Thanksgiving

  This time of year is a battle it seems. The day after Halloween the commercials start for Christmas. I always feel that we don't give Thanksgiving it's due credit.  Don't get me wrong, I love Christmas and I get just as excited as my kids at times but Thanksgiving is the "gateway" to the holiday season and should be appreciated as such.
  When I was younger I associated Thanksgiving with my nana's house.  We moved away from my grandparents and my aunt and uncle and cousin when I was around nine years old so any chance we got to visit, we took it.  My nana and grandpa lived in a small South Texas town who's claim to fame was hunting so my dad would get ready for Thanksgiving (hunting) with gusto! The men of the family knew there would be a hunting day wasted when they would agree to take us along, you know everything is funny when you aren't supposed to laugh. They never complained though so we always had fun.
  When you would wake up on Thanksgiving morning at Nana's you woke up to the smell of turkey.  I loved that feeling, waking up to the beautiful chaos of a small kitchen with too many people in it trying to orchestrate one huge meal.  No one complained, no one said they wished they had more space, I think the closeness was one of the things we looked forward to.
  Fast forward several years and here I am, Nana is no longer here but we will be having Thanksgiving with family and the kids will get under foot and will run through the kitchen taking pieces of cut up turkey or a roll when they pass and it will be good. It will be hot and crowded in the kitchen but I don't care, that's part of it.  I love the holiday season because of how it was for me as a kid and how I consciously want it to be for mine.  How will your Thanksgiving go? Who will be there and what is the side dish you most look forward to eating?  What is your favorite thing to do after Thanksgiving?
  From my house to yours, Happy Thanksgiving!

Disconnecting ... sort of.

   Recently I have been facilitating a Bible study for some lovely ladies at our church.  We call our study time "G.R.O.W." G (greet the Lord) R (read the scripture assigned) O (observe what the scripture is teaching) W (write down the scripture and a prayer to go with it).  I love getting together with my fellow sisters and just talk about life.  Usually that fills the hour we have reserved and sometimes it goes over.
  This last week I read a blog post from a neat blog called, www.wearethatfamily.com titled, "Raising Grateful Kids in an Entitled World".  Okay, I was convicted! After reading the blog post I realized that I can't show my kids how to be grateful if I am constantly comparing myself to other moms and dads.  I realize now that I struggle with that more than I thought and mainly facebook was the culprit. I would be having a perfectly fine day and BAM! I would see someone's post on facebook about this wonderful adventure they got to have and how they were dressed perfectly for the occasion.  I know, that makes me sound shallow and that I should be happy for them and wish them all the best but sometimes UUUUURRRRGGHHH!!
  In the past I have tried to use social media for good, I usually share a conviction, a prayer request or a special blessing with my "friends".   I also really like that I know what's going on in my friends' lives that live far away but what bothers me the most is the fact that it's a time thief and even a joy thief.  I love to write and share and encourage but Satan likes to throw things in my face and remind me that I have weaknesses and that I find myself not measuring up to some mythical perfect person.
   So, this imperfect person is going to do something radical! I'm leaving facebook, yep, you read it right.  I am a daughter of a Perfect King and  this is the way His love goes babe. The Lord has reminded me that He has blessed me with a happy, healthy family and I need to treat them like a blessing by giving them my attention (especially if I want theirs) and my time.  I will continue to blog so you can always come and visit me here and please feel free to leave comments. My tech-y sister is coming over tomorrow to show me how I can link up to Pinterest with this blog so many of you can keep in contact with me that way.  Also, you can contact me via email at www.jessica.rutledge2013@gmail.com.  I know I will be tempted and want to "hop" back on so I will need your prayers for that please.
   This is my conviction so please don't think you should have the same one. If you stay on social  media, just do this for me and for yourself, look up every once in a while and see what the people around you are doing.  Try to make new friends and not just "friend" someone.  Have a great day with your family and do it just to do it and not just to have a photo opp, fill up the photo albums again and not just your phone.  God gave you a body and a bright healthy mind, use it!