Thanksgiving 2013

Happy belated thanksgiving everyone! We are currently down in NOLA enjoying family, friends and of course beignets. We spent the day yesterday with my wonderful in-laws eating our fair share of turkey and playing silly games.

A few things I am thankful for this year are...

-This wonderful little life we are so excited to meet this coming April! Lots of kicks have been felt this weekend.

-A wonderful, loving husband who I get to fall more in love with each day. He does such a great job taking care if our little family and I don't tell him nearly enough.

-Sweet family and friends that constantly bless us with their love and support.

-Close girlfriends - both new and old - to share funny moments with, read good books with, and generally enjoy life with.

-Good jobs that we both genuinely enjoy that provide for our family.

-A goofy puppy dog that has added entertainment and energy (and moments of frustration;) to our life.

-A church community that had given us an opportunity to minister to others and be ministered to.

-Opportunities to grow in our faith lives this year both individually and together.

Just it name a few! I intend on using the rest of this break to enjoy my far away family, spend quality time with my sweet husband, and possibly eat more beignets. We return to our humble abode in Sunday and intend on celebrating this first Sunday of Advent by decorating for Christmas!

silence

Every year, my dear husband goes on a retreat with the men in his family. This retreat usually falls the weekend before Christmas and is always a time for him to refocus and center himself for the new year. Ever since I have known him he has gone on this retreat and I was always a little jealous of the time he spends away growing closer to God and reflecting.

Switching gears to my life - for the past 6 years I have been volunteering on and off with our church's Lifeteen program and have LOVED every single minute of it. Every fall we go on a retreat but I am always leading a small group, giving a talk, or running around in the background. I'm ministering to others and not being ministered to. While this is fabulous and I love the opportunity I am being given to serve others - I have been feeling lately that I am running on empty. This is a feeling that has been pretty consistent the past year or so...just very worn and disconnected from my faith life.

Well what do you know - a little opportunity for me to retreat has popped up! But this is no normal yay Jesus clap your hands, sing some songs, play some games retreat (like the ones I have been helping out on as of late)... it's a silent retreat.

One little detail I left out about my husbands retreat, is that it's silent. Well for the engineer-computer-nerd-type, I would imagine that being quiet for a few days isn't that big of a deal. I talk to people, a LOT, every DAY, as my job. I am constantly making to do lists and taking notes and writing and planning and... silence is hard for me. So needless to say...I'm a little nervous.

I should be finishing up packing right now but baby was hungry so we had a snack and I decided to write a few thoughts down. I'm thankful that some other ladies I have gotten to know through church are coming on this retreat as well and while it will be silent, I won't be going about it alone. I think it's going to be eye opening to spend so much time with my computer and cell phone completely turned off and my mind turned on to God. I'm ready for the challenge and the hopeful refreshment I'll be receiving this weekend.

Prayers are greatly appreciated & I'll be praying for you too!