Thankful Thursday

O, that my life may also be branded with such thankfulness...

I know we've just gone through the season of thankfulness, what with Thanksgiving and all, but as a Christ-follower, I feel admonished to give thanks in all things (Eph. 5:20, Phil 4:6). Some days when dinner's burning, kids are fighting, deadlines are looming, laundry needs washing, bills need paying, errands need running, and I need rest, that sense of thankfulness is difficult to summon. Today is not one of those days, and the thankfulness I feel overwhelms me.

"Let your roots grow down into him,
and let your lives be built on him.
Then your faith will grow strong
in the truth you were taught,
and you will overflow with thankfulness."
Colossians 2:7

A few things I'm thankful for today:

I'm thankful I have a husband who laughs at me at the most appropriate times. One thing I loved about James from the start is that he had a great sense of humor and a real appreciation for my sense of humor. I'm the first to admit that the things that tickle my funny bone are generally somewhat offbeat. I'm really into slapstick, I love Lucy, stupid jokes make me laugh for days. The other day, I was goofing around, and James was laughing in a genuine way. I couldn't help but appreciate the fact that after nearly a decade together, we still crack each other up.

I'm thankful I feel so thankful on a Thursday (as opposed to any other day of the week), which provides such lovely alliteration for my blog title. Thankful Thursday, as opposed to Thankful Saturday. Though an equal sense of thankfulness, it doesn't roll off the tongue quite as nicely. (Yes, I am a that odd.)

I'm thankful my little boy finally decided he might like to come visit me on his vacation when he's a grown up. Bub is in this stage where he doesn't ever want to be married and he wants to leave Texas as soon as he grows up. Though I support whatever decision he ultimately makes for his life, it's hard to not take his desire to hit the road personally -- particularly when he's so young, and so vocal about those plans. Yesterday, though, he mentioned he might like to live a little closer to me than the other side of the planet (as he previously decided, once he realized the other side of the moon was not open for habitation), and he might come visit me on his vacations (if we can go to the movies).

I'm thankful my semester is over and I'm actually taking a break. I picked up some movies at Blockbuster. I've picked out some recipes to begin baking Christmas treats. I'm planning to scrapbook and do some crafts with the kids. I may even make a Christmas jumper for Gracie and my niece from a pattern I've had for two years.

I'm thankful for my family. I'm very thankful for my husband and children, but I'm also thankful my extended family, as well. We're going to my brother-in-law's house on Saturday for an early Christmas. James' family is so thoughtful, kind, and generous, and I'm looking forward to spending time with them again.

Then, my family comes to stay with us at Christmas, and I cannot wait! I cannot remember the last actual Christmas I was together with all of my siblings. (We sometimes get together before Christmas, or not). This year is going to be fun! Though I'm a grown up and I'm the one hosting, knowing they're all coming makes me feel like a kid again. I've already stocked up on Cream Cheese in anticipation of their arrival.

I can't help but remember my sister sewing Barbie clothes for me (which, by the way, are in Gracie's Barbie box), us four singing Christmas Carols by the tree, Cabbage Patch Kids and little Pianos, Oranges and uncrackable nuts in our stockings, Whitman's Samplers without fail, and the year Dad finally wised up and just started doling out cash. At present, my family is all suffering in the Midwest ice and snow storms, so I'm dreaming of a more sludgy brown Christmas with clear roads for travel. Fingers crossed for my Christmas wish!