thanksgiving recap & courage that pleases

I am a little behind life on a few different things so I thought I would finally get to a Thanksgiving post.  =)  But I trust that you all had wonderful days with your family and friends!

A few things were on my mind this year.  Probably first and foremost was the value of family.  With a child being added to ours, it was a very sweet time to Skype with my family in Hawaii so that grandma and grandpa T and aunty Judy could see Hito.  And then it was time to prep for dinner with grandma and grandpa N and two uncles and great-grandma.  The food was wonderful but the company was better.  Kidding around with brothers, sharing recipes with mom-in-law, my baby smiling at my parents through a computer...it was an amazing blessed day.  And it takes a holiday to make me sit down and remember all of that.  

this was the after dinner nap session with grandpa, Hito, and one of the dogs.  it was adorable.

But in addition to my thankfulness for family, another thought has been on my mind.  And that is to remember that nothing I have is my own or earned by myself.  God has blessed me and my family with health and comfort.  And how often do I take this for granted!  One of my mentors died of breast cancer several years ago but she lived the life she knew God had given her with such singular purpose: His glory.  She kept a blog where she used the phrase "courage that pleases" in talking about what she saw as her calling no matter what her physical condition was.  I have come across another friend who is living life courageously.  Tahnie's story is amazing and not over.  But I sit here and complain about bad hair days.

My story has been going along, trudging at a slow pace.  And these women have looked at life and death and taken what they had and lived without hesitation.  I know that it would be insincere and a lie to say there wasn't pain or fear.  But DESPITE the pain and fear, they have had families, loved people, and changed other lives...whether they knew it or not.

Thanksgiving was wonderful.  My prayer now and for the future is to live life with a courage that pleases.  A courage that pleases my God and shows unmistakably that I know He is the only reason why I live.

 But as for me, I trust in You, O LORD; 

I say, “You are my God.”

My times are in Your hand...

~Psalm 31.14-15~

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P.S.  Speaking of being thankful, I am also thankful for great friends like Caroline who is hosting some awesome giveaways on her blog to help you jumpstart/finish your holiday shopping!  Go check it out!