I cannot believe how blessed I am to celebrate Thanksgiving in Da Nang, Vietnam!! Thanksgiving is by far my favorite holiday. It is a day to look around and realize how rich we are and how God has blessed each one of us. I love being around family.
My immediate family celebrates Thanksgiving with my dad’s side of the family. Let me tell you… when you get a bunch of Schippers in a room, the decibel level goes through the roof. The room quickly fills with laughter and talk of computer gadgets or politics.
One tradition that I am going to miss this year is waking up early on Thanksgiving morning to stuff the turkey. My dad, brother, and I walk down to grandma and grandpa's house around 6 o’clock. We stuff the turkey and then grandma cooks us breakfast. This is the first year that neither my brother nor I will be there to carry on the tradition. I will also miss my aunt Cheryl's pumpkin pies, football, potato guns, and laughter!!
God has blessed me so much with a spiritual family to celebrate Thanksgiving with this year. Twenty of us were able to have Thanksgiving dinner together. It was so amazing. While sitting there at the table, I got a little emotional with the thought of home, but then I was overjoyed by looking down the dinner table and seeing all my spiritual brothers and sisters. We are family! I praise God for allowing me to have a traditional Thanksgiving meal complete with pumpkin pie!!!!
What I am thankful for:
1. I am thankful for salvation and Jesus inviting me into a relationship with him. For Grace! I am thankful for our savior coming to earth in the flesh and dying for my sins. For taking what I deserve and bearing it on the cross. I praise God for the hope we have in Christ Jesus to one-day sit at the banquet table with Him. What a glorious day that will be. I am thankful for Jesus for shifting my paradigm and teaching me how to love.
2. I am grateful for parents that have taught me how to live out the greatest commandment: love God love neighbor. For parents that love each other unconditionally. For a father that poured into me how to love my family one day. He is an amazing example of our heavenly fathers love. I am thankful for a mother that taught me about tenderness, grace, motherly love and what to look for in a wife. For a brother that taught me what is means to worship even in the hard times. For two sets of extraordinary grandparents.
3. I am grateful for the World Race and the journey the Lord has me on this year. I thank the Lord for illuminate my eyes to the things Jesus sees and empowering me to bring hope to the nations, to be the church, to worship in spirit and in truth, and to set ministry as a life style. I am Thankful for K-Squad. What a bless it is to have 56 new family members whose heart is to bring heaven to earth by being Jesus with skin on to a lost and dying world.
4. I am grateful for working limbs and energy and the ability to play soccer or volleyball. Being around the disabled at the orphanage has made me realize how often I get down or upset at small mundane situations. These kids sit in a chair most of the day and cannot do anything without help.
This list could go on and on. Jesus has blessed us all!! If you are even reading this blog you are gifted with eyesight. Jesus is so AMAZING! Lets give thanks everyday.
HAPPY THANKSGIVING!!
Love you all!!
