HAPPY THANKSGIVING

It is hard to believe that today is Thanksgiving. We are in school today, there are no grand festivities planned, no black Friday shopping flyers and life moves on as normal. However, that does not make us any less thankful for where we are or what we are doing.

God has blessed us so much in the last year.
There have been so many changes.
-selling a home and 15 years of accumulated stuff
-leaving behind family and friends
-living out of suitcases for what seemed like months on end
-packing all we own into 12 suitcases and moving overseas
-leaving behind "normal" for the "unknown"
-learning a new language
-adjusting to apartment living and city life
-re-learning to drive a stick-shift and then driving in Europe
-the loss of Chick-fil-a, Sonic, Cracker Barrel, Krispy Kreme good mexican food, and so much more

All of this things have been adjustments but what lessons and blessings have come from them.
-learning that possessions are just things and we can really function (and thrive) with much fewer "things"
-even though family and friends mean so much, HE IS EVERYTHING WE NEED!
-the love, support, and encouragement of family and friends is priceless!
-I really can learn a new language at my age!
-the "unknown" is only unknown to me, HE knows it all and is there through every step
-(nothing really compares to a Chick-fil-a and a Sonic limeade with a Krispy Kreme for dessert:)

Blessings to you all. Enjoy the song of Thanks below and be thankful for the freedom we have in HIM!

Christmas With a Capital "C"

This is a great Christmas song by the group Go Fish. Enjoy!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IAckfn8yiAQ

The Simple Woman's Daybook

For Today... November 17, 2009

Outside my window... the sun is finally shining again!

I am thankful for... the wonderful morning spent exploring Lisbon with friends, old and new.

I am thinking …of how fortunate I am to live in such wonderful place.

From the kitchen…I found sweet potatoes in the market this week and just had a baked sweet potato with butter and brown sugar. Yum!

I am wearing...a nice warm sweater. It was a bit chilly today.

I am reading…Colossians

I am hoping...to get the kitchen clean today.

I am praying... for new friends and more opportunities to share life with them.

On my mind …planning Thanksgiving dinner for neighbors.

Around the house... the boys finally have bookshelves and their rooms look more lived in now.

One of my favorite things... downtown Lisbon. I spent all morning there.

Pondering these words …“The longer I live, the more I realize the impact of attitude on life. Attitude to me is more important than facts. It is more important than the past, than education, than money, than circumstances, than failures, than success, than what other people think, say or do. It is more important than appearance, gift, or skill. It will make or break a company…a church…a home. The remarkable thing is we have a choice every day regarding the attitude we will embrace for that day. We cannot change our past… The only thing we can do is play on the string we have, and that is our attitude. I am convinced that life is 10% what happens to me and 90% how I react to it. And so it is with you… we are in charge of our attitudes.”- Charles Swindoll

Glorious Morning

I have been a bit under-the-weather the last few days (it's just a good old fashion cold), but as I bundled up this morning to watch the sunrise, this is waht I saw....




"Have you commanded the morning since your days began, and caused the dawn to know its place, Job 38:12