30 Days of Thankfulness: Day 22

thankfulnessToday I am thankful for food!

On Sunday we are having a Thanksgiving dinner with my in-laws and therefore I spent a good couple of hours this afternoon getting all of my recipes in order and creating a shopping list for tomorrow.

I am so thankful that God has provided the food for our Thanksgiving feast, and more importantly that he has always provided food for myself and for my family. I am grateful that I have never had to go hungry, and I pray that God helps me to be more mindful and compassionate to those who do go hungry.

Furthermore, I am thankful that Jesus is our ultimate sustainer:

Jesus said to them, “I am the bread of life; whoever comes to me shall not hunger, and whoever believes in me shall never thirst.” [John 6:35]

Favorite Fictional Families

Ahh November :) I might say that this is my favorite month in the whole year, but then October and March are all like, “What about us?” and then I get confused and forget about what I was supposed to be writing about…oh yes! November:  one of my favorite months out of the year. And what do I love most about this month? Family time! There are plenty of opportunities to spend time with family. Combine Thanksgiving family time with all of the book reading I’ve been up to this autumn, and I started to think about some of my favorite fictional families, especially the ones I’d love to be apart of (for a day or so)!

So without further ado, here are my Four Favorite Fictional Families (yes, I love alliteration!):

The_Weasley_Family_at_EgyptThe Weasleys (Harry Potter) – Who doesn’t love the Weasley family? (Except maybe those who haven’t read or seen any of the books or movies.) There’s so many of them that you’re practically guaranteed to like at least one of them ;)

Ginny was always my favorite. I loved being able to see her quietly mature throughout the series. In the beginning you hardly know she’s there but by the last couple of books she’s become a pretty active character, one who is no longer overshadowed by her older brothers.

Morning

Probably my favorite scene from all the films.

And then of course there are the twins. Classic pranksters through and through, but when someone they love needs help, they’re as reliable as anyone else. But of course, don’t expect them not to crack a few jokes here and there…

Then there’s Mr. and Mrs. Weasley, the most lovable adoptive parents Harry could have ever dreamed of. They’re quirky (Arthur) and emotional (Molly) but I love them all the more for that!

And, oh…they all have red hair. Awesome points :)

AnneThe Blythes (Anne of Green Gables) – Out of all the families on my list, this is the one I would like to resemble the most. The Blythes are very entertaining and insightful, and they all love each other so dearly.

I really enjoyed the later sequels in the series, when Anne became more and more of a secondary character and we were able to read about all of the adventures her children had, and anyone who is familiar with Anne knows that any child of hers is bound to have some wild adventures…and talk a lot:

Jem always thought Mother had such a beautiful, joyous laugh . . . answering innumerable questions. “Mummy, how far is it from here to the sunset? …Mummy, why can’t we gather up the spilled moonlight? …Mummy, do the souls of dead people REALLY come back on Hallowe’en? …Mummy, what causes the cause? …Mummy, wouldn’t you rather be killed by a rattlesnake than a tiger, because the tiger would mess you up and eat you? …Mummy, what is a cubby? …Mummy, is a widow really a woman whose dreams have come true? Wally Taylor said she was…Mummy, what do little birds do when it rains HARD? …Mummy, are we REALLY a too romantic family?

[Somewhat unrelated, but check out this genius blog–it’s Anne of Green Gables as told through Lego illustrations!]

AOGG

Eric MatthewsThe Matthews (Boy Meets World) – My favorite television show growing up; I wish they still made shows like this! And I hope the new spin-off is just as good :)

I remember staying up late with my sister to watch reruns on the Disney Channel when we were younger. And even now I’ll watch an occasional episode on YouTube (or spend well over an hour looking through Tumblr pictures to use for this post).

Eric was definitely my favorite Matthews family member. He’s so goofy it’s hard not to love him. “Good Lookin’ Guy” will always be the best personal theme song, and of course…who can forget about “Plays with Squirrels”?

And then there’s Cory, the character I probably relate the most to. He deals with real problems that every teenager can relate to, and his family is there to help him, support him, call him out on things. That’s what I love about them–they have real problems and they deal with them in realistic ways. And yes, this is a sitcom, but each of the characters are well-developed and serious when need be, including the parents; they aren’t absent or unimportant, and they help Cory make it through some tough issues.

Meet the RobinsonsThe Robinsons (Meet the Robinsons) – In my opinion, this is the most underrated Disney movie out there. There isn’t anything I don’t like about this movie: it’s geeky, quirky, very original, there’s a dinosaur, jazz frogs, and at the center of it all, there’s a crazy family that loves each other.

My favorite thing about this dorky family is that they embrace failures, because it means that they tried. Man, I just love that philosophy. And their familial motto (penned by Walt Disney himself), is “Keep Moving Forward.”

meet-the-robinsons-disney-quote

Oh, and I also adore the soundtrack :)

Who are your favorite fictional families?

30 Days of Thankfulness: Day 19

thankfulnessI am thankful today for tomorrows.

It’s wonderful knowing that at the end of the day, I can go to sleep and wake up to a brand new day that’s full of opportunities and possibilities. Whether the day before was horrible or wonderful, it’s still comforting to know that the next day is a clean slate just waiting to be painted :)

What are you thankful for today?

30 Days of Thankfulness: Days 17 & 18

thankfulnessI missed yesterday’s post so you get a 2-for-1 today!

The past couple of days I have been thankful for good health and for living in France.

With the weather getting colder each day, several of my friends here have colds and thankfully I don’t! I usually get a cold whenever the weather starts changing, but not this time :) It’s not easy being a teacher while feeling under the weather, especially when you also have a horrible cough and a voice like the Wicked Witch of the West.

So thank You God for good health and well-being. And for any of you readers who are currently battling a cold, know that our God heals:

“Praise the Lord, my soul, and forget not all his benefits—who forgives all your sins and heals all your diseases, who redeems your life from the pit and crowns you with love and compassion.” [Psalm 103: 2-4]

I am also thankful that I am here living in France. I love this country! Even though I have had difficult times over the last ~2 years adjusting to the culture and the language, I still love living here. This afternoon I was taking a walk around my town (something that isn’t doable where I’m from in Florida), and even though every single shop was closed (just like they are every Monday here), it was still so nice knowing that I can walk to a produce market and then stop at the library I just discovered by the Town Hall before buying bread at the boulangerie on my way back home. I love living in my quaint French village :)

What are you thankful for today?

30 Days of Thankfulness: Day 16

thankfulnessToday I am thankful for my puppy!

For those of you who know me personally, you may be a bit surprised as to why it took me so long to post about being thankful for my dog ;) Matt and I love our Australian Shepherd as if he was our actual child, which may be normal for American standards but that is not very common behavior over here in France.

Han Solo (Solo for short) has brought so much joy into our lives and I am thankful for him every single day. And yes, he is named after my favorite Star Wars character!

And here are some pictures for anyone needing/wanting a puppy fix :)

Solo

He’s a little possessive…

Solo

…and he’s a scene stealer (he totally snuck up in this photo)…

Solo

…but how can you not love that dramatic puppy face!

Ok, ok…it’s clear enough that I love my dog :)

30 Days of Thankfulness: Days 14 & 15

thankfulnessYesterday and today I have been thankful for my Bible.

“Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path.” [Psalm 119:105]

I am thankful that I not only have 24/7 access to my Bible, but that I live in a country where it is not illegal to own or read one. I am thankful for all the wisdom, peace, joy, comfort, and guidance I have found from reading God’s Word, and I am thankful for knowing that whenever I open my Bible I can find God there :)

30 Days of Thankfulness: Day 13

thankfulnessToday I am very thankful for friends. For many of us, our friends are more like family, and I definitely feel that way about my closest friends.

I am so grateful for the friends I have. Many of them have remained my friends through the good times and the hard times, and despite the thousands of miles of ocean that now separate us, I can still rely on them (and I hope they feel the same way about me!!).

“Love one another with brotherly affection. Outdo one another in showing honor.” [Romans 12:10]

I love this verse because it encourages us to “outdo” one another in service. Friendship is not special because of what we get from it; rather, it is what we give to those we call our friends that truly makes friendship so meaningful.

Did this post bring to mind any of your closest friends? Tell them that you’re grateful for them! That’s what I plan on doing today :)

30 Days of Thankfulness: Day 12

thankfulnessToday I am thankful for books!

For anyone who follows or regularly reads my blog, you can tell that I post more about the books I read than I do about France (but I do try to keep my blog balanced!).

I am thankful that I live in a country–and that I come from a country–where reading is encouraged and books are made widely available. I am also thankful that I know how to read.

For those of you who LOVE to read, is there one book you are the most thankful for?

30 Days of Thankfulness: Days 10 & 11

thankfulnessThis weekend I am thankful for education and technology.

We live in a world where we have so many opportunities to learn more and to accomplish more, that it almost feels like a crime to not make the most of the knowledge that is constantly within our reach. For me, something that I want to take more advantage of is delving deeper into the world of web design and development. There are literally thousands of free tutorials and online courses about creating websites that I have no excuse in not learning :)

And I am thankful for technology because it makes it incredibly easy for me to keep in contact with all of my family and friends back in the States. This time last year my mom was hosting an 80th birthday party for my grandfather, and just about everyone from their side of the family was gathered in my parents’ dining room, passing an iPhone around to say hi to me. I am very thankful for the ability to talk to anyone at anytime from anywhere.

30 Days of Thankfulness: Day 9

thankfulnessToday I am thankful for my husband.

I work Saturday mornings and Matt always drives me there and picks me up (as opposed to me taking the bus). 5 minutes after he dropped me off today I realized that I forgot some little finger puppets I needed for my classes, and I called Matt and asked him if he wouldn’t mind too terribly to drive back to my work to drop them off. He didn’t mind at all; he didn’t complain about just getting home (which I would have totally understood, and I might even do that myself) he just asked when I needed them by and that he would drop them off.

I know this seems insignificant, but it’s those little things that he does that makes me realize how much he loves me and how much I am blessed to have him for a husband :)

Is there anyone in your life whom you are thankful for today?