Thanksgiving

Well ladies, I'm back at it! For many weeks, so many have asked if I BLOG. My answer was...  I will.  I did... and I will again. I use to blog... often. I love sharing with other women what God is doing in my life, in our lives. We've always been very transparent, an 'open book'. When I sit in the company of other women...other mentors, I treasure their transparency. Not to reveal or to expose them, but because I desire to learn. Whether it be from others successes, failures or accomplishments, I want to learn from their experiences. I desire to be challenged. To spurred on, not only in my faith but with my family, as a wife, and as a leader. I've grown most not by those who are the most polished, but by those who are most transparent. Today was a day so simple, and yet so profound. I wrestled with 'IF' I should share our day with you, because I desire to receive eternal rewards more than earthy glory. I believe my heart is pure in sharing this, it's not out of boasting but out of how God can speak in the little things IF we lay down what we're doing, in order to hear Him. How He CAN and WILL use anyone, anyone willing. 

 Early this morning Jamie, went out bird hunting. We had arranged with my brother and sisters to go to a local apple orchard with all the children midmorning when he was back. It's been a family tradition for years. There's a train, a sandpit and a fantastic little shop. Rumour had it they were charging an admission this year. $5.50/per person and that's not including apples. 
My sisters and I were texting back and forth... should we go, or shouldn't we?! 

I had snuck away for my quiet time while Jamie was hunting, still a few hours before we were to leave. The older children were sleeping and the littles were playing quietly around the house. I have been reading through the account of Joseph in Genesis. Man, it's such a powerful account in history! Instantly when I was done I grabbed my phone. It was about that time....you know... the time that I should be checking over twitter, fb or Instagram to see what everyone's been up to. I felt convicted.  I'd prayed... I'd read...but I hadn't listened.  I put the phone down. I asked the Lord to show me something,  He did. He showed me things deep within me... that's when I heard it, saw it, felt it. Instantly, "Commercialism" came to me. We were going to pay over $70 to go make a memory, the same memory we've made for the last 18 years. It's been a consumer mentality. We've received MUCH. Fun, apples, fudge, cider, animals, pumpkins and more fudge!! Now, please don't get me wrong. I LOVE the whole idea of "Apple World", but I believe the Lord was showing me something different today, for me, for us, for our family. I was trying to justify the cost because I'd felt we were ripping our children off if we didn't go. After all, this is what we did! This is what we've done, and yet..I didn't feel completely at peace. Everyone goes! Everyone posts pictures! Everyone makes this memory.... every fall! I have pictures of our oldest when she was 1, 2, 3....she's now 17... you get the picture! Every year we have photos of us all posing with apples and pumpkins. 
We've been there, we've done that.... 
God was trying to speak, trying to do a new thing, in me, in us, in our family.

 He gave me a plan. I text my sister and called my brother. "Yep, we're in...let's do it!" They said. The meeting place had changed. No longer were we meeting at 'Apple World', but in our kitchen. My brother, sisters and 9 children gathered (5 of them 4 and under.) and we started cooking, baking, chopping, bagging, and prepping. The Lord had called us to the streets in our city. To serve the poor on THIS Thanksgiving! We made a few crock pots full of chili and ham. We individually bagged crackers, burnt cupcakes to the point of no return, made Rice Krispy Squares...whatever we had on hand we tried to put to use. The children helped, they played, they snacked, and they watched. Then we ALL went to the streets. Our friend met us there with her daughter. They had bought a massive bag of buns for Thanksgiving yesterday and they didn't get used. She'd just stated to her husband that morning... "What are we going to do with all these buns!"... God had a plan! We set up on the main street across from the Methadone Clinic. Jamie and Joel walked the streets looking here and there for those needing a hot meal. The children served napkins, cutlery, clapped when someone came, chimed in with 'God Bless You, Happy Thanksgiving!' to each person who came. Jase pronounced ' We have more customers, with eager excitement as the poor, the sick, the addicts came'. God was doing something..something in me, in us, in our family... He was showing us what THANKSGIVING is all about. It's about "Living Thanks", as Jamie preached about on Sunday morning.

 The lame came, the deaf came, the poor came, the bound came. We touched them, they touched us. We then moved locations looking for more people to bless THIS Thanksgiving. Again we were blessed by a new group of people that WE could celebrate a quick Thanksgiving meal with. We ran out of food... but we were still able to feed, to bless and to minister to many. 
Some were prayed with. Some were not. 
Some were merely given a small hot meal on the go... so simple. ---- 

I'm thankful. 
I'm thankful that God is always speaking. 
He's always calling.
He's always ministering...
Today what we were called to do was simple.
It wasn't flashy. 
It was free. We grabbed what we had on hand and used it to bring Glory to God! 
We can all do that. 
We can all Go. 
We can all minister.
We can all be the LIGHT to someone, somewhere. 
We have to be willing.
It may not be the streets.. but it will be somewhere. 
We have to be willing to let go of the old and grab onto the new. 
We have to be willing to the the little ones...even if it's inconvenient.
I 'd felt to share this to encourage you, to encourage others. 
Sometimes we wait for the 'perfect moment'. 
For the children to be at a certain age. 
To have more than enough finances.
For someone to set up a big outreach. 
While God.... is just waiting ....for US to GO.... 
So this year, we don't have pictures in the 'Apple Orchard'... but we're okay with that. 

We still had an incredible dinner prepared by my Mom and Dad, in the company of my Grandparents, siblings, children and nieces and nephews. 

4 Generations, serving one God. Priceless.

 


We still had time for 'Bocce Ball'

 

 And 'Gourd Baseball'

And most of all, I had time to hear from the Lord...because I heeded to His whisper. I pray you all had a fabulous Thanksgiving too. So many ways, so many things to give thanks for! 



Prov. 19:17 When you help the poor you are lending to the Lord--and he pays wonderful interest on your loan! 

 Prov. 22:9 Happy is the generous man, the one who feeds the poor.