Doubly Thankful

This year, we’re privileged to spend the American Thanksgiving with my sister’s family. I think it’s appropriate that we have two Thanksgivings this year, because we are doubly thankful.

We have seen so many blessings this year, it would be hard to even count them, but let me try:

• we are finally talking about real dates for heading back to China, and our life-in-limbo is almost at an end
• I just signed with Trestle Press for the publication of my first novel, After the Snow Falls

These are huge things, but there are many “smaller” blessings I don’t want to forget:

• our health. We have all been kept healthy, and the issues I was experiencing which evidently caused our miscarriages are finally getting resolved.
• We have survived a financially lean season, and have seen repeatedly God’s abundant provision.
• We have been experienced a lot of travel and seen a lot of the U.S. and Canada over the last year, have learned a lot along the way, and have had many fascinating educational experiences to share with our children.
• We have made many new friends along the way, and have had the opportunity to strengthen friendships with old ones.
• Our kids have been able to spend time with their grandparents.

Getting our kids to join us in having a thankful heart can sometimes be a challenge. I really like this Overflowing Gratitude Box.  I think it would be a great way to use up scrapbooking supplies that are collecting dust in “our” closet at my parents’ place and encouraging thankful hearts in the process.

It’s cliche, but thankfulness really is a state of mind. Even in the midst of some of the hardest moments we’ve faced in the last year, we would be ungrateful not to recognize God’s goodness.

I hope, regardless of whether there’s a Thanksgiving holiday where you are, that you find plenty to be thankful for.