THANKSGIVING!!!!

Well this year was sooo utterly different. I made lumpia- filipino springrolls. I was pregnant last year and this year I have a beautiful baby girl. I am still happily married to the best husband in the whole world, but we have changed as individuals and that's to be expected. We are no longer in an apartment- we just moved into a house. AND we didn't have turkey or anything typical of a thanksgiving dinner. We had chili, beans, corn pudding, and my lumpia. BUT- we are just as thankful and spending time together as a family is still just as important. This untypical dinner made me think about what we really get together for.
Do we slave over a stove and cook for hours upon hour just to say we had a turkey because it's expected? OR do we work hard in our kitchens because we wish to feed a family we belong to- a family we are thankful for? I always thought turkey or ham and a huge feast had to be set up for it to be thanksgiving- but this year I found that even if we only had beans and bread we still come together and share a beautiful holiday where we think on the things we are thankful for.
I am thankful for my family- ALL of my family. I am thankful for my friends, my child, my husband especially, my privilege to stay at home with my daughter, my new home, the fact I live in America and have freedoms that others unfortunately don't. BUT the one thing I am the most thankful for is my Savior Jesus Christ. I think it's a beautiful segue into te Christmas season. The one thing I think people miss at Christmas though is that the baby in the manger didn't say in the manger. The baby grew up, lived a perfect life, died a horrible death, rose from the dead and saved mankind from their sins. The Lord has opened my eyes to this truth- we are not commanded to celebrate Jesus' birth, but we are shown to celebrate and remember His death and resurrection. We put so much emphasis on the birth of Jesus which was important, but in the glamour and sparkle of this holiday has outshown the real reason for His coming. Jesus didn't save people by just being born- He saved people by dying on the cross and rising again. So as we now look forward to Christmas and the holiday of giving- we should ultimately remember why He was sent to this world- to GIVE His Life a ransom for many. That is something to be truly thankful for! :-)