Thirty Days of Thanksgiving - Day Ten

Day 10. The Letter J.

Today I’m thankful for my son James – the “baby” of the family.

By the time your fourth child comes along, you think you know the drill and what to expect. Granted, it had been eight years since I’d given birth to the twins and the Big 3-0 had sailed past in a blur. But just about the time I got cozy with having all my boys in school, you guessed it – baby fever hit. Max and I prayed about whether this was a good idea or not, but after a couple of months, we knew we wanted to have another child.

The entire pregnancy I had a weird skin condition and at one point had ankles the size of tree trunks. I was miserable, but thought it might be a sign that this time we’d have a girl. God had other plans. Not quite a year after we’d been stricken by the baby bug, boy number four arrived. One month early. Adorable with loads of silky black hair and three brothers who doted on him from the beginning. And in the end, God knew James was just what we needed to complete our family.

Poor kid. We dragged him to soccer games and school plays and craft shows from the time he was a month old. We were definitely more relaxed with this late comer, and it showed in his easy disposition. He was easily entertained and entertaining to have around. And he really couldn’t get by with anything because, as parents, we’d learned a few tricks of our own via the antics of his big brothers.

Still, James has always exuded a certain confidence and seemed to know what he wanted and worked hard to achieve it. He’s earned a lot of honors through 4-H, FFA, high school, and in college and made us proud parents, but his greatest feat was in finding Allison. There’s no doubt they were made for each other, and three years ago it was our pleasure to be part of their fairy tale wedding (see picture).


Today, they’re the proud parents of two girls – Tempe and Scout – their Siberian huskies.


Max and I are blessed by all of our boys and their families. Sometimes it’s more than our hearts can hold, and this season of thanksgiving is a good time to ponder just how incredible the gift of parenthood is. And, of course, we’re especially grateful that we’ve lived to tell about it!

Thirty Days of Thanksgiving - Day Nine

Day 9. The Letter I.

Today I’m thankful for Inspiration.

WRITER’S MYTH: If you just wait for inspiration, it will come, and the words will flow like molten lava onto the page, igniting the world with your brilliance.

Oh, if only that were so. The truth is writing is 90% perspiration and 10% inspiration. It’s hard work. And sometimes grueling. As nice as it would be, an author doesn’t have the luxury of waiting for inspiration to strike. The writing chair and keyboard await. Deadlines lurk. Books (and blog posts!) don’t write themselves. There are, however, some things that just by nature are inspiring or which I’ve found helpful to jumpstart my brain. Oddly enough, these ten things are also things which bring me joy and contentment.

Maui, June 2011

1. Books – Reading great novels not only satisfies my need to be drawn into fictitious story worlds, but also challenges me to be a better writer.

2. Music – Jazz, doo-wop, gospel, and golden oldies are regular choices for me. I can’t imagine a world without music.

3. Sunsets – There is nothing quite so breathtaking as a sunset on the prairie, especially the shifting colors as evening slips into night. The ones in Maui are pretty incredible too.

4. The smell of new rain – I never tire of this smell, and coupled with it, the patter of rain on the roof as I settle in with my computer to write plays its own kind of music.

5. Coffee – Oh sweet Sumatra, vivacious Verona, eloquent Espresso, friendly Folgers, capricious Columbian. You make my mornings brighter and my heart happy.

6. Laughter – Grandkid giggles. Belly laughing that makes tears run down my cheeks. The world needs more laughter.

7. Change of scenery – Weekend getaways. Exotic vacations. Visits with friends. All are inspiring in their own way.


8. Reading the inspirational stories of others – I’m a Guideposts reader and happy to be part of a new website that brings inspirational stories every day.

9. Prayer – A day bathed in prayer makes all the difference in my outlook and my writing output.

10. God’s Word – So many scriptures inspire me, but here’s one that helps me keep my focus as I’m writing:  May the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be pleasing in your sight, O LORD, my Rock and my Redeemer. Psalm 19:14 (NIV)

I’m feeling inspired – how about you? Do you have any special places or rituals that help stir inspiration in you?

Thirty Days of Thanksgiving - Day Eight

Day 8. The letter H. 

Today I'm thankful for hard times. And hope. 

Last weekend I had the opportunity to spend time with a group of writers. My heart came away full with learning new things, catching up with some of my favorite pals, and meeting new friends.

Over a shared stuffed pizza – Chicago style – one of my new friends told me how the last year had gone by in a blur. Her debut novel was set to release, but in the midst of preparing for that, she was blind-sided by a personal injury, prolonged medical treatment, and was then called to another state to help care for her mother in hospice. Her emotions were frayed, her supply of energy depleted. She’s coming out from a hard year, and as we talked, I couldn’t help but think of the valleys I’ve been through in my own life. Dark valleys where I didn’t know what tomorrow would bring and was almost afraid to wake up because I knew new challenges were nearly certain.

We’ve all had them. Family crises. Deaths of dear ones. Job upheaval. Serious illnesses. Redirecting our lives. And yet, during those times, even when I didn’t know what to pray, I’ve cried out for wisdom and strength and provision. And it’s only when I look back at the hard times that I see them for what they are – treasures that have made my life richer. They are the places in my road of life where I’ve learned the most about who I am and grown the most in my walk with God.

I know it’s a bit of a paradox to be thankful for hard times during this season of thanksgiving. The valleys of despair can seem endless and unbearable, but even when we aren't aware of his presence, God walks beside us. The valleys are rich and fertile, filled with streams of hope to water our weary hearts. It's a hope not only for tomorrow, but for all eternity. And that is worthy of celebration. Worthy of thanksgiving.

Thirty Days of Thanksgiving - Day Seven

How do I love thee? Let me count the ways. Are grandkids the best thing since the hula hoop or what? And what a sense of humor God has! He gave us four sons, then bam! Five grandsons!

Ha. Ha. I’ve loved them everyone in turn. Perfection in miniature! Then, finally . . . FINALLY . . . a grandgirl! The first girl born on my side of the family in 52 years! Thankful, indeed.

It would be impossible to list all of the endearing, superior, divine qualities of my grandchildren – a problem I’m sure none of you other Mimis and Papas out there have. Let’s just say, I’m grateful and blessed.

Waving to Jeremy who doesn't live close enough to get into these family photos - we love you kiddo!

Thirty Days of Thanksgiving - Day Six

Day 6. The letter F. 

The holidays always make me thankful for the family God chose to give me—one where faith and love went hand in hand with learning the value of an education, hard work, and cherishing each other. Max and I have tried to instill those same values in our own family. Here are a few of my favorite family photos.

My dad's grandsons and great-grands.

A family vacation to Breckenridge

Thanksgiving in Tulsa

Same dinner - This is the VIP table!

Our traditional Christmas Eve in Guymon

Max's mom enjoying a holiday visit

More holiday fun with Max's mom

The annual photo of "the girls" - Best sisters in the world!

Family. Wow! I've been blessed! My apologies if you're a part of our family and didn't get your picture in here. Going through thousands of pictures has worn me out.

Do you get together with family on holidays? How about reunions? Vacation together? What are your family plans this Thanksgiving?

Thirty Days of Thanksgiving - Day Five

Day 5. The letter E. 

I could chose eclectic or éclairs or elephants to be thankful for today. I could, but I didn’t. The first thing that popped in my head was Ecclesiastes, a nifty little book right in the heart of the Old Testament. There is something so lasting, so anchoring in reading about the people in the days of old and knowing they endured the same temptations, the same hardships, and they made the same excuses and whines that we do today.

Ecclesiastes probably came to mind because it has two of my favorite passages in all of scripture. And I love that even though the author, Solomon, lead a less than perfect life, God granted him great wisdom. Allow me to share some of that wisdom with you today.

Ecclesiastes 3: 
1 There is a time for everything,
and a season for every activity under the heavens:
2 a time to be born and a time to die,
a time to plant and a time to uproot,
3 a time to kill and a time to heal,
a time to tear down and a time to build,
4 a time to weep and a time to laugh,
a time to mourn and a time to dance,
5 a time to scatter stones and a time to gather them,
a time to embrace and a time to refrain from embracing,
6 a time to search and a time to give up,
a time to keep and a time to throw away,
7 a time to tear and a time to mend,
a time to be silent and a time to speak,
8 a time to love and a time to hate,
a time for war and a time for peace.


Ecclesiastes 4:
9 Two are better than one,
because they have a good return for their labor:
10 If either of them falls down,
one can help the other up.
But pity anyone who falls
and has no one to help them up.
11 Also, if two lie down together, they will keep warm.
But how can one keep warm alone?
12 Though one may be overpowered,
two can defend themselves.
A cord of three strands is not quickly broken.

I don’t think I can improve on anything that’s not already said in these precious passages. They’re a pretty good prescription for life. Reading these beloved words again during this season of Thanksgiving renews my spirit. I hope it does the same for you.

Thirty Days of Thanksgiving - Day Four

Day 4. The Letter D. 

The annual picture of Daddy and "the girls"

“In the game of pitch, you can shoot the moon with only an ace and a deuce – providing it’s the first hand of a new game.” This is the kind of wisdom I learned from Daddy – the object of today’s thirty days of gratitude. Home-spun truths with one foot in the real world and one in the legendary world of tall tales—a realm in which my dad holds the degree of “master spinner.”

My sisters and I weren’t thinking of tall tales, though, last February when Daddy had to take an unexpected helicopter ride to Amarillo following a minor heart attack during a stress test. As a matter of fact, the angiogram in Amarillo revealed major blockage that required a minimum of four bypasses. And the unspoken prognosis: At his age, anything could happen.

My two sisters and I got there as fast as we could, relieved when we found him stabilized. The surgeon, though, wanted to give his body time to recover from the two days of tests before she performed the bypasses. So we had a whole day to wait. No tests. No agenda. Just bed rest and monitoring in ICU.

Daddy was in high spirits—“fine as frog hair,” as he was fond of saying. Donna, Marsha, and I didn’t let on about our fears, either—the tangible reality that this might be the last day this side of heaven we had to spend with our dad. A dad who was definitely one-of-a-kind. When we were kids, he was just as comfortable combing our hair into pony tails as he was making us mow the grass or pull nails out of boards. He often loaded us up in his pick-up and took us off on horse-trading expeditions or a day of cherry picking in Granny’s orchard. He waited into the wee hours of night waiting for us to get home from band trips and didn’t mind telling us to “keep your noses clean and to the grindstone.”

All of those things and more riddled our thoughts as Daddy rested in the hospital bed, the blood-thinning heparin drip keeping him safe until they sawed his chest open and put him on the heart-lung machine so they could “fix” what they could. Daddy didn’t raise a trio of whiny, mopey girls, though. So after the morning routine, Marsha pulled out a deck of cards. Time for a game of pitch.

Playing Pitch in the Hospital

We positioned the bedside table, cranked up the head of Daddy’s bed and spent the day doing what he liked best – playing cards and telling stories. It didn’t take a lot of encouragement on our part to get him started, and we talked and laughed until tears ran down our cheeks. If it was to be his last day on this earth, we’d made the best of it—a day we could look back on without regret.

It wasn’t his last day, though. The repairs were made and he came through just fine. I won’t say the aftermath was pleasant—certainly not as much fun as four-handed pitch, but two weeks later we took Daddy home, and he continued the road to recovery. He’s back to restoring buggies, being head usher at church, and spinning more stories. My own gratitude overflows. How blessed I’ve been to have a dad who taught me about Jesus, who’s been an anchor and influence in my life, and who taught me that you can shoot the moon in a game of pitch with an ace and a deuce – providing it’s the first hand of a new game.

Sometimes it’s the little things. Sometimes the huge ones. Sometimes it’s hard to tell the difference. Here’s the truth, though. Next time we gather around the oak table in Daddy’s kitchen and the cards are shuffled, I’ll say a prayer of Thanksgiving. I might even try to shoot the moon.

Thirty Days of Thanksgiving - Day Three

Day 3. The letter C. 

Have I got a surprise for you today! But first – a little thanksgiving dance for my favorite “C” word – coffee!

Anyone who has known me for more than five minutes knows I LOVE coffee, the nectar of heaven. Thank you, Jesus, for that little burst of caffeine that gets me going in the morning, that keeps me percolating through the day, and is the perfect benediction to a great dinner with family or friends. AND a highly recommended accompaniment to any of the recipes in the just-released, greatly anticipated, first annual Novel Morsels: Your Favorite Authors Bringing Recipes to Life.

Isn’t this a tempting cover? This e-book is the brainchild of Nicole O’Dell, writer, radio host, and teen advocate. And now Cook Book Editor! Sixty-three Christian Fiction authors contributed to this collection of more than 120 recipes. Some are found between the covers of our books and have our character’s fingerprints on them. Some are from authors who cope with the rigors of writing by escaping into the kitchen. I can’t wait to try some of them myself, and I know you’ll love it, too.

Novel Morsels is available on Nicole’s site now at the low price of $2.99 and will soon be available for the Kindle, Nook, and iPad. HOWEVER . . . as a thank you to the faithful readers of this blog, I will send a *coupon code* to anyone who leaves a comment on this post for the next two weeks and you will get the cook book FREE! Zero dollars. Please include your contact information so I can send the code to your inbox.

Read the complete list of contributing authors here. 

That's it. My surprise for you today. I’m thankful for writing friends who journey with me, love and support one another, and do fun things like putting together a cook book. A special thanks to Nicole O’Dell for the magic that pulled it all together. All the credit is hers. Enjoy!

So, what is it? Coffee, tea, or ??? Remember - comment for the coupon code!

Thirty Days of Thanksgiving - Day Two

Day Two. The letter B. 

Brett, happy at sea

As fate would have it, on the second day of thankfulness, our second-born son’s name appears in the alphabet. Brett. He’s one-half of a matched set – twins born nineteen months after our first son. Can you say harried mom? Scott, his other half will have to wait until his turn in the alphabet, for today I’m grateful for Brett.

Oh, how wondrous are the ways of the Lord. And uniquely made is every part of his creation. Brett, from an early age, had a tender heart for critters (rabbits, hamsters, pups, cats) and set out to ask not why, but how? Always curious, he explored, took things apart (buckets of wires, cords, springs, and the makings of clocks that would never tick again). He wanted to know how things worked and was happier on a tractor than in an English or Math class. Little did we know that the chef hat, Happy Face Pots and Pans and Coast Guard Legos from his childhood were prophetic of the life he would someday lead.

Brett and Cindy

At nineteen, Brett joined the US Coast Guard, became a cook, and has traveled the world for a decade and a half. Russia, China, Indonesia, Panama, Costa Rica, Jordan, Bahrain, and countless other ports-of-call—we’ve been there vicariously through Brett and his travels.

And when he’s stateside with his wife, Cindy, and stepson, Jeremy, we enjoy hearing about his ventures both abroad and at home where he still has a penchant for God’s creatures—four pups that keep Cindy company while he sails the world.

For Brett and all of the men and women who serve our country, I’m grateful. Thank you. You make me proud to be an American. And a mom.

Thirty Days of Thanksgiving - Day One

Today I'm starting something new here at the Cafe - Thirty days of being thankful. If you’re anything like me, you’re thankful every day for God’s gifts and His blessings. Mine tend to be generic more often than not, so as I’ve seen others do, I’m devoting November – the month of Thanksgiving – to being intentionally thankful every day. For small things and those that are unspeakably grand.

To keep things straight – and because it’s the sort of thing I would do – I’ll be going through the alphabet for the first twenty-six days. Then who knows? The last four days may be a surprise even to me as I keep my heart open to abundant gratitude. Join me, okay?

Day One. The letter A. 

Andy and Amy with the boys

Appropriately on the first day, I’m thankful for my firstborn child – Andrew – always Andy to us. Imaginative, creative, and the one who would test my mettle in more ways than I can count (teen-age years anyone?). But thirty-seven years ago, when the gravity of having a little person who was totally dependent on his inept parents dawned on me, I thought all the answers could be found in a book. I found out soon enough the parenting experts hadn’t met Andy.

Enter: the delight of raising a child who asked why of everything, had an imaginary friend named Larry (whose mother let him do all the things I wouldn’t), could spell encyclopedia in the first grade, invented his own utopia and called it Andy-Land, and gave us two amazing grandsons as a reward for our feeble efforts at raising him. His tears when he held his first-born brought full-circle the joy and thankfulness that I’ve had in being Andy’s mom – both then and now.

More adventures in parenting waited in the wings. Journey with me along the road of gratitude this month.
Have you had any surprises as a parent? What are you thankful for today?