Take 5 with Kathy - "Pause to give thanks..."

These last three weeks have been so busy that as I sit and write tonight I’m feeling very drained and weary. I seriously need some “down time” when I can just be quiet and reflective. Last night my niece and I were watching a DVD movie and had to pause it several times because of various interruptions. Another evening I was trying to watch my favourite hockey team on my computer, which had been hooked up to the TV, but there were so many pauses in the transmission it became too frustrating to watch. Two other days, we had annoying five-minute pauses when our phone line went dead after hanging up and it disrupted our home alarm system (it’s fixed now). Pauses are not always positive - no pun intended.

As I was running a few errands today and looking for a few more items I needed for Thanksgiving dinner, it seemed not many were pausing to reflect on the meaning of this holiday weekend. Traffic was unusually busy, line-ups were long, customers were impatient, children were whiny and their parents were grumpy, one woman hastily pushed in front of my grocery cart and glanced back at me as though I was the one cutting her off! In one store, I looked down an entire aisle where nothing but ghoulish, horrific-looking Hallowe’en masks and other accessories stared back at me. I could hardly find one item in that store that had anything to do with the spirit of Thanksgiving Day.

So, I want to take a few minutes and pause to think of some things I am truly thankful for:

Ø  Above all, I’m thankful for the relationship I have with my loving Lord and Saviour, Jesus Christ

Ø  I’m  thankful for my loving family who will be joining around our table to celebrate together this Monday

Ø  I’m thankful for the meaningful time I enjoyed yesterday with my niece whom I hadn’t seen in almost four years

Ø  I’m thankful for the 26 years of marriage my husband and I will celebrate this week

Ø  I’m thankful I live in a country that respects the rights and freedoms of its citizens

Ø  I’m thankful for my friends who support and encourage me

Ø  I’m thankful for the neighborhood in which we live and our wonderful neighbors

The lake in our neighborhood

Ø  I’m thankful for the comfort of our home which God has graciously provided

Ø  I’m thankful for my improving health over the past few months

Ø  I’m thankful that my son and daughter-in-law are living close by

Ø  I’m thankful that my parents just celebrated 60 years of marriage

Ø  I’m thankful for the fulfillment and joy that God has restored in my life

Ø  I’m thankful for this beautiful season with the colourful leaves and cool, crisp mornings

Ø  I’m thankful for the gorgeous sunny and warm weather we enjoyed today after three days of rain, strong winds, and frosty temperatures

Ø  I’m thankful for the abundance of food that fills our cupboards and refrigerator

These are just a few of the things I am so grateful for.

Psalm 95:2 - “Let us come before him with thanksgiving and extol him with music and song.”

Until next Sunday,

Kathy

Joining:

Seasonal Sunday
Fabulous Fall Link Party