Giving Thanks!

Happy Thanksgiving, friends!
As I bask in the beauty of the Autumn landscape that surrounds us during this time of the year... and as I reflect on the many blessings in my life on this Thanksgiving Monday, I am mindful of this...

Autumn colours at the pond near our house! ♥

God calls me to do thanks. To give the thanks away. That thanks-giving might literally become thanks-living. That our lives become the very blessings we have received.

I am blessed. I can bless. Imagine! I could let Him make me the gift!

I could be the joy!

In an endless cycle of grace, He gives us gifts to serve the world. 

It's the fundamental, lavish, radical nature of the upside-down economy of God.

Empty to fill.

Here I can become the blessing, a little life that multiplies joy, making the larger world a better place.

God can enter into me, even me, and use these hands, these feet, to be His love, a love that goes on and on and on forever, endless cycle of grace.

~ Excerpts from Chapter 10 of One Thousand Gifts, by Ann Voskamp.

I could be the joy!

We are so blessed... blessed beyond measure! Imagine, friends... we can turn the blessings we have received into joy for people who are in need! What an awesome privilege that truly is... to be Jesus' hands and feet to this hurting world.

Over the weekend, we feasted...

My sisters and me.

My sister's prime rib. Yum! MasterChef, anyone? :-)

Cousins!

I was in-charged of desserts... strawberry coffee cake!

Chocolate cupcakes!!!

Later this morning... on this Thanksgiving Monday, together with one of my sisters... we will take our families into Downtown Toronto and we will hand out lunches to street-involved, homeless folks. We will be the joy... we will be a blessing to people in need!

Because God calls us to do thanks... 

To give the thanks away. That thanks-giving might literally become thanks-living. That our lives become the very blessings we have received!

I recently came across this video... please spend one minute to watch this, friends! Very thought-provoking...

As I continue to count grace-gifts, with unending thanks... to The One who calls us to do thanks... these are the things I am thankful for this week... #1588 - #1602:

:: Blessings beyond measure!

:: The launch of a brand-new Meeting House Home Church here at our house!

:: Cheering on my girl at her basketball games.

:: Lunch with a girlfriend and my sister.

:: For puffers and medications... for rest and sleep!

:: My son's ankle injury not being as serious as I thought it would be!

:: An available time slot at our family doctor so that she can examine the said injured ankle right away!

:: A dead car battery and CAA roadside assistance!

:: Partying with our church's Youth Group... launching the Fall season!

:: Serving inner-city kids at Toronto City Mission together with folks from our church family.

:: Family and friends getting together for Thanksgiving.

:: A yummy Thanksgiving dinner!

:: A restful and quiet long weekend.

:: The sense of community that our church has...

:: A great teaching pastor!

Happy Monday, friends!

The counting of all blessings is ultimately summed up in One. 

All gratitude is ultimately gratitude for Christ, all remembering a remembrance of Him.

~ Ann Voskamp, One Thousand Gifts.

Let's soar into this new week together, friends... let's do justice, love mercy and walk humbly!


This month of October, I am participating in a blog link up called 31 Day Series. I will be writing about Celebrating JOY! Click on the banner below for 1000+ other topics! 

Click on the banner below for more Multitudes on Mondays posts...

Jump in... I promise you will be blessed!

Compassion is a command, an act of worship, a song of thanks to Him.

Do justice. Love mercy. Walk humbly with God!