Wow. Thanksgiving may be over, but I’m still basking in the afterglow of a full and grateful heart. The college kids had the whole week off, so we picked them up from the airport and headed straight to El Arroyo to satisfy their Tex-Mex withdrawals. We spent a few days in Austin and then headed to my in-law’s ranch in East Texas to celebrate Thanksgiving. As an added bonus, my family had a second Thanksgiving meal with my father who lives about an hour from the ranch in The Woodlands, Texas.

I can still remember my first trip to the ranch when my husband and I were dating back in our college years. My husband’s grandparents bought the land when he was a child and it has since become the source of many family gatherings and memories. Unfortunately, I never had the opportunity to meet my husband’s grandparents, but I am grateful for the legacy they left behind. In the early years, we would all stay in their original home which at the time, had only one bathroom. Once the four cousins began to marry and have children, my husband’s aunt and her family built another home on the property and my in-laws expanded the existing home. Whew, problem solved.

It’s not always possible for the entire clan to gather together, so this Thanksgiving was a real treat. I may have mentioned in a past blog post that my husband’s cousin is Shelley Giglio, who is married to Louie Giglio. They are best known for starting Passion, which to date, has held events for college students and young adults all over the world. In fact, they have an event, Passion 2010/Atlanta this coming January 2-5, which already has 17,000+ students registered, including my own two college kids! (As a side note, if you have a college-aged student, do what you can to get them there. It is a life-changing experience and by far, one of the best investments you can make in their future.) Shelley and Louie also manage a record label which represents some pretty decent worship leaders like Chris Tomlin, David Crowder, and Charlie Hall. And in their remaining spare time (hah!) they recently started a new church in Atlanta called Passion City Church. All that to say, my busy little life doesn’t seem quite as busy and chaotic up next to theirs!

The ranch (or “the farm,” as we like to call it) is a place where you can put deadlines and the busyness of everyday life on hold. It’s a place where you can decompress and just plain be lazy. It’s a place where you can take a walk and be reminded of God’s handiwork all around you. Like a sunset illuminating the changing colors of the trees. Or stumbling upon a calf just minutes after it was born (like my 16 year-old did). It’s a place where you play so hard, you lose track of the time and sometimes, forget what day it is. It’s a place where your to-do list might look something like this:

1. Eat.
2. Play horseshoes.
3. Ride four wheelers.
4. Eat some more.
5. Shoot guns.
6. Watch football. (Hook’em Horns and War Eagle!)
7. Play football.
8. Eat some more.
9. Sit on rockers in the screened in porch and visit with family members.
10. Explore an old creek bed and look for petrified wood.

The older I get, the more appreciative I am of the blessing of family and most importantly, the legacy of faith. I realize that many of you reading this post have experienced your fair share of challenges when it comes to the dynamics of family relationships. As someone who has experienced an ongoing family challenge or two of my own, I know firsthand that the holidays can represent a time of tension and/or heartache. I am learning that while life may bring circumstances outside of my control, I can control my attitude in regard to those circumstances. In other words, I can focus on the blessings I have rather than the ones I wish I had. We all have things for which to be thankful, most importantly, a God who loves us perfectly and proved His love for us by sending His Son to die for all mankind. Thanksgiving may come but once a year, but giving unceasing thanks for what God has done is a year-round event.

You have turned my mourning into joyful dancing. You have taken away my clothes of mourning and clothed me with joy, that I might sing praises to you and not be silent. O Lord my God, I will give you thanks forever! (Psalm 30:11-12)