On Thanks giving and Advent

I am sitting on my couch in my home

after a nights rest in my bed

the right amount of blankets in my flannel jammies

and the temp just like I like it.

Lil G is playing in her room with her toys

after eating her cereal in a zip top bag

while watching 2 Sesame Streets

and two cups of juice

(while I sipped my coffee, read my Bible, then checked blog land)

after sleeping in her bed with her soft sheets and just right blanket

new birthday doll tucked in beside her.

(Imagine:

adorable photo here)

As I savor it all

the Thankful or FULL-of-thanks

for the routine

no more yelling "NOOO!"

because it all felt so wrong.

she was able to do it

(whereas I could not)

the deep yearning for it to all be right

even in the wrong.

How being without

makes us full-of-thanks for what is.

Changes in perspective,hearing just the right words to remind me

that even though none.of.this.is what I expected,

no matter what the yearning deep in my soul

for all to be made right.

It just wont be,

not on this side of heaven.

not the trips we plan

and "happily ever afters" we are promised (by media and society)

because there will be forgotten cameras

and expectations that go unmet

(and ones that cannot be met)

and we are all human

no matter how much we love the Lord

or claim the cause of Christ......

our humanness continually reminding us of the need for grace.

leading into Advent.....

hope.

That is what the Prophets were begging for- Isiah 64:9

They were begging God to fix it

"dont you see whats going on all around us?"

(sickness, joblessness, orphans, disease,strife)

"Please come. Come fix it!"

They actually gave voice to it.

Yet, when he came it wasnt how they thought it would look

If Im not walking around with the correct perspective I just might miss it

I might be looking at all thats wrong

and not focusing on God-in-it-all.

(Imagine:

Isnt this the CUTEST

birthday photo EVER!!!!)

I am full of thanks

family that understands-

that makes a home- made birthday cake

"just so"

hearing the "happy birthday song"

echoing off the walls

while lil G embraced the moment

and did her best to even sing along

unabashedly- because it was hers

and kept on trying to blow the candles out.

Each of us, internally wanting to help......

big brothers with fierce love hoping the next try would do it.

Family that could enjoy the grace filled moments

until it overflowed....

perspective,

that I could hear her unspoken words through the screamed "NOO!"

(I was telling her about presents while she was eating her cake.)

She was happily eating,screaming no, and signing cake.

That night in bed it clicked.(it takes me awhile)

Maybe she was saying"let me savor the moment. "

"Stop talking about presents!"

This is the moment to savor the cake.

The cake with the rainbow.

that was made with me in mind.

I can eat it all by myself

and let it take as long as I need to savor each crumb.

not looking towards what is next.

savoring the now.

(One more time

Imagine this photo really

bringing tears to your eyes

cuz Lil G is just so adorable!)

Thanksgiving and Advent(the four weeks leading up to Christmas)

being thankful,

because in being human

it is all grace

given

and received.

Under His wings,

Anna

(maybe, just maybe tomorrow we will have some great cell phone pics

to go with another incredible post! wink wink)