Thankful Thursday, 11.2019: Extreme Gratitude Edition

Happy Thanksgiving & Thankful Thursday 11.2019:  Extreme Gratitude Edition, to you and yours!!  If you are celebrating Thanksgiving today, hope you enjoy every delicious bite and every precious moment.  And if this is just a regular thankful Thursday at your house, hope it’s a good one!

We will be hosting Lauren, Francisco and Lucia at our house for a late afternoon dinner.  Lauren is fixing a ham and a pumpkin pie.  I’m in charge of the Tom-turk and apple pie.  Then together we are filling in with all the assorted sides.  There goes the Weight Watchers out the window.  But it is only one day.  And we are planning to run a 5K first thing in the morning if it isn’t pouring rain!  One of the items on my autumn bucket list (minus the rain).

For most of my Thankful Thursday posts, I reflect back on entries in my gratitude journal for the past month.  You can read last month’s edition, here.  Early in November, I switched from the Good Days Start With Gratitude: A 52 Week Guide To Cultivate An Attitude Of Gratitude journal to a special one designed for the weeks leading up to Thanksgiving.  I have found Shalana Frisby’s 25 Days of Bible Verses for Praise & Thankfulness: A Christian Devotional & Coloring Journal a real treat to use.  Let me share a little bit about what makes it unique.

25 Days of Bible Verses for Praise & Thankfulness

First of all, it is beautiful.  The cover design is inviting.  The colors warm, the font friendly.

Inside, each of the 25 days merits it’s own 3-page spread.  Journalers are invited to write the Bible verse of the day on the first page for each day.  The first page also features a black line drawing with a fall theme for coloring.

On page 2, there is a place to write the meaning of the Scripture and identify how it applies to their lives.  There’s also a space for listing prayer requests and sharing answered prayers.  And on this same page, a place to give thanks.

The third page for each day provides space for reflection and notes.  I use this area to further reflect on the day’s Bible verse and as a kind of daily diary.

Using the 25 Days of Bible Verses for Praise & Thankfulness: A Christian Devotional & Coloring Journal has made writing my ‘thankfuls’ more fun.  I find coloring to be relaxing.  It gives me an excuse to just be still for a few moments.  I think we can all use a few minutes of that most days.

Now let me share some of the things from November that bumped up this month’s Thankful Thursday post to an extreme gratitude edition.

Thankful Thursday 11.2019:  Extreme Gratitude Edition

For about 9 months now, we have been on pins and needles about my Prince C.’s job situation.  Shortly after the new year, PC began to hear rumblings that his job and the jobs of everyone in his organization were being moved to the east coast.  And most of the employees did not want to move with their job.  My Prince included.  In March, we were told that his job would be gone by January 2020 and he began applying for similar positions here in El Paso.

Early fall, he began working several days a week from home.  Then he had to turn in his work cell phone.  Rumors began circulating that the severance pay they had been promised was nothing more than that, a rumor.  Official word came down that his last paycheck would be in January.

P. Charming is a 23 year Army veteran who has worked for the Department of Defense since retiring from the military.  Because he has 6 years to go before he can retire from this government position, he really, really wanted to find something here in El Paso that would enable him to do that.  He was supposedly put on a Priority Placement List that would allow him to go straight into a vacancy.  But even that became a vague question mark.

Expanding the Search

So he began applying for jobs everywhere within a 400 mile radius of home.  We figured we could make anything within that distance work.  Pardon the pun.  If he was hired for something in Tucson, Arizona or Ft. Hood, Texas or Albuquerque, New Mexico, we could get a little apartment or RV and commute back and forth in order to be together.  After applying for close to 20 jobs and not hearing anything back, we had begun to get pretty concerned.  Finally, he received notice that he was being referred for jobs here and there, but still no interviews.

I had applied for seasonal work, a part-time position at a daycare, a job as an assistant librarian, even stocking Hallmark cards.  In some cases, I heard nothing back from my application.  In others, I received a short but sweet ‘thank you, but no thank you.’  On paper, I am 61 years-old.  Some potential employers would say I have 1 foot in the grave.

One Saturday evening, we had a pow wow in the hot tub and came up with an action plan.  We were going to try hard to continue to pray and not to panic until the end of January.

And then PC was called for an interview.  For a job here in El Paso.  And then another, for a job in Albuquerque.  Ironic that Lauren and family had just moved back home to El Paso from Albuquerque and here we were contemplating PC working in ABQ.

God’s Perfect Timing

Paul thought both interviews went well but naturally, we were really pulling for the El Paso position.  A week went by and we didn’t hear anything.  And then…the email came.,,a week ago today, in fact.

He’s been offered the job in El Paso!!  Working on Ft. Bliss just down the street where he has been working for years.  And working with people he has collaborated with in the past.  He is even getting a bit of a raise!!  Can you say prayers answered?

Thanks to God’s perfect timing, he got the offer for this position the day before he was offered the job in Albuquerque.  So no commuting, no RV or apartment living, no being apart.  With Lauren and Francisco’s baby coming mid-January, I am grateful to be able to be here to help them, and possibly sub a little, too.  I can continue to Cia-sit.  We are so thankful.

Other Blessings Worthy of Extreme Gratitude

This extreme gratitude edition would not be complete without mentioning some of the other things for which I am thankful this month.

• Fall colors
• PC helping me iron
• Our kids moving here
• Clean bedding
• Mexican food
• Good health
• Gray clouds with the sun peeking out behind them
• This country and its veterans
• Our electric blanket
• Kitties
• Opportunities
• Living in El Paso
• Family – daughters, son-in-laws, grand-angels
• Family – mom, brother and sister and their families
• Extended family
• Our home
• Sub jobs
• Paul, always Paul

Just A Little More Extreme Gratitude

Rebecca Jo and Penny find the funniest things to share on their blogs.  My sister finds the best things to share on Facebook.  I am grateful for the giggles these gals have given me.

This week my sister shared the video below and as soon as I watched it, I copied the link here so I could share it with you.  I think it is the perfect way to wind up this Thankful Thursday 11.2019:  Extreme Gratitude Edition blog post.  Hope it makes you smile, warms your heart and makes you think like it did me.

[Christmas Presents from Forest Hill Church on Vimeo]

Your Turn

So many of you have left comments of support and offered up prayers and good thoughts for us during this difficult season.  Thank you so much.  We are so thankful for YOU.  Without going into detail right now, we have another very stressful family situation for which we would appreciate your prayers.  Read more here.  We will be traveling to Kentucky to visit my mom who is again struggling with the same psychiatric and physical issues that landed her in the in-patient mental health facility about this time last year.  And will then be traveling to Ohio to be with PC’s parents.  This fall has been very tough.  And yet we have so much to be thankful for.  I am grateful for YOU.

Happy Thanksgiving and happy Thursday.  Wishing you a peaceful weekend and some successful Black Friday and Cyber Monday shopping.

Hugs and kisses,