Happy Thanksgiving 2015

I’m not sure what sort of year you’ve had so far. For me 2015 hasn’t been the best, but the fact that I am still here is something I celebrate daily.

I began this year in the hospital having sudden, serious emergency surgery and I didn’t fully recover and get back to some semblance of normalcy until the end of May. My 89-year old dad died very suddenly and unexpectedly the beginning of October and so we have been dealing with all that goes with that emotionally, spiritually, financially and physically. (By the way the family picture is the last one I have with my dad from last year.) The suddenness of his passing also highlighted for me the importance of sharing your faith boldly and making sure you are walking the talk.

Certainly there are things I wish would’ve been very different. But we have to deal with reality, not life as we wish it to be. I am grateful I was able to recover and God used the experience to teach me so many valuable lessons that I wouldn’t have learned any other way. He brought good from what looked like a very bad situation.

While I miss my dad very much and always will, I am so very grateful I had him for 61 years of my life. I am grateful he didn’t die in a hospital or bedridden and was able to fully live his life right up to his very last day, in his own home, just the way he wanted to.

So my message this week is simple – no matter how it looks, I am determined to trust God to bring good from it and I am choosing to intentionally be grateful for each day – regardless of the “gifts” it holds and how they may look to me.

I wish you and your family a truly blessed Thanksgiving. I am very grateful that you take time out of what I know is a busy day to read what I have to share and I hope you will continue to do so.

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