The title of my post is a quote from Robert Caspar Lintner. I agree with him whole-heartedly. We should be thankful for the many blessings in our life everyday, not just once a year, but I truly love having this time of year as a reminder of all the things God does/provides for us even though we could never deserve it.
This time of year also makes me sad though. Sad that, as a whole, society seems to have tossed Thanksgiving aside. Christmas decorations go up before Halloween costumes and decorations even come off the shelf. Don't get me wrong, I'm a business minded person and I understand that marketers and retailers are simply giving the customers what they want. I think that is what gets to me the most. As Americans we are very blessed to enjoy many freedoms that most of us, as a whole, have come to take for granted. We tend to forget about the persecution our founders fought to over come. We also forget that God sent his only son to suffer, bleed, and die so that our souls might find salvation. I shudder to think about the type of world we would be living in today if Jesus hadn't served as our perfect sacrifice and our forefathers, in turn, had not followed God's leadership to create a better nation for generations to come.
I know I fall short in giving thanks at times, I'm human, and even with the best of intentions I will never be perfect. But, I do try to give thanks daily in hopes that I never take His blessings for granted. I know that He could take them away at any time. I don't normally take part in the "...days of thankfulness" online but this year I think I will. I will now list the 12 things I am thankful for in the first 12 days of the month.
1. I am thankful for my salvation. I am thankful that on that May night back in 1990 God entered heart and I would forever more be His child. I'm not perfect, I fall short daily, but He still loves me anyway.
2. I am thankful to live in the USA. No, the country's not perfect. Yes, there are things I wish would change. But, overall, this is a great place to live.
3. I am thankful to have found my soul-mate. We've been through/still going through some rough times since we got together but we've continued to love and care for each other every step of the way. We realize each others faults and yet our love still grows in spite of them. At times I get depressed and lonely when I don't get to see him often because he is ALWAYS working but I wouldn't trade him for anyone in the world.
4. I am thankful for wonderful parents who I love dearly, as they do me. We don't always see eye-to-eye but we continue to love and support each other anyway.
5. I'm thankful for my friends who feel much more like family to me. In their own ways, they've helped me through some tough times. I don't know where I'd be today without them.
6. I'm thankful to have a "good job." I might not always enjoy every aspect of it but job stability means a lot.
7. I'm thankful to have a place to call home. Lots of people think I live "out in the boonies" but I love it out here.
8. I'm thankful for great neighbors. It was amazing how the neighborhood seemed to come together back in April when we were out of power for a week. It's great to know that if I go out of town for vacation or work they are keeping an eye out on my house. If I need some type of handy work, they are happy to help. Neighbors like this make the world of home ownership even better.
9. I'm thankful for my church home at Bethany Primitive Baptist Church. I don't always attend regularly, sometimes I just need some time alone to sort things out, but they are always in my heart. I also know that they care very deeply for me and they are always there when I need them.
10. I'm thankful I found (or maybe they found me) the Huntsville Lady Blazers softball team. They made softball fun again and that means the world to me. I can't wait to be back next season.
11. I'm thankful for all veterans past, present, and future. They sacrifice so much to defend our nation and we really could never show them the gratitude that they deserve.
12. I'm thankful for my dogs. They bring entertainment to my life and somehow seem to sense just when I need them to cuddle up next to me. They help me make it through.
