Wednesday, November 24

Thanks.

I was at work the other day and the kids were working on making their Christmas lists. Interesting to me considering that it was still a week before Thanksgiving. Now, of course I made Christmas lists as a kid... and my mom always asks me to now, though I never get around to it.

The more I thought about it, the more it saddened me that we are all so quick to make lists of the stuff we're dying to get. We get up at the crack of dawn and fight crowds to save a few bucks on "black Friday." Shouldn't we instead be focusing on the things that we are thankful for? Shouldn't we be making lists of all the blessings that God has provided us with throughout our lives? We just mutter that we're thankful for our home, our family, our health at Thanksgiving dinner and then move on to scouting out deals for all the stuff we are going to push and shove to buy on sale the next morning. Well this year I'm doing things differently. I've been making a mental list of all the things I'm thankful for that I don't normally thank God for... the little things. the under the surface things. the things I don't usually think about:

- a large family to get together with for food, laughs, love... and not just on Thanksgiving.
- a family who doesn't judge me for being different than them.
- an older sister who I hope to be JUST like one day.
- a baby sister who is also my best friend/sounding board/companion/ and SO much more.
- a brother and a brother-in-law who always knows what to say to make me laugh.
- the cutest niece and nephew EVER!
- parents who are proud of me and always encourage me
- all the days that go by where pretty much everything goes the way its supposed to.
- all the times I DON'T get what I deserve.
- all the times I screw up and God pardons me from the consequences
- I woke up today... and every day before that for the last 25 years.
- a beautiful apartment with light, heat, a refrigerator full of food, a caring roommate
- the fact that I wonder WHAT I'm going to eat/drink/wear today, not WHETHER
- that God has brought me through every challenge life has presented me thus far
- that I have a job that allows me to help other people
- that I can blog, tweet, speak about my faith without fear of persecution
- that I belong to a church that loves Jesus and loves people and knows how to reach today's culture
- that I can enjoy being young and single with the assurance that God will bring the right man into my life at the right time
- that there isn't a second when God isn't right there beside me

There are tons and tons more... I am so blessed. =)
If you read my blog, then I'm thankful for you.

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