We have had a great week and have had reasons to be thankful. Jim is home for 5 nights! He feels like he is actually getting a break. We had 27 plates set for Thanksgiving dinner and all traveled here and back safely (with only one adventure on a 2 track road that wasn't even on the map)! It was good to cook a large turkey (23 lbs) and not have to think about how it was going to fit into the oven.
We have had snow on the ground for about 90% of this month. I think we are in for a hard winter, but we are slowly getting prepared. I say slowly because it has been hard getting the kids to understand that when it is 17 F outside, you must wear hats and coats! They will go out with only a sweatshirt and complain that they are cold! I have no sympathy at that point (and do not give up my hat and coat).
We are so thankful for the beauty around us and the provisions from God. It is almost too easy living here (I shouldn't say that too loud). The biggest trial I think so far is when the water trough for the horses froze over. But, I even had a water heater buried in the barn. So, I stuck that in there and within a day, the ice was gone.
We are thankful that Trevor is home for the break. He had this whole week off and it is great to see him. It is even better to see how excited he is (if you know Trevor, this is not jumping up and down excited, but brings a grin to his face) about his major which is Computer Networking and Systems Administration. He says that school is so far not a big challenge, but we are hoping that next term will bring at least a little stress (what is your first year at school without stress)? He heads back tomorrow for 3 more weeks. The temperatures and the snow fall up there are extreme even now. He says that when Lake Superior freezes over the snow should just about stop, but the temperatures will plummet. I am sending him with a hat and scarf!
We have a new pastor at our church and are very thankful for that. It was a 2 year process to find the right person and family, but they are here now. He was talking last week about the great commission to love one another. We are told to love our neighbors as ourselves, but this is sometimes not easy. And, who are our neighbors? I know here in Michigan, many people think of their neighbors as the people they can see here (on their street, in their communities). When I read the book The Hole in Our Gospel by Richard Stearns, I realized that our neighbors are not just the ones around us but around the world. If a child or baby that was sick or hungry was put on your doorstep, would you feed her and take her to the doctor? Of course you would. There are so many people around the world that live from day to day not knowing if they will have something to eat or drink or a decent place to sleep. But, how do we love them? It is not an easy question. We are not all called to go. Praying for them is one thing. Getting to know organizations like Bethany Kids or World Orphans or Oasis for Orphans or Care of Creation is another way. Once you get to know what they do and why, you can be better able to contribute. And this is not all about money. They all need people to spread the word and just be involved with them. Having support here in the states is really a blessing to all of them. But, it takes some effort to be involved with someone who is literally a world away. We here tend to take the easy path and just not look. That way, we can claim ignorance is bliss (which it is many times - especially when there is some kind of bug in something you just ate)! But, it is not what God called us to do. Sometimes life here is just too easy. Maybe we need to do more of the hard things and challenge ourselves to reach out and get involved with something that may not be the easy path!
I finished all of the upstairs with painting and baseboard trim this past week and got our bathroom done. I am getting pretty good at coping joints! I will be on to the rooms downstairs this week that have white trim. The real challenge will come when I have to do the wood trim (oak or ?) and stain it. Right now with the white, I am able to use caulk and spackle (spackle is my new best friend)! But, when I do the living room, the trim will be stained wood and that will bring the real challenge. Hopefully before I get there, I will get really good at coping joints!
Here are a few more pictures. Have a great week and think about who is your neighbor!
Timothy and Tiger (Tiger seems not very interested in lov'in)!
Jim makes a pretty good turkey!
In His Hands,
Jullie T
PS - I also heard a bird here last week while I was running in the early morning - am very thankful for that!
