Thankful Lists – Nov. 9-16

11/9 Friends – YOU (whoever reads this and have called me friend in life or virtually, on Instagram or facebook: I know I will miss people by making a list with names, but I want to give a grateful shout-out to my friends – you are my treasure!

You: I’m grateful for people who still listen to my ramblings and care about what I have to say. I am so thankful for friends who have travelled even part of this journey of life with me. I am humbled by those who call me friend and invite me to join them on their journey home – even for a short season.  I am grateful for you. More than I can say and more than you will ever know.

• My Besties
• Lifelong friends
• My Family (parents and extended)
• My kids
• My Siblings and their spouses
• My nieces and nephews
• High school friends
• College friends
• Band friends
• Church friends
• Friends in foreign lands
• Neighbors who became friends
• Friends who make me laugh until I cry
• Friends who wait in heaven
• Friends who became missionaries
• Roommates who became friends
• Co-Workers who became friends
• Family who became friends
• Jim’s friends who became mine
• My kids’ friends
• My kids’ other families
• Supper Club
• College Students who became friends
• Youth Ministry kids who became friends
• Pastoral Colleagues who are my friends
• Co-Workers who became friends
• Mentors
• Friends I have’t met yet

NOV. 10 NATURE

Sunsets that paint the sky – Beaches and the beauty of waves on the shore – A sunrise that paints the sky with vibrant colors – Witnessing a meteor shower – A clear night sky full of stars – The way fog transforms a landscape into something mystical -The scent of a blooming flower that stops you in your tracks-  ie plumeria – Flowers- imagine the Rose Parade or any gardens without them – The way sunlight filters through leaves in a forest – The rustling of leaves in a gentle breeze – Finding a four-leaf clover -The way a fresh  snowfall blankets the world in silence – The sensation of walking on a frozen lake – Birds – Witnessing a double rainbow – The sight of fireflies lighting up a summer night. – The scent of a field of lavender in bloom – vegetable gardens – cotton fields – The sound of birds chirping on a sunny morning. – Twilight – A full moon – The Aurora borealis – Sand – A rainy day with nowhere to go! – waterfalls and creeks – caves and rocks – redwood trees – the plethora of animal species – clouds- lilac bushes on a dewy morning

NOV. 11 – Humans who have made a positive difference Of course this list is not exhaustive. That is not my goal. But I was thinking about veterans and how thankful I am that people I have never known have set aside their rights for my good. Wow! I started a quick list of people who I admire. Though I have never met them (some are long dead), I am grateful for how they have set an example and made the world a better place. Thank you to these – and others…

• Veterans
• Billy Graham
• Jim Elliott Nate Saint, Ed McCully, Peter Fleming, Roger Youderian
• John Newton & William Wilberforce
• Corrie Ten Boom
• Martin Luther
• Gutenberg
• Mozart
• Bach
• William Tyndale
• Isaac Newton
• CS “Jack” Lewis
• Jimmy Carter
• Abraham Lincoln
• Martin Luther King Jr
• Queen Elizabeth 2
• Steve Jobs
• Albert Einstein
• Walt Disney
• Jim Henson
• JK Rowling
• Earl of Shaftesbury
• Shirley Temple Black
• Lucille Ball
• Harriet Tubman
• Ruth Bader Ginsburg
• Florence Nightingale
• Jane Austen
• Madame Curie
• Rosa Parks
• Rosalind Franklin

NOV. 12 FOODS

Avocados * Mexican (tacos, burritos chili rellenos, enchiladas…)* Potatoes * Berries * Fruit *Peaches (that are so juicy that they drip down my arm to the elbow) * Melon * Pies (savory and sweet) * Pasties * Tea * Lemonade * Diet Dr Pepper * Pink Drink * sparkling waters * Scones * Sourdough toast * Hamburgers * Hot Dogs* Bacon * Chicken & Eggs (whichever came first) * Seafood (Tuna, Salmon, Halibut, shrimp….) * Mac n Cheese * Homemade soups * Veggies (brussel sprouts, broccoli, carrots, beans …) * Tomatoes * Salads * Cheese & Crackers * Candy (Sees, caramels, fruity …) * Cinnamon flavored stuff * Ice cream * Smores * Key lime pie made by Jess * And Salt

Note: There are over 14,000 uses for salt. It is a preservative. Salt is used in the Bible in many ways, including as a preservative, a seasoning, disinfecting cleaning agent, judgment as well as symbolic.

NOV. 13 BOOKS – As a former librarian, listing books I love or am thankful for is about as ridiculous as it gets. But some have changed my life, and I am grateful for their profound and lingering impact. As I started this list, I decided this is a bad idea…I will list a few or their authors; suffice it to say I am a bibliophile (friend of books) and I am in awe of the creative and magical ways that some are gifted at putting words, ideas, and stories together. I am thankful for wordsmiths and the texture, sound and life they give as they make every word count. What are your favorites?

Reading and watching movies can both be beneficial for the brain, but they engage the brain in different ways. Reading requires a different part of the brain that creates mental images and impacts thought and memory function. Movies and other visual media evoke a wide range of emotions over thought as the brain processes the film using the same mechanisms it uses to process real life.

“I would maintain that thanks are the highest form of thought; and that gratitude is happiness doubled by wonder.” ~G.K. Chesterton

• Hinds Feet on High Places (Hurnard)
• Chronicles of Narnia or anything by CS Lewis
• Little Women (Alcott)
• Anne of Green Gables Series (LM Montgomery)
• Little House Books (LI Wilder)
• Harry Potter series (JK Rowling)
• The Hobbit & Lord of the Rings trilogy (Tolkien)
• Amusing Ourselves to Death Postman
• Learning Styles (LeFever)
• Knowing God (Packer)
• How Shall we Then Live? (Shaeffer)
• Anything by Os Guinness
• Anything by Jill Briscoe
• Anything by Eugene Peterson
• Anything by Mark or Ruth Senter
• Anything by Philip Yancy
• Anything by Stephen Lawhead
• Liberating Ministry from the Success Syndrome (Hughes)
• The Ministry of Parenting your Baby (Sears)
• Fold a banana, Throw a Tomato, Lie Down & Roll Over, Hug a Teddy …
• Hatch, The Artist’s Way, The Humor of Christ
• Jesus Man of Joy, The Sacrament of Happy
• The Kingdom of God is a Party (Campolo)
• Discovering Biblical Equality (Pierce)

Nov. 14 INVENTIONS I am so thankful for these inventions. Aren’t you?!

TV – Printing press – Flush Toilets – Refrigerators – Pellet ice makers – Airplanes – Cars – Magic Erasers – Dawn – Tape, glue and other adhesives – Toothpaste – Braces – Batteries – Cell Phones Gears – (Think about it: Bikes, cars, watches, clocks, blenders, egg beaters, electric screw drivers, odometers, windshield wipers, automatic transmissions, helicopters, can openers, guitar and violin tuning keys, robotics, wind mills and so much more) – Paint … Like love and forgiveness, it covers over a multitude of “sins” as it beautifies, identifies, expresses, protects, varies, and extends the life of whatever is painted -Air conditioning – Glass (think about how life would be different without glass – which is another reason besides pearls to be grateful for sand) – Spoons – Pillows Ink: (Books, newspaper, magazines, copy machines, printers…All useless without it) – Computers and Flashdrives /thumbdrives /portable hard drives. – Paper – Washers Bun warmers & Windshield wipers

Nov. 15 THIS YEAR 2024

Adventures – Oxford – Europe with Ann & Lauren – Visiting new places and trying new foods – people who speak my language (literally & figuratively) – Help when I moved from Downey – The generosity of Jonathan & Judy – Time with family in AL – Going to Narnia – Seeing the Kilns – Weddings – Babies – haircuts – baseball. I am grateful for team sports and the opportunity to watch live or in person – The Olympics & sportsmanship makes me happy – Tea @ Fortnum & Mason – Les Miserables on London’s West End – lunches with Lauren – meals & time with my kids – game nights – old pictures especially of my Jim that are a walk down memory lane for me and remind me that others still think of him – the opportunity to work on the same ministry team with my son – My commute is in the opposite direction of rush hour traffic, both ways – The CS Lewis Study tour – New Friends – making the most of time with people – Thursdays with Colleen – Dodger games – Helping Julie H. – reunions at funerals – new traditions – Shutterfly – reconnecting with friends who I haven’t seen in awhile – the solar eclipse –

NOV. 16 My Family

Family of Origin * grandparents * Mom & Dad * Martha and Chris * Vanessa & Drew * Sarah * Jonathan and Judy * Jonni & Kelly * Jeremy & Gabby * Jess * David and Angelique * Jazmine & Antonio * Zoe * the family we made est. 1980 * Em & Connor * Clay & Amanda * In-laws * Aunts and Uncles * Jim * cousins * Brian & Susan * Jennifer W * Steve & Debbie * Jennifer R * my kids’ other families * Jim’s family* Ron Tom Laurie * Jim & Tammie * Alex & Tim, Abby & Toby * Dale & Megan * friends who have become family * church families * family heritage * the family we choose * future family