Being Thankful

Thanksgiving is upon us.  I feel like it came out of nowhere this year.  It was summer and then bam! it's November now.  This week I am going to focus on Thanksgiving themed posts.

Thanksgiving is traditionally a time for reflection.  Sometimes it is easy to forget that we have things to be grateful for.  Some days are tough and everything seems to go wrong.  Those are the hardest days, but even when things go badly, you are still alive and you are still loved.

Below is a list of 30 things I am thankful for.  A reason for every day this month:

1:  I am thankful for my God.  He is always there for me to protect and guide.  He shines a light on my path and, even in times of darkness, with Him I will always be able to see.

2:  I am thankful for my marriage.  Not everyone gets to be married, and of those that do, not everyone gets to marry their best friend.  I got to.  I married my best friend and I have never been happier.  The past ten years have been amazing.  We've had our ups and downs but, at the end of the day, I would never choose to go through life with anyone else.

3:  I am thankful for family.  They are my support system. The group of people that love me unconditionally and always want the best for me.  My parents gave me a wonderful childhood and my sister was my companion.  I am so glad they are mine.  I also have great in-laws.  I know some people don't get along with theirs but I see mine weekly and have always considered them my other mom and dad.

4:  I am thankful for food and water.  There are many, many people in this world (some right in this city) that skip meals not by choice but because they have to.  I have a friend that works in a lower-income school district and she spoke about how she can tell when the food has run out at home at the end of the month because the kids come in starving.  Poverty is not just a third-world issue.  I am thankful that I have food and that I have never known true hunger.

5:  I am thankful for my health.  I take this for granted more often than I should.  God gave me a wonderful body and I should treat it with more respect.  I taken a lot of steps to improve/maintain my health but there is always more I can do.  I am thankful that I continue to get second chances and that nothing too serious has ever happened.  If I ever get sick, I hope to use it as a reminder to cherish the well times.

6:  I am thankful for my education. I was blessed with a college degree.  I had the opportunity to pursue my dream and take advantage of many opportunities.  I wish I could say education was a priority for everyone but it is not.  It is a privilege that I got to partake in.  I know my life is improved because of it and for that I am thankful.

7:  I am thankful for friends.  I am close with my family but nothing replaces great friends.  I am blessed to have a network of people willing to come to my aid at any time.  To know that you have people in your corner gives you a kind of strength that's hard to get anywhere else.  I love my friends and try to tell them often.

8:  I am thankful for God's provision.  He meets me where I am and He never puts me in a situation I can't handle.  Most people think that He gives you a set of tools/skills and that you might use these for all situations.  This is not true.  Every day you wake up, He prepares you for that day.  If something comes along, he will provide you the strength, courage, support, etc that you need.  Always.
9:  I am thankful for joy.  This, too, comes from the Lord.  I am thankful for the joy in my heart.  I am not always perfectly happy but, through Him, I always have my joy.

10:  I am thankful for children.  It may be cliche but it is true .. they are our future.  I am thankful that one day I may have the opportunity to be a mom.  The responsibility to shape a young life is huge and I am grateful for the challenge.

11: I am thankful for freedoms.  We have so many freedoms that we take for granted.  There are big freedoms like the freedom of speech and the freedom of religion.  Then there are smaller freedoms like the ability to take a day off of work whenever you like or the ability to shop and have fun.  Many countries don't have this right.  Their governments tell them what they can and can not say and what they can and can not believe.  They have to work no matter what .. even if it kills them.  They can't spend a Saturday leisurely.  I can.  I have to remind myself that these privileges are not worldwide.  I need to be thankful for this at all times.
12:  I am thankful for football.  This may seem silly but it represents more than the game.  I am a big fan of college sports and especially SEC football.  This means that during football season there is much camaraderie, tailgating and socializing to be had.  This is what I am thankful for; the fellowship, food and fun that is only found during this time of year.

13:  I am thankful for church family.  This is a big one.  Church has nothing to do with a building.  It has to do with the people.  You can have "church" at someones house.  You can have it in a multi-million dollar building.  It doesn't matter.  With that being said, my church/church family is a big part of my life.   They are some of the best friends I have ever had.  I love them so much and am SO thankful they are in my life.

14:  I am thankful for diversity.  How boring would it be if everyone was the same?!  Diversity is a great thing.  I am thankful that all my friends are not the same as me.  I certainly need the balance in my life.
15:  I am thankful for my job/paycheck.  This is a big one, too.  Not everyone can say they have a job and a paycheck that pays their bills.  I can.  Enough said.

16:  I am thankful for books.  I am an avid reader.  I am thankful for books and their expressive nature.  They stoke the fire of my imagination and allow me to discover new things.  This also falls under freedom of speech.  Double thanks.

17:  I am thankful for my dog.  He is my "four-legged first born" and I am thankful for him.  I am thankful for the lessons he teaches me in love, forgiveness and devotion.  I am thankful for this demands for belly rubs and his company.  He's the best.

18:  I am thankful for music.  Once again, this falls under the freedom of expression.  Music has the ability to fill in the blanks where words can't.  It evokes emotion like no other.  It's a huge stress reliever.  For that I am thankful.

19:  I am thankful for having a home.  Once again, some people can not claim to own a roof over their head or even have a roof.  I do.  It's mine and I own it and there is no current threat that I might. (Thanks paycheck!)

20:  I am thankful for flexibility.  I am a planner and like schedule and control but I am not so OCD where I have lost my flexibility.  I am thankful for this.  If I was so obsessive where when one tiny thing went wrong I would lose my mind .. this would sadden me.  I have maintained the quality of my life through flexibility and for this I am thankful.

21:  I am thankful for grace.  This is another God-granted gift.  This gift is in regards to salvation, mercy and love.  I am a sinful creature but do to His grace I can get a do-over.

22:  I am thankful for forgiveness.  Like I previously mentioned, I have a sinful nature.  I am not perfect.  Forgiveness from God and the forgiveness from my family and friends is crucial. 

23:  I am thankful for down time.  This also reference lazy Saturdays.  I am thankful that I have the ability to relax.  I am not on a constant search for food, shelter or money.  I have a roof over my head everything I need.  I do not have to be in constant motion in order to live.  This is all a good thing because I love my couch.

24:  I am thankful for Thanksgiving.  Yes, the holiday.  As Americans we move so fast all the time.  Sometimes it takes a national holiday for us to slow down.  This is it.  I am thankful that there is an entire day devoted to giving thanks and showing the people around you that you love them.

25:  I am thankful for Black Friday.  This is purely about money.  Some people have a little, and some people have a lot, but the majority of people have at least a little something extra in order to buy something nice for someone. (How many some- could I get in one sentence? Geez!) I am thankful for all the "extras" in life.

26:  I am thankful for family traditions.  These are the common threads that trickle down through the generations.  These are the things that connect great-grandchildren with great-grandparents.  These are the things that live on long after we are gone.  I am so thankful for all of these memories and traditions.

27:  I am thankful for blogging.  I've said it before.  This is my outlet.  This is my form of expression and I never realized how much I needed it until I did it.  Through this blog I have the ability to share what is on my heart.  I can give to others through stories, tips, recipes, and ideas.  It allows me to organize my thoughts and share in the process.  I was never one for keeping a written journal .. turns out all I needed was a keyboard.

28:  I am thankful for readers.  I am SO thankful for you guys.  When I started this I never thought I would have people read this.  I always hoped, sure, but never expected it.  Months later, I have readers.  Some of you visit me regularly and some of you only visit me every once in a while.  No matter what, I am thankful that you have read my words.  It means a lot to me.  Truly.

29:  I am thankful for the past Novembers.  This is more about the fact that I am thankful for the past.  From that past we learn lessons and make mistakes.  We gain perspective and hindsight.  There are things that I regret but I would never ever take them back because the lessons I gained are far more valuable.

30:  I am thankful for the future Novembers.  I am thankful for my future in general.  I have no idea what tomorrow brings but I know I will love it.  There are so many "milestones" that I have yet to reach.  I am thankful for the chance to do so.


What are you thankful for?