My Cup Runneth Over

This is my first Thanksgiving back in the States after 4 years of being away. It was wonderful to celebrate with my family as well as some friends. We had a wonderful day together enjoying great food and one another's company.

We laughed hard as two of our guests told the story of walking into the wrong house via the garage and even opening the garage door in attempts to ring the bell just before they walked in! We raised our voice is joy and frustration as we played games and we enjoyed the innocents, laughter, and play of children. Yes, it was a good day.

In all the good I couldn't help but think back to my Thanksgivings in Germany. They were very good too. Memorable for sure (especially that first one)! I thought about my friends with whom I shared those meals. I thought about the stress and love that went into preparations. But mostly I thought about the relationships and the journey we've shared.

I was especially grateful for my friends from Germany; some of them are good friends; some of them are more than that: they're family.

We had the pleasure of hosting 4 non-family members today. It was really nice to have them as part of our celebration and I was glad to know that they had a place to come. I was always thankful for the people who took me in on holidays when I wasn't able to be with my family and I'm glad I can pay that forward. I'm thankful for kind, generous, and hospitable parents who let me invite friends over (not to mention a mother who is an amazing cook). I'm thankful for my sister and her family with whom we got to celebrate today. I'm thankful for my brother, who will hopefully be with us this time next year. I'm thankful for my brothers kids, their mom and sister and the way that God continues to bring redemption and restoration to all our lives. I'm thankful for friends - old and new - near and far. I'm thankful for another day to live...I'm thankful for all this and more. Yes, my cup runneth over!