thanksgiving and the beginning of a new season

Here I am, sitting in a chair in my bedroom, laptop on my lap, headache lingering over me, exhaustion overtaking my limbs, swell in my throat.  I'm sick.  And tired.  And sick.

But as I have spent the last 24 hours in bed, just tossing and turning, catching bits of sleep here and there, I have had a lot of time to do, well, nothing.  In fact, my head has been hurting so badly, that it has felt as though I could not control my own thoughts.  Sigh.  But here I am, writing a blog post--two days after Thanksgiving.  I thought about writing a Thanksgiving post, my first reaction was, I feel like garbage, I can't think about being thankful right now, it hurts too badly!

I can almost feel His smile over me.   Amy, is your view so small?

I gave you hands to work.

I gave you parents that love each other.

I gave you siblings that love you.

A family to belong to.

Little brothers to make you smile.

A name that encapsulates who you are to Me, Beloved.

My perspective changes, my head throbs less and I smile.  Yes, Lord.  How did I not see it before?

I wish I had more photos from Thanksgiving, but everything got pretty busy once the family began to arrive.  What a blessing that is in and of itself--that we have family that enjoys us, that wishes to spend time with us!

So here I am, the last day of November, the first of December a mere couple of hours away.  Has the year flown by so quickly? As I look forward to this last month of 2013, December, admittedly my favorite month of the year, I grin with anticipation.  The month in which we begin the celebration of Immanuel.  God with us. 

The month that we seize the opportunity to celebrate the fact that God put on flesh to dwell among us.

To feel pain with us.

To cry with us.

To laugh with us.

To tell us stories.

To teach us about His kingdom.

To die for us.

To feel pain for us.

To cry for us.

To conquer death for us.

To give us victory.

...and His life on earth all began as a tiny cell.  A minuscule miracle of molecules, clinging to the side of a virgin's uterus. 

How beautiful is this?

My dear readers, I know that I probably rambled a little, and my brain is not on the organized side, lol!  But I ask you, is it not fitting that Thanksgiving should come a mere few days before the beginning of the season in which we remember the greatest Gift that mankind has ever received?

I gave you Jesus.

The best Gift, the most life-changing Gift, the most earth-shattering Gift began as a tiny Gift.

It was not fireworks. Not a grand procession.  Not a big surprise party.

It was silent.  Small.  Precious.  Fragile.

As we rush out of Thanksgiving, and into the month of December, I charge you--wherever you are, whatever you may be going through: you have something to be thankful for.

Jesus.

I love you, my dear readers, and I am grateful for you!

I leave you now with a few photos I snapped on my phone a couple minutes ago while cuddling one of my gifts: my precious baby brother Paul as I was yanking myself out of my sickie rut and getting the guts to write a blog post... ;-)