Thankful

As I sit her finishing my warm mug of green tea, I have a lot to be thankful for. Over the last year, God has been showing me beauty in his world, in corners I might not have thought to look before. I am thankful beyond measure for what he has been teaching me.

I have a beautiful home, warm and comfortable.
Setting up and unpacking are finally coming together. After we moved in, we got the rooms we live in unpacked- the kitchen, living room, and bedroom- and then the motivation to clean, organize, and put things away stalled. Finally, this week and today, the final rooms (the TV/game room & the office) are looking livable, and I'm excited. There are few boxes left to open. Now, we just have a whole bunch of cardboard boxes to get rid of. Any takers before I Freecycle them?

House tour to come. Pictures of a few rooms are finally uploaded.

I an surrounded by beautiful people- a loving family, wonderful friends.
We spent the day with my parents and sister, and had a delightful time visiting with them. I contributed to the meal with green bean casserole, my apple-pear pie, and the remnants of the pumpkin pie made last weekend. My mom fixed everything else, and all was delicious. We watched part of the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade, then (on my insistence!) the annual dog show highlights. I was so excited when the Australian shepherd, the current breed at the top of my list for our eventual puppy addition to our family, won Best in Show. It was gorgeous and bright-eyed, and made me want one even more. But more on that later.

But, more on my family. Everyone is so wonderful and supportive. Even relatives from afar have sent gifts to help us get started at our new home! (Can anyone who I haven't told directly guess what this contraption is? It's from my aunt.) Family who are closer have been so helpful in getting things set up and looking "homey".

The friends we've made over the last year have been such a blessing. A couple from our former apartment complex, who were also friends of mine from high school, have been so eager to spend time with us and good about keeping in touch and getting us out of the house to be social. Friends from work I've enjoyed both having over to my home and visiting in theirs. I enjoyed getting to know Josh's friends from high school last weekend even more. They had such interesting stories and views- and were so much fun! (By the way, pictures from the rehearsal & rehearsal dinner they were involved in are finally posted. I'm learning that uploading pictures on dial-up is not a quick process. Right Beth?)

I am part of a beautiful faith community
When people ask what's the best thing about being married (which is a pretty common question for newlyweds), I say that it's getting to "do life" and spend lots of time with my best friend, who I'm madly in love with. But if they ask what the best thing we've done since getting married is, I don't hesitate, and say it has been getting involved in our small group bible study. This "community group" has really taught me what "community" is and means. I am so blessed to be a part of a group of 4 other families who genuinely care for each other- whether it means providing meals for weeks after a new baby arrives or taking care of a pet during a crisis or helping with moves between houses or praying for each other and knowing what's going on in each other's lives- I've witnessed and been a part of all of this, and am so thankful I've gotten the opportunity to be. Now that our house is set up and child-proofed (for the most part...), we'll get to have this group over on Monday! Hooray!

I have a beautiful marriage.
God has blessed me like crazy with Josh. I fall more in love with him every day. In the course of this move, I haven't been feeling that well, and he's cared for me and done so much work to get the house set up, all so joyfully and with a servant's heart. I am continually astounded and humbled.

Most of all, I am thankful for God's work in around, and through me, and, as I said before, all he's been teaching me. My heart almost bursts.

When I was young, I found this short psalm, and it has always been my simple Thanksgiving prayer. This is the complete chapter.

Psalm 100
A psalm. For giving thanks.
1 Shout for joy to the LORD, all the earth.

2 Worship the LORD with gladness;
come before him with joyful songs.

3 Know that the LORD is God.
It is he who made us, and we are his [a] ;
we are his people, the sheep of his pasture.

4 Enter his gates with thanksgiving
and his courts with praise;
give thanks to him and praise his name.

5 For the LORD is good and his love endures forever;
his faithfulness continues through all generations.