I'm Thankful For...

I like to think that I'm thankful every day, but in reality, how long do I pause to thank God for things?  I'm glad we have this one special day set aside to say, "Thank you, Lord," for all that He's done for us.  The past couple years I've tried to make myself take a little time to list just a few of the things that I'm thankful for.  I want to go beyond the everyday things like food and clothes (although I am thankful for these things, too) and go a little deeper.  I want to share these things here as a public acknowledgement of how good God has been to me.  Yes, I thank GOD.  I truly feel sorry for people who celebrate Thanksgiving without giving thanks to the One who gives us all things.

 "Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and cometh down from the Father of lights..." James 1:17

Some things that I have seen and experienced in the last few months have made me realize that I am extremely grateful for the way I was raised.  My family's situation wasn't ideal, but, looking back, I can see how things could have been so much different.  I'm thankful I was raised in a home with a father who said, "No," but only because he wanted what was best for me.  I'm glad he fought to keep me in a Christian school.  I'm thankful for that school and all the people who helped me to become the person I am today.  I'm thankful that we didn't have a television, and that I wasn't exposed to many things until I was an adult.  Some may see this as a hindrance in life and even resent their parents for it, but I am thankful for it. 
I'm thankful that I was raised to believe the Bible, to read it and memorize it.  I'm thankful I learned at a young age to believe that prayer works, and God can do anything.  I'm also glad I learned that just because God can, doesn't mean He always will, but we have to trust Him anyways.
I'm thankful for my brother and sister, and all the time we spent together.  Now that we're all grown and married, we don't get to be together very often. I remember the nights we would all gather on my bed in our pajamas before going to sleep, just to talk.  I remember the games we made up and played for hours.  We were truly each others' best friends.  I miss those days, and sometimes I wish I could go back to them again, so that I would realize how precious those times were.
I'm thankful for my husband who works hard for his little family.  I have loved him nearly from the moment I laid eyes on him, but I didn't realize how much until our son was born.  He loves our little boy so much.  It makes me so happy to see them together.  I'm thankful that he puts up with me and is always usually willing to take on the projects that I come up with for him.
I am so thankful for my son.  He is the joy of my life.  Nothing makes me happier than to see his little eyes light up when he sees me come into his room.  When he gurgles, when he coos and even when he poops, he is the cutest, best, most wonderful baby in the world, and I'm so thankful to be his mama.
I'm thankful for the life that I have now.  God has given me more than I could have ever hoped for.  Sometimes I'm tempted to complain about something I don't have, or feel that someone else has it better than me.  I find that I'm much happier when I stop looking at other people, and just see how far I've come.  I hope that I take time every day to be thankful for at least one thing, but for those days that I forget, I have this day.  I have this one day to think about it all, and say, "Thank you, God. For everything."

Happy Thanksgiving!
Lyndsie