Thanksgiving Thoughts

My random Thanksgiving thoughts........ about thankfulness and abundance.

Thankfulness
I'm thankful for my childrens' laughter. There's nothing like hearing my 3 kids laugh so hard that they're almost crying!

I'm thankful for our fireplace. Love, love, love snuggling the fam by the fire with hot cocoa.

I really am in love with my flat iron right now. Do you understand how amazing it is to make a curly head of hair shiny and straight??

I'm thankful for disposable diapers. Obviously.

And for children's Benadryl. That stuff can really knock a kid out. (ooops, did I say that?)

I'm thankful for mascara. And I'm sure my friends and neighbors are thankful that I use it.

I'm thankful for God's love, and forgivness.

I'm thankful that I can go to the grocery store, buy more food than we need, and even have enough to splurge on Starbucks while I browse the aisles. I know that's completely incomprehensible to much of the world.

And I'm thankful that God gives us opportunities to use what He's given us to help others. And I'm not just being sappy cuz it's Thanksgiving. Really, truly..... I know that I don't even comprehend the extent of what I have.

Take for example, what most of us think of as "problems."

Here are some of my recent problems:
I don't have enough cupboard space, or room in my pantry.
The fridge is full of old food.
The laundry is piling up.
I want more closet space.
I can't stand sorting through all the kids clothes each season.
There is no room in the attic to store all the off-season clothing for 5 people.
The toy room is always a mess.
I want to lose ___ pounds.
What in the world am I going to buy everyone for Christmas?

I'm seeing some similarities here.......

ABUNDANCE.

So many of our so called problems stem from the fact that we have SO MUCH. We can't keep a clean house because we have so much stuff. Too much laundry to do, because we have so many clothes. It's hard to take off the weight, because we can eat all we want. We have enough financial resources to buy so many gifts that we can't figure out what to buy.

And yet people all over the world live on such meager amounts as $600 a year. If they are fortunate enough to have a home, they most certainly aren't worried about having so much "stuff" that they can't fit it all. They worry about providing just one meal a day to their family, not about the willpower to stop eating so much. They worry about having something to wear, not about finding the time to weed through closets and donate to Goodwill.

My point is this: God has blessed us so much that I think we don't realize much of the time what we really have. I want to have a thankful heart. I am blessed beyond measure.

Souper Saturday

My friend Janel has cool blog, and she has started "Souper Saturdays." She even has a really cool button and logo to go with the name.

But I'm technically challenged, and couldn't figure out how to copy her button and post it on my site. Sigh.

ANYway, I'm playing along, and posting a soup recipe here.

You will LOVE IT. Go make it. Now!

And take a look at Janel's blog........ over here..... http://www.dandeliondayz.com/

Have a Souper Saturday!

Maryland Crab-Sweet Corn Chowder
1 1/2 cups frozen whole kernel corn
1 medium onion, finely chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 tsp oil
1 14oz can chicken broth
1 cup whipping cream
1/4 tsp salt
1/8 tsp white pepper
1 cup peeled and finely chopped potato
1/4 cup finely chopped bell pepper, any color
6 oz fresh or frozen cooked crabmeat
fresh parsley (optional)
red sweet bell popper strips (optional)

In a saucepan, cook half of the corn, the onion and garlic in hot cooking oil till onion is tender but not brown. Carefully add chicken broth. Bring to boiling, reduce heat and simmer uncovered for 10 min.
Stir in whipping cream, salt and pepper. Simmer uncovered for 10 min. remove from heat and cool slightly.
Pour the cooled mixture into a blender container. Cover and blend till smooth. Return to same saucepan, keep warm.
Meanwhile, in small covered saucepan, cook remaining corn and potato in boiling salter water for 2 minutes. Add chopped sweet pepper. Cover and cook about 1 minute more or till tender.
Drain.
Stir the drained veggies into the soup. Add the fresh or frozen crabmeat, heat through.
If desired, garnish each serving with parsley and red pepper strips.
Makes 4 1/2 cups.
259 calories per serving.
Enjoy!

Manners

Emma is done with Cotillion for the year, and we all thought it was fabulous! SO, here are my thoughts.......

Let me just say right off the bat that Cotillion should be mandatory, at several different points of life.

I'm SERIOUS!!!

First, at Emma's age. The girls must wear dresses, and white gloves. (of course, I could take or leave the gloves. The Queen herself doesn't even wear them anymore, does she??) What girl doesn't love seeing herself all dressed up?

The boys have to wear suits and ties. How refreshing to see those grubby little hooligans dressed up for once!
Just kidding........ mostly........

After the elementary/middle school age, it should be required again in High School. Enough said about that.

Next step: During pre-marital counseling.

Then again 10 years into marriage.

Call me CRAZY......

but my guess is most people could sure use it by then. Remind men to escort a lady into a room, offer her a chair, get her refreshments......
How to make polite conversation, that does NOT include burping the alphabet......
NOT FART AT THE TABLE.......

Or remind the ladies that is really is ok to put on a dress once in a while, even though you're usually covered in spit-up.....
That being twirled around the room will still make you feel like a princess........

I was a proud Mamma two weeks ago during Emma's last class. She was gorgeous in her new dress and gloves. She was excited, and confident, and glowing on the dance floor. Seeing her dance with Daddy at the end was precious. She's a lovely young lady with a beautiful heart.

I'll post pictures soon!


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In Christ Alone

There has been so much stuff written about the election I almost can't stand it anymore.

Really, there is nothing new under the sun that hasn't been said already, on either side of the political fence.

So I'll just say my little piece and be done with it.

NO PRESIDENT is going to be the one that changes our country. Yes, I was disappointed at the election outcome. However, there is nothing magical about either John McCain or Barack Obama. Truly, there is not.

I know there are millions of people who really think, in their heart of hearts, that Obama will bring about change that they so desperately desire. They are placing their hope and trust in this man.

And see, that's the problem. He is just a man.

Not that there is anything wrong with being excited or hopeful about a leader. I fully believe that since God has allowed Barack Obama to take the position of president, that we should support him, and pray for him. I hope that great things happen in our country.

But instead of placing hope in Obama, I hope that the people of our country will choose to turn to God, to seek His face, and to put their ultimate trust in Christ alone.

Instead of "Yes We Can," let it be "Yes God Can."

The lyrics to this song say it perfectly:

In Christ Alone
In Christ alone will I glory
Though I could pride myself in battles won
For I’ve been blessed beyond measure
And by His strength alone I’ll overcome
Oh, I could stop and count successes like diamonds in my hands
But those trophies could not equal to the grace by which I stand

In Christ alone
I place my trust
And find my glory in the power of the cross
In every victory
Let it be said of me
My source of strength
My source of hope
Is Christ alone

In Christ alone do I glory
For only by His grace I am redeemed
For only His tender mercy
Could reach beyond my weakness to my need
And now I seek no greater honor
in just to know Him more
And to count my gains but losses to the glory of my Lord

In Christ Alone
I place my trust
And find my glory in the power of the cross
In every victory
Let it be said of me
My source of strength
My source of hope
Is Christ Alone.

AMEN.

It's OVER!!!

After 9 months of planning, the What Not to Wear conference is OVER!!!

I guess I'll post more about it later, but here are a few quick thoughts...

1) Shari and Patti are great, and so much fun!
2) My phone has stopped ringing with calls for last minute tickets.
3) I can now sleep without waking up at 1am, thinking of things I need to do.
4) God is so awesome. (which is really the number one point...)

After nine months of planning, and ups and downs, and frustrations, He worked it out perfectly. I know that every women that He wanted to be there, was there. There were just enough seats. Just enough food. Hundreds of happy women.

We had a lot of guests, from all walks of life. Shari shared her personal testimony at the end of the program. What a story! It's such a blessing to everyone who hears it. My favorite part that all of the guests heard was that every woman is beautiful, and exactly how God created her.

Finally, I want to say how blessed I was by planning this event. Yes, it was very tough. And there were so many obstacles. But the prayers that were poured out by all the beautiful women I know flowed freely, both for the event and for me and my family. It was like getting a hug from God every time someone would call or send a note. I know that God wanted this event to happen. And being a part of that was amazing. Because we have an amazing God.