Thanksliving

Loving Myself To Life

It's Thanksgiving week! One of my favorite weeks of the year. Here in N CA the weather is finally cool and the rains have started. The leaves were brilliantly colored last week: with the last rain many of them fell from the trees. The fireplace feels just right in the evenings now, and I'm making plans for our family celebration of Thanksgiving this Thursday.

And in the midst of it all, I find I need to remind myself often to be kind to me. I had some big goals for my life that I made back in January: I didn't call them 'resolutions' as I knew I likely wasn't resolute enough to really make most of them happen! 

Looking back over that New Year 2012 list, it's easy to track which ones I've done well on, which are at least started and which ones, well, I totally forgot about until now when I found said list. I choose to be thankful that I've seen progress in as many areas as I have.

Can you guess which one of those goals is the furthest from being met? (A clue is my previous post.) I need frequent reminders that the vessel has no right to say to the Potter, 'Why have You made me like this?' (Romans 9:20)

So tonight I am making a choice to love myself to life by making a conscious decision to give thanks to God for all the victories and successes of the year: to declare my 'Thanksliving' list.

I am so, so thankful for:

* A family that loves one another and lives to love God well

* Better health than I've enjoyed for the past 8 years

* The ability to take care of my home and family; to take walks and see and enjoy the beauty of nature

* Getting to live my dreams, in writing books and help people know how much God loves them

* Friends who make me laugh and help me have fun

* A warm house. Heat. Electricity. Warm running water.

* More than enough of almost everything. Its amazing to me that I can take so much to the Goodwill Store year after year and still have more than I need.

You get the idea! And I know you could make such a list, as well. Yours might look different than mine as far as the details, but I feel sure you have much to put on a Thanksliving list. For this week - one moment and one day at a time - please join me in choosing to take my eyes off of what I haven't seen happen this year, and give thanks for all that has.

Add a note here to let me know what you're thankful for, will you? Together, we'll celebrate Loving Ourselves To Life!

Thanks Giving = Thanks Living.