Another holiday season is upon us. It's hard to believe that its that time of year again. I have to say that Thanksgiving is one of my favorite holidays. Mainly for this reason: you gather together with your family and friends; laugh, talk and have fun; eat lots of yummy food; and don't have to worry about all the stress of gift-giving that comes with Christmas. It is a simple time to just come before the Lord and truly thank him for all the blessings in our lives. I have to admit, this year I have a new perspective on giving thanks- to give thanks not just for the good things in our lives but for all things. I am truly blessed. So today, I just wanted to list out a few things that I am thankful for. Of course, the biggest thing I am most thankful for is my Lord and Savior Jesus and the fact that by His sacrifice I am now sanctified, justified, and considered righteous before God. By His stripes I have been redeemed. So a HUGE thank you to the man upstairs. :-)
1. My family - I have to say that I have the best family in the whole wide world. My family is probably the biggest blessing that God has given me. Namely, my parents. My parents have been there for me to encourage me, teach me, guide me, and to love me in a way that is so complete that words cannot express my gratitude to them. So thank you mom and dad for loving me and for well, everything. I know I may not show my thankfulness to you every day, but I am truly thankful for you. I love you both so very much!
2. Stacey - Yes Stace, you get your own shout out! When I count my blessings, I count you twice (a little inside joke between us, I promise, I'm not that corny! Although I do feel that way). Stacey, it is in my heart of hearts that God knew that I needed you. There is no other explanation why you now live in Thomasville other than God knew I would need not only somewhere to go and live, but also someone to take care of me during this time in my life. I know you have had to put up with a lot from me and I am truly grateful that you love me enough to just let me be me - the good, bad, and ugly.
3. My job - I have been so blessed with every job I have ever had. Every place I have ever worked, I have had the blessing of working with people that I truly love and care about and who truly love and care about me. My new job is no exception. I hated to leave the Museum, but if I had to leave, I am thankful that God placed me here. I was sweating it out that last month at the Museum when my alimony was about to run out and I had no other job lined up. But in those final weeks, the Lord blessed me with a job basically out of no where. God does provide, I can attest to that! I was able to stay at the Museum the absolute maximum time and I know that was a blessing because that was exactly where I needed to be when I needed to be there. They blessed me and loved me through some pretty dark days, so I am thankful for the time I had there. And now I am thankful for where I am now. My boss is awesome. My co-workers are awesome. It is always nice to work someplace where everyone feels like family.
4. My church - I grew up in the same church for 25 years before I left, so it is a little hard to go someplace else. Because the church I grew up in will always be home for me. But I am thankful for the church I go to now. It has begun to feel more and more like my church the more I have gone and made connections with my church family. I have a wonderful Sunday School group that I enjoy seeing each Sunday. I love everyone there and they are so dear to my heart. I have an awesome pastor who has loved and guided me. And on that note - I am sad because Bro. Dan, our pastor, is leaving to go to a church in Tennessee. It just won't be the same without him there. I am thankful for being under his wing and learning from him for the past 4 years. It will be hard to see him and his wife go! And I will also include New City under my church. I am thankful for that core group of people who teach me so very much and I am thankful to be apart of what I know will be a huge blessing for the city and people of Albany.
5. My dogs - Yes, I am thankful for those three bundles of joy (or terror, depending on the day). They are my babies and I just adore them. They make me smile. They remind me what unconditional love looks like. They love me no matter what. No matter what I do, what I look like, how I feel - no matter what, they love me.
6. My friends - I love my friends. It doesn't matter if we see or talk to each other every day or every 6 months. I have friends whom I have known practically since birth that are still in my life and new friends I have only known for a few years or months. I am truly blessed by all of them. They are all special and hold a special place in my heart. I love them all.
7. Everything else - Yes, this is a cop out, but I really need to get some work done and can't be blogging all day! I am thankful for hardships that have brought about blessings. I am thankful for Karen and the work that Compassion International does for Christ. I am thankful for this great country I call home. I am thankful for just everything. The good and the bad. It may not be a perfect life, but it's my life just the same and God has blessed me in abundance. I am thankful for compassion and mercy and grace. I am thankful to be - me.
Typing out this blog today reminded me of the hymn Count Your Blessings. Sometimes we focus so fully on what is wrong with our life and our circumstances, that we forget to focus on what is right. So take time to count your blessings. Name them one by one. The more you do that, you will probably realize that the blessings are in abundance and helps to endure everything else.
Happy Thanksgiving!!
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