Thanksgiving

No, not the holiday where we eat turkey, stuffing & rolls. I`m talking about the act of thanksgiving. This has been a very hard thing for me to handle lately. I have not been thankful to God for all He does for me & my husband. First, is Kentucky.....I very strongly dislike it. I`m a true Florida girl, I love to be outside in the sunshine. Well this was okay during the summer but now the winter is here. Snow & cold, ugh. Second, is missing my family & friends. We are only here a year (2 & a half months left!) so I didn`t really get out there & meet anyone. I knew I would be leaving so what was the point. Plus, I`m not outgoing, it's okay, I know I`m not : ) So I have been lonely for my "girl" time & "family" time. I miss talks & dinner with my friends , Starbucks on Fridays with my sisters & Mom, Sunday dinner at my parents, the list could go on & on. Matt & I are ready to get back & be able to hang out with everyone again! Third, is being pregnant, I know that sounds weird. I`m very happy I AM  pregnant! But it is the BEING pregnant I complain a lot about. It is always, "I feel sick" or "my back hurts" or "I feel fat" and so on.

I had mentioned earlier that I am doing a new devotional book called, "Becoming More Than a Good Bible Study Girl" by Lysa Terkeurst. A good friend of mine had recommended it to me & I`m glad she did. It is great! I was in Chapter 11 yesterday, "How Jesus Helps Me Get My Groove Back". Lysa talked about a mission trip she went on to Ecuador, where she met a women of 5 kids, who lived in a cave as there home. She asked the women, "What can I pray for you?" Thinking the women would say, "A change of our circumstance", the women replied, "Pray for my husband to come to know Jesus and for him to have work. And pray for me to continue to have the strength I need to serve my family." She didn`t want to change the way her life was, she just wanted God's help to strengthen her in her circumstance. At the end of the chapter Lysa says,

Whether we are a women in Ecuador guiding a donkey up a mountain or a women in America driving carpools and running errands, may the fixed routine of our life be praise, thanksgiving and overflowing evidence of the presence of Jesus. Is this easy? No ma'am. Will we be challenged to slip back into letting the fixed routine of our life be grumbling and complaining? Possibly. So, let's make sure we intentionally verbalize our thanksgiving to God every day. Remember, thankfulness breeds thankfulness. The more we practice it, the more we'll live thanksgiving out loud. And the more we live it out loud, the more thanksgiving will become the natural groove our hearts.



Why is it so hard for us just to be happy in the right now. Why do we always have to find something to complain about? I know I do, ask my husband haha. So after I read this chapter I sat there & prayed to God. To help me to be happy in my circumstances, not to change them. First, Kentucky, I should be happy my husband has a job and it that means something. A job that puts a roof over our heads & feeds us. As much as I do not like the snow, it can be pretty. I mean God created snow so it can`t be THAT bad, right?! Kentucky will always hold a place in my heart because this is where Matt & I first lived together as a married couple. As much as I miss home, this is part of God's plan & I have to remember that. Which leads into my second thing, missing my family & friends. We really do not have that much time left here in Kentucky. Also I am going home 2 times before we go back. This is something I am VERY thankful for! It was a surprise, but I`m (just me no Matt, he can`t take off work anymore) flying out Thursday to surprise my sister for her baby shower next weekend. My mother set it all up, but accidentally spilled the beans last night to her. So now I can actually talk about it! Then we fly out on March 3 for a wedding Matt is in AND for his own Mother's wedding. I think this will quench my thirst for being back home : ) Third, me being pregnant. I know once I see my little man I will know that all the aches, pains & weight gains were SOOOOO worth it. Becoming a mother is a beautiful thing God intended & I should remember that.

So be honest with yourself, what do you complain about? Think about those things & pray to God to give you the strength. God put us in my lives for a reason, & we got to try to remember that. It will be hard, but like Lysa says, "Thanksgiving breeds thanksgiving". The more we make an effort the easier it will be.