Thanksgiving Eve

Thanksgiving is tomorrow and instead of composing thoughts I decided to share something that I wrote last November. I hope you enjoy your time here today. Anyone hungry? Complete Thanksgiving dinner is in the kitchen, enjoy whatever strikes your fancy…oh, don’t forget to check out all the desserts too! All I ask is that you please clean up after you leave. I’m spending the next couple days to regroup and reconnect with my family. Hugs to all of you. . .my dear special friends!!


Twelve Minutes

My son mentioned to me just the other day that the average teenager spends twelve minutes per day in the presence of their parents. Not necessarily in conversation, just WITH them! I am so thankful that my children aren’t average. I have two in college and the phone calls with the oldest usually consists of questions involving cooking ie. How long to fry a hamburg, the shelf life of a potato and “how much will my electric bill go up since I forgot to turn off the oven nearly 3 hours ago?”. Since he is in his first apartment there are loads of new things to discuss. The middle child, my outgoing one, is so excited about being in college. She can talk endlessly about anything! That is a good thing. I also sense a faint, “I think I miss mom”, of course I would never ask and she probably would never admit it. Then I have the baby of the family. Conversation is like pulling teeth! Funny thing: He was the one with the twelve minute statistic! We put a driving permit in his wallet and his body behind a steering wheel and guess what? He talks!! He makes sense!! If he argues, he turns over the wheel and is stuck in the passenger seat. How horrible. My new driver asked if we could go “cruising” the other night. We did, I had fun. We “cruised” to various places. He said he had fun too.

I have many regrets that I didn’t connect with Christ while my children were still young, but I have made a promise to myself and more importantly to God “from this day forward…” It doesn’t matter that they are 20, 18 and 15 years old; they know that I love Christ. I am thankful for that. I am able to admit to my children mistakes that I have made. I am thankful for that. I am able to hug my children and feel them hug me in return. Thank You Jesus for that!

If you are unhappy with you relationship with your children, examine your relationship with your Father, your heavenly Father. If you are unhappy with your relationship with your heavenly Father, then you need to examine yourself in a spiritual manner. One of our purposes in this life is to be close to what is important to us. The bond between Christ and me as well as the bond between my family and me are the most important things in my life. I am very thankful for these relationships. I am thankful to Nathan, my 20 year old, for piercing through my hard exterior before I met Christ and finding that I was warm and tender inside. I am thankful to Sara, my 18 year old, for taking the chance and finding out that “YES” her mom and step-dad DID change. I am thankful to Luke, my 15 year old, for riding it out through the tough years and being strong in his faith.

I am thankful that Christ entrusted these three children to me.

Regarding today: Parents, how did you spend your twelve minutes?

Something to think about. . . Have patience with all things, but chiefly have patience withyourself. Do not lose courage in considering your ownimperfections but instantly set about remedying them -- everyday begin the task anew. -- Francois de Sales

God is looking for those with whom He can do the impossible--what a pity that we plan only the things that we can do byourselves. -- A. W. Tozer

To my dear friends….have a wonderful Thanksgiving, squeeze the ones you love; a be patient and understanding to the ones you don’t! Remember why you’re all eating together and if you’re alone please find someone less fortunate then you and hang with them for a few hours. You’ll feel better afterwards!

Oh guess what? Jeff makes a great turkey and baked ham and pies and he did all the shopping and everything!

Woooo to JEFF!!!

Hugs, Happiness and Harmony…..***holds her breath as she dives into this weekend***

Julie L. Rose
snlrose@hotmail.com