Monday, November 26, 2007

November/December Book Giveaway

For the rest of this month and all of December my sister and I are holding a contest for 2 copies of Mosaic: Pieces of My Life So Far by Amy Grant. The rules to this contest are simple. Visit our review blog at Reviews By Two and answer this question:

At what age did Amy Grant begin her singing career?

Be sure to leave your email address so we can contact you if you are the winner. (We respect your privacy.)

How Thankful is Thankful?

How was your Thanksgiving? We had a wonderful weekend here. My mother-in-law joined us for our Thanksgiving meal complete with a 23 lb. turkey. Yes, I know, a 23 lb. turkey wasn’t really necessary for 7 people - and four of them children! But I love making hot dishes with leftover turkey so have no fear, the 16 cups of chopped turkey I froze will not be wasted. :)

But beyond all the turkey, stuffing, potatoes and pumpkin pie that didn’t set up quite right, I also left the weekend behind being truly thankful. Traditionally we take turns going around the table and mentioning the things we are thankful for. Most of the time the children are thankful for the pie and ice cream and I, like most mothers, usually mention my family. Of course we mean it, but God occasionally uses a moment or two in our lives to make us really mean it.

This weekend He gave us such a moment.

Ty, our 7-mth old, was in his red ExerSaucer in the basement family room with our 7 and 3 year old sons. My husband and I were sitting at the table playing a spirited game of Monopoly with our oldest son.

Pounding feet and a shrill voice interrupted the battle for Kentucky Avenue as Wyatt warned us that Ty was choking. Everyone raced downstairs and after a quick glance, I swept out his mouth. What I found made my heart stop. He had apparently gotten a hold of a foam toy piece about the size of a silver dollar and, like all babies, put it straight into his mouth.

Because it was round and slippery when wet, there would have been no way to get it out had he swallowed it.

After I’d checked him over, cuddled and kissed him and my heartbeat had returned to normal, it dawned on me that this was thankfulness. The moment in life when all time stops and you realize that a minute or two more and it would have been too late. I mention my thankfulness for our family over a Thanksgiving meal, but it wasn’t until I contemplated what it would mean to wake up each morning without a drooly kiss and a squeal of happiness from my baby that I became thankful in a much deeper sense of the word.

As always, God astounds me with the way He reveals these insights into our lives. For this I am truly thankful.