My Journey through Breast Cancer

On October 11, 2013, I was diagnosed with Stage II Triple Negative Breast Cancer (TNBC) ... or as we like to call it, extreme measures for a nap (EMFN). For a while, this blog will be my cancer journal. Enter at your own risk.

25 November 2008

Thanksgiving

Welcome to my obligatory Thanksgiving post. How can one come to this time of year and not take a moment to stop and remember all the things for which they are thankful? Its un-American I say. But thanksgiving is also something I try to practice on a regular basis. I believe much of my day-to-day attitude and outlook on life is directly related to how thankful I am. It is when we cease to be thankful that we start to find everything wrong with life and become depressed and cynical. And, even more important than our attitudes about life are our attitudes about God. I possess nothing more important than my salvation, which only God can give. It is impossible in my humanness to be adequately grateful, but it doesn't mean I can't try. Above all, I am thankful for what Christ did for me on the cross. (I've listed a few Bible references at the bottom of this post that talk about thanksgiving for your reading pleasure. Please forgive my taking them out of context.)

Anyway, I thought I'd take a moment and share a few things I'm thankful for. My list will sound much like yours I imagine. When it comes down to it most of us realize what the truly important things are in life, and how important it is not to take them for granted.

I am thankful for ....

... my husband with the awesome beard, and how he walks the dog in the morning while he lets me sleep, and how he always leaves a cereal bowl out in the morning so its ready for my breakfast, and how he surprised me with a new Christmas CD because he's not afraid to enable my somewhat unhealthy obsession with Christmas music, and how he acts interested in my knitting when I show him what I'm making. For all the little ways he shows me he loves me, I am thankful.

... my awesome family, on both our sides. I feel incredibly blessed to be surrounded by healthy marriages, loud and crazy family members who can't let you complete a sentence, but only because they already know what you were going to say, who can follow 6 conversations going on at once, who are truly interested in how you're doing, who encourage without reservation, who can have a good cry and a better laugh together, all in an afternoon. Its an awesome family, and I can't wait for the the time we'll all have to spend together making more memories.

... my small group at church. We're still getting to know each other, but we're having a great time doing it. I have so much support from all the moms I know as I go through pregnancy myself, and I LOVE that.

... my job, and Caleb's. We're fortunate that in this time of economic downturn our jobs are fairly stable and we're able to continue making ends meet.

... our pregnancy. So exciting! And still really scary, but its a chance to trust God with the unknown.

... the Josh Groban Christmas album, eggnog, pumpkin pie, cold weather, corduroy, the color brown, and for that matter, red, the Sequoias and Death Valley, chocolate, yarn in so many fabulous fibers, weights and colors, the prospect of maternity leave, 24 and Lost returning to prime time, books, Target, my blue tooth headset, Arby's roast beef sandwiches with lots of Arby's sauce and curly fries, Christmas at Disneyland ... yes, there is much to be thankful for.

May your Thanksgiving be filled with thanksgiving, good food and good times with those you love. Remember, giving thanks for what we have reminds us to stop whining over what we don't.

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Psalm 42:4 These things I remember as I pour out my soul: how I used to go with the multitude, leading the procession to the house of God, with shouts of joy and thanksgiving among the festive throng.

Psalm 69:30 I will praise God's name in song and glorify him with thanksgiving.

Psalm 95:2 Let us come before him with thanksgiving and extol him with music and song.

Psalm 100:4 Enter his gates with thanksgiving and his courts with praise; give thanks to him and praise his name.

Psalm 147:7 Sing to the LORD with thanksgiving; make music to our God on the harp.

I Cor. 10:16 Is not the cup of thanksgiving for which we give thanks a participation in the blood of Christ? And is not the bread that we break a participation in the body of Christ?

2 Cor. 4:15 All this is for your benefit, so that the grace that is reaching more and more people may cause thanksgiving to overflow to the glory of God.

2 Cor. 9:11 You will be made rich in every way so that you can be generous on every occasion, and through us your generosity will result in thanksgiving to God.

2 comments:

Gretchen said...

Isn't Thanksgiving great? I love it because the obvious reasons of celebrating being thankful but also because it means Christmas is almost here! =0)
Happy Thanksgiving Heidi!

Anonymous said...

"I believe much of our day-to-day attitude and outlook on life is directly related to how thankful I am."



Well apparently much of my attitude and outlook on life is dependent on you, so you better keep it up. Or was I not included in that general 1st person plural?