{Thanks}giving

It's fall y'all!!! So, I've been decorating {very simply} around the house to bring in some fall themed decor.

From the front door {please ignore the dead plant on my happy hoots chair}:

To the breakfast table:

To the fire place mantle:

But my favorite fall decor addition this year is our Thankful Tree:

My BFF, Melissa, wanted to do a craft party this year for Thanksgiving {last year our Bible study group had a craft party for Christmas--we made Jesse Tree Ornaments}. I saw the Thankful Tree idea on Pinterest and fell in love. We had no idea when we planned the Thankful Tree craft party how wonderful God would be to reveal more about "thanksgiving" through our Bible Study as we read Exodus and John Piper's "Spectacular Sins". All I can say about the timing is....WOW! If you can read one book this season, go out and get Spectacular Sins!!! It has seriously changed my perspective on everything!! 

My wonderful hubby loves the Thankful Tree project we did together, that he wants everyone on Thanksgiving {we're hosting again this year at our casa}, to write a "thankful" note on the tree. After reading Spectacular Sins, I said I want everyone to write one thankful/blessing on the tree AND one suffering note on the tree. There has been a prayer in our family that my hubby and I have been praying for {sorry I can't share the details} and it seems like this prayer has not only gone "unanswered" by God, but God has brought suffering into our lives...He seems like He's doing the exact opposite of what we are asking. It has gotten pretty difficult these past 6 months, but these past few days my eyes can see a different picture thanks to Spectacular Sins {seriously...go get this book}. No, I'm not happy with our situation and the unanswered prayer...I'm not going to pretend to be perfect. Each day I have to remind myself that God is in control...and some days it's really hard. BUT, the good news is that God is speaking right now. Give thanks. Give thanks for BOTH the good and the bad. Not easy, but I can see why. So, this Thanksgiving we will be giving thanks, and praising God for BOTH the good and bad because our God is good and infinitely wise!

"We ought to give thanks for all fortune: if it is 'good,' because it is good, if 'bad' because it works in us patience, humility and the contempt of this world and the hope of our eternal country."--C.S. Lewis

"Let them thank the LORD for his steadfast love, for his wondrous works to the children of men!" (Psalm 107:15)

"but we also know that in this life, joy in God is never unmixed with sorrow. Never. Love won't allow that. Our banner bears the seal of 2Cor. 6:10, 'sorrowful yet always rejoicing' "--John Piper

Everything exists in this world to bring glory to Christ, and I hope one day I can be truly grateful for the "bad" in my life, because true gratitude and thanksgiving doesn't pretend to be thankful during 'bad' times, but is grateful because we see the hand of God in our lives!