Website designer, Owner
I may have mentioned that this is my favorite time of year, as we are moving through all the holidays at the end of the year. It really is. I love all the holidays from October through New Year’s on January 1st. It is also the busiest time of year. The holidays bring extra “stuff” to our already busy routines. We are entering the time of year for our family; I like to call “Delightful chaos”. All of the family activities for Thanksgiving and Christmas alone take up every spare minute we have. My wife and I are parents to 8 grown children and 26 grandchildren, most of whom live right here in Alaska! Knowing that, you might be able to understand the hustle and bustle that can bring, AKA, delightful chaos. BUT it is all good stuff, and we are very thankful for the family we have and for being able to enjoy life with them every step of the way.
Because things are so busy, it is easy to fall into a trap of not stepping back and realizing all of the blessings God has given us. I’m talking about the things that count – that really matter. It’s the people and the relationships we have. You can go through this life and work hard for a lot of things, but none of it goes with you when you leave this place. But the one thing that you can take with you, and is eternal, is the relationships and the love you have with one another. That is truly above all, the most important thing in this life. So, in writing this quick update, I am reminding myself of all the things I am truly grateful and thankful for.
We have had a challenging year, to be sure. We had a major and expensive repair on our property. We had a wedding recently (happy and exciting but stressful). Both of our elderly parents who live with us have had significant health-related events take place. Bobbi had major neck surgery just weeks ago. We have had challenges hit our children’s families that required us to give long-term support as they navigated them. I know I am forgetting half a handful of other things, but combining them with a busy life, I sometimes wonder how we got through them all. And we did. We got through all of them. And the answer as to “how” is easy. We trust God when times get tough. We trust Him when things are easy, too, but hard times have a way of strengthening our faith and our relationship with God.
So, with this Thanksgiving tomorrow, we give thanks. We are truly thankful for the important things we have, the outcomes that came from the hard times, and the hope we have for the future. If you are reading this quick little post, may it remind you to just take a moment, maybe more, to reflect back on what you truly have that is important and be thankful. Remember, the “stuff” we have in our lives, including what we do for work, really doesn’t count. In the end, its the people in your life you love and care about.
Happy Thanksgiving, everyone!
Ken & Bobbi
