THANKS-GIVING: A Feast of Blessings

The idea for the title came as I prepared a special meal on Sunday to celebrate Thanksgiving...

Boiled potatoes and carrots seasoned with butter and Italian spice, home-made stuffing seasoned and fried in butter, pan-fried seasoned chicken drumsticks, and delicious apple-grape juice (the best I've ever tasted!)

I realized that besides the food - which actually DID seem like a feast to me - I also have a feast of blessings around me every day! I call it a "feast", because when I count my blessings and give praise to the Giver of these wonderful gifts, my soul is satisfied and contented in an even richer way than enjoying a table full of delicious food!!

BLESSINGS:
- Uninterrupted time spent in preparation
- Listening to Tanya singing praise songs to the Lord
- The appetizing aromas filling the kitchen
- The satisfaction of being able to sit down and enjoy a meal
- Leftovers to enjoy in the coming days
- The abundance of fresh vegetables and food available to me

I had also planned a special presentation for Monday at school ... I wanted to show my language teacher, Galina, how thankful I am for her kindness and understanding and the excellence of her teaching. Friday, Oct. 5 was Teacher Day here in Ukraine (День учителя), but I didn't know about it until I asked her why all the schoolchildren were carrying flowers that day.

When she asked me why I was giving her flowers, I told her that it was Thanksgiving Day (День благодарения) in Canada, and that I wanted to say "Thank You," which led into a discussion of why we celebrate Thanksgiving - a great way to begin my Russian lesson! I gave her a handmade card as well which I had written in Russian -- it may not have been fully correct, but I could tell that she appreciated it very much, and that was all the response I desired.

BLESSINGS:
- Sweet fragrance of flowers moistened by the rain
- The unexpectedness of a surprise
- Joy in giving a gift to someone else
- Opportunity to learn some new vocabulary and share reasons for being thankful
- The Lord's faithfulness and new mercies every day
- Bringing a smile to someone else's face

When I arrived home, I had a special gift of my own to open ... my prayer partner, Vicky, had sent along several envelopes for me to open on special days of the year, and today was the first one! It contained a letter of encouragement and a little sticky-note pad.

I was very excited -- the sweetness and personal touch was a wonderful reminder of how blessed I am to have the love of so many people in my life!

BLESSINGS:
- The suspense of expectation and the fun of opening a surprise gift
- Quiet time with the Lord, meditating on Him
- The contentment of feeling loved
- A personal letter from a special friend
- Happy tears

And then... to top it all off, I received a phone call from a missionary friend here in Kiev, inviting me to their home for a special meal so that I wouldn't have to be alone on Thanksgiving. She had also invited another missionary to join us for the meal.

PHOTO, L to R: Amy R, myself, Agarim, and Kellie Benge.

What a special time! The food was great -- and I was hungry, because we didn't eat until after 7 pm -- and the company was even better!! We enjoyed talking, laughing and just spending time together.

BLESSINGS:
- Eating with friends, and not having to prepare a meal
- Common faith and various ministry experiences
- An unexpected invitation
- Laughter and sharing with one another from our lives
- Delicious home-cooked food and rich dark chocolate for dessert

These are just a few of the many blessings... there is not enough space here to list them all! As it is expressed repeatedly and eloquently in the Psalms:

"O, give thanks to the LORD, for He is good! For His mercy endures forever."

A HAPPY HEART

Because a thankful heart is a happy heart!
I'm glad for what I have, that's an easy way to start!
For a God that really cares.

'Cause He listens to my prayers, that's why I say thanks every day!(VeggieTales, The Thankfulness Song)

This song reminds me of just how blessed I am and how much I have to be thankful for. So I've decided to share with you just a few of the blessings for which I am thankful...

My mom and dad



Sunrises and sunsets



Flowers



The gift of music



The cross

Children



Creativity



Little creatures

 

Yummy food



Friends and laughter

The list could go on...and on...and on....THANK YOU LORD FOR YOUR BLESSINGS ON ME!
I hope that this little post has caused a seed of thankfulness and happiness to grow in your heart as well.

SO THANKFUL...

There is SO much to be thankful for as I reflect on the time I spent in Ukraine...
Here are some of the faces of the kids we were privileged to meet.




God was very faithful to us as a team – we had safe travel during the entire trip, not only in getting to Ukraine, but also while we were there, and no one was seriously sick or injured. We had approximately 24 hours of actual travel there and back and crossed several time zones, as Ukraine is 7 hours ahead of Ontario.

The missionary team we worked with was great and we had a lot of fun together. In the area of Ukraine where we were, Russian is the language that is mainly spoken, so it was really interesting trying to learn a little bit of the language to communicate. Several of the Ukrainians we worked with spoke good English, so that was helpful. Some of the kids we interacted with spoke some English as well, so it was fun to help them and have them try to teach us some Russian.

It was amazing to witness the way the missionaries interact with the children and to see the immense difference that God has made there through this ministry. The first week we spent most of our time with kids and youth at a Rehab Centre, and most of these kids come from very difficult homes (abuse, crime, etc), but they were so sweet and open. It was easy to make friends with them and they were so happy to have us come, and we were privileged to share the gospel with them. The children at the camp for the #9 Orphanage (that we visited the second week) were much the same, and they just need people to be involved in their lives and show them that they are loved and cared for.

The weather was nice and warm for the most part (almost too warm for my liking), but we did have a couple of days where it rained. There were a few things to adjust to – the bathrooms, and the crowded public transit, to mention a couple – but it was a very worthwhile cultural experience.

      On our last day there, we were privileged to have a tour of the surrounding area to learn about the Mennonite history since, for several members of the team, this is where our ancestors came from.


THANK YOU, GOD, for giving me this opportunity!!

ENCOURAGEMENT & GRATITUDE

"Therefore, if you have any encouragement from being united with Christ, if any comfort from His love, if any common sharing in the Spirit, if any tenderness and compassion, then make my joy complete by being like-minded, having the same love, being one in spirit and of one mind."

PHILIPPIANS 2:1-2

This past Sunday's message was - and consequently, our small-group Bible study theme was as well - focusing on the aspect of encouraging one another in the Lord. Encouragement is so necessary and yet so often neglected in our daily lives. Just today, one of my colleagues at work was expressing to me how it would make her job so much more enjoyable and rewarding if she occasionally heard a "thank you" or a kind word about what she has been working so hard to accomplish.

The really neat thing about godly encouragement is that one doesn't need to be a "super-Christian" or extremely talented in a certain area - just the fact that we are all part of the family of Christ is reason enough to encourage one another and express our thankfulness for each other.

And when we do, it's fascinating to see how the flower of encouragement blossoms and spreads throughout many other relationships! When we recognize that we are all equally loved and valued and when we desire to build up the unity among our Christian family, just hearing what God has been doing in someone else's life and how they have been encouraged is an encouragement to us!

I had a wonderful experience of this the other day with my dear sister in Christ. She shared with me what God had been speaking to her heart and that in turn encouraged me in the situation I was in. And when we  encourage one another, it doesn't need to be about achievements or what the world would term "worthy of praise" - we should encourage one another simply because we are family.

Encouragement and gratitude go hand-in-hand. You will find that the more you practice encouraging others, the more thankful you are for what we sometimes consider "the small things," as well as the people whom you live and work with. The other day, my employer gave me a huge compliment, which naturally encouraged me, but my response was simply to say "thank you". And then I found that I was so much more eager to encourage others and thank them for their contributions - it's a circle of life-giving nourishment.

As I was meditating on this the other morning, I was inspired to write a poem:

I cannot say I've got it all together;

And I'm not always happy with the weather.

I do not always look ahead with hope -

Sometimes I just seek for the easiest way to cope.

When there seems to be no other way

To deal with the issues, I bow my head to pray.

And it's then God gently helps me to see

The blessings that are all around me.

The Word of God is full of wisdom for all the ages,

And if I heed it, it will work in me miraculous changes;

And give me opportunity to encourage my friends,

To let them know their struggles - and mine - are not the end.

True peace comes from giving my burdens to the Lord,

And a happy smile when I share a few kind words.

If I always see the bad and not the good,

I will not act in the way that I really should.

And if I will, in true humility,

Allow God to make me what I ought to be;

Then those around me will clearly see

That trusting in God brings joy and sets me free.

"May our Lord Jesus Christ Himself and God our Father, who loved us and by His grace gave us eternal encouragement and good hope, encourage your hearts and strengthen you in every good deed and word."

2 THESSALONIANS 2:16-17

CHRISTMAS MEMORIES

It was different this year not being together with my immediate family, but I had a wonderful time celebrating with my church family and some of my relatives. Sometimes change helps us to better appreciate the gifts and blessings that we do have.

CHRISTMAS EVE - Dec. 24, 2010
I was invited to a Christmas Eve dinner and some of the highlights were:

- a feast fit for a king's table (thank you, Care & Alan McNally!!)
- fellowship with friends and making new acquaintances
- sharing love for music and Christmas carols (I played piano and Tristan accompanied with violin)

- a beautiful Christmas Eve candlelight service
- fellowship and more food with friends (thank you, Dave & Gerri and Geoff & Cynthia Sutton)

CHRISTMAS DAY - Dec. 25, 2010
* After a long night's travel on the Greyhound, I arrived in Winnipeg around 8:45 am and was met by Oma (my maternal grandmother) and my Aunt Myrna. We enjoyed a relaxing brunch at Oma's house, read the Christmas story together and shared our gifts with one another.

* Phone calls with Mom & Dad and my brothers as well as another aunt and cousin in BC were treasured moments and helped me to not feel quite so far away.

* Enjoyed food, games and visiting...and then we watched Sound of Music (a Christmas tradition) - I fell asleep due to the long day.

BOXING DAY - Sunday, Dec. 26, 2010
* After breakfast, we went to church and it was a good time of reflection on the reality of the greatest gift God has ever given us - Jesus Christ.

* Lunch and more games and visiting...after awhile, my mom's Uncle Henry and Aunt Anne and Uncle Abe came over for Christmas dinner and some more fun and games. (Yes, my family loves to play games!) Surprise of surprises - I actually won the Rook game!!

MONDAY, DEC. 27, 2010
* Slept in - the first time in a long time that I was able to do that - mmmm!! Enjoyed a leisurely breakfast and then watched "The Price Is Right" together.

* After lunch, Oma, Aunt Myrna and I went bowling with one of Oma's bowling friends - we played 3 games and I had a fairly good average score of 137. Then we went out for coffee and cinnamon buns - yummy!!

* Had a short visit with my mom's aunt Kay in the nursing home where she lives (she has Huntington's disease) - she was really thankful to see us and it was a precious time.

* More games at home, we started a fun puzzle as well - after supper, we played Pictionary, Truth & Triumph and Scrabble and then had devotions together.

TUESDAY, DEC. 28, 2010
- We had an interesting time at the Greyhound bus depot - a few little delays and hitches that reminded us to trust in God to work out all the details.

- My bus trip back to Thunder Bay was uneventful, but very exhausting - arrived home at around 8:45 pm and after a hot bath, I went to bed to ensure I was rested for my return to work the next day.

Thank you, Lord, for family and for the love and fun we share together. May I never forget to thank You for the multitude of blessings You have showered upon me and for Your amazing grace that gives me strength and hope for every day and the future!