LORD my God, I will give thanks unto thee forever.
--Psalms 30:12

I will praise the name of God with a song, and will magnify him with thanksgiving.
--Psalms 69:30


Unto thee, O God, do we give thanks, unto thee do we give thanks: for that thy name is near thy wondrous works declare.
--Psalms 75:1

So we thy people and sheep of thy pasture will give thee thanks forever: we will show forth thy praise to all generations.
--Psalms 79:13

It is a good thing to give thanks unto the LORD, and to sing praises unto thy name, O most High:
--Psalms 92:1

Let us come before his presence with thanksgiving, and make a joyful noise unto him with psalms.
--Psalms 95:2

A Psalm of praise. Make a joyful noise unto the LORD, all ye lands.
Serve the LORD with gladness: come before his presence with singing.
Know ye that the LORD he is God: it is he that hath made us, and not we ourselves; we are his people, and the sheep of his pasture.
Enter into his gates with thanksgiving, and into his courts with praise: be thankful unto him, and bless his name.
For the LORD is good; his mercy is everlasting; and his truth endureth to all generations.
--Psalms 100:1-5

O give thanks unto the LORD; call upon his name: make known his deeds among the people.
--Psalms 105:1

Praise ye the LORD. O give thanks unto the LORD; for he is good: for his mercy endureth forever.
--Psalms 106:1

Save us, O LORD our God, and gather us from among the heathen, to give thanks unto thy holy name, and to triumph in thy praise.
--Psalms 106:47

And let them sacrifice the sacrifices of thanksgiving, and declare his works with rejoicing.
--Psalms 107:22

I will offer to thee the sacrifice of thanksgiving, and will call upon the name of the LORD.
--Psalms 116:17

At midnight I will rise to give thanks unto thee because of thy righteous judgments. --Psalms 119:62

Surely the righteous shall give thanks unto thy name: the upright shall dwell in thy presence.
--Psalms 140:13

Sing unto the LORD with thanksgiving; sing praise upon the harp unto our God:
--Psalms 147:7

Being enriched in every thing to all bountifulness, which causeth through us thanksgiving to God.
--2 Corinthians 9:11

Be careful for nothing; but in every thing by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God.
--Philippians 4:6

Rooted and built up in him, and established in the faith, as ye have been taught, abounding therein with thanksgiving.
--Colossians 2:7

I stand in awe at my Blessed Redeemer, 

when I think of all that He has done for me.

Let the words of my mouth, and the meditation of my heart, be acceptable in thy sight, O LORD, my strength, and my redeemer.
--Psalms 19:4

And they remembered that God was their rock, and the high God their redeemer.
--Psalms 78:35

Thus saith the LORD the King of Israel, and his redeemer the LORD of hosts; I am the first, and I am the last; and beside me there is no God.
Fear ye not, neither be afraid: have not I told thee from that time, and have declared it? ye are even my witnesses. Is there a God beside me? yea, there is no God; I know not any.
--Isaiah 44:6,8

Remember these, O Jacob and Israel; for thou art my servant: I have formed thee; thou art my servant: O Israel, thou shalt not be forgotten of me.
I have blotted out, as a thick cloud, thy transgressions, and, as a cloud, thy sins: return unto me; for I have redeemed thee.
Sing, O ye heavens; for the LORD hath done it: shout, ye lower parts of the earth: break forth into singing, ye mountains, O forest, and every tree therein: for the LORD hath redeemed Jacob, and glorified himself in Israel. Thus saith the LORD, thy redeemer, and he that formed thee from the womb, I am the LORD that maketh all things; that stretcheth forth the heavens alone; that spreadeth abroad the earth by myself;
--Isaiah 44:21-24

Thus saith the LORD, thy Redeemer, the Holy One of Israel; I am the Lord thy God which teacheth thee to profit, which leadeth thee by the way that thou shouldest go.
--Isaiah 48:17

I just LOVE these verses that speak of my Redeemer's Love! I am thankful that He blotted out all my sins, that he made me in His image, and that leads me in the way that I should go. He truly is my Strength and Rock! 


Thinking on these things makes me want to sing and shout and rejoice, just like Isaiah wrote about.

For all things are for your sakes, that the abundant grace might through the thanksgiving of many redound to the glory of God.
2 Corinthians 4:15


And best of all, I want my thankfulness to "redound to the glory of God". How often do I fail and take for granted the things that I hold so dear? May I do better to make everyday a "Thanks Giving" day!

Happy Thanksgiving, my dear friends!

Music to My Ears

Bible Story Time includes a lot of singing at our house. It never ceases to amaze me, how our {brilliant} 3 year old can memorize songs and even sing them in key. She really enjoys singing and is {thankfully} not camera shy about it either! Enjoy!!

"Obedience Is..."

"It's Bubbling in my Soul"

"He's Still Working on Me"

Honestly, can it get any better {cuter} than this?! I submit that it cannot. Such a joy to watch her grow in the nurture and admonish of the Lord, including singing Bible songs. Just another wonderful thing for this mama to be thankful for! :)

Baby Man Blabberings

The sweet blabberings, droolings, and many funny faces of my Baby Man.

This one's for you, mom. {Sorry it's sideways, try not to get a crick in your neck :) }

9 Mth. Old Photo Shoot of the Chunk!!

Baby Man turned 9 months old last week, so of course, I had to get out the camera and take some pics of our growing, handsome little guy. He is such a joy and delight to all of us. It's such fun to watch his little personality develop and as he explores {and attempts to eat} the world around him. Enjoy!

Happy to be 9 Months Old!

So BIG...

and so HaNdSoMe!!!

a bit slobbery, too!

"HI MOM!!"

"Hey, what's that?!"

Remember how I said he attempts to eat everything?!! Well, here's the proof...

Yummy rattle appetizer...

 

followed by the main course...

Blanket-a-la-drool

"Mmmm...this is really tasty, mom!"

and for dessert...finger-lickin' good!

"Hhhmmmm.....I wonder if toes have good flavor?"

Excitement (probably due to FOOD! ha!) gets the arms a swingin'!

"Huh?"

 

"What's that you say?"

 Baby Man & Me

As you can see, I may have gotten {a bit} carried away with the camera, esp. as this is only about 1/2 of the pics. But, hey, who wouldn't with such an adorable subject?! {Wink, wink} Love it!!

Thankful Thoughts--Part Two, My Treasures

Well, as I am sure that you well know by now, (and if you are a mom I am sure you feel the same way), I cannot possibly think about Thanksgiving and all my many blessings without mentioning my most precious treasures. How it fills my heart with pride and joy just at the thought of their sweet {usually happy and smiling} faces. Most of what I will share now, you have probably read on here before, hope you don't get tired of it, 'cuz you will most definitely "hear" it again, too. But, I just can't seem to help myself from sharing how truly honored and blessed I am to have my 2 kiddos in my life.

Every day that I wake up, I know that I have my sweet Clara and cute Ethan waiting for me and to share the day with. You know all those seemingly monotonous, everyday, routine moments that we go through as homemakers, well, they don't seem nearly so typical, normal, blah-blah, when you throw kids in the mix. Enjoying all the little accidents, incidents, funny sayings and crazy things that happen throughout any given day, not to mention just looking at the world through the eyes of a full-of-energy 3 year old or an exploring 9 mth. old (is he really that old already?!?), is quite the adventure!

You know, I have found that life is full of "little interruptions".

Interruptions like:
Stopping whatever I am doing about 500 times per day to blow or wipe a runny nose
"Mommy, I need to go potty!"
{Dumping out said potty--fun, fun!}
Crash!
"Mommy, Ethan's pulling over the lamp, again!"
"WAAAAAHHHHHH!!!" {interpretation--I fell down}
"WAAAAHHHH!!!! {interpretation--I want to be fed, held, and/or changed}
Buzz! Dryer's done!
The pilot light blew out on the hot water heater
EEEKKKK!!! Time to kill a GINORMOUS Cockroach! {Hideous creatures! SHUDDER!}
Microwave dinging to announce that the meat is thawed
Ringing phone {probably with an annoying telemarketer on the other end}
"Clap" at the door {most likely someone trying to sell me more rags, that's one thing I don't need}
Holler from the mailman {"Corrrrrreeeeoooooo!"}
"Mommy, Ethan's trying to eat the fridge magnets again!"
"Honey, where's my..." {keys, phone, socks, belt...}
Ethan's screeching noises
"Mommy, Ethan's knocking over my chalkboard!"
"Mom, I am hungry!"
"Mom, I wanna watch one of my favorites."
"Mom, can I have....gum, "lipstuff" {chapstick}, "fluffy stuff" {face powder}, crackers, etc. etc."
"Honey, do you have a shirt ironed for me?"
 "Oh, I forgot to tell you, we have to go to..."
Changing a gazillion ninety-eleven diapers {90% stinky}
"Mommy, can you turn the light on?"
"Mom, can you open my book drawer, toy box, etc..."

....and the list goes on and on.

BUT, I have also found that all of these "little interruptions" are really little blessings in disguise. Why? First, because the "causes" of these little " interruptions" are the little (& big) people that I love and care about most in this world. Secondly, because without these interruptions, what would I do?!? These little things that come up multiple times a day mean that I am needed and useful. I am their mom/his wife and they love me and need me. Nothing better than that. It is all too easy to see these "interruptions" as annoyance, rather than what they really are, a family that needs this mama. In spite of all my lack of talents and abilities, they still need me to cut up the noodles, tie that shoe, iron that shirt, wipe that runny nose, etc. etc. Those things I CAN do, and I strive to do lovingly, because I am their mama/his wife.

 
 So, all this to say--what a privilege to be a mama to my babies.
What a blessing to feel her little arms wrap around my neck that lets me know that I am loved.
What an amazing feeling washes over me as I hear that gentle breathing as he sleeps or see that smile widen across his face when I enter the room.
What little miracles that I have the honor to call my kids.
What treasures that are full of potential to do great things for the Lord.

So, sooooooo very thankful that the Lord has allowed me to be a mama {to the best kiddos in the world, I might add ;) } Not perfect kids, just perfect for me.

Me and My kids (Notice the big Ethan Baby bump) last Thanksgiving '09 {BTW, VERY glad that Baby Man is on the outside of my belly this year! ha}

P.S. They are the ones that need your prayers {I mean, look who they have for a mama?! ;) }

"O, How much I must love you..."

My Sweet Clara~

"O, How much I must love you...."

These are the words that came to mind last night,

yes, last night, or rather in the wee hours of the morning

when I was awakened from my slumber

by the sound of your pitiful cry

you were in need and your mama was there.

"O, How much I must love you..."

As I entered your room and beheld such a sight

a sight no mother wants to encounter

but most likely all do at some time or another

you see, you were sitting up in your bed 

surrounded by blankets and your 4 most favorite friends

but something else had been added to the mix

a most unwelcome guest

I am still puzzled as to how it came to visit us

but nevertheless its presence was surely made known

"O, How much I must love you..."

I thought as I brought a wet rag 

to bathe your face and clean your hands, your hair,

your sheets, blankets, rug, and even lamby pie 

had suffered temporary damage as well.

So, with your dad beside me

we cleaned up the mess

including a trip to the tub for you 

and a ride in the wash machine for everything else.

"O, How much I must love you..."

I thought as I knelt by the tub

and gently removed the gunk and grime from your hair

while whispering soothing words of comfort

and making sure that your tummy was feeling better.

"O, How much I must love you..."

as I wrap you in a towel all snug and warm

as I search for and put you in clean jammies

and daddy and I make up your bed

with fresh sheets and soft blankets.

And of course, a replacement for lamby, 

fat bear, was located as well,

to help you through what remains of this strange night.

"O, How much I must love you..."

as I assure you that everything is alright now

and tuck you up safe in your newly made, fresh and sweet smelling bed.

Daddy and I pause to pray, 

to pray that you will be okay, 

that you will rest easy for the night

with no more episodes or problems in sight.

"O, How much I must love you..."

as I was interrupted right in the middle of writing this note

to take care of round #2 

at the breakfast table this morning. 

I guess crackers and gatorade are on the menu for you today.

"O, How much I do love you!"

My sweet little girl with an upset tummy

in spite of the messes 

in spite of the piled up laundry

in spite of all the work and lack of sleep

I LOVE YOU!

"True love is...abandoning a cozy, warm bed to clean up puke in the middle of the night."

Yes, THAT is how much I love you!!!

My Clara's smile--more beautiful than any rose!

P.S. (I would do it again in a heartbeat, too. Anything for you! Love U!)

Thankful Thoughts--Part One, "Birthday Lane"

Thinking about Thanksgiving does not only cause me to pause and consider the differences between holidays here and there, but also to think of the wonderful people that have made my Thanksgivings so special. Thanksgiving, in our family, falls right in the middle of "Birthday Season". Starting on Sept. 7 and continuing on until Dec. 30 (which, as we all know is then followed up by New Year's) sprinkled in every month along with fall festivities, Thanksgiving and Christmas, we celebrate all (and I do mean ALL) the birthdays on my hubby's side, including in-laws and my parents' bdays as well. It's a lot of fun and a bit crazy! Just trying to keep up with getting the birthday cards bought and phone calls made is hectic at times, because just when you think that you are in the clear {Wheeeew!} another one sneaks up on you! But, it is a great reminder of all the dear people in my life that I am privileged to call family.
So, I will begin my walk down "Birthday Lane" and tell you a bit about what these dear ones mean to me:

September starts off with Matt's brother, Evan's birthday. What can I say about him?! He generally comes off as pretty quiet and a more laid back person I have yet to meet. However, he finds his vocal chords when it comes to giving me a hard time about my preferences in sports teams {how convenient!} He is a fun person to be around and works along side my FIL continuing the legacy as 4th generation on the family farm.

My BIL, Evan, the mighty deer slayer

Next we come to my hubby, Matt, (who was born in the BEST month {October}, of course). I could fill up page after page with all that is to be said about this dear man that I am privileged to be married to. His sense of humor is one of a kind, he is very rarely riled {trust me, I have tried him in this area at times}, and so patient with me. He is an amazing father who takes time for his "precious pumpkins". He is wise with our finances, which is extra important when living abroad. He is very discerning when it comes to things both Biblical and political. I can go to him for counsel and know that he will steer me in the right {Biblical} direction. He's my "Cornucopia of both useful and useless information", and {most of the time} I love that about him. To sum it up, he has to be pretty wonderful to be married to {put up with} me!

Next, my kind MIL. Hmmm....the first words that come to my mind are hard-working and multi-talented. She is very down to earth and does a great job of balancing farm work, housework, church activities, etc. If I have a cooking, sewing, or crocheting "problem" I definitely know who to call. She loves to "do" for her family, including making adorable dresses for her granddaughters, baby sweaters, blankets, doilies, etc., to preparing everyone's favorites such as cheeseburger soup, oatmeal bread and choc/PB balls. She gardens and cans and shares with us all. So gracious and giving.

My MIL teaching Clara how to make bread

My BIL, Greg{gy} comes shortly thereafter. Greg is...well...quite the character. Comes across so quiet and innocent, but actually not so much! He loves to be outdoors and romp through the woods or dangle from perilous heights. He would build a log cabin with his own 2 hands and live in it and love it {that is if my SIL would let him! Fat Chance!} He is fearless and just a bit crazy. He LOVES kids, esp. his own 2 cuties, and does a great job working with the kids at church, both on the bus and in junior church. He always seems to find a way to make everything into an adventure or at least put his own unique twist on it. He's one of those guys where there may not be a lot of words flying out of his mouth, but watch out! 'cuz you can tell that in his mind the gears are always a turnin'.

Greg & Missy, enjoying a birthday lunch

And ending out a very birthday-packed month of October is my own dear daddy. How I love and miss him! For me, he is the silent strength and anchor in our family. He is like an unwavering mighty oak in his solid knowledge of the Bible. He is a truth-seeker and a gold-digger. Searching God's Word and extracting new found treasures. If I am wondering about something, he will give me a chapter and verse {not to mention it's exact location in his Bible down to the column and placement on the page--no joke!} Also, I think back on all of his hard work and sacrifice to put me and my brothers through Christian school, food on the table and clothes on our backs. Without complaint {when there were plenty of things he could have complained about} doing what needed to be done. Guiding our family through the trials of life by walking hand in hand with the Lord.

November brings the birthdays of my SILs. First Matt's sister, Missy. She has such a wonderful bubbly personality and is such a good, organized {unlike me} little homemaker and mama to her babies. Although we have had our ups and downs in the past, we have also shared a lot of great memories, shopping, and chatting, and laughing together, watching our babies grow and change. She is my bargain hunting and volleyball playing partner. If there is something going on, you can bet that she knows about it and is probably in the middle of it, too. So thankful for Skype and our IM chats to keep us in touch.

My pretty SIL, Missy

Andrea is Matt's brother, Evan's, new bride. Unfortunately, due to the 5,000+ miles between us we have not been able to get to know each other/spend much time together yet. She is a sweet young woman who strives to be a good wife to Evan and adapt to life on the farm and all that that entails. She seems rather subdued and laid back, but I have a feeling that down deep she really has a lot to say when you get to know her. It is always interesting to have a new dynamic in the family and I look forward to seeing how she will fit in our crazy bunch.

Moving onto December, there's my sweet mom. She's quiet {probably a good thing as I talk enough for the both of us--ha!} and kind and unassuming. Her preference is generally for her family to choose their preferences--whatever the situation may be. She's very thoughtful and encouraging; I remember so many times finding a kind note tucked in my lunch box or in my mail box at college. Just good ole' mom  checking up on me and making sure that I felt loved. She looks well to the ways of her house and has given her life in giving to others, both at home and at church. She got the creative/artistic genes in our family; she has been doing school art projects and countless bulletin boards of all types for years. She is my fountain of resource when it comes to school/bulletin board/paper crafts.She comes up with these "crazy" ideas and molds them into brilliantly creative masterpieces. She is faithful and dependable; whatever the task, it is in safe and capable hands when given to her.

And, last but not least, my FIL ends out the year. He has a good head for business and finance {he has to, he's a farmer after all}. He puts in long hard days and goes to sleep with no regrets. He loves to be with his family and if he could figure out a way to travel and see the world as well as run the farm, he would do it in a heartbeat. He is dedicated; to his wife and kids, to the farm, and most of all to his Lord. Babies aren't really his thing, but now that the granddaughters are getting a bit older he has a soft spot for them, too. {I think they are wearing him down in the baby dept.}And yes, like all the men in my life, he likes to pick on me, too {but I wouldn't have it any other way--Shhhhhh! Don't tell!}.

My FIL with his first grandbaby, Clara

Of course, I have other family, my babies and my 2 brothers for which I am very thankful for, too. I am not trying to leave them out in the cold, but this time of year with all these birthdays gets me thinking {even more than usual} about these extra special people in my life.

Clara's 2nd Thanksgiving--2008 at the farm

You know the sayings "You don't get to choose the family that you are born into, God chooses for you" and "You don't just marry your husband, you marry his family, too"?!? Well, I am so, so very thankful that the Lord chose both of my families for me and that I am surrounded by so much love. I love each and every one of them and would not trade them for the world! I feel doubly blessed to be a part of 2 amazing Christian families that support us in love and prayer as we serve the Lord in far away Argentina. Truly, what would I do if it were not for all of them behind us? God surely knows what I need and is ever faithful in supplying.

"Thank you, Lord,

for giving me my families. 

I love them and my desire is

to make them proud by faithfully serving you.

Please take care of and protect each one

let them know that, though faraway,

I am proud to be their daughter, sister, and friend."

P.S. Please pray for our laptop--it is in the shop and we have to resort to using the 'sometimes-working dinosaur', hence my lack of pics of all my family members. Hopefully, we will be back up and running on all cylinders soon.

Thanksgivings--Past & Present

Thanksgiving...aaahhhh {contented sigh}...how I love this time of year....how many wonderful memories it holds.
Memories of:
Crispy fall leaves swirling around in the yard and pumpkins sitting on the deck
Cool, brisk mornings, perfect for wearing your favorite sweater
Waking to the smell of turkey in the oven (or even better, deep fried) and the promise of many more wonderful dishes to go along with it
Peeling potatoes with my mom (yes, I am probably still the slowest one)
Watching the Macy's Thanksgiving Day parade as a family
Hot apple cider to warm me up from the inside out
A day to enjoy family togetherness
and of course, throwing up--I know not exactly a wonderful memory, but a memory nonetheless...throwing up my Thanksgiving meal because I was pregnant with my sweet Clara at the time...{I guess--wink} she was worth it
...Just to name a few.

 Now Thanksgiving has changed a bit for me.
It no longer includes many of these things...there are no fall leaves nor crisp air, rather the fragrance of spring flowers and humidity.
Now I wake to get my little family ready to go and we make our way to some friends' house for an "American" Thanksgiving--mission field style. Yes, in spite of the "wrong" season and the heat we still prepare the traditional dishes as much as possible. We all bring food to share, and it looks as though we are preparing to feed an army or store up for the winter (but it's spring, so that makes no sense ;)
The ladies laugh and chat and compare babies. What's new with your kids?, how's homeschooling going?, how are things at your church?, etc.. are all frequently asked/heard ?s. Meanwhile the men are busy trying to correct all the wrongs in the world and love to ask those "What if" ?s and get into debates both Biblical and political. The kiddos run to and fro amidst us seeking out their long lost playmates and having quite the time, while the babies are doted on and passed around and loved on by all.
Don't forget the FOOD! Like all good Baptists, esp. as missionaries, and esp. on Thanksgiving we manage to devour the majority of the enormous spread until we can't possible fit another bite of turkey n' taters or 'punkin' pie in.
We also use this as an opportunity to exchange any books that we are ready to part with; such fun to scan through the piles and find a few "new to you" books to bring home, too.
The other missionaries become your "family for the day" and if you are wise your dear friends for a lifetime. After all, who better/closer to understand where you are at and what you are going through and to reach out and help in your time of need?! We have so many dear friends here, and hope that we can do half as much for them and for other new missionaries that come along as they have done for us. They have showed us such love and kindness; one more thing to add to the growing list of things to be thankful for.

BOTH Thanksgivings, here and there, are unique and special in their own ways. I wouldn't trade any of them for the world, because no matter where I have been on Thanksgiving, I have always been surrounded with people that I care about and care about me and every year the Lord has blessed me with an innumerable amount of people and things to be thankful. I cannot complain, actually I have nothing to complain about. All that I am able to do is stand in awe and be thankful to "...him that is able to do exceeding abundantly above all that we ask or think..." --Eph. 3:20. That's what He has done for me...He has given me far more than I ever could have dreamed of...

So, as I contemplate Thanksgiving Day and all the memories that come with it, my ♥ overflows with gratitude to my Heavenly Father and I will attempt to scratch the surface of my "Thankful List" and share some of those blessings with you soon.

God bless!