Thursday, November 26, 2015

The Rest of Thanksgiving Day

I've prayed for at least one friend to last a lifetime at each assignment. God answered that prayer with several during our assignment at Beale - or at least we assume so from this vantage point. ::grin::

This year we tossed Thanksgiving traditions and participated in a totally new round of activities. The lounge has a few channels and Michael has been enjoying football. He spent the morning watching a game or two.

I discovered a campground laundry room is EMPTY on Thanksgiving morning - so I did laundry.

The kids played games.

We touched base with several of the elder Gherkins.

Treasured friends from the chapel are preparing to move overseas. They cleared housing on Wednesday.  We joined forces and caravanned to Roseville for Thanksgiving dinner at Lucille's BBQ. What a novel idea. No stress, no work, no mess - just lots of excellent food and enjoyable conversation. My only regret is the Thanksgiving Tablecloth is in storage., a rather short-sighted decision on my part. I may go find a small one and make it for our RV'ing years.





I picked up this vet on the corner and brought him home for dinner.


All in all it was a great day. We were happy to squeeze in more time with these precious  friends.  C and I used to joke about our upcoming moves. She said she prayed we wouldn't leave until she did. Our retirement was 3.5 months before their scheduled move....and yet...here we are - preparing to say goodbye to them this week.  I think her prayers were more powerful than ours. ::wink:: 

What in the world is God doing? or Thanksgiving 2015

Via Google Images

What is His will in our current situation? We'd like to think it's unclear - but Paul makes God's will crystal clear. 

Rejoice always - cultivate an attitude of thanksgiving, choose joy - ALWAYS

Pray always.  Be diligent - extend the effort to sit with God in the situation.

IN everything give thanks. We've simply not reached the place where we can thank God for the recent changes in our lives.  Maybe, someday, we will thank Him for Parkinsons. This year, we're  content to thank Him IN the situation.

We were given a plaque at our wedding which said,
"Sometimes God calms the storm,  sometimes He lets the storm rage and calms the child."
Sort of an odd wedding gift* - but prophetic.  God is letting the storms rage in our lives - and honestly sometimes the children are also raging - but we're learning more and more to let Him calm us in the storm.

Via Google Images

Here's our list of things we are thanking Him for this year - IN the storm.

  • BreAnne is 20 weeks pregnant with a baby girl!
  • We get to spend more time with Michael.
  • Dear friends.
  • Trailer life is successful (Stacia's word).
  • We're debt free.
  • In spite of the close quarters, all the kids have their personal cubby/bunk. (Alex)
  • Thankful I'm not back on active duty (Michael).
  • Family
  • Precious visits with Gherkins in WA and OR.
  • Hot showers and good water pressure at Beale Fam Camp!!!
  • Thankful for unlimited data via Omnilynx and very sad to lose it on the 30th.
  • Yuuki is younger than we had been thinking - she's 10 - I think.
  • Facebook forums of full-timers which helped us transition into full time RVing.
  • A nice space to land for four months.
  • Beautiful sunrises and sunsets.
  • Retirees can check out books at the base library - we'd been missing books in our travels.
  • Thankful to be traveling America - to be on this adventure (kids).
  • No one sleeps on the couch or table and that means I have a quiet place in the morning to study and pray.
  • We brought our bikes.
  • Michael is home for Thanksgiving - wasn't always the case. 
  • Dad doesn't snore anymore - thank you CPAP.  This DOES make RVing better.
  • A God who walks beside us in every situation.



* Thank you if you are the one who gave us this plaque those 32 years ago. I'm sorry we can't remember who gave it to us.  We suspect it was Ken Taylor.