The Christmas Vs. Thanksgiving Battle And Truth

Hi, Dear Friends,

I think I have the best readers in all of the internet.

Feeling understood as I put my thoughts into words is quite amazing. 

Your comments on my last post warmed my heart.  Thank you. 

I hope and pray that you are well. 

As if there weren't enough battles on the internet, in the last few years the early Christmas decorators have faced off with the Thanksgiving maintainers. Each group is steadfast in their belief that their holiday reigns supreme. 

I am an early Christmas decorator. Last year, I thought this would sooth my heart. 

Nope! The holidays were extremely difficult. I'm trying to hold back from the urge to decorate early this year. While, I don't think that the holidays will be as strange as last year, I think they will still have a degree of strange and lonely. I'm not looking forward to that. 

Aside from my crafting projects, I'm trying to remain in the moment and enjoy my fall decor. That is a struggle for me, because I'm always waiting for the next decorating season. Crafting for the upcoming season or holiday is one of my favorite things to do. 

As I've contemplated another odd holiday season, this Thanksgiving vs. Christmas competition popped into my head. 

Why this is a thing, I don't know because there are way too many disagreements on the internet. 

As a Christian, a heart of gratitude and thanksgiving should be a daily part of my existence. 40 days of thankfulness has been a thing to go around with my group. I think it has value and it is a benefit to my soul. A lot of the strong thankfulness promoters already live a life of gratitude. A grateful heart pulls one out of self thought. A heart of thanksgiving automatically puts one's eyes on the giver of gifts. This is so important.

Nothing pulls me out of a pit of self pity like praying for others. Praying for random strangers I pass on the street is a new favorite thing to do. I pray that the Lord would strengthen them and draw them close. 

It puts an end to pity party pretty quickly.  Prayers of gratitude do the same thing. 

 

Keeping Christmas in "its place" is a fine idea if one were to be unaware of the true meaning of Christmas. It should always have a place far beyond December.  

Instead of 40 days thankfulness, how about the next 58 days of Christmas? It's said that people are more open to conversations about faith near Christmas. I want to take advantage of that. I've already begun contemplating scripture about the birth of my Savior. 

My prayer is that those that don't know Him would come to faith and relationship with Jesus Christ. 

My brother used to call me a Jesus Freak. That dates me, I'm sure. 

He said that my faith was a crutch. Okay. It's a crutch that I'll take.

My faith has seen me though very hard times. I honestly don't know where I would be...

I've tried to imagine what it was like waiting for the birth of the Savior. It is said that there is a 400 year gap in the Scriptures where God was silent. 

Silence...

Waiting...

The last year and a half has felt like that. 

We're waiting and wondering. Will life ever return to normal? Is God silent? 

I've been a little mad at myself that I've not been stronger in this trial. 

A guilty voice suggests that others have it far worse than I. 

I was a Children's Director and Woman's minister, a woman's Bible study leader. 

"I should be strong." 

I'm not. 

Unfortunately, I'm very acquainted with grief. This season feels like grief. 

There were relationships and things that were regularly part of my life. 

Church, home group, work, dinners with family and friends, the list goes on and on. Those things are not happening and if they are, there is something different about them. 

If I'm struggling, how about those that don't have faith as an anchor? 

"The people walking in darkness have seen a great light; on those living in the land of deep darkness a light has dawned." 

Isaiah 9:2 

This holiday season, I hope that I am a reflector of light. I may feel fragile at times but I hope that I can help point other fragile people toward the Light that breaks the darkness and heals the soul. 

He is God with us at Thanksgiving and Christmas. 

I wish you peace, my friends,

Katie 

 

A Scare With Our New Kitty

Hi, Friends,

It's been a little bit since I've checked in. This will be a little chatty. 

How are you? I hope you are doing well. 

I had great intentions of doing a country house anniversary post but that didn't happen. 

To be perfectly honest, I'm not sure exactly what to say but I'm sure I'll think of something. 

 

Last Wednesday night I saw a thread hanging out of Caroline's bottom. I thought it was just caught in her fur but when I tried to remove it, she squeaked and I realized that it was stuck inside. 

Bill had already gone to bed. He heads to bed early because he is commuting to Dallas again which has us both sad. 

Anyway, I thought I should wake him to tell him that I was taking her up to the animal hospital. 

He groggily said he was coming with me. He and Caroline have bonded. He's bonded with her more than any animal we have ever had. The tech took her back to the exam room. She thought they would be able to remove it quickly and that they wouldn't even charge us. 

Nope, They wanted to do x-rays. 

We said, "Of course." 

They didn't see a needle but they were a little concerned that the thread was stuck somewhere and that the intestine would start compacting. 

I imagined pulling on a thread to gather a ruffle. They wanted to open her up to have a look. Each hour is critical. The longer that the intestine bunches up the more damage there is. 

We agreed even though the cost was astronomical. 

Caroline has just captured our hearts. She is only a year old and we want her with us for many years. We've had her since May and we are in love. 

I think that a cat that travels in the car is a rarity and she travels really well. She is a darling. 

 In the past, Bill said he would never spend thousands on animal but he was willing to fork over a bunch of cash for this cat. 

 I just wanted our new little sweetheart back to her old self. 

They had a surgery scheduled in front of Caroline's. 

They asked if we wanted to see her again before surgery. 

I was crying. Caroline kept rubbing her head against our hand like she wanted us to get her out of there. 

It was heart breaking.

We came home and tried to get some sleep. It was 2:00 a.m. at this point. 

We cried, we snacked, we dozed. 

I kept waking up with a panicky feeling. This isn't our regular vet but we've dealt with them many times before for after hours stuff. Still. They had never done surgery on one of our animals. The vet looked like he was barely out of Kindergarten instead of a graduate out of vet school. I was worried about long term damage from opening up her intestines. Yet, he said they do this surgery every day. That made me feel a little better. 

At 4:30 my phone rang. When they sedated her for the surgery, they were able to remove the thread without opening her up. She had relaxed enough that they could get it out.  

I was so relieved. Exhausted, I cried very happy tears.

We snuggled her close when we got her home. 

I napped when we got her home but that was all until I went to bed Thursday night. 

Wow. I am too old for all nighters! 

Bill slept about an hour total. Thankfully, he was able to work from home. 

I don't know if this makes sense but somehow after I lost my dad at the age of 17, I began to believe a lie that if something bad is going to happen, it is going to happen to me. 

When my mom died, I was 10. I remember thinking, "Good. Nothing bad will happen to Dad." 

When the unthinkable transpired and he died, it affected me. I knew that the unthinkable can happen. 

I had a nagging feeling that God was hard on me. 

I know that He isn't but the last year has caused many of those old feelings to come to the surface again. 

Covid, buying the house in East Texas, not getting to spend much time with my family, has worn me down emotionally. When this happened to our kitty, I had to remind myself that all would be okay if we lost our sweet Caroline. It would be so sad but it would be okay. 

My emotions seemed magnified for the situation. It was the middle of the night and I was exhausted but I sobbed at the thought of something happening to her. 

My growth and maturity, healing and trust have been challenged in the last year and a half. 

It's a reminder that that growth is a life long process. There are steps forward and steps back because childhood trauma is a beast to overcome. 

 

Are we more attached to our sweet kitty because she came to us during a hard season in life? 

I don't know. 

I do know that she has been such a joy to us and that she has enriched our lives. 

She is such a wonderful gift and I know who gave her to us. 

We are very thankful that she was okay. 

"being confident of this, that he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus." Philippians 1:6 

"If you then being evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father who is in heaven give good things to those who ask Him. " Matthew 7:11  

That is all for now. 

Katie 

Thoughts For A Sunday

"Let the words of my mouth and the mediation of my heart be acceptable in your sight, 

Oh Lord, my rock and redeemer." Ps. 19:14

I very rarely regret what I didn't say but I very often regret what I did say.

I'll let words slip in anger or frustration only to wish I could take them back or I'll repeat gossip and then feel like a jerk.

"A gentle answer turns away wrath." Prov. 15:1
"Whoever keeps his mouth and his tongue, keeps himself out of trouble." Prov. 21:23

I hate the internal flagellation that comes when I wonder why in the world I couldn't keep my mouth shut.

   

"For the lack of wood the fire goes out, and where there is no whisperer the quarreling ceases." Prov. 26:20 

I've been told that sometimes I am bullied. 

I have been thinking about that and through some other things as well. 
I would rather be bullied and walk away than add fuel to a bonfire of vanity.

 I was taught to treat others the way I want to be treated.
It's a simple childhood moto but one that is sometimes hard for me to put into practice.

"Let your speech always be gracious." Col. 4:6 

                         Gracious: 

                         1. courteous, kind, pleasant 

                         2. showing divine grace

synonyms: courteous, polite, civil, chivalrous, well mannered, mannerly, decorous  

My speech is a long way from that.

"As thro life's span we fleeting go,
We should not this forget,
Tis always better not to do,
Things that we will regret."
Roses of Hope.
M.A. Donohue and Co. Chicago

Thoughtfully,
Katie