Wrapping up one year and entering into the next brings with it mixed feelings. Years marked by pain or transition can’t end fast enough, while sweet seasons beg to be savored until the drop of the ball at midnight on December 31st. No matter the way one year ends and another starts, I have found it helpful (even therapeutic) to make time to reflect on the last twelve months and then dream about what I hope the coming days will hold.
Are you struggling to have an attitude of gratitude with all the day’s activities ahead? The “stuff” of life sure can eclipse God’s blessings for all of us. So much to do, so many people to deal with and a huge meal to prepare…yikes! Here’s a little lesson on being grateful that God taught me a long time ago.
Imagine with me. It’s the holiday season and you’ve decided to make it extra special for your family and friends. You take time to consider a unique and personal Christmas gift for each one. You make a detailed list, asking for suggestions, brainstorming ideas and wandering through your favorite stores.
Autumn is falling upon Oklahoma, my friends. Our state experiences perhaps a two-week stint of Fall before Winter comes crashing in with it’s cutting wind and biting cold (maybe not that violently, but it comes, nonetheless). But, oh, how that brief season of Fall boasts. From Van Gogh shaming sunrises to Jane Austen-esque mist over our ponds and lakes. Our neighborhood trees are engulfed in a flame of red and orange leaves as our grass browns like a churned lake bed.
“Why are you always so bossy?” I remember exactly what we were working on in middle school science class when someone asked me that question. I immediately shut down and no longer participated in class that day. I had never wanted to be seen as bossy. I just wanted to get our group project done in an organized way.
