Happy Thanksgiving

I hope you all have a wonderful Thanksgiving.
(((Hugs))) The Howell Family

Random Dozen

Here is my random dozen from Linda's place:) My answers are in red.

1. Are you sticking to traditional Thanksgiving foods this year, or are you being culinary adventurous? We stick pretty close to traditions. Such as turkey, dressing, gravy, potatoes, corn, baked beans, rolls, salads, and lots of deserts. We do add in new deserts from time to time ,but pretty much that is all that changes.

2. Tell me something concrete that you're thankful for. (Something you can literally touch, see, etc., not a concept like "hope.") My whole family (Hubby,my kids, and all my relatives from birth and marriage).

3. You knew the flip side was coming: Share about something intangible that you're thankful for. That after this I have a home in Heaven awaiting for me.


4. Share one vivid Thanksgiving memory. It doesn't have to be deep or meaningful, just something that remains etched in your memory. The last Thanksgiving my brother was alive. He made it to Mom's that year before us and he was watching out the window waiting on us to get there. He loved having family times at mom's. I will always remember his smiling face when we walked up the stairs that day. I miss him more than ever this time of the year.

5. What is one thing that you know beyond a shadow of a doubt is going to happen this Thanksgiving ,because it always does, year after year? Someone will be missing and someone will be sad because they are.

6. Do your pets get any left-overs? yes,and it's soooooo gross to me. My MIL always sends every ones scraps home in a huge bucket to feed to our pet pig. Our pig loves it but it is so gross to think of all those germs.

7. Does your family pray before the big meal? If so, do you join hands while seated, stand, repeat a formal prayer or offer a spontaneous prayer? Who does the praying? We pray before all of our meals. We also give thanks over our Thanksgiving meal. Usually at Hubby's family dinner Hubby prays over the meal. At my family's dinner either Hubby or myself pray over the meal before we eat. We just all stand and bow our heads.

8. Will you be watching football in the afternoon? If not, what will you be doing? I won't be but the guys always do at my Mom's. The girl's usually set around and talk and look through the sale papers at Friday's big sales and the kids play.

9. There are two distinct camps of people on this issue: How do you feel about oysters in the dressing/stuffing?gross

10. Do you consider yourself informed about the first Thanksgiving? Yes,I am. I homeschool my children so we have heard that story almost every year. I will be reading it again to Jacob this year.

11. Which variety of pie will you be enjoying? Hmmmm...Usually the pies we have are pecan,sweet potato, or a cherry cheesecake.

12. Do you feel for the turkey?? (This is a humorous throw back question related to the 12th question in another Random Dozen!) Not really. God put them here for food. So to be eaten is kinda like their purpose for life. It's kinda like us and our purpose for life. If we never got to serve our purpose that would be like a waisted life.
I know I sound cold hearted ,but really I'm not. I would not be able to kill a turkey myself or any other animal except for maybe snakes & rats...now I could kill them without a second thought.

I am thankful...

In the last few days I've been sharing some of the things and people I am thankful for. I had mentioned in one of my posts that I am thankful for my family,but when I mentioned them I was focusing my attention on my hubby & kids ,but today I want to mention more of my family.
I am Thankful for my relatives.
I am thankful for my mama & daddy. It's amazing the older you grow the more you become like your parents in many ways. I use to view my parents (when I was a teen) as masters that I always needed to please and keep happy. But as I grew, I learned that they didn't want me to view them that way. It took me years to realize that those off the wall rules they made were to benefit me and weren't made to make my life hard and miserable, but were created out of love to protect me. With time, I learned to appreciate my parents even more and we passed from just being parents and child to also being friends. Friends that care and love me dearly. I am thankful for that. I am thankful to have a good relationship with my parents...some aren't so fortunate. I am blessed!
~~~~~
I am thankful for my In-laws. I have a wonderful father-in-law...probably the best one around. Brent's dad has done so much for us through the years and we will forever be grateful for him. We wouldn't be where we are in life had it not been for him. He and Brent are so much alike in so many ways and he has taught Brent so much that has benefited us. We don't get to see him nearly enough ,because he is in Alabama and we are here, but
we are thankful for the time we do have with him. So many times I have wished that he still lived here,because my boys enjoy him so much and the hours he spent with Jon when he was little made such an impact. I just wish Jacob would have had that too. He is a good man,a great dad, and a great paw-paw.
~~~~~
I am thankful for my mother-in-law. She is a good mother and grandmother that loves her kids probably more then she should. She is one of those mothers /grandmothers that will pretty much do anything for her kids and grandkids. She will drop her life in a second to run to any one of us any hour of the day. Sometimes I don't think we give her nearly the credit she deserves. But ,I believe God has special blessings for mothers like her and she will be rewarded for all she does that some times goes unnoticed and unappreciated. She is a blessing to hubby & me and to our children and I am thankful that we have her in our lives. I know we don't tell you nearly enough,but thank you for all you do Linda. We love you.
~~~~~
As you can tell,we are so blessed. God has given us so many people to love and that love us back. What more could you ask for???? God is so good!

My Thoughts...

Yesterday, Lil man and me made our way to the theatre to see Disney's A Christmas Carol. We had a really good time. Lil man is 8, so as you can imagine he really loved the 3D effect of this movie. He thought it was so cool watching the snow flakes falling all around plus all the other things that seemed to pop out before our eyes. I'm not so sure he understood the movie ,but that's okay. He enjoyed it and that's what matters.
Me on the other hand, wasn't as crazy about the 3D effect. It may be due to the fact that the plastic glasses had smears that wouldn't wipe off and the side lights in the theatre made the glasses have a glare which made it hard to see clearly. Other than that, I think Disney done a wonderful job and I enjoyed the movie.
However, I wouldn't recommend this movie for lil kids under 8,because it would probably scare them. But that is just my opinion.

The girls went and saw The Blind Side movie and they really enjoyed it. They said that it is a must see kind of movie:) So I guess I'll have to go see that one next.

I am thankful...

I am thankful for my friends. The saying,"Friends are the family you choose for yourself" is so true. Friends are like family and are for sure a blessing. They make life so much better. Many times in my life I have found that my friends have been there when family couldn't be. My prayer is that I can always be the friend that I should be to them.
Thank you for being a friend! You have blessed my life just by being in it. ((hugs))

I am thankful...

Thanksgiving countdown....

I am thankful for my little country church.

These four walls hold precious memories and some of my dearest friends. I call them friends ,but really it's more like family. It's like a shelter from the storms of life.

We are a tight little church and an active little church. I think of my church as my 2nd home. The place I go to be refreshed by the word of God.

I've been a member here since 1989. This is the place that six of my family members found Salvation and were also baptized.

It is where my daughter got married, I got married, my In-laws got married ,and I'm pretty sure my great- In-laws did too. So it's a very precious place to us.

We are in the process of building a new church that should be complete in 2010, because these little walls are bursting at the seams. But, no matter what this will always be my little church. A place I dearly love.

Just Happy fall Days...

Hubby blew the yard and made a huge pile of leaves for the Sweet Peas to play in and they LOVED it!!! Samantha,Lacy, and Amberly

This was Devon's 1st time in leaves

and at first he wasn't happy...

But then he decided it wasn't all that bad:)

I am thankful...

I am thankful today that I have all of my basic needs met.I'm talking about all those things that never really cross our minds .
The little things that often get over looked in life as blessings. _______________
I woke up in my bed this morning to another day. I threw back my nice warm covers and flipped on my light. I went to my chest and picked out my clothes for today. Then I walked upstairs and changed my clothes,brushed and pulled up my hair, and headed to my kitchen. Once there,I looked around the kitchen and struggled to decide what food I wanted to eat,because I always keep a variety in my home. After that, I set down to a yummy bacon biscuit and my favorite drink. I said the blessing, ate my breakfast, checked my emails, and then brushed my teeth. The house seemed a little cool ,so I got up turned the heat up and went and cuddled up on my couch in front of the TV to watch the morning news. Around 6 AM a knock came to my door and it was my friend Christy & her baby Jake. I've been watching him for his other babysitter ,because she is down in her health. So I took him from her arms and she left for her job and he and I cuddled up on the couch until he fell asleep. Then one by one the family that I love so much woke up and we started a new day. ~~~Some are not so fortunate to even have their basic needs met.
I am so blessed.Thank you Lord for blessing me with EVERYTHING I need.
You have been so good to me and never once have I ever had to go without the things I need.
~~~~~
Philippians 4:19
But my God shall supply all your needs according to his riches in glory by Christ Jesus.

Daily Thanksgiving

Daily Thanksgiving ~~~~~
Even though I clutch my blanket and growl when the alarm rings each morning,
Thank You, Lord, that I can hear. There are those who are deaf.
Even though I keep my eyes tightly closed against the morning light as long as possible,
Thank You, Lord , that I can see. There are many who are blind.
Even though I huddle in my bed and put off the physical effort of rising,
Thank You, Lord, that I have the strength to rise. There are many who are bed bound.
Even though the first hour of my day is hectic, when socks are lost, toast is burned, tempers are short,
Thank You Lord for my family. There are many who are lonely.
Even though our breakfast table never looks like the pictures in magazines and the menu is at times unbalanced,
Thank You, Lord, for the food we have, There are so many who are hungry.
Even though the routine of my job is often monotonous,
Thank You, Lord, for the opportunity to work. There are many who have no job.
Even though I grumble and bemoan my fate from day to day, and wish my circumstances were not quite so modest, Thank You, Lord, for the gift of life.
~~~~~

Baby Pictures

I have just added Anna's baby shower pics & pictures of the baby's room over on my "Baby Updates" site. So stop by there if you would like to take a peep:)

I am Thankful for my family.

I am thankful for the family that God has blessed me with. The people in my family are so precious to me.

First off, I want to say I am thankful for my Hubby. I'm thankful that he cares and loves me like he does. He works hard and many long hours to provide for our family. Many days he leaves one job and goes to another job to make extra money for us. Just so that we can do the things we want to do and not have to worry about bills, etc He has never asked me to work or to cover our bills. He has always taken that upon himself as the man of the house. Of course, I babysit and make money too, but not once has he ever asked me to work . He wants me to be able to be home with our children and I love that. We've been together now for over 20 years and we've had some very precious times and we've seen our share of tough times too,but with each day we've been blessed...even in the storms because they made us stronger and better. I am blessed to have him as a hubby, but also a friend.

I am so thankful for my 6 beautiful children. They have brought so much joy to my life. Everyday they add their own special touch to our family. The happiest days have been the ones that we've spent together as a family. If I could have went to Heaven and picked my own kids, these are the ones I would have picked. God knew just what He was doing when He chose mine for me. I love them sooooooo much. I wouldn't change one single thing about any of them. They are so precious to me. They are a blessing.

I am thankful for my son-in-law. I really don't think of him as a son-in-law anymore. He is my son to me. I love him dearly and he knows it:) We spend a lot of time together as a family and Corey always seems to keep us laughing. He is a blessing to our daughter Anna and to us.

God has blessed me with a wonderful family and I thank Him so much for that.

Thank you Lord for your blessings on me.

I'm thankful...

November is the month of Thanksgiving. It the month that seems to make us all think about how blessed we are. So I've decided to add something I am thankful for everyday until Thanksgiving.
Today, I am thankful for the life God has given me. God placed me here for a reason. He chose my birth and He planned my life even before I was in my mother's womb. My life hasn't been perfect...far from it. The roads haven't all been simple and straight. My days haven't all been easy and some have been down right trying to say the least. But still, I've been very blessed. Blessed with much more than I deserve.
I've come to accept that the life I have is all part of His plan for me. It took me a long time to realize that my life doesn't belong to me. My life belongs to Him.
Thank you Lord for blessing me with the life you have.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~
1 Thessalonians 5:18
In every thing give thanks: for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you.

Wordless Wednesday

Just Pedal

At first I saw God as my observer, my judge, keeping track of the things I did wrong, so as to know whether I deserved heaven or hell when I die. He was out there sort of like a president. I recognized His picture when I saw it, but I really didn't know Him. But later on, when I met God, it seemed as though life was rather like a bike ride, but it was a tandem bike, and I noticed that God was in the back, helping me pedal.

I don't know when it was that He suggested that we change places, but life has not been the same since. When I had control, I knew the way. It was rather boring, but predictable... It was the shortest distance between two points. But when He took the lead, He knew delightful long cuts, up mountains, and through rocky places at breakneck speeds. It was all I could do to hang on! Even though it looked like madness, He said, "Pedal."

I worried and was anxious and asked, "Where are you taking me?" He laughed and didn't answer, and I started to learn to trust. I forgot my boring life and entered into the adventure. And when I'd say, "I'm scared," He'd lean back and touch my hand.

He took me to people with gifts that I needed, gifts of healing, acceptance and joy. They gave me gifts to take on my journey...and we were off again. He said, "Give the gifts away; they're extra baggage, too much weight." So I did, to the people we met, and I found that in giving I received, and still our burden was light.

I did not trust Him, at first, in control of my life. I thought He'd wreck it; but He knows bike secrets, knows how to make it bend to take sharp corners, knows how to jump to clear high rocks, knows how to fly to shorten scary passages. And I am learning to shut up and pedal in the strangest places, and I'm beginning to enjoy the view and the cool breeze on my face with God as my delightful constant companion. And when I'm sure I just can't do anymore, He just smiles and says,
"Pedal"
~ Author Unknown ~

Amazing Grace!!!!

Amazing Grace, how sweet the sound,
That saved a wretch like me....
I once was lost ,but now I'm found,
Was blind, but now I see.

T'was Grace that taught...
my heart to fear.
And Grace, my fears relieved.
How precious did that Grace appear...
the hour I first believed. ~~~~~~~~~~~~This week (so far) Satan has lost three more!!!!!!
And if you are saved ,then you know why I'm soooooo excited tonight.
I'm so excited that I can't even sleep. It's been an amazing week and we still have more to come. God has been working in our church. It started last weekend and over flowed all week. Three people gave their lives to God and 2 families joined our church :)
These three people that turned to God won't have to go to Hell.
They won't have to go to that awful place.
Praise God!!!!!
Thank you God for having mercy on these
I remember the day that the Lord saved me by His amazing grace and since that day I have NEVER been the same.
HE is the BEST thing that ever happened to me. He died for me and I'm really trying so hard to live for Him and to serve Him every day. That doesn't mean I'm perfect or that I think I'm any higher than any other,because I'm far from that. God knows my flaws. He knows my weakness. He knows my struggles. He knows my failures. He even knows my thoughts. I am not and will NEVER be perfect. If I had waited until I thought I could be perfect or until I felt everything in my life was right, then I would still be lost today. I didn't have to wait. He accepted me just as I was and is making me what I should be. No,I'm not worthy of God's love, but for whatever reason He loves me still. Yes, He even loves me:)
I don't know why God laid this on my heart,but He did and that's why I'm here.
Tonight, I just want to thank God for what He has done for me
and what He has done for these.
I serve a God that's real and he is simply Amazing. ~~~~~~~~~~If you don't know Him then I would be happy to talk to you about how you can get to know Him. I don't know much. I'm still learning myself.. But I can share with you what I do know and what He has done for me and I would love to pray for you.If He can love me then He can love anybody and He does. It's not His will that any should perish. Heaven was created for you. Why? Because He loves you:)
((Hugs Sandy))

Thoughts to ponder

"Spread love everywhere you go: first of all in your own house. Give love to your children, to your wife or husband, to a next door neighbor. Let no one ever come to you without leaving better and happier. Be the living expression of God's kindness; kindness in your face, kindness in your eyes, kindness in your smile, kindness in your warm greeting."
~Mother Teresa

Today's Devotion

Verse-Psalm 103:1-2
Bless the LORD, O my soul: and all that is within me, bless his holy name.
Bless the LORD, O my soul, and forget not all his benefits:

Thoughts-
In the presence of God we receive love, strength, joy, peace, hope and security. Every living soul on the planet has a need to know God and to experience all of these things. The world is filled with counterfeits for each of these, yet although they can be enjoyed for a time, they do not satisfy. Jesus Christ offers each of us, the real thing. We can live each moment aware of His presence in our lives, as we acknowledge His truth and accept His love, with sincerity of heart. All have been invited to come to His table, to step into His presence and feast. Let us be reminded today, that He is always there, able to satisfy our deepest longing and greatest need.

Disturb us Lord

Disturb us, Lord, when
We are too well pleased with ourselves,
When our dreams have come true
Because we have dreamed too little,
When we arrived safely
Because we sailed too close to the shore.

Disturb us, Lord, when
With the abundance of things we possess
We have lost our thirst
For the waters of life;
Having fallen in love with life,
We have ceased to dream of eternity
And in our efforts to build a new earth,
We have allowed our vision
Of the new Heaven to dim.

Disturb us, Lord, to dare more boldly,
To venture on wider seas
Where storms will show your mastery;
Where losing sight of land,
We shall find the stars.
We ask You to push back
The horizons of our hopes;
And to push into the future
In strength, courage, hope, and love.

[Sir Francis Drake]