55 years of Thankfulness!

 

Me and my curly top hair that first year.

Today I turn 55, I believe every year of my life I have something to be thankful for, so I’m going to try to list, as best as I can remember what I can be thankful for in that year.

Year:

1- I was born into a good family that loved me and thought I was adorable! Yah, I was a really cute baby with a ton of curly hair! 

2- My Mom and Dad along with my three older sisters thought I was adorable and were teaching me all kinds of things.

3- Though sometimes I was naughty (what three year old isn’t) my Mom and Dad were firm in their discipline to teach me right from wrong

4- When people asked my Mom what my name was she loved to tease me and say “George” to which I would cry and say, no it’s ‘Kelley'.  Why am I thankful for that? Cause it’s a nickname that has stuck through the years and it was just a way of Mom showing her love with a playful name to me.

5- I was thankful to get to attend ‘Kindergarten’ for a few weeks at the country school house just a mile or so from my house.  My older sisters and a few neighbor kids were also there.  I’m thankful that I got younger brother this year too.

6- Every day I was thankful to sit in school at the country school and learn things from Mrs Olander, and look out those big windows to the lovely prairie and Missouri River

7- School was wonderful, and recess at the old country school was so fun. I even got to ring the bell when recess was done, what a privilege.

8- Though I was terrified to go to school in town at the big school of Lewis and Clark, kind family friends made me feel welcome, Lori Setterlund, Diane Willis, and Benji Dove all made life a little easier for me.

9- I had a wonderful teacher named Mrs Bond who so encouraged me in my art work.  I would bring her my drawings and she’d hang them on the bulletin board, like it was a work from Michelangelo.

10- Though I still didn’t understand fractions and division very well, and failed at gym class all the time, I was starting to love to write & read, for that I am thankful.

11- The best year of my life, when I met Jesus as my Lord.  I am so thankful for salvation, and the Maranatha Coffee House, that taught me so much about Jesus.

12- I started playing guitar and singing with "Sweet Love”  What a wonderful time we had singing for Jesus

13- Though Jr High can be tough, I’m thankful for my friends at the Coffee House that helped me take a stand for Jesus, even though I was made fun for it, by my classmates.

14- I was so thankful for the Fellowship of Maranatha Coffee House, and learning to lead people in worship time.

15- I was thankful to get to see more of the country when we went to Maine to see my Mom’s family who lives there. What a beautiful country we live in!  

16- I’m thankful I had fallen in love with music.  Band and Choir were my focus points of High School.  I especially was thankful for the opportunity to be going to a school that had a Marching Band that preformed at Half Time. Why else would one go to a football game?!

17- So thankful for the wonderful Choir teacher I had, Mr Franke, who always encouraged me in singing and playing guitar.  Though I’m a self taught guitarist, Mr Franke did give me a few private lessons in High School, and taught me things I don’t think I would have learned on my own.

18- So thankful for a wonderful Art teacher, that encouraged me in my art work.  Though I almost failed the sculpting section, my drawing was expanding and growing. I was also thankful that I was Student Council President.  Though I won the election by default (no one ran against me), and I was terrified every time I had to stand in front of the Student Body and speak, I’m thankful that it put the confidence in me, that I can do this, and not die in the process!-  Was so thankful to graduate with honors from High School!!

19- Thankful for my year at Moorhead State University.  I’m thankful for my life long friend (then roommate) Lisa.  Thankful for the opportunity to travel to Europe with the Choir, even though I hadn’t even made Choir (but had the Chamber Choir). Thankful I could learn music fast, as I had to learn it all in about two weeks.

20- Thankful for my summer at Circle C Ranch, that eventually lead me to going to Shiloh Training Institute in Montana. 

21- Thankful that I met and married my best friend; Todd Reuer. Life with Todd was always an adventure.  Thankful that Todd survived a terrible head-on car accident, and walked away with only a scratch. God was teaching me the power of prayer!

22- Though I missed the mountains, I was thankful to be back on the prairie in South Dakota with Todd

23- Thankful to be traveling and ministering with Wayne Buechler Evangelistic Ministry. What a great learning time!

24- Thankful to spend another summer at Circle C Ranch ministering to kids and adults and filing their hearts with the love of Jesus.  

25- Thankful for the year we spent in Steele ND, helping start the Word of Faith Church there. Such wonderful life long friends we met there.

26- Thankful for the opportunity to travel with Pastor Tim Davidson to various outreaches.  We lead worship and he preached.  Such good times we had. Thankful to have moved to Hazen to start another church there.

27- Thankful for the birth of my first child the day after my birthday! What a joy to have a son! Tyson James is truly a gift from Heaven.

28- Thankful for the opportunity to have traveled overseas to South East Asia. What a life changing trip for me.  The world is so much bigger than my little world here on the prairie. Thankful that we were able to take Tyson with, his first missionary journey, at the age of one!

29- Thankful to have the opportunity to live and pastor in Kenmare, ND and start Grace Christian Fellowship.  How we loved the wonderful people in Kenmare.

30- Thankful for the birth of my second son! Philip John what a joy you brought to our lives with all your silliness and activity.  What fun it was to raise not one, but two sons!  Was also thankful to get to travel on another mission trip to Mexico, with both the boys along. Putting missions into their hearts at an early age.

31- Thankful that I got to teach music at the Mobridge Area Christian School. What fun we had with our musicals!

32- Thankful to be able to lead worship at Family Fellowship Center in Timber Lake, SD. So thankful to work with Pastors Diana and Duane Covey for 15 years!

33- Thankful to be able to live on the ranch, and raise our boys in a ranch setting

34- Thankful that Todd survived a terrible Four Wheeler Accident.  Thankful again for prayer!

35- Thankful for the birth of my only daughter Kristi Grace! What a miracle you are!  You finally brought some lace and fluff into my life. 

36- Thankful to get work for Howard and Darlene Harrison for the next 10 years.  If I ever get to be a boss, I want to be just like them.  They taught me what it means to treat your employees right! 

37- Thankful for the chance to go to Branson MO with Auntie Kim.  She survived nine days with us all in our pop up camper.  The memories of Silver Dollar City are some of the best. 

38- Thankful for my homeschool friends. What a wonderful bunch of people. Thankful for the Oahe Area Home Educators (OAHE) group, I was able to start and lead for many years.  Though I lead it, it would have been nothing without all the other moms, who were the team support. We sure put one some fun Musicals and Plays!

39- Thankful for my stadium seat my kids gave me for Christmas, as I spent so much time on bleachers cheering on my kids at rodeos, basketball, baseball, football, and track meets. Thanks kids for saving my back and butt!

40- Thankful for each of the kids achievements on the field, arena or in the class room. My kids are awesome! 

41- Thankful that Todd survived another devastating accident, though this one left him never the same, with a Traumatic Brain Injury.  

42- Thankful that God kept us safe with so many miles we travels to ball games and rodeos.  With nothing more than one flat tire for all those years! (well, there might have been more than one flat tire come to think of it.)

43- Thankful for friends that loved to do things with me, like make cards, and scrap book. Always expanding my creative side.  My South Dakota friends are some of my best!  Love and miss them!

44- Thankful for one of my favorite family vacations we ever took.  Spent a week in the Black Hills in our little pop up camper with just Todd and the kids.  What wonderful memories.

45- Thankful that I graduated my first child from our Country Faith Home School.  He did well, and was a normal, smart kid.  

46- Thankful for Tyson to get to attend a year at Christ For the Nations in Dallas Tx, and we got to go visit him there.  What a long drive though! 

47- Thankful that we got to minister under Pastor Rick and Melanie Taylor in Limon CO.  My life was eternally  changed by the impact of them in my life.  So thankful for their friendship and support.  

48- Though saddened by the loss of Pastor Rick and daughter Bethany’s lives, I am so thankful I knew them.  This was an incredibly hard year for me.  Todd’s memory was deteriorating at a quickening pace, and we again moved across country, back to North Dakota. I’m thankful for loving parents that let us live in our horse trailer in their yard  and the kids in their house.

49- So thankful that Philip graduated from Napoleon High School and won a scholarship for football and track to college at Valley City State University! So proud of him!

50- Another incredibly hard year, as Todd was diagnosed as being in severe dementia, one of the finally stages of dementia.  I still remember walking out of the hospital with him, holding his hand in the pouring rain, and singing to him, “I’ll walk in the rain by your side…” (For Bobby by John Denver)  Again thankful that my parents took us in, and let us live with them, as Todd’s life was slipping away.

51- Thankful for my family that supported and loved me, as life was getting more and more bizarre with the effects of dementia on Todd.

52- The toughest year of my life, as it was riddled with no sleep and constant care of Todd. The year hurt more and more, as Todd went from being in the hospital and having two major seizures to nursing home care.  I am thankful for the wonderful care the Tioga Nursing Home gave him, though I felt ripped apart being so far away from him, and exhausted by the constant travel to go and see him.  But nothing prepared me for the devastating call on Dec 22, when he breathed his last breath, and went home to heaven.  I am thankful to God who gives comfort when no one else can.

53- I’m thankful to the Lord, for helping me begin to walk this road of Widowhood.  It was a year of many tears and travel, as the Lord sent me on a journey back to the places that meant a lot to Todd and I, to bring healing to my hurting heart. Thankful that Philip graduated from VCSU with honors!

54- I’m thankful for the joy of Kristi, and her graduating from our Country Faith Homeschool, and heading off to Bible College in Wyoming.  This ended 22 years of homeschooling for me, and closed another chapter in my life.  Though so tough to be all alone, I’m thankful for the new doors God has opened for me in pastoring Alive Christian Fellowship in Kenmare, ND.  

55- Brings me to today, and how thankful I am in all God has done in my life!  

As I look over my list, I see the pattern of one of the most repeated things I’m thankful for and that’s my parents.  I want to say on today, my 55th birthday, how much I love and appreciate them.  They have constantly loved me, and my family, and have always shown unbiased love to each of us “Shaw” kids.  They never played favorites, and were constant in their love and discipline.  In a world that’s riddled with divorce, my parents showed what it means to stay together, even when times are tough.  They gave such an incredible roll model for me as a wife and mother.  I’m thankful too for my siblings.  Though we’re all so different, there isn’t one of them I wouldn’t lay down my life for.  I’ve seen so many families that can’t stand their siblings, but I have to say, I love each of them deeply.  I attribute that love back to my parents again, who always kept harmony in our home.  Love you Mom and Dad, and thanks for bringing me into this world!!