Giving thanks in 2015

So as I always seem to end up doing, I've left quite a large gap of time that I would try to fill in, but I just don't want to bother. I do kind of like telling the story of what has happened with a little bit of distance between when it happened and the telling... I can more accurately figure out how I feel about it in retrospect, but at a certain point, I just give up with trying to record it at all.

Therefore. This will be a lot of pictures I want to share. And a couple bits of thoughts I have had.

On my drive to Fairview for Thanksgiving, I was post-drome migraine. I put One Direction and Justin Bieber (new albums) on repeat and tried to learn words. It just reminded me a lot of driving up north last January as Grandma was passing away. I had been listening to a new One Direction album then, and there was a similar cold feeling in the air. This, being my first wintry drive since then, had a reminiscent quality. Nearly every time I made that drive last January, I would see an owl in the same spot between Luzerne and Mio. So on this drive, I asked God if I could please see one.
I asked for an owl, and He gave me two hawks and the most unexpected, gorgeous sunset. What we want and what we need or are given don't always line up. But you know, I was really thankful for those beautiful blessings; reminders of our Creator.


Not knowing if I would be able to be with the family for Thanksgiving for the couple of days leading up to the holiday was awful. I was in pain with migraine. I was under stress from work. I was hurting emotionally. And I was not dealing with it very well. BUT GOD knew where I needed to be. And when I needed to be there.
In the right timing, I arrived home and spent wonderful days with the people I love so very much. Such a full heart. An aching heart, yes. But full because I am grateful that I have had so many dear things and people in my life. (I'm thinking of Grandma Druber and Germaine right now.) This trip was full of blessings and rich moments for me. I just recognize God knowing me so intimately and knowing what is going on in His world so well, and I want to give Him glory for knowing perfectly.
I'd also like to shoutout my sister. Courtney is one of my very favourite people in the world, and I am so insanely thankful that she is in my life. I feel SO lucky that I get to be her sister and friend. She is just such a beautiful person, and I love that she is a becoming person. The older we get, the closer we get; I just feel so privileged to be growing up with such a lovely, grace-filled person like Court.






We all know one of my big challenges of life is learning how to deal with/express my emotions. Thanksgiving was a giant emotion supercharged time which I am probably still working out. The holidays, I know, can be a very sad time. But I refuse to indulge in sadness. I am a JOY-bringer, and this season is the ultimate reminder celebration of HOPE. And Christians are the HOPE-filled, JOY-givers who are going into all corners of the world sharing the Gospel of PEACE. So that's what I am going to do. Wherever I am, I will be a representative of a life changed by JOY.

"Great indeed, we confess, is the mystery of godliness: He was manifested in the flesh, vindicated by the Spirit, seen by angels, proclaimed among the nations, believed on in the world, taken up in glory." -- 1 Timothy 3:16