A Thankful month ending in Advent

 If there is one thing that I have learned over the last couple of weeks, it is VERY HARD to get old!  I never gave my mom credit for going along with all of our shenanigans when she would come to visit.  These last couple of days have been so much fun, but also so tiring!  Yesterday, after the dust of Thanksgiving and the Black Friday shopping, and our family Thanksgiving  had settled, I decided to bring Christmas to my house.  By the time I was done, I was tired and felt every bit of my 68 years old.   It was worth it all, however, to share Thanksgiving with my family.

Our celebration began at my house, with Gwen and Tim and the kids coming over on Thanksgiving morning.  We ate OUR traditional Lasagna, had lots of snacks and watched the Macy's parade.  We followed that up with the Dog Show that always follows the parade.  Gwen, Lia and I went out for a bit of shopping at the only store open on Thanksgiving day.  Tim managed to complete a list of jobs that I had prepared with things that I just couldn't handle, around the house.  So I am especially thankful today for cleaned out gutters, new filters in many places, shelves that stay put, cabinet doors that close properly and a much better insulated attic!  Tim managed to accomplish all of this while we were out shopping. This "sleepover" at Grandma's house has become a tradition, and the kids really love it.  Gwen and I got up at 5:30 to begin our Black Friday shopping.  We have had some wild experiences over the last years, but this year was strange by NOT being busy!  In fact the second store we visited we were literally the only customers in the store - 45 minutes AFTER they opened!  Lia joined us for the second part of our shopping, and was able to find a great deal on a much needed winter coat. It was a successful, much less busy and rushed Black Friday for us this year.

We arrived at Doug and Susie's house around noon for our traditional Thanksgiving dinner.  Doug smoked a turkey and we had all the sides! 

It's a bit of a tight squeeze around their table, but we still all fit - with Jimmy in his high chair!  The kids had a wonderful time running and playing.  The weather cooperated and it was in the 50's so the kids spent some time outside.  Having a toddler and a puppy running around kept us all busy.  It seemed that someone was always following closely behind either a puppy or a toddler, trying to prevent trouble!  All in all, it was super fun.  I loved that Gwen reminded us that Ken always wanted to go around the table and tell what we were thankful about.  There was very little hesitation from the kids.  They each could quickly add their thanksgivings.  It certainly made my heart so happy!  

We finished the night with pie and ice cream.  So much fun and so many great memories being made.  

Today we enter into Advent,  This has always been my favorite church-year season.  I love the anticipation, the waiting and the celebrating the approach of Christmas.  I don't have an advent wreath anymore, but when Gwen and Doug were at home, we always lit the candles.  As a matter of fact, if you ask them about our advent wreath, I am sure you will hear the story of how I almost burned down our house on Christmas Day with our Advent wreath!  Our television cabinet had a burn mark for as long as we had it!  Today in church we sang Light of the World by Lauren Daigle.  The song ends with the phrase "O come, O come, Emmanuel".    I love that we began Advent with this call for Jesus to come!  Advent is a time to find quiet and calm in a season of worldly hustle and bustle.  It is a time of reflection, of longing and seeking to keep Jesus in the forefront of Christmas.  

As I was putting up my tree yesterday, and setting up my nativity, I was overwhelmed with thankfulness for this season.  I feel especially grateful for our freedom to celebrate Christmas.  Many around the world are not so fortunate.  Each of the small (and sometimes big) traditions in our families are important and help us stay connected to each other and are a bridge between the past and the future.  As I was hanging a favorite ornament on my tree, I paused and thought about the past generations who had held that very ornament in their hands, as it was placed on a tree.  I am, at the least, the 6th generation to place that glass star on a tree in preparation for Christmas.  It arrived in the United States with my great grandparents in 1870 from Germany.  We know that they had received it from their parents tree and my mother was told of the importance of this star.  I remember my mom loving hanging this star every year.  It has been a treasure to me since she gifted it to me in 2010.  It is hard to believe that this is at least 152 years old and most likely even older than that! It is a connection for me to my ancestors and to Christmas' past.

Everything about Advent connects us to events that happened somewhere around 2022 years ago.  Advent is a great time to stop and consider this amazing story of God's great love for us that he sent his Son to restore our relationship with him.  It is a story worth remembering and retelling.  As we walk through these next weeks, resist the temptation to rush and get frazzled.  Take some quiet moments each day to sit and reflect on the meaning of this season.  Be still and seek Jesus.  O come, o come, Emmanuel!

Jesus, thank you for placing us in families.  Give us grace and peace as we celebrate with traditions from the past.  Holy Spirit, help us to stay grounded this season and to avoid being drawn into busyness and anxiety.  Thank you for being the light of the world, Jesus!  Help us to share your light with our dark world.  Amen

A hope filled future....because of Jesus

 It seems very strange to be talking about hope on this particular day.  Eight years ago today, I couldn't imagine a future filled with hope.  Our family was in the midst of a great tragedy, the death of a ten day old baby.  Even now, eight years later, my heart remembers the pain and the asking "why" questions that had no answers.  But Jesus.  Ten days ago, on Lucas' eighth birthday, our family remembered him together. It was an incredibly beautiful, sunny and warm day. The fall colors were amazing.  I found myself filled with love and even joy as we watched the falling leaves standing at the grave of Lucas Jacob Rowley. 

Seeing Doug and Susie with Grace and James, is the true testimony of "But Jesus".  For this family to survive and grow and shine with love, after this catastrophic loss is a picture of a hope filled future.  It hasn't always been easy, but knowing that Jesus has overcome death and the grave, gives us the courage and boldness to walk on into the future.  A future of remembering Lucas, knowing we will see him again one day, because of Jesus.  

This past week I attended my first ever writing conference.  While it was not easy or comfortable, it was very good.  It brought clarity to me and confirmed for me the Spiritual call I have to share my story.  I realized that this particular blog title could be a subtitle to my book!  Every generation on my family tree as far back as my great-great grandparents, lived a hope-filled life in spite of impossible and often terrible situations.  But Jesus.  After the first few sessions of this conference, I was ready to throw in the towel and stop even thinking about spending more time writing.  But, thankfully, I hung on till the end of the event.  One of the last speakers reminded us all of the Spiritual call that had brought us to even begin to think about writing our stories.  It was a reminder that the world needs our hope-filled words.  

Just before that conference, I received an unexpected comment on an older blog.  It was an anonymous comment that included the words "you should consider writing a devotional".  During those hard sessions at the conference, those words helped me hang on to hope that I was actually a writer.  That comment reminded me that I write because of Jesus.  Yes, it is a hope filled future.  There is so much ahead with Jesus.

Thank you for all that you show us each day, Jesus.  Holy Spirit, comfort all who mourn and grieve. Fill us with the love, joy and hope that we have because of Jesus.  Give us courage to walk in hard places and grace and peace to work through tough situations.  Help us love others when things are hard.  Thank you for holding us close when we don't understand.  Amen