To Be Thankful...

Thanksgiving!!!

I love Thanksgiving!!!

Partly because it falls during my FAVORITE time of year...
The leaves are changing into beautiful hues of reds and oranges...
The air is intoxicated by the scent of warm fires and burning leaves...
It's a time of shedding and renewal...
It's a time to reflect in gratitude for the blessings in our lives.
(And of course ... I must mention ... FOOTBALL is in full swing!!)

I look back at where we were last year and I am so encouraged by the journey that God has taken our family!! I am so thankful that God, though appearing silent and not present at times, was ever so present and working "behind the scenes" to bring our family to where we are today!! It's a journey that I didn't enjoy and didn't embrace, but looking back, I am thankful for each step that He carried us through.

The strength that we as a family now possess will always be a reminder, should we enter any other seasons of challenge, that even when our earthly eyes cannot see the presence of God, He is in fact with us and most certainly working around us. I have learned to be thankful for the silence of God. It has strengthened my faith. It has made me realize that I don't always have to know what He is doing, I just have to trust that He IS doing.

This year, my heart is with those of you who find yourselves in a season of challenge or change...loss or loneliness. For those of you who are struggling to find those things in which to be thankful for. I know it isn't easy and words can seem void of true compassion. I just want to send loving encouragement out to you to hold true to the course. Keep your eyes focused on God and trust that He is with you and that He is working among you to bring you through your season to a new "spring". God never promised us that life would be easy...but He HAS promised that He will be with us, guide us, and provide for us as we stay in the shelter of His presence.

I truly wish you a HAPPY THANKSGIVING and a season of peace and joy! Know that I sit here in prayer for you that He will reveal even a small ray of His light, if not illuminate your path, as a reminder that He is with you always!!!

In His Grip,
In His Grace!