A Thankful Heart

I adore Thanksgiving! It is my all-time favorite holiday. All the food, family, cooking and napping is just terrific. I host my extended family at my home each year. The numbers vary with as many as 35 to as few as 10. I just keep setting up little holes for people. There is always room somewhere. I can always eat sitting on my bathroom counter if I have too! To me, Thanksgiving is a very spiritual time. I always like to ask my family to really look inside and see what they have to be truly thankful for in their own lives. My husband cringes at this idea and asks me not to make anyone say these things aloud before we eat. I do comply...stubbornly. In my own heart I am thankful for the usual things we have in this blessed (it still is) country. Clean water, food, health, shelter, heat, air conditioning, clothes, jobs, cars, electricity and gadgets aplenty. When I look at the whole world and the way things are for most I tear up every time. I am so blessed by my Heavenly Father. I have a husband who lovingly does provide for his family. A job that allows me to touch the lives of many people on a daily basis. A church full of caring believers that have wonderful outreaches. Friends a phone call away when I need anything. Thank you, LORD for all these things. This country has so much in abundance it staggers my mind. I really don't understand how we can complain at all about anything. The access to everything is everywhere in this nation. No matter how poor some are there is always access. For this, Heavenly Father, I thank you. I just pray that we as a nation turn our eyes upon You and hearts towards the things You would have for us as your people.

Bless Us All!

Cindy

The Banquet

For the past 11 years our ladies at church have held a "Hospitality Banquet". This is a huge ministry outreach where ladies hostess a table and invite 7 other ladies they know to the dinner. The idea is to invite unsaved, hurting and Christian women in need of refreshment and refocus. It is always, Praise The Lord, a success. Each year we have had the Holy Spirit move and renew, restore and heal broken hearts and lives. Tremendous outreach. This year was no different. I host 2 tables each night and I invite coworkers, friends and family. I am fortunate to have a large network of family and friends. Some have come for all 11 years. There are some family members whom I have invited for all these years that the message never seems to reach through to them. It just breaks my heart. They are always so glad to come for the nice dinner and to see all the pretty tables that each hostess sets to her own taste and resources. Each table is always breathtaking to me. But, these family members of mine always leave with a hug and a quick exit. The discouragement is so heavy while I clean up tables and sweep away trash. I cannot tell you how many tears I have shed over this issue. The speakers have always delivered the gospel message. Some years it is so clear to the guests it may as well be a flashing neon sign,"Get Jesus Now"!!! This year in particular was hard. My precious neice was saved. She is 16 and has had a difficult life to say the least. But hardly any of the family stayed behind to hug her and love on her. Just me, her mother, grandmother and my own two girls. Her sister and four others just left. These five are such a concern for me. I have come to the point I do not want to ever ask them again. I know that is the plan of the enemy. To block the gospel from their ears but their complaints just never end. The evening is too long, it is too dark, I liked last years' speaker better, that is not my kind of music...blah, blah, blah! I love this event tremendously. It always starts my holiday season off to a better attitude and focus. I just wish that it had that effect on every lady who comes. I truly do not mean to sound so discouraged and disheartend. Great things of God were accomplished. Two hindu women and a Jehovah witness accepted Christ. Plus some others were saved and many, many rededications. I saw lots of broken women lay their cares, worries and fears into the hands of Jesus. We are not doing the banquet next year. We are celebrating our church's 50th anniversary and have many events planned. Gives me an extra year to plan, pray and plant. With my family I need the time!!!

Bless Y'all
Cindy

Road Trip!

Hey Y'all!

Today is Veteran's Day. My dad is an Army Veteran and so this is a special day for me and my family. I am truly in deep thanks for all these men and women who serve this (still) great land. I also think this holiday comes in a fantastic month for thanks. Thanksgiving is my favorite holiday, ever. Now on to our theme. I am going down to Raleigh, NC today to see my youngest daughter Megan at school. I miss her too much and cannot wait another week and a half to hug her neck. Also, she is taking me to a mall I have never been before. Imagine that? I have a built in malldar and can find my way to a mall just about on my own every time. We are going to do some Christmas looking and such so I will keep you posted my faithful 3 readers! One thing though, you 3 readers could leave me a comment now and then. It would do so much for my confidence and self-esteem!

Bless Y'all

Cindy