Thankful

What a great Thanksgiving weekend!  I think I ate all there was to eat.  I swore I would never eat again after all of the delicious calories I consumed this weekend but that vow usually doesn't last.

This was Max's first Thanksgiving so we had so much to be thankful for this year.  He really kicked it up a notch on his walking skills this weekend.  He was EVERYWHERE!  People keep telling me that once he starts walking I better have my running shoes on to keep up with him.  Somehow though, I think it's easier to keep up with him.  He's not really into anything (yet) but just wants to walk around and explore.  I was worried he might destroy my aunt's Christmas tree but he never even acknowledged it was there (so this means we may be able to have a Christmas tree after all!).  It's so funny to watch his little legs take him wherever he wants to go.  He's still a little wobbly, but getting more confident by the minute as he is now able to bend down and pick something up without falling.  It's crazy to me how he learns so quickly.  One day he can't do something and the very next day, he's a professional.  Blows my mind.

Back to Thanksgiving.  I enjoyed seeing Facebook posts throughout the month of November about what people were thankful for.  It's nice to see such gratitude from so many people.  I saw some pretty insightful posts and some pretty shallow ones as well, but that's okay.  I just wonder how many of these people who posted every day in November will continue to show their gratitude and thankfulness throughout the year.  Thanksgiving is a wonderful holiday and a great time to reflect on those things that we are thankful for, but why should we only do it one month of the year?

The Bible says we should be thankful in everything we do:

Be thankful in all circumstances, for this is God’s will for you who belong to Christ Jesus

1 Thessalonians 5:18

It also says we should praise and give thanks at all times:

Through Him, therefore, let us contantly and at all times offer up to God a sacrifice of praise, which is the fruit of the lips that thankfully acknowledge and confess and glorify his name.  Hebrews 13:15

I'm not saying everybody should have a Facebook post every day of the year listing something they're thankful for, but it's important that we give credit where credit is due.  Jesus died for us so that we wouldn't have to go through a lot of the garbage we often find ourselves in.  That's a pretty significant sacrifice.  If our only sacrifice is to continually say "thank you God," I think we may have gotten the better end of the deal.  

I hope your Thanksgiving was wonderfully blessed.  And I hope the rest of your year is too :) 

Happy Halloween :)

I'm late on this one too but who cares.  Nobody reads this but me anway! 

Max just experienced his first Halloween.  I will be the first to tell you that I hate Halloween and everything that comes along with it.  But...I loved seeing Max in his monkey costume!!!  He was such a cutie pie!

And here he is handing out candy at our church's Trunk or Treat.  He didn't actually hand it out, but it looks like he is in this picture.  I love this boy more and more everyday!!



Happy Veteran's Day!

So I'm a little late on this post, but this is honestly the first chance I've had to post anything since I started this blog.  But I think every day should be dedicated to our Veterans so I'm officially declaring this day as Veteran's Day too :)

I recently had the wonderful opportunity to visit Arlington National Cemetery.  All I can say is:  WOW!  I knew there were a lot of soldiers and war heroes buried there, but I had no idea the impact it would have on me.  It was such a humbling experience to stand there and look at rows and rows of tombstones marking the graves of over 300,000 soldiers.  Especially moving was the Changing of the Guard at the Tomb of the Unknowns.  It was so formal and carried out with such respect.  It broke my heart to think of those soldiers who gave their lives without any individual dedication.  And it broke my heart for the families of those soldiers as well, not knowing the fate of their fallen loved ones.  It was a lot to take in knowing that all these brave men and women died so I could live in a country where I'm free to worship an awesome God; free to work; free to love; free to live. 

So to all of you veterans out there, past, present, and future, I could never write, say, or do anything to show you how grateful and appreciative I am to you.  All I can say is this:  Thank you for your selflessness.  Thank you for your dedication to our great nation.  And thank you for our freedom.