A Season of Thanksgiving

Well, it has certainly been a while since I wrote with any regularity here at Love Living Simply.  Life has been everything but simple for me over the past couple of months, and as much as I’ve missed blogging, I just have not had time to string together a sensible sentence, much less a blog post.  Life is good, life is (too) busy, life is beginning to resemble the vision that my husband and I have shared and prayed for, that at times we thought might never happen; but simple it is not.  My husband is now the pastor of a church here in Texas.  We are among friends and family.   We’ve served in this community before and have remained in close contact with the church, helping out with various things over the years.  We moved back to this semi-suburban/not-really-rural-anymore community at the end of September.  It is a good place to be.  We are beyond thrilled at the opportunity God has given us to serve alongside dear friends and reach out to a community that has had our hearts for many years.  Though some days I really do have to wonder about it all...

After a month of crazy moving madness and diving head first into ministry, I am very ready put the words of Thoreau in action- “Simplify, simplify!”  It is time to slow down and make life as simple as it can be in this season of change.

 I’ve had to make some adjustments- our community is 20 miles from the nearest grocery store (if you don’t count the Family Dollar store just down the road- which I don’t- though it is a blessing when you run out of milk or toilet paper!), as it is the library, restaurant, or shopping center of any kind.  Having lived within 2 miles of them all for a couple of years, I’m having to rethink my planning and pantry stocking skills that had sadly fallen by the wayside.  There are great advantages to living here however- such as my wonderful across the road neighbors who give me fresh eggs almost every week!   We also have more breathing room- a large fenced in yard, no more noisy too-close-for-comfort neighbors  disturbing our sleep; though we do have night time visitors- foxes, raccoons, armadillos, deer, and even a bobcat once!  They are shy and for the most part quiet.  The bobcat wasn’t quiet, and it was a bit too close for comfort, sitting right outside the back fence ‘screaming’ at me!  Thankfully, it seems to have moved on to greener pastures (I really think it was hoping for a guinea pig dinner that night.)  

As we move into the holiday season, and I think about Thanksgiving- I have much to give thanks for: 
a loving husband, 
precious children, 
wonderful extended family and friends, 
meaningful ministry ... all gifts from an amazing, generous God, whose lovingkindness and great Love bring great Joy to my soul.  This season, I am singing with the psalmist-

Praise the Lord.

Give thanks to the LORD, for He is good;

His love endures forever.  Psalm 106:1

I’m also working on a simple project that I hope to post a photo of soon- a tree of Thanksgiving.  Over the next few weeks our church family will add leaves to the tree, each having something they are thankful for written on them.  I hope to have a tree filled with beautiful leaves telling the story of our Lord’s great faithfulness and the many blessings He has bestowed on us, giving all the glory to Him who alone is worthy of praise, honor, and glory.

 

Not to us, O LORD, not to us

but to your name be the glory,

because of your love and faithfulness.  Psalm 115:1

What are you most thankful for this season?