A Thousand Thanksgivings

In the wee hours this morning, instead of sleeping I was remembering the many Thanksgivings past. I remember as a child, helping mom cut the bread slices for the stuffing, the smell of onions frying and the continuous aroma floating out of the oven from baking rolls, squash, pies and then, the turkey.  My aunt would get us girls busy making name cards for the tables and setting them at each place with our best dishes. In the years to follow, as many of us got married and began our families, we started the tradition of spending Wednesday night at Mom and Dad's. We would start eating and playing games until the wee hours of the morning. At about 2 am, we would leave the sleeping babies with Mom and a group of us would go out to a restaurant for breakfast. What crazy antics we would do while we waited for our food to be served. Like passing lifesavers on toothpicks in our mouths around the table or shooting contest with our straws, to name a couple. (Aunt Barb let us do it!) We were always thankful that there weren't too many other people there as they may not have thought we were so entertaining! As our families grew and some moved away, we started renting a camp building with a big kitchen and a lot of bunk beds to accommodate us all. We had a agenda that included old family slide shows, skits, group games and crafts. What wonderful, fun years those were. So much has changed and so much more will change in the years to come. I am so thankful for the memories of those cherished times. I am looking forward, with hope, to many more to tuck away into my heart. A hymn came to my mind that we used to sing every Thanksgiving in my dad's church. "A thousand, a thousand thanksgivings, I bring blessed Savior, to Thee." May we all bring to our God, a heart of thanksgiving for the thousands of blessings He so freely gives to us each day. Happy Thanksgiving!

Antics Defined!

As I have been contemplating what is next to share with you all, some of the crazy antics that I have "innocently" been a part of over the years have repeatedly come to mind.  I wondered if I recorded some of them in my 25 years of journals?  I wondered if  I should allow you to laugh along with me as they come to mind now.   It's not that we all don't have those moments that happen occasionally, or daily for some of us.  Those things that bring us to the point of frustration, frantic chaos and then rolling on the floor or tear wiping laughter.   I  have had to learn to take these moments in stride.  Enjoying the craziness of life, the silliness of being "me" and any opportunity to laugh!  I was blessed to be surrounded by a very large, fun-seeking family.  What family of 10 wouldn't find a zillion things to laugh about?  We survived more pranks,  jokes and  sessions of silliness,  hence the definition of "antics"!  Many of those times came from my Dad!  He had this knack of doing things to make us all laugh even though it he usually received a playful slap from my mom, who was trying not to laugh, too!  (You could tell by the strange contortions of her face. )  I have an inkling this is where my ability to find myself  involved in many comical situations.   My aunt, our family historian , has recorded many amusing stories from their childhood and from the next two generations, which includes me and my children.  What fun it is to relive our laughter as we read and share them with our spouses, kids and grandkids.   I wonder if the next generation may enjoy reading my blogs, which I'm sure will be stored in "the cloud" somewhere instead of a binder of paper.  Will they enjoy reliving the laughter we once shared, over the antics of their crazy mom, Aunt Annie, and Grammie?  I sure hope so.  There's a song I once sang that had a stanza in it that said  "If I can bring a smile to your face, then for a moment, you'll forget all about it" (Angel by Your Side, Francesca)  If the stories of my antics bring these words to life,  then they will all have been worth it!  I'm so thankful that God gave us humor to allow us to endure this life with joy and not take ourselves too seriously at times.  After all, He created the hyenas….and gazelles!   That story is for another blog!  

Praising God through Grieving

Praising God through Grieving

One that has a grieving heart  thinks at times that all is well.  Life does go on, day by day, week by week, year by year.   But then, in unexpected moments, it feels like you are right there again.  In those first few hours after your loved one is gone.  The stillness of your heart, the deep trembling of disbelief and pain, that it scarcely beats.   I was there this morning, as the music was ending of a song I had just finished singing.  This powerful song, though I have sung it a couple of times before, defines the very echo of my pain and the life I now live.   "Praise You in this Storm" by Casting Crowns started playing on the radio years ago and I thought it spoke my heart then.  It has one of my favorite scriptures from Psalms 121: 1&2,  "I lift my eyes unto the hills, where does my help come from?  My help comes from the Lord, the Make of heaven and earth."  At this same time, I had  a sweet sister-in-Christ battling breast cancer.   I had sent the words of this song  to her in a card telling her  that I knew she couldn't sing them so I would be singing them for her.  I did sing them for her, at her memorial service a short time later.  As I was waiting for her service to being, I saw her favorite scripture printed in the program.  It was Psalms 121.  What a honor it was to be the one singing her favorite verses that day.   Having thought that I had walked through some pretty difficult storms already in my life, only God knew the ones that were to come in the days ahead.   The loss of my two sons and my mom in the past 3 years brings me to the place where I was this morning.  It's only by the grace and mercy of my God, that I could ever be able to sing such a song.  When I was in the midst of these storms, I could not even utter a note through the pain and the lump in my throat.  I remember hearing this song on the radio during that time and crying out to God, "I can't praise You in this storm. It hurts too much!"  But while my eyes were closed in that pain, my heart was hanging onto every word.  The chorus says,  "I'll  praise you in this storm,  and I will lift my hands, For  you are who you are, no matter where I am.  And every tear I cry, You hold in Your hands, You never left my side, and though my heart is torn, I'll praise you in this storm."   I have come to realize that although I wasn't able to sing for many months when the pain was so close to the surface, I believed with all of my heart that my God was right there with me.   When I couldn't open my mouth to sing in our worship services, I would close my eyes and hang onto the words of those singing around me.  That is how I praised my God through the those days of my storms.  It was a wonderful Sunday morning when I found myself singing along with my church family.  God had given my "song" back!  So today, my husband and I were ministering at a church where they had recently been forced to say "good bye" to one of their own.  I shared this song with them.  I knew how it has given me hope and strength through my times of grieving and was asking God to use it to encourage them, too.  By the time my last note was coming to an end,  their grieving hearts connected with my own.  The stillness, the pain, the trembling…….filled me with praise to the One who gives and takes away.  My God has never left my side.  I will continue to praise Him through my storms.

My Front Porch Reflections

One of my favorite places to be is on my front porch.  From my comfy chair, I watch the world go by without being a part of it.  Observing the beauty of God's creation, changing each day as the seasons come and go.  It is a balmy, fall day.   My panoramic view of the sky displays many shades of blue as it awaits the glorious painting of the sunset as evening  quickly draws near.  As I look out my windows, I see the trees almost bare of their autumn glory.  The field corn is being harvested across the road and the birds are flocking together in the treetops.  This has always been a sad time of year for me as I prefer the new life of spring and the heat and busyness of summer.  Once again, I am forced indoors to the comfort of a soft blanket and a hot cup of tea, slowing the pace I'm so used to keeping.   But for now, I am enjoying the last few rays of warmth from the sun, listening to the tinkling of wind chimes dangling in the breeze, reflecting on the summer days gone by.  Until we meet again, my front porch...

Let the Antics Begin!

Good Morning!  As I was sharing my initial blogging experience with a friend this morning, it occurred to me that these "happenings" in my everyday life are the "Antics" that you, my readers, may need hear to understand why that is part of my blogs name.....and my world!   So, while I am waiting for my hair dye to process into an unknown color for this month, I will share my experience from yesterday.
I have been thinking of starting this blog for months.  I have researched, watched umpteen video tutorials, asked questions and consulted with a techie.  I went to Blogger just to see how it would work, typed in a possible blog name that my daughter had suggested and clicked the button to the right and waited.  I was thinking it would tell me that no one had used that name, these are the steps to install or setup your blog, etc. This is what I saw, "Congratulations, you have a blog.  Start your post now!"  I SCREAMED AND CLOSED MY LAPTOP!  Oh my gosh!  I had to leave right after that for an appointment and wondered all day if I could delete it because I just wasn't ready yet!  After a few hours of stressing, then praying about it, I am thinking that God said it was time and this is the name.  I am learning as I go with all this techie stuff so please have patience with me and I am always open to suggestions and any techie info that may help me out. Oops, there's goes my timer!  Blessings for this day!

Welcome to my world!

I'm excited to embark on this journey in the blogging world.  Having kept a journal for the past 25 years of my life and with the encouragement of those close to me, I come to this place of opening up my writings and God's inspiration in my life to the hearts of many.  There is a reason behind the name I have chosen for my blog.  I have been blessed with the ability to laugh.  Finding humor in life's happenings...although some of those "happenings" seem only to happen to me, and to go beyond what can be seen, bringing life into dull moments.  This somewhat explains the "Antics".  The "Aunt Annie" is a longer story.  I am a wife, a mom to 4 adult children, (2 which are now in heaven) a teenage step-daughter, 2 grandsons, a daughter-in-law, and 7 siblings (one, in heaven).   I am "Aunt Annie" to 50 nieces, nephews and their spouses, 39+ great-nieces and nephews, and a few great-great's!  I am considered the “crazy aunt” of our family and I take that title seriously!  I am "Mom" and "Grammie Annie" to a few more that I love as my own and my dearest friend of 35 years has always been there for me.  God has blessed me with more love in my life than I could ever deserve.  Why, might you ask, do I need to blog?  I have many words inside of me that have been waiting to be written and shared, to bring joy, laughter and hope to those that may have none.  My hope for you, my readers, is that you may have a glimpse of what God’s grace and love has accomplished in my life.  Without Him, my journey thus far would have been one without hope, love or joy. I am so very blessed!  Let this journey begin!