Day Before Thanksgiving Thoughts

This morning I woke with an overwhelming feeling of gratitude, of deep thankfulness. Maybe in part to the holiday tomorrow, you know, on Thanksgiving you think about Thankfulness, but it feels so much deeper than just a holiday inspired thought pattern. I was thinking about how thankful I am that my children WANT to spend the day with us, matter of fact they can't imagine not spending it with us. All week my conversations with Melissa have had the same theme....wish you were going to be here...."wish I was going to be there mom". And we want them to be with us, we enjoy them. Like them, and admire them . Being able to be thankful for good relationships with your children is nothing to take for granted. I can quickly think of several families I know of that have strained relationships with their children and so holidays are not spent together. It breaks my heart. The reasons are varied...but many (not all ) are from poor parenting some where along the line. Parenting is not a do over. But you always have the opportunity to mend mistakes, make apologies for where you went wrong. Maybe you were a good parent in most ways but you have been too critical, nothing the child did measured up to your standards, which usually carries over into how you treat your adult child and finally the child just doesn't want to hear it and soon you have no more relationship than you do with your neighbor ! I guess this issue just breaks my heart because I know what I have with my children and its precious like Gold. It is a taste of heaven. It is how I can grasp even the tiniest aspect of how God loves me and how He loves me.

Yesterday on Oprah, one of the aspects of living a long life was in having family and long time friends around you consistently. Laughing with one another and being there for one another.

A support system. If I could accomplish one thing in my life it would be to help mend families.

Parents, its o.k. to admit you made mistakes, ask to be forgiven. Talk to your adult children about where you know you failed and then start over, accepting them with the problems you may have created for them. Create welcoming, accepting arms like the father of the prodigal son did , unless of course you have a sociopath kid or something. Sometimes great parents just have a child that is bent on self destructing. We so often are like that with our relationship to our father in heaven. Bent on heading the wrong way. He never gives up on us. Then, there are some relationships for all kinds of reasons that have just simply turned so toxic, that you need to really pray for a miracle to turn things around. With God's help, nothing is impossible. We all seem to know stories of really "bad" people that turned their lives around and become great preachers....God always welcomed them into His arms, no matter what they did in the past and God never seems to bring up the past in a condemning way. Mend fences this holiday season if they are broken down. Be honest about your part in creating problems and change what you have done wrong.

Maybe its time to make your own "Hallmark Movie" for the holidays.

Luke 15
The Parable of the Lost Sheep

1 Now the tax collectors and "sinners" were all gathering around to hear him. 2 But the Pharisees and the teachers of the law muttered, "This man welcomes sinners and eats with them."
3 Then Jesus told them this parable: 4"Suppose one of you has a hundred sheep and loses one of them. Does he not leave the ninety-nine in the open country and go after the lost sheep until he finds it? 5 And when he finds it, he joyfully puts it on his shoulders 6 and goes home. Then he calls his friends and neighbors together and says, 'Rejoice with me; I have found my lost sheep.' 7 I tell you that in the same way there will be more rejoicing in heaven over one sinner who repents than over ninety-nine righteous persons who do not need to repent.
The Parable of the Lost Coin 8"Or suppose a woman has ten silver coins and loses one. Does she not light a lamp, sweep the house and search carefully until she finds it? 9 And when she finds it, she calls her friends and neighbors together and says, 'Rejoice with me; I have found my lost coin.' 10 In the same way, I tell you, there is rejoicing in the presence of the angels of God over one sinner who repents."
The Parable of the Lost Son

11 Jesus continued: "There was a man who had two sons. 12 The younger one said to his father, 'Father, give me my share of the estate.' So he divided his property between them.
13"Not long after that, the younger son got together all he had, set off for a distant country and there squandered his wealth in wild living. 14 After he had spent everything, there was a severe famine in that whole country, and he began to be in need. 15 So he went and hired himself out to a citizen of that country, who sent him to his fields to feed pigs. 16 He longed to fill his stomach with the pods that the pigs were eating, but no one gave him anything.
17"When he came to his senses, he said, 'How many of my father's hired men have food to spare, and here I am starving to death! 18 I will set out and go back to my father and say to him: Father, I have sinned against heaven and against you. 19 I am no longer worthy to be called your son; make me like one of your hired men.' 20 So he got up and went to his father. "But while he was still a long way off, his father saw him and was filled with compassion for him; he ran to his son, threw his arms around him and kissed him.
21"The son said to him, 'Father, I have sinned against heaven and against you. I am no longer worthy to be called your son'
22"But the father said to his servants, 'Quick! Bring the best robe and put it on him. Put a ring on his finger and sandals on his feet. 23 Bring the fattened calf and kill it. Let's have a feast and celebrate. 24 For this son of mine was dead and is alive again; he was lost and is found.' So they began to celebrate.
25"Meanwhile, the older son was in the field. When he came near the house, he heard music and dancing. 26 So he called one of the servants and asked him what was going on. 27' Your brother has come,' he replied, 'and your father has killed the fattened calf because he has him back safe and sound.'
28"The older brother became angry and refused to go in. So his father went out and pleaded with him. 29 But he answered his father, 'Look! All these years I've been slaving for you and never disobeyed your orders. Yet you never gave me even a young goat so I could celebrate with my friends. 30 But when this son of yours who has squandered your property with prostitutes comes home, you kill the fattened calf for him!'
31" 'My son,' the father said, 'you are always with me, and everything I have is yours. 32 But we had to celebrate and be glad, because this brother of yours was dead and is alive again; he was lost and is found.' "

What an example we have in Gods love for us, accepting us over and over for our mistakes and shortcomings.