“This is the geneaology of Jesus the Messiah the son of David, the son of Abraham …” Matthew 1:1
Archives for November 2011
Thanksgiving. What worked. What didn’t.
Although the house wasn’t perfectly clean and with twelve cousins running around, I can’t say that it was completely relaxing, at the end of the day, Bill and I agreed that we met our goal:
Here’s what we did right:
1. Simple recipes. As tempting as the Southern Living spread was, I went with what we’ve tried before and hasn’t failed. We passed out the recipes and just enjoyed cooking together. Since they were recipes I knew, I was confident having the kids cook with me.
2. Cut corners where it doesn’t matter. I just don’t care about making my own pie crust. Neither does Bill. Neither do the kids. Pillsbury is good enough for us.
3. Don’t cut corners where it does matter. For us, this included Grandmother’s Cranberry Bread from Cranberry Thanksgiving
homemade cranberry sauce, dry-roasted pecans, two types of sweet potato casseroles (one with marshmallows and one with pecans), mashed potatoes, turkey and gravy, and several types of pies.
4. Simple decorations. The kids collected leaves and a lot of this kind of stuff:
Put in vases with candles around … It was quite lovely.
5. We said, “Good enough is good enough,” and loaded up the unmatched socks and laundry that didn’t quite get put away into laundry baskets, stuck them in the closet, and enjoyed the day.
Here’s the one thing that didn’t work. The Kid Tables. We’ve always just loaded everyone around our huge farm table, brought a child’s table into the dining room, and made it work. But this year, we had the adult table out on the sun porch, and two kid tables elsewhere. Next year, we’ll have everyone sit together, somehow, some way. I missed having them with us, and Bill and several of the kids said that they missed it too.
What about you? What worked? What didn’t? Before Thanksgiving fades into a blur of red and green, have a sit-down with your husband and possibly your kids and evaluate, and then write it down so that next year you remember what worked and what didn’t.
Thanksgiving: A Goal and a Plan
So, this morning I sat with my cup of coffee, my Bible, my legal pad, and my computer tuned to the Prayer Room. As I prayed about the day ahead, Philippians 2:4 leapt off the page, swirled and danced around me, and settled into my heart.
Let each of you look not only to his own interests. This is good for me to hear, and for you too, I’m guessing. My interests are important. So often we, as women, are so consumed with the interests of others that we fail to think about our interests. But if my own interests don’t match the interests of my husband and my children, I’m going to be the one doing all the work to make it happen. That’s not fun.
So, as Bill, and then each of the kids wandered in, I asked,
“What is important to you about Thanksgiving?”
So, from their answers, I came up a Family Goal for Thanksgiving Day
Let’s try that again.
Relaxed is the tough part, right? And, the goal is not for everyone else to have a relaxed day, but for me too. So, we’ve got a goal. Now we need a plan.
With Philippians 2:4 in mind, I scratched out a plan.
Monday
Cleaning Day! All the kids are responsible for their own rooms and one room in the house. This evening I’ll finish the grocery shopping. Honestly, with the cleaning, we’ll just get done what can get done.
Tuesday
Not much happens. EXCEPT, I pick up our oldest, Sara Maria, from college- YEY! I’m so excited for time in the car with her to process life. Grace works all day at the YMCA, and the other kids will spend a fun afternoon and evening with Aunt Ann and Grandmom.
Wednesday
Cooking Day! Beginning early in the morning, I’ll pass out our family recipes to the kids, the ones they told me are must-haves for Thanksgiving. We will turn on our favorite CDs, claim territory in the kitchen, and go to it. Fun! But, this is what I really wanted to check out with the kids. I wanted to know what dishes are important to them. I don’t want to waste my time and energy making food that is only important to me. And, I want their commitment. If they want it on the menu, they need to be willing to help cook and clean. Here’s where their interests really are my interests.
Thursday
- We’ll enjoy family – Grandparents, Aunt Ann, Uncle Chris, and the Dillon cousins will join us.
- We’ll have fun – Cranberry Thanksgiving, Turkey Bowl (football), walks, board games, and LOTS of laughter.
- We’ll have food. Yes, we’ll have food, dishes that are attached to family history and prepared together.
Philippians 2:4
Looking to the interests of others, my family, our guests, and also my interests … We’ve got a goal. We’ve got a plan. I’ll let you know how it shapes up.
What is your goal for Thanksgiving? What is your plan? I’d love to hear from you!
Got-ya Katya!
Mobilize?
In 1991, as intentional dating, turned to serious dating with an eye toward marriage, Bill shared these tapes with me. We listened to Becky Pippert and Joni Eareckson Tada, but the message that captured my heart was the one by George Verwer.
Welcome!
- Spiritual Gifts: Unwrap the Mystery by Discover Your Gifts and Finding Your Niche
- Your past: God wants to use your life experiences for kingdom purposes
- JOY Maximization! Identity in Christ, Intimacy with Christ, Impact through Christ
- The Bible: How to have a Quiet Time that Fuels Your Day
- Prayer: More than a Vending Machine
- Mobilized Women: Interviews with Real Life Women Impacting the World Through Christ
- Transformational Resources: Key Books, Sermons, Articles to Mobilize You for the Kingdom
- Life Transitions: Into the Marketplace, Marriage, and Motherhood, but not necessarily in that order
- Opportunities: Connect with Real Life opportunities to Impact the World through Christ
- AND MUCH MORE!
My desire is to serve YOU, so I’d love to hear from you! In the list above, what really energizes you? What makes you say, “Cindy, write that TODAY!” What other questions, topics, conundrums would you like to see me discuss? What would you like me to address as you consider being mobilized to impact the world? I’m excited about this new endeavor and can’t wait to hear from you!