the end of my giving thanks adventure

it's been a great time of reflecting and learning to be content. i've seen God's blessings in my life is small & big ways. it's amazing what you can see when you take the time daily to be thankful for the blessings in life. but the biggest lesson i found through it was the contentedness i found in my life. it took out the longing for more. the desire to fill my life with what i don't have & think i need. what a place of peace my heart has found.

now i realize i didn't get all my daily lists of things i was thankful for up here on the blog, but i do have them. and the general theme was His amazing provision...in food, health, and timing. i'm still in awe! but most of all, i'm thankful this month of sickness & health issues is OVER...time to move on along to health & wholeness!!

i am now ready to ring in the advent season! what a season of excitement & anticipation. it's no wonder the consumer world has jumped on board. although, with our moving out of the condo just days before Christmas and the fact that the majority of the boys toys have been packed away for most of the year, we won't really be buying much this year. we'll have the joy of rediscovery of toys that have been 'hidden'. they'll get a few small things for the drive in the car and some from grandparents. but what im most excited about is preparing my home & hearts of my family in the anticipation of the arrival of our King.

i'll post our activities tomorrow, but here's what i'm hoping to accomplish...to teach them how to relate and be in the world, but not of the world. aka know Jesus is the reason for the season, but also not burst some kid's santa believing bubble. 

• i want my boys to know that our anticipation is for the birth of our Messiah, not just the packages under the tree.
• i want them to know the Christmas story, not just Rudolph the red-nosed reindeer.
• i want them to know the scripture that tells the prophecy & birth of Jesus.
• i want them to know the angles,wise men & shepards are & not just elves.
• i want them to know that Jesus is real and Santa is the storybook character. 
• i want to build memories & traditions for them. 

and most importantly, i get that all of these things will be works in progress over their lifetime, but ya gotta start sometime. so why not now?!

hoping to get my advent activities post finished for tomorrow. so come back tomorrow and i'll do my best to inspire you.



edit** also super thankful for my cousin's brand new baby GIRL! she's the first granddaughter after 10 boys between she & her siblings!!! now that is a celebration folks!