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wall of thanks

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My Thanksgivings the past few years have looked (and felt) very different than they used to. Granted, I've celebrated most Thanksgivings of my adult life across the ocean in a country that doesn't even recognize the holiday. But it didn't matter. We made them uniquely special, and always a memorable celebration of giving thanks.

My favorite tradition is one I began in Africa. Every year, we build a Wall of Thanks.

I place out Post-it notes and markers, and throughout the day, people write down things they are thankful for and post them on the wall.

I always make multiple trips to the wall—to read and to add more things I am grateful for—and love watching others do the same.

It is heart-filling to stand and read the gratitude plastered on that wall. Deep, meaningful, significant things as well as the humorous, inside-joke-only kinds of things.

The wall stands as more than a list of what we are collectively thankful for. It holds memories, hope, promises, truth. It holds what was and may never be again, but also what will someday be. It holds the joy of loving and being loved. It holds... me.

And this altogether new and different and somewhat strange Thanksgiving, I'll surely have my Wall of Thanks yet again.

Will you join me?

Maybe it's a new tradition you can start with your own loved ones. And together we can build our Wall of Thanks wherever we are...

If you post pictures of your Wall or your Post-its, I wanna see them! Tag me on Facebook—and on Twitter and Instagram, use the hashtag #WallOfThanks, so we can celebrate with each other.

No matter what is going on in our lives—no matter the season we've just endured or are currently crawling through—we can choose to say "Thank You" to the One who understands even when we don't.

And please know this... YOU, my Gritty family, will certainly be a Post-it note on my Wall of Thanks.

Will you join me with your own Wall of Thanks this year? What's your favorite Thanksgiving tradition?

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shifting sand

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I've been thinking about riverbeds lately.

And how, over a span of time, the rushing water cuts itself a unique course. In flood seasons, the water may overflow the banks, and once the flood recedes, the river's path is likely different than it was before. Maybe slightly. Maybe drastically. But even one rock overturned makes the river flow differently.

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I've been thinking about suffering lately too.

And how it carves and scrapes and plows through the riverbed of our lives, ultimately changing our course and our current. The changes—sometimes slight, sometimes drastic—lie far below the surface of what others can see, leaving us more different inside than our exterior lives will ever show.

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The entire path of our lives is transformed by the ever-changing current of our experiences. No matter how hard we may fight it, we are changed by what happens to us. But as Maya Angelou so beautifully said, we can "refuse to be reduced by it." And we can refuse to be defined by it.

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Dry riverbeds don't change. It's only the violent, rushing water that has the power to shift and shape an entire river. I cling to that visual reminder that the pain, heartache, and discomfort stand as proof of life.

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What I've learned from the shifting sand of my own riverbed is this: Embrace the shaping. Don't fight the current. Give yourself grace for the new normal.

And trust that the divine finger isn't finished carving the course yet.

{photo credit}

around the interwebs

I have the amazing privilege of writing for Deeper Story once a month. And I'm over there today, sharing some thoughts on suffering and riverbeds... and what the two have in common. If you've ever endured any kind of painful heartache, link over and read it. I'd love to hear your thoughts.

My friend Jeremy Statton graciously interviewed me for his blog, aptly called Living Better Stories. He asked some poignant questions about shattered dreams, asking God "why?", and choosing joy. Link over to read my responses.
Will you do me a favor and share a link to one of your favorite posts that you've written recently? I know, I know... That might feel strange to do. But I asked, so no need to worry about it seeming self-promoting. Honestly, I'd love to read the best thing you've written lately... So go 'head.
Share the link!

all skate!

Remember what an all skate is? Think back to your roller rink days... Well, I’m calling an all skate at the Grit.

Everyone’s gotta comment on this one. Even the silent-lurker types. (Yes. You.)

I promise you it'll be quick and easy and painless. Well... mostly painless.

We're all gonna just paste in the very last thing we've cut or copied.

See? Easy. But also kind of insightful in a strange sort of way.

So scroll down to the comment box and hit CTRL-V to paste in whatever's in your digital clipboard. (⌘-V if you're on a Mac. Or Right-click > Paste if you wanna kick it old school in honor of the roller rink mention.)

I'll go first.

To delete a blank page at the end of the document, select the page break or any paragraph markers (¶) at the end of the document, and then press DELETE.

Riveting stuff right there, eh? Sheesh.

Okay, your turn... (And no cheating now!)

What was the last thing you copied-and-pasted?

photo credit.