Giving Thanks -- Day 2

Today I am thankful for my parents!

I have awesome parents and I got to talk to them today so they are on my mind.

First of all, I'm really blessed to have both of my parents still with me and the thought of losing them crosses my mind occasionally. My maternal grandma passed about six years ago (wow.. can't believe it's been that long) and seeing my mom go through it gave me hope because of her faith, but it also broke my heart to hear her talk about all the memories and the pain of losing a mom. Anyway, my folks are alive and together and I wish I'd appreciated them more and earlier!

My dad is a pastor and we have the greatest theological conversations. He seems like the strong silent type but he's crazy hilarious when he gets in his silly mood -- and I wish I had the ability to pull off the serious thing. He also has the faith of a saint and I can only aspire to the strength of his spirit.

My mom is my best friend. We had a rough high school period, and I often think about how much time I wasted with her. She has so much wisdom and I could have been benefiting from it much earlier in life! She is funny and sassy but has a precious quiet spirit that I wish I had.

Together they model a marriage that I hope for! They are incessantly forgiving and, even though they are completely different, they complement one another beautifully. What shining examples of faith meeting life -- I am indeed grateful for these precious folks I get to call mom and dad!
 

Giving Thanks -- Day 1

 Attitude of gratitude right?

Today I am thankful for country music! (I know, the first day is supposed to be salvation. But I didn't want to be cliche. And the CMAs are on.)

I LOVE country music. I love Brad Paisley. I LOVE Blake and Miranda. I love Johnny Cash. I love Zac Brown. I love Eric Church. I love Carrie Underwood (I know). I adore Faith Hill. I do not love Taylor Swift (you see how I did that?). I could go on and on -- I think almost all my favorite songs are country songs. I love beer, guns, floating the river and being inappropriate all in good fun. I love the country life. (And yes, this San Francisco girl knows something about living in the country! If they are burning leaves in the "town limits" you're in the country lol.) I love everything about it!!

And I am thankful that there are still somewhat wholesome forms of entertainment out there that aren't as empty as Rhianna or as vulgar as, say, Lil Wayne (there are probably more modern examples but those are the ones I have heard of lol). Thank you Lord. Thank you for these guitar playin', boot wearin', gun totin', America lovin', Jesus praisin' country guys and gals who don't care what highfalutin people think of their down home country ways.
 
Yes. Yes. Praise the Lord for COUNTRY MUSIC!!

giving thanks!

first, i hope everyone had a happy veterans day holiday!  i had to work, actually, but the Sarge and carin's hubby josh took the kds and had a free meal at applebee's, where i got the unexpected news that the food didn't suck.  i have NEVER known applebee's to be good.  ...well, they didn't say GOOD, but not horrible.  while they were gone, carin and i decided that we are going to do thanksgiving together!  we have so much food planned already, even the six of us probably can't eat it all!  but it's exciting none the less.  you should go by her blog and say hello, all because two people fell in love.

we brought in the stray cat, for those of you who remember my earlier post.  he is a great cat, but i think i'm allergic so we're going to have to call base animal control if we don't find someone to take him by tomorrow (sunday).  that makes me really sad!  i posted about him on our local website, but only one person responded and she backed out today.  gah.  we feed him twice a day and the Sarge is starting to get attached to him.  never good.  but in addition to being allergic, i also know that if we keep him, the Sarge will start to get irritated by him (especially if he does things the Sarge doesn't like...)

he has a little tassel on the end of his tail... does anyone know what kind of cat that makes him?  he doesn't have any other distinctive traits really.  we do think he's young though, because he is really playful.

the Sarge got out of bed to feed him today and came back saying, "i know what it feels like to be hungry... but i can make my own food.  poor little guy."  and it made me think, we are really blessed.  we get all funny looking in the pantry at shelves full of food and saying "there's nothing to eat!"  or racks full of clothes with "nothing to wear."

we are wealthy... maybe not by america's ridiculously exorbitant standards, but we really are. i am thankful for what i have.  think before you speak today...  

how unsatisfied have you become with your wealth?