It's October!

It's October! You know what that means for Canadians? It's Thanksgiving time!

My American friends celebrate in November, but we Canadians celebrate in October. Some say it's because our harvest comes sooner, annnnnnd so does our winter...brrr. The first known Canadian Thanksgiving happened by the explorer Martin Frobisher in 1578 on the island now known as Newfoundland. Thankful for a safe journey across the treacherous Atlantic Ocean..

We celebrate now for many different reason, and we all have them. In our culture which is no longer agrarian for most people, we still take time to give thanks for our year, our health, our personal tidbits and favourites. Some celebrate the season merely because the Pumpkin Spice Latte hits the store, but I think it goes much deeper than that.

Gratitude in every day of our lives is required to live a fruitful life. We must take the time to stop and look around and show gratitude, speak gratitude, and live gratitude. In the world we live in today, it is so important. Waking up safe and warm is something to be thankful for. A hot cup of coffee, breakfast, running water- all worth celebrating and being filled with gratitude over. The simple things we take for granted, others don't have... the world we live in doesn't give those opportunities to all.

So in this month of Thanksgiving, let's give thanks for all of the things we are grateful for, our families, our friends, our experiences, our meals, our coffee, our dogs, our jobs, our lives... in everything give thanks.

Print of these reminders... and in everything... Give Thanks, live gratitude, and...
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M.

LostBumblebee ©2017 MDBN Give Thanks
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LostBumblebee ©2017 MDBN Give Thanks
Psalm 107:1
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Thanksgiving.

This weekend coming in Canada is Thanksgiving... we celebrate thanksgiving in Canada because we are truly grateful for the life that we have, for a bountiful harvest, for peace, and so much more;

In 1879 Canadian Parliament proclaimed: A Day of General Thanksgiving to Almighty God for the bountiful harvest with which Canada has been blessed...

How awesome is that? Now this is just for our Canadian Parliament... Martin Frobisher the arctic explorer was said to have celebrated it in 1578... and way before that our First Nations and Native Americans were celebrating their harvest festivals.

Thanksgiving is a heart celebration, a small moment in time to stop, breathe, look around you, see that God is good, and that we have much to celebrate. We are truly blessed. I've never been in a situation so bad, or frustrating that if I took a moment, I couldn't find something to be thankful for... I just have to take that moment.

This will be my third year not being in Canada to celebrate one of my absolute favourite holidays -Christmas, Thanksgiving, and Easter round out this girl's trio of celebrations- and I am kinda sad about it. I miss the crispness in the air, I miss the craziness of trying to get 100 dishes to the table at the same time, I miss trying to squeeze 15 people around an 8 seater table... I miss that moment of looking around at the chaos, whispering a thank you, and feeling absolute peace in my heart.

There are no markers here in Vietnam to show us that the seasons are changing- I'm sure the Vietnamese people have markers, I'm sure they see that the seasons are changing- but I don't. It's hot, wet, and hot and wet, and somedays it's wet and hot. That's about how I see it here... So no way to be reminded that the seasons are changing... to stop and give thanks, to see the coloured leaves...

I haven't decided what I will cook to celebrate our personal Thanksgiving, or if I will order a roasted chicken for the Mister... how I will make stuffing with no spices? where to find orange sweet potatoes? What about pumpkin pie? I have no idea... but what I do know for sure is that I will take a moment, and sit and ponder this crazy life that I am so grateful for.

What is your heart grateful for this Canadian Thanksgiving?
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M.

LostBumblebee ©2016 Give Thanks to The Lord
Personal use Only

LostBumblebee ©2016 Give Thanks
Personal Use Only

LostBumblebee ©2016 Give Thanks- Facebook Cover Image
Personal Use only (not for print 72dpi)

LostBumblebee ©2016 Give Thanks to the Lord for He is Good.
 Facebook Cover Image - Personal Use only (not for print 72dpi)

Live Gratitude.

In the big things,
in the small things,
live gratitude.

In the pain,
and in the joy,
live gratitude.

Through laughter,
and through tears,
live gratitude.

It truly is a choice-
It is not happy people who are thankful, it is thankful people who are happy.

Take a moment today- live gratitude.
Whisper it in the joy of simple things- the green grass, the blue skies- and hold onto it in midst the hard things, whispers of gratitude will change your life. I promise. I am living proof.


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M.

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Just Breathe.

Breathing- a natural phenomenon of taking in air and nourishing our cells which our bodies do it without us even thinking about it... and yet sometimes in this world we live in, with the hustle and bustle, we still forget to just breathe.

We hold our breath when we are nervous, we hold our breath when we are frustrated, we breathe shallow breaths instead of deep nourishing breaths...

Breathing deeply can change your body and your mind. Take a moment, even though it may not seem like there are enough moments in the day, take one, just one and make a conscious effort to stop, now take one long deep breath. Take a moment to look around your world and breathe in gratitude and breathe out thanksgiving.

Gratitude and thanksgiving will change your heart, change your mind and ultimately change your world. I know this to be true. I am living proof that gratitude can change everything.  I make a decision daily, a conscious -albeit sometimes difficult- effort, every-single-day, to look around me and be thankful.

What are you thankful for today?
Share the love in the comments below...
M.

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Merry Thanksgiving & Happy Christmas!

I figured that my American friends need a print that says it all this holiday season :) So along came this little ditty... "Merry Thanksgiving and Happy Christmas!"

Up here in Canada we start decorating for and getting ready for Christmas around the middle of November... once Remembrance Day celebrations are celebrated, we move into the Christmas season quite nicely.

I've been reading a few things online from some of my friends "for those of my fiends who have their christmas trees up already - there is still 10 days until Thanksgiving!!! Give it a rest".

I just assumed that thanksgiving was the perfect time to put the tree up! but what do I know- lol 

So this one is specifically for my friends south of the border- who have the job of juggling Thanksgiving and Christmas in a fine balance of holiday cheer and tinsel :)

Merry Thanksgiving & Happy Christmas!

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M.

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Blessed.

Everyday- I am blessed.

I am blessed because of the people who have gone before me, paved the way for my freedom here in Canada. and I know my Freedom is not free...

Tomorrow is Remembrance Day here in Canada a day where we remember and cherish our Veterans who have fought not only for our freedom but for peace everywhere.  I'm sad that we only have one day- our veterans deserve so much more than one day. 

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M.

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Eat, Drink & Be Thankful!

It's that time of year, October in Canada, where the trees are all turning yellow and red and we get to celebrate thanksgiving. We celebrate it,  a month (plus some) earlier than our friends in the US, and I secretly love it! Canadians get to celebrate in October and then, because the world is so small- thanks to the internet,  we get to continue celebrating until the end of November!

I love that in my life there are almost two months carved out for being grateful, reflective, and thankful.  And that we get to celebrate this act of gratitude.

Yesterday was a terrible day in Canada. One of our own, Cpl. Nathan Cirillo (age 24) was shot while on honorary guard at the National War Memorial. It's a sad day in Canada, we are all rocked to the core with this horrible news... in this time of horror, it is hard to look into our hearts and choose gratitude instead of fear, retaliation, and hatred.  But we must, we must. Hatred breeds hatred... Love breeds gratitude and gratitude breeds love. I am so grateful to those men and women who put their lives on the line daily for our country and for other countries (maybe our Peace Keepers have even put their lives on the line for your country). I am grateful for the men and women who are first responders in emergency situations -who put their lives on the line for us every day. I am grateful for the people who stand for us and with us in times like these.  I pray peace over our Nation and over your Nation... 

In all things, give thanks... even in times like these...
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M.

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1 Million + 1

I have 1 million and one reasons to be thankful... today I am thankful for you, for this community of people who are extremely supportive and encouraging always. I appreciate you.

This weekend is the Canadian Thanksgiving... I am going to miss the festivities, we will be on a plane headed home- also on my list of 1 million things I am thankful for, home. I cannot wait. I am excited to get back to my community of people and Timothy the Dog of course.

I compiled this little list of Thanksgiving, Gratitude, Joy and Fall prints that I've put up over the years- trust me it isn't complete in any way, but just a few to remind us to be grateful :)

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M.

http://lostbumblebee.blogspot.com/2013/10/what-are-you-going-to-do-choose-joy.html

http://lostbumblebee.blogspot.com/2013/11/name-them-one-by-one-can-you.html

http://lostbumblebee.blogspot.com/2013/09/every-leaf.html

http://lostbumblebee.blogspot.com/2014/09/its-fall-yall.html

http://lostbumblebee.blogspot.com/2013/10/thanksgiving-treats.html

http://lostbumblebee.blogspot.com/2014/09/gratitude.html

http://lostbumblebee.blogspot.com/2013/09/stuff-it.html

http://lostbumblebee.blogspot.com/2013/09/thanksgiving.html

http://lostbumblebee.blogspot.com/2013/10/happy-thanksgiving-canada.html

http://lostbumblebee.blogspot.com/2013/11/last-minute-detail-thanksgiving.html

http://lostbumblebee.blogspot.com/2013/11/thank-you-and-you-and-you.html

My Mom.

So Moms, they know everything right?
The older you get the more you know this is true.

I was talking to my mom about life, how I am feeling about babies (and the lack there of in our little family life), and she said out of the blue;

"Miss, do you think you have a pride issue... maybe you are telling God what you think is best instead of thanking Him for the things you have, instead of trusting that his plan and his timing are perfect..."

Ten years ago, this would have been the beginning of a world war, now, not so much... my heart has issues- sometimes I do think I know what is best, sometimes I forget to trust God with my life, my family and my heart... She was right.  Mom was right. Mom is often right. When you have a mom who trusts God with everything, a Mom who spends countless hours on her knees praying for you, a Mom who would give anything for you... When she speaks, you listen, your heart perks up, because she not only speaks the truth of experience, she speaks God's heart... and she speaks to my heart.

Mom, I love you. This account happened today- the fact that it was just in time for Mother's day is serendipitous, not planned and not orchestrated.... but timed perfectly by my heavenly Father in whom I must place all my trust, because His ways are perfect, His plan is perfect...

I feel like I am starting my gratitude journey all over again, I got lost somewhere along the way... but I know how to get back home, I know who to trust, and I know who to thank...

Cast all your cares upon Him, for He cares for you (1 Peter 5:7)


This is where I'm at today ... Where are you? How are you doing? 

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M.


A few more reminders that Gratitude is the right attitude :) 

My Mom's Favourite of my Prints: Gratitude! (she even gave this one to her doctor... as a reminder that Gratitude turns what you have into enough!)
Start each day with a grateful heart:
Count your blessings: 
CHOOSE JOY!

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Happiness.

Nothing I can say adds to this at all. Denis Waitley said it best: "Happiness cannot be traveled to, owned, earned or worn. It is the spiritual experience of living every minute with love, grace and gratitude."
Drink it in, live it up. Be Happy.

Happy Monday!
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M.

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Thank You, and You, and YOU!

Thanksgiving is over,  Christmas festivities are in full swing- but let's not lose the spirit of gratitude.
Here is a selection of 6 thank-you prints for you to send off to your hosts, participants and friends! Heck, you can even send one to your favourite store if they gave you the Black Friday deal you were looking for  :)

These are 5.5 x 4.25 card prints. This is the size of an 8.5x11 sliced in 2,  or the Avery note cards you can find in any office supply shop. 

I hope that these will help keep the spirit of gratitude alive all year long!

And in the spirit of gratitude. I am so thankful for each one of you! Thank you for supporting my blog and cheering me on and buying me a coffee! I appreciate each and every one of you!

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M.

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