"New Year's eve is like every other night; there is no pause in the march of the universe, no breathless moment of silence among created things that the passage of another twelve months may be noted; and yet no man has quite the same thoughts this evening that come with the coming of darkness on other nights." ~Hamilton Wright Mabie

For the past 18 years, New Year's Eve has been spent pretty much the same way - busily preparing for a party we host in our home every year.  Preparing food, organizing games, looking up trivia from the year, and decorating usually consumes all of my time on December 31.  All of that leaves little time for reflection on this particular date.  This year, however, is different.

Today, I am in Pagosa Springs, Colorado with my family.  And today, I am sitting out on the porch of our condo in the balmy 30 degree sunshine (for perspective, 30 in Pagosa Springs feels a lot like 50 does at home!), and enjoying this view . . .

And trust me when I say that the picture doesn't do it justice!

Today in the quietness and beauty of this place, I have had time for reflection.  I have taken time to read back through my posts from this year.  And from that, I would like to share a few of my thoughts with you on this last day of 2014...

This year began with a quote I found from Norman Wesley Brooks, who wrote: "Christmas is forever, not just for one day; for loving, sharing, giving, are not to put away like bells and lights and tinsel, in some box upon a shelf.  The good you do for others is good you do yourself." I pondered about how great it would be to keep the attitudes of thankfulness and giving that permeate our lives during these holiday months, and extend them the whole year through.  A worthy goal for EVERY year, I believe!

As January progressed, I determined to be more connected to family and friends by writing more letters, and making more phone calls.  Phyllis Theroux wrote, "To send a letter is a good way to go somewhere without moving anything but your heart," and I tried harder in 2014 to move my heart in many directions, re-connecting with lots of far-away friends, and also trying to be more involved in the lives of nearby friends.  That has turned out to be a real blessing to me.

In February, we lost a dear friend and sister in Christ - Chris Glover - to a sudden illness.  Her absence is still felt by all of us who knew and loved her, and we spoke of her just a few weeks ago when we did our annual Christmas Caroling - - we talked of how we missed going to her house this year.  But even now, almost a year later, Sister Glover's example lives on.  And when I think of her, I think of Psalm 116:15 - "Precious in the sight of the Lord is the death of His saints."  Precious, indeed, and the death of someone dear always gives us pause as we consider our own lives in light of eternity.

March brought an accident that once again brought home to me the uncertainty and brevity of life. Jeff - my careful, always safety conscious husband - slipped and fell into the swimming pool, fully clothed, iPhone in his pocket, ... and a plugged-in, electric hedge trimmer in his hand.  Thankfully, Jeff made it out of that pool with only a shock, but it made me tremble to consider what easily might have happened in that moment.  And all of the "little things" in life that seem so important did not matter at all that day.  

2014 was filled with both the planned, and the unexpected.  Caleb spent his summer in Costa Rica, Jeff traveled to China, and Jeff and I took a trip to Minnesota.  Sarah moved from teaching 2nd grade to 1st, and she had her wisdom teeth removed.  Caleb had emergency surgery, and Becca resigned her position at Children's Medical Center to go back to school for a Nursing degree.  This time last year, the only one of those things I was expecting was Caleb's Costa Rica trip.  

What that tells me is that life is uncertain.  So, as I close the book on 2014 and prepare my planner for 2015, I pray that I will be mindful of the things this year has taught me, which can best be summed up in what Paul wrote to the Romans in chapter 12:9-13 - "Let love be genuine. Abhor what is evil; hold fast to what is good. Love one another with brotherly affection. Outdo one another in showing honor. Do not be slothful in zeal, be fervent in spirit, serve the Lord. Rejoice in hope, be patient in tribulation, be constant in prayer. Contribute to the needs of the saints and seek to show hospitality."  If I can do those things, 2015 will be a good year regardless of what unexpected bumps might appear in the road of life.  

So now, I will enjoy the remaining hours of 2014 with those I love most in this world - my family.  We will laugh, play games, sing some hymns, and talk about God's love and blessings.  And for those of you who have shared in my life this year, please know how special you are to me, and how thankful I am to God for the blessing of YOU.  May God richly bless each of you in 2015, and may we all find ourselves closer to Him in the coming year.

Pagosa Springs, Colorado - Sunday, December 28, 2014

"Why be saddled with this thing called life expectancy? Of what relevance to an individual is such a statistic? Am I to concern myself with an allotment of days I never had and was never promised? Must I check off each day of my life as if I am subtracting from this imaginary hoard? No, on the contrary, I will add each day of my life to my treasure of days lived. And with each day, my treasure will grow, not diminish."  ~Robert Brault

"Having a place to go — is a home. Having someone to love — is a family. Having both — is a blessing." ~Donna Hedges

I dropped the ball with my daily posts, but it isn't because I haven't been thankful!  Quite the opposite - I've been so busy focusing on the "little things" that I have not taken the time to write about them.

In the quiet of this early morning, our house is full of grown children and puppy dogs, all of whom are sleeping soundly.  And my heart is full and thankful.

We postponed our Thanksgiving celebration by one day this year.  Caleb worked the Texas A&M football game Thursday evening, and Sarah and Ryan were part of the 12th man there with Ryan's parents.  So that half of our family arrived yesterday morning, and the fun began...

Sadie got reacquainted with "Aunt Becca", and then we all sat down to a feast of our favorite Thanksgiving food...

There was much laughter as we filled our bellies...

After lunch, some of us napped while Sadie helped Ryan do some online Black Friday shopping...

And then Caleb scared the puppy dogs...

 Later in the day, we commenced with our usual tradition of putting up the Christmas tree...

When the kids were little, they loved getting inside the empty tree box, and "trapping" each other.  These days, they enjoy trapping their dogs in the box...

But Buster was smart and made a break for the kitchen.

Caleb proved to us that you are never too old or too tall to relive childhood memories, and Brinkley was satisfied that payback is sweet...

Our Eagle Scout put his skills to use, and built us a fire, with his dad looking on, and then the decorating began...

Among our ornaments is a one-legged Santa.  I'm not sure where he came from, or why he only has one leg, but every single year, hanging the one-legged Santa becomes the biggest point of contention among our kids.  This year, they decided to play "rock/paper/scissors" as a diplomatic way to decide who would get the honor...

 The first round began, and Becca eliminated her brother...

 Then during the final round, Caleb tried coaxing me into giving it to him while his sisters were battling it out.

 

Ultimately, Becca won, and she proudly hung the favorite family ornament this year.

























All of that may seem silly or trivial to those looking in from the outside.  But it is just a small glimpse into a tiny sliver of the vast storehouse of traditions and memories that make up the bonds of love shared by our family.

Erma Bombeck once wrote, “The family. We were a strange little band of characters trudging through life sharing diseases and toothpaste, coveting one another's desserts, hiding shampoo, borrowing money, locking each other out of our rooms, inflicting pain and kissing to heal it in the same instant, loving, laughing, defending, and trying to figure out the common thread that bound us all together.”   Jeff, Sarah, Becca, Caleb, and now Ryan, compose my little band of characters.  Each one of us brings our own uniqueness and individuality to the group, and it just wouldn't be the same without the quirkiness of each one. Our little band will likely grow in the future, and we will gladly assimilate the new characters into the fabric of our family.  But today, I am thankful for these five - the people I love most in this world.

In a few minutes - or hours for a couple of us - the house will once again be bustling with activity, laughter, and some good-natured bickering.  And I will relish every moment.  Thankful doesn't even begin to cover it.

"To poke a wood fire is more solid enjoyment than almost anything else in the world." ~Charles Dudley Warner

This morning I commenced with my usual routine upon rising from bed - I turned on my Keurig to brew my morning cup of coffee.  As the water was heating, I took Buster outside.  It's been raining here, and I could smell it - you know, the unmistakable but indescribable scent of rain.  Throughout the night, I could hear the faint patter of raindrops on the roof - that hypnotic, comforting sound that induces sleep.

Simple pleasures.  A hot shower, the first sip of coffee in the morning, a good book, the smell of rain, the scent of freshly mowed grass, the warmth of the sun after a cold and cloudy day, chocolate, Sunday afternoon naps, Andy's frozen custard, writing with a good pen, an unexpected text message, puppy dog licks on the chin, laughter... The list could go on and on. (Did I mention Andy's frozen custard?)

They are different for each one of us.  The little things in life we experience daily that bring joy.  As I consider blessings I often take for granted, today I will focus on appreciating the simple pleasures more fully.  How do I do this?

In a 2012 study published in Psychological Science, researchers found that participants were more likely to rate a piece of chocolate as more pleasurable when they were told it was their “last one” rather than their “next one.”  This is because when we think something is going to be our last experience, we try to make the most out of it while we can, therefore we’re more motivated to savor it. We tend to want things to end on a happy note.  So imagine if we treated all of life's simple pleasures as if we are experiencing them for the last time - this attitude could help us savor them more. 

In order to do this, though, I will have to slow down.  We get so busy with so many things on our "to do" lists, and we have so much "noise" from constant input and activity, that taking the time to consciously savor the simple things takes effort.  But if I focus more on the "little things," I believe I will be encouraged by just how rich and full life can be, and will be overwhelmed by my blessings.

I think I'll go get that hot shower now.

"Any sufficiently advanced technology is indistinguishable from magic." ~Arthur C. Clarke

As a little girl growing up in the 70's, we had two telephones in our house on Clinton Street.  A beige wall phone hung over the counter in the kitchen, and a blue princess phone adorned the nightstand in my parents' bedroom.  They looked exactly like these...

 

 

I can still see my mother sitting in a kitchen chair talking to Granny or Aunt Sadie Mae on that beige phone.  Sometimes when talking to Aunt Sadie Mae, my mother would put the phone receiver down on the table, leaving Aunt Sadie Mae talking to the air while Mom put clothes in the dryer, or unloaded the dishwasher.  When Mom returned and picked up the phone, Aunt Sadie never knew she had left.  I also remember how the phone would ring and my brother and I would race to see who could get to it first, arguing all the way about who got to answer it the last time it rang!

As I got older, sometimes I would talk on the phone to my friends, and of course when I did that I would always go in my parents' bedroom to use the blue princess phone - I had more privacy that way.  But what was really exciting was that when I reached my teen years, my daddy put a phone jack in MY bedroom, and I got THIS...

And it was a push-button instead of a rotary dial!  I was definitely moving up in the world!

Technology has come a long way.  Back in the 70's, it never occurred to me that I might one day be able to carry my phone with me wherever I went, nor that it would do things like text messaging and have games on it!  If you had shown my 13-year-old self an iPhone, I would've thought it was magic!

Jeff is traveling with work this week, and last night I used my phone to not only talk with him, but also to see his handsome face...

I especially appreciated this blessing last summer when Jeff was in China, as well as when Caleb traveled to Costa Rica.  Not only was I able to talk with my two favorite guys, but I could see them even though they were halfway around the world.

While phone technology can have its drawbacks, and we have to be careful that we don't allow it to control us, it is also a blessing.  So today, as I focus this month on blessings I often take for granted, I am thankful for iPhones and FaceTime that help me stay more connected to the people I love.

"Symptoms, then are in reality nothing but the cry from suffering organs." ~Jean-Martin Charcot

I had a doctor's appointment yesterday morning in an attempt to deal with a chronic health problem.  The visit there was not pleasant.  I will spare you the details, but the doctor had to cause pain and discomfort in order to determine his best course of action to promote healing.  I left there feeling worse than when I arrived.

After some discussion, the doctor prescribed some medication for me to take.  Based on his expertise, he thinks this particular drug will lead to remediating my problem.  When I picked up the meds from the pharmacy, it included a detailed description from the manufacturer that laid out all of the possible side effects.  They, too, appear to be very unpleasant.

In considering all of that, it occurred to me that most of the time, our health problems are that way - the testing and the treatment can actually cause us pain and discomfort.  You see that quite vividly with diseases like cancer - people are willing to go through the painful experience of surgery, as well as the awful rigors of chemotherapy in order to eradicate their disease.  But when it works, the result is well worth the pain and suffering.

What if I had told my doctor yesterday, "No way am I going to let you do that, because it is uncomfortable and painful."  I would have left there with no sure diagnosis, and therefore no hope for healing - my time and money would've been wasted.  Or what if I looked at the list of medicinal side effects, and said, "No way am I going to risk having those things happen to me!" - - so I don't take the medicine.  It is obvious that I won't receive the benefits of the drug if I refuse to take it, and I will continue with the same problem.  

Life is like that in other ways, isn't it?  We recognize we have some sort of problem - maybe something in our life that needs correction.  We know we are not living according to the Standard of God's Word, and that our spiritual disease will lead to death.  So, we go to the Great Physician.  But, we don't like what He says.  Maybe it is painful to let Him make a diagnosis, as it hurts to take an honest look at ourselves.  But, we do it anyway.  We can clearly see the problem, and we know He offers a remedy for healing - our repentance and obedience.  But then we begin to rationalize... If I do THAT, it will hurt.  It might affect my relationship with someone I love, or it might cause me pain or discomfort in some way.  I don't want to give it up.  Is the pain really worth it?

As I take time this month to consider things I am thankful for which I often take for granted, today I am thankful for diagnostic and healing physical pain, which reminds me of the blessing of spiritual healing which is sometimes painful as well.  And in both cases, I am thankful for the result - a wholeness that only an accurate diagnosis and remedy can bring.  

"Know the true value of time; snatch, seize, and enjoy every moment of it. No idleness, no laziness, no procrastination; never put off til tomorrow what you can do today." ~Philip Stanhope

I hate grocery shopping.  I'm not sure why, but out of all of my household responsibilities, stocking the pantry is at the bottom of my favorites list.  Last week I was sick, and Jeff was out of town, so I got by on what was already here.  We were out of town over the weekend, so I planned to do the grocery shopping on Monday.  Now it's Tuesday, Jeff is traveling with work again this week, and I am rationalizing how I can wait until tomorrow to make a trip to the store.

Tomorrow.  We plan for it, and put off what we don't want to do today.  Sometimes we even waste today, because tomorrow always looks more promising.

Fifteen years ago today, a group of Texas A&M students were working on the annual campus bonfire stack.  There was an accident, the stack collapsed, and twelve of those students who were there never saw "tomorrow."  And this same week last year, a godly young man known and loved by many who read this blog attended Bible study, worshiped God with his brethren, and decided to go for a swim that afternoon in a nearby river.  His tomorrow never came, either.  I've written here before about my dad - he left home one morning to do some work at his deer lease, not knowing that he would never see tomorrow.  And just recently while traveling out of town, I passed the scene of a fatal traffic accident.  The deceased person's body was in the road, covered by a sheet, and the magnitude of that scene struck me - half an hour before, that person no doubt had plans for their tomorrow.

As I focus this month on being more thankful for things I often take for granted, I'm mindful today of today.  This moment.  In the big scheme of things, if my tomorrow never comes, it will not really matter if I go to the grocery store today or not.  But there are other things that will matter a lot.  It will matter if I put off healing a broken relationship, or apologizing for something I've done wrong. It will also matter if I have put off telling someone dear to me how much they are loved and appreciated.  It will be of great significance if I wait until tomorrow to spend time encouraging someone because I was too "busy" with mundane things - like watching TV or playing computer games or... you can fill in your own blank... and my tomorrow never comes.  And most importantly, if I wait until "tomorrow" to live for Christ, to pattern my life after Him, to seek God's favor, to spend time in His word and time in prayer, and today is all I have left, then I have taken this day for granted in a way that has eternal significance.  

Harry Morant wrote, "Live every day as if it were going to be your last; for one day, you're sure to be right."  Good advice.  If I knew tomorrow will never come, what would I do today?  I'm thankful I have today, and may God help me to never take THIS day, THIS moment for granted, but to use it up in service to Him.

"Traditions are the guideposts driven deep in our subconscious minds. The most powerful ones are those we can't even describe and aren't even aware of." ~Ellen Goodman

On Saturday our family met in College Station for the Texas A&M football game.  We arrived on campus early to tailgate with some friends, who had generously invited us and a lot of others to indulge in the hot dogs they prepared for us.  After visiting with friends there, we walked over to the Quad to watch the firing of the cannon.  Soon after that, we made our way to Kyle Field, where we saw the new 12th man statue, and then began our ascent to our seats.  As we entered the gate, we were met with several "Howdy" greetings from event staff, and saw Reveille on the big screen.  Not long after we settled in, we participated in the singing of the National Anthem, followed by "The Spirit of Aggieland," and "The Aggie War Hymn," as all were played by the incredible Fightin' Texas Aggie Band.  The yell leaders got the 12th man pumped, and as we looked out over the crowd, we saw a sea of maroon and heard lots of "whoops!"  The Aggies soon scored, the cannon fired, and Aggie men throughout kissed their dates. 

 

What I've just described can be summed up in one word - tradition.  Tradition is defined as "the transmission of customs or beliefs from generation to generation."  The word originates from Latin, and literally means "to give across; to hand over for safe-keeping." 

You cannot visit the campus of Texas A&M University without being overwhelmed with the richness of their traditions, and the ones I described above barely scratch the surface.  Tradition is one of the key ingredients that makes Texas A&M University so special.  It binds people to the past, as well as to each other.

 

So today as I consider things I often take for granted, I am reminded in a vivid way from this past weekend of traditions.  And not just Aggie traditions, or our American traditions, but especially precious family traditions.

We are approaching a season of the year that is rich in tradition for our family.  From what we eat at Thanksgiving to hanging stockings at Christmas, as well as the seemingly insignificant detail of where in the house we place the tree - just ask Becca - some things just simply cannot be messed with, because they make up our Stewart family tradition.  As we put the Christmas tree up this year the day after Thanksgiving (our traditional time to do that), we will reminisce about previous years, sharing memories of special ornaments, as the kids argue over who got to hang the one-legged Santa on the tree last year - and those bonds of family will be strengthened as a result.  Small things which are undoubtedly meaningless to those looking in from the outside are dear to the hearts of the five of us who have shared the past two decades.  And the one who joined our family last year continues to learn, as he is assimilated into our family traditions as a special part of our clan.  (I'm not sure he's too fond of the traditional early Christmas morning wake-up time, but he's been very good natured about that!)

Thinking about what is coming with our family over the next few months makes me grateful - for the long-standing traditions that bind us together, and for those we will add in the future.  

"A successful marriage requires falling in love many times, always with the same person." ~Mignon McLaughlin

It was November 15, 1986, also a Saturday that year, and the weather was much like today - cold and cloudy.  Also like today, I was recovering from an upper respiratory infection.  But this day 28 years ago was pretty special.  There was this tall, dark and handsome young fella from Austin who was a senior at Texas A&M, and he was coming to visit me.  

We had met in April of that year - a "blind date" arranged by a mutual friend, that really turned into a bust.  I didn't even know it was a "date," or who I was supposed to be matched with until the evening was almost over.  Neither of us was impressed, and we both went on about our merry ways.  He even told our "matchmaker" (Hal) that he thought he would give the girls in College Station a chance first.  (He denies that quote to this day, but I don't think Hal made it up! ;) )  

I guess the girls in College Station didn't pass the test, because in September he called me, and then we began writing letters.  Weekly exchanges turned into almost daily writings, where we shared information about our lives and came to know more about each other.  We still have all of those letters tucked away in a box.  

Finally, a mutual time was arranged, and Jeff made the trip from College Station to Longview, and on November 15, we spent the day together.  I remember every detail of that day - the ride in his 1980 Honda Accord (it was Aggie maroon, of course), to the Kilgore Oil Museum, the pizza we ordered for lunch as we prepared to watch the Aggie football game on TV, and then the dinner at Johnny Cace's restaurant followed by a performance of the East Texas Symphony Orchestra.  I also remember how it felt as we walked into the restaurant that evening, and he held my hand for the first time.  

Twenty-eight years, a wedding, two apartments, four houses, three kids, four - six dogs (depending on if you count our kids' dogs), one son-in-law, some additional pounds, and several grey hairs later, here we are.  

Every year since 1986, we have remembered our first date anniversary together.  We don't do anything "big," but we do take time to remember.  

Remembrances are important.  God thinks so - look at the feasts and memorials He established for the Israelites that are repeated throughout the Old Testament to help them remember where they had been, and what God had done for them.  We, too, also recognize an important remembrance each Lord's Day as we observe His supper as He instructed.  We need to be reminded.

So today, as I think about things I often take for granted, I am thankful for first date anniversaries, and the twenty-eight years of memories they bring to mind.  And I'm especially thankful that Jeff made his way back to me after giving those girls in College Station a chance.  What a loss for them, but what a blessing for me!  I truly have the best!

“Life is like a blanket too short. You pull it up and your toes rebel, you yank it down and shivers meander about your shoulder; but cheerful folks manage to draw their knees up and pass a very comfortable night.” ~Marion Howard

Cold weather has crept into East Texas this week.  Unusually cold for November.  And as a result, blankets have been pulled out of their summer homes to help keep us warm.  The warmth and comfort that comes with snuggling up in a blanket on a cold day is one of those seemingly small things I often take for granted.  

There's something comforting about blankets.  In fact, a larger, more plush form of a blanket is called a comforter.  Babies are comforted when swaddled in a blanket, and as they grow, some children rely heavily on a "security blanket." Two of our children had "blankies" when they were little.  Becca's blanket was one of my nightgowns that she latched on to.  We didn't really want her taking my nightgown to places like church, so Jeff's mom made her a blanket out of the same type of material.  She would reluctantly carry that one in public (because we insisted), but upon arriving back at home she immediately traded it for the nightgown.  

A 1979 study by psychologist Richard Passman found that 60% of kids are attached to some sort of comfort object during their first three years of life.  And while I could not find any precise numbers on how many people carry a love for their childhood blankie into adulthood, a survey of 6,000 British adults by the hotel chain Travelodge found that 35% admitted to sleeping with some type of comfort object.  

It's about more than the warmth.  It's about the comfort, and the psychological peace that comes from being wrapped up, safe and warm.  Sort of like a hug.  And while it's great to be wrapped up in a blanket, I would much rather be enveloped in the warmth of a human embrace - wouldn't you?  

According to researchers, hugs really are much like blankets.  They build a sense of safety and trust, and have been proven to increase oxytocin levels which heal feelings of loneliness, isolation, and anger.  Holding a hug for an extended time can also increase serotonin levels, elevating mood and creating happiness.  Hugs can even relax muscles, reduce tension, and take away pain. 

I'm thankful for blankets that provide warmth on a cold day, and remind me of hugs that always warm my heart.  This weekend we plan to be watching the Aggies play football in very cold and possibly rainy weather.  I will be taking blankets to Kyle Field, and will be thankful for the warmth they provide.  But even more than that, I will be thankful for the opportunity to be wrapped in the embrace of my husband and each of my children this weekend.  Hugs from them really are the best "blankets" of all.

"Health is not valued until sickness comes." ~Thomas Fuller

I plan to get back to my daily November posts tomorrow.  I have been sidetracked this week by illness, and I haven't felt like doing much of anything, much less writing!  So, I will make this my catch-up post for the days I have missed.

We take a lot of things for granted each day, and one of the big ones is our health.  Like most things, we don't fully appreciate it until we don't have it.  Today I am thankful for doctors, antibiotics, steroid shots, and pain relievers - I couldn't have made it to this point of my week without them!

"Better to lose count while naming your blessings than to lose your blessings to counting your troubles." ~Maltbie D. Babcock

This morning I am not feeling well, and was unable to worship with my brethren.  I also do not feel much like writing today, so I thought about suspending my daily November blog by posting a message that looked something like this...

However, I decided to post this instead...

Even though I don't feel well, and could not assemble with my brethren to worship God this morning, I was able to log on to the Dowlen Road website, and virtually "attend" their services, watching and listening to their song service, and hearing an uplifting sermon from God's Word.  

So today, I am thankful for the technology we so often take for granted that made that possible.  Now we will go back to that "Please Stand By" screen . . . I feel another nap coming on.

“Climb up on some hill at sunrise. Everybody needs perspective once in a while, and you'll find it there.” ~ Robb Sagendorph

Two years ago, Jeff and I vacationed for 10 days in Hawaii to celebrate our 25th wedding anniversary.  Every morning we were awakened by a beautiful sunrise.  And every morning, it was different.  Brilliant, awe-inspiring, indescribable beauty that simply cannot be sufficiently duplicated with a photo.  While on the island of Kauai, this picturesque scene greeted us each morning from our open bedroom window...

It never got old.  We didn't wake up on day 10, and say, "Ho, hum - that again."  On the contrary, we could not wait for the dawn of a new day to see how the next sunrise would uniquely display God's glory...

Living in the Piney Woods of East Texas, trees generally block my view of the rising sun.  And if I'm ever blessed to travel to Hawaii again, the sunrises there will be one of the things I look most forward to...

I titled this blog "Morning Mercies," after the passage of Scripture from Lamentations quoted above - it is one of my favorite verses in the Bible.  The photo at the top of the page is my favorite from all of the sunrise pictures we took while in Hawaii.  

How can you experience such beauty in nature, and not be in awe of our Creator?  There's something special about the dawning of a new day, a new sunrise - the hope that comes with it for the promise of new opportunities.  Starting fresh.  And even more encouraging is the promise of Lamentations 3:23, that with each sunrise, God's love and mercy is just as new and fresh as the new day.  

So today as I consider blessings I often take for granted, I'm thankful for the sunrise, and all that it means, which causes me to be thankful for my loving Heavenly Father who blesses me each new morning with His endless love and mercy.   

"His spendor was like the sunrise; rays flashed from His hand, where His power was hidden."  ~Habakkuk 3:4

"I loved autumn, the one season of the year that God seemed to have put there just for the beauty of it." ~Lee Maynard

The sun did indeed shine yesterday, and it was beautiful!  While driving through town, I took special notice of the changing leaves in the brilliant sunshine.  Fall has always been my favorite time of year.  Albert Camus wrote that "Autumn is a second spring when every leaf is a flower."  

Fall is always a welcome season of cool temperatures after a long, hot, Texas summer.  It is filled with football, sweaters, hunting, pumpkin spice lattes, hay rides, Halloween, and Thanksgiving.  Acorns are falling while the animals are busy preparing for the winter ahead.  There's nothing quite like taking an early morning walk on a clear, crisp fall day, enjoying the changing colors, and the crunch of the fallen leaves underfoot.  Fall is also the perfect time to take account of the year - what we've done, what we didn't do, and what we can improve on next year.

We've all heard how the seasons of the year can be a metaphor of the seasons of life.  Joe L. Wheeler wrote, "Time remorselessly rumbles down the corridors and streets of our lives.  But it is not until autumn that most of us become aware that our tickets are stamped with a terminal destination... that whatever can be done with our thoughts, words, and actions must be done soon.  As we hypnotically watch the steadily diminishing reserve of sand in Life's hourglass, the instincts of a miser surface.  Life is now savored, sipped as a fine nineteenth-century French wine... It is during the autumn of our lives that this inner vintage begins to sculpt and paint the face as it seeps through the skin from within."  I'm not sure at exactly what age you enter the autumn of life.  I guess it depends largely on how long you will live on this earth, but I feel my seasons are soon to change from summer into early fall.  The "leaves" on top of my head are definitely beginning to change color!

Today as I contemplate the little things I so often take for granted,  I'm thankful for the changing seasons - especially fall - and what I can learn from them.  Just like my inability to prevent them from changing each year, I also lack control over the hourglass of time that pushes me toward the fall and winter of life.  I need to be sure that when fall comes, I am not wistfully looking back to the summer and even spring.  But like the animals, I instead should be preparing for winter - clearing away the dead leaves, and helping others who will be starting the new gardens of spring and summer, ultimately focusing on the end of my winter, when I will begin that endless spring of eternity.

"The best thing one can do when it’s raining is to let it rain." ~Henry Wadsworth Longfellow

Yesterday was messy.  It rained ALL DAY.  I enjoy rain when I can stay at home.  In fact, it is quite soothing to be curled up on the couch, watching the rain out of the window, and listening to the hypnotic pattering on the roof.  But yesterday I couldn't stay home.  So, I armed myself with my umbrella, and off I went.

Beyond the obvious problem of getting wet, rain leads to dirty cars, water splattered on the inside of the car door, puddles that have to be walked through, mud tracked in the house, and dangerous driving conditions.  Rain makes cold weather seem colder, and it causes some people to feel sad. Rain can ruin a planned picnic, a baseball game, or an outdoor wedding.  Occasionally, it rains while the sun is shining, but for the most part, when there's rain, there is also no sunshine.  But in spite of its inconveniences, we all know that rain is necessary.  More than that, rain is a blessing from God.

Life is kind of the same way.  It can be messy.  Things happen to us that cause inconvenience, worry, and even danger - the rain of our lives, if you will.  People disappoint us, and sometimes they even hurt us.  We get sick, sometimes chronically so.  We lose loved ones.  Sometimes we lose our jobs, or suffer a hit to our bank accounts due to some unforeseen emergency.  Houses flood, or burn down, our cars break down, the refrigerator stops running, or the dog dies.  And the list goes on and on.  

But just like physical rain, those storms of life can actually be beneficial, even in spite of the mess.  They can make us more focused on what is truly important in life, and cause us to be more appreciative of the good - just like the way we will appreciate the sun when we finally see it again.  Rain in our lives can draw us closer to God, and give us the unique perspective of suffering that allows us to be able to help out others who will experience similar storms (2 Cor. 1:3,4).

The weather man says that today the sun will shine.  If he's right, I will appreciate its warmth and light more because of yesterday's rain.  But if rain comes again today, I will also be thankful for the good and the growth it will bring.  And I pray that I will also feel the same regarding the "sunshine" and "storms" of life.

"Every time you smile at someone, it is an action of love, a gift to that person, a beautiful thing." ~Mother Teresa

Yesterday didn't start off the best for me.  I wasn't feeling well, and I hadn't slept much the previous two nights.  An early morning appointment filled my calendar, and I really didn't feel like going.  Reluctantly, I went anyway - with a frown on my face.  I stopped by Target to pick up a few things I needed on the way, and trudged to the checkout line feeling quite grouchy.  As I placed my items on the conveyor belt, the lady who checked me out looked me in the eyes, chirped a cheery "Good morning!". . .  and smiled at me.  I mean, she really smiled!  And guess what?  I smiled back!  And I immediately felt better!

I've been told that I sometimes tend to have a natural "frown" to my countenance.  My family teases me about the fact that I apparently frown when I am asleep.  I try to be conscious of this - at least when I'm awake - and make an effort to have more of a smile.  I've read that it takes seventeen muscles to smile and forty-three to frown, so apparently my face gets quite a workout when I sleep! 

We know that we smile when we're happy, but research has shown that the reverse is also true - smiling can help us feel happier.  In the late 1890's, Dr.  Fritz Strack and his colleagues at the University of Mannheim in Germany did an experiment where they divided volunteers into two groups.  Some were asked to hold a pencil between their teeth, and the rest were asked to hold it between their lips. Grab a pencil and try it!  You’ll find that one forces a smile and the other forces a frown. Participants were then asked to read a series of comics and rate the degree of humor.  The findings revealed that a forced smile can indeed boost humor, as patients who held the pencil between their teeth found the comics funnier than those who held it between their lips.

So as I focus on the little things this month to be more thankful for, today I am thankful for smiles.  The writer of Proverbs tells us that, "A joyful heart is good medicine, but a crushed spirit dries up the bones" (Prov. 17:22).  The genuine smile offered by the lady who checked me out at Target helped to improve my day.  I need to be more like her, as I make a conscious effort to share more smiles.  H. Jackson Brown, Jr. wrote, "Today, give a stranger one of your smiles. It might be the only sunshine he sees all day."  And by sharing a smile, that sunshine will be reflected back to help to warm my day as well.

One of my all-time favorite "smile-ers"--
This still makes me smile every time I see it!

"Nobody will ever deprive the American people of the right to vote except the American people themselves, and the only way they could do this is by not voting." ~Franklin D. Roosevelt

Today's thankfulness post will be brief.  It is election day, and many people take the right to vote for granted.  We are blessed to live in a country where we have a voice as citizens to choose our leaders.  So go vote!  Today I am thankful for that right, for freedom, and for the blessing of being a citizen of this great nation.

"God gave us memories that we might have roses in December." ~J.M. Barrie, Courage, 1922

This morning as I thought about my focus this month of being more thankful for the little things, I looked out my back kitchen window and saw it.  It came to me in a little pot 11 years ago - an expression of sympathy from a thoughtful group of friends upon the passing of my father - a small camellia bush.  It was chosen by my friends specifically because of the fact that it blooms in the fall - the same time of year that my daddy died.

Jeff planted it in the back yard next to our swimming pool.  It was little then - no more than a foot high.  Over the past 11 years, it has grown into quite a large bush.  And every year at this time it puts out the most beautiful pink blossoms.  The imagery is never lost on me.

The week of my daddy's accident was the worst week of my life.  His sudden, unexpected death left me reeling.  I've written here before about the memories that are forever burned into my mind of that week - and they are not pleasant.  However, that week, with all of its sadness, is not what I think about when I see that camellia bush.  No, that bush reminds me that even though 11 years have passed, my daddy's legacy lives on.  He is not forgotten by those who knew and loved him, and more importantly, the influence he had in our lives continues to produce a sweet aroma.  The blossoms each fall remind me that out of something so tragic can come something quite beautiful - Daddy left us with the greatest blooms of all - the hope that we will see him again one day when this life is over. 

My camellia bush also reminds me of the love of sweet friends.  In that simple act of sending that bush to us 11 years ago, they provided a continual reminder for me of not only the blessing of a wonderful father, but also the blessing of friendship.

Reminders are important.  We get so busy with life, we often forget to focus on the important things - including the "small" things.  "Reminder" is simply defined as "a thing that causes someone to remember something."  The root "mind" is preceded by the suffix "re," meaning "again."  So literally the word means to bring to mind again.  

So, this morning as I look out my kitchen window, I'm thankful for reminders that bring sweet memories.  And I hope those reminders will help me today in two ways:  first of all, to be like my friends of 11 years ago - thoughtful of others in seeking to ease their burdens; and secondly, to continue to honor my father by honoring my Father.  

"I can't think without my glasses." ~Vivienne Westwood

I was six years old when I got my first pair.  It was first grade, and I couldn't see the chalk board from my seat in Mrs. Coats' classroom, and that's how we knew.  My mother took me to Dr. Stoltzer, where I was diagnosed with "progressive myopia."  Because of the "progressive" part of that, my vision worsened quickly - for several years I had to get a stronger prescription every six months.  It finally leveled out, and for the past 20 years, my prescription has changed very little.

I wear contacts most of the time, but would be lost without my glasses.  My glasses are the last thing I take off at night after I get into bed, and the first thing I grab each morning as I rise.  My distance vision is extremely poor, and there is no way I could function without something - contacts and glasses - to help.  In the past year, my near vision has begun to decline as well, forcing me into reading glasses.  While I might complain from time to time about all of the inconvenience of relying on vision correction, I am thankful for the aid it provides.

The first eyeglasses were made in Italy in 1286.  So I wonder, what did people who lived before then do?  I thought about all of this yesterday, when my left earpiece on my glasses broke, and I also realized I'm down to my last pair of contacts.  The thought of being myopic without the ability to correct it is troubling to me!

But have you ever looked up "myopia" in a dictionary?  While the first definition relates to the eye, it is also defined as "lack of foresight or discernment; narrow-mindedness; intolerance."  With my eye condition of myopia, only those things very close to me are discernible; everything at a distance is a blur.  And I'm thankful this can be corrected easily.  But I need to examine my heart, and make sure that I don't have myopia there.  Is that as troubling to me as the thought of physical myopia?  It should be more so!

In our young ladies' Bible class, we've been talking about this very thing - hypocrisy.  That's what it really is to have heart myopia.  Proverbs 4:23 says, "Above all else, guard your heart, for everything you do flows from it."

I am thankful for my contact lenses, and my glasses (and my Mr. Fix-it Husband who can repair them when they break), so that I don't have to go through my days physically myopic.  But I'm much more thankful for my Heavenly Father, who loves me enough to give me His Word to help guide my heart in a way that I don't have to be spiritually myopic.

So from now on as I reach for my glasses each morning, thankful for the clear vision they provide, I hope that simple act will remind me to live a genuine life that day, filled with God's wisdom, free from pretense and intolerance - free from heart myopia.

First pair of glasses - first grade