Thankful

My morning devotions were about being thankful for all the amazing things God has done. Then, today's sermon, was from 1 Thes. 5, about having an attitude of gratitude. I can be a little slow on the uptake sometimes, but I figured God is using those two things to change my perspective. The pastor said something that struck a chord with me..."It's hard to say 'Thank You, God' when you're grumbling and complaining." After church I was thinking about the sermon and I realized that, for the first time in years, I have not used November to acknowledge my blessings on a daily basis. How could I forget something so important? So, I'm going to give it to you all in a lump sum.....
First and foremost, I am thankful for my Heavenly Father Who loves me despite my imperfections.
Second, I am thankful for my husband who is my biggest supporter in life.
Third, I am thankful for our boys who bring so much laughter and joy to our lives.
Fourth is our family. My parents continually amaze me. I strive to be the kind of parents they've been to me and my brother.

The rest of what I am thankful for is in no particular order. It's just what comes to mind when I type:
.* Our health. Yes, we get sick and have aches/pains but, after listening to a testimony of someone at church today, it makes me appreciate our good health even more.
* Our beautiful house. I love our subdivision and so many things about our house.
* Our crazy dogs. Our puppy drives me crazy but the dogs make us laugh every day.
* Our friends. It was a struggle for me to make friends when we first moved here. Now I have a solid tribe, as do the boys. I am also thankful for my West Coast friends, with whom I still keep in contact.
* The boys' school. I was nervous about them starting a new school this year but it has been a real blessing.
* Our cars. They are reliable and one of them is paid off. (YAY!!)
* Our fridge. We have so many choices of food every time we open the door. Even when we're "low" on groceries, we still have so much more than many others.
* My new niece. She's beautiful and hopefully I will get to hold her in my arms someday SOON.
* Photography. It provides a creative outlet for me and brings in some income for our family.
* Our jobs. It is nice to have a steady income and I am thankful that my job is flexible enough that there's not much I miss out with when it comes to the boys.
* Means to travel. We have been able to go to so many places this year, introducing the boys to new places and revisiting some "old" favorites.
* Heating and A/C. We live in the South so enough said.
* Freedom of religion and free speech. This almost gets me emotional because I love that we live in a country where we can say what we want and worship at the church of our choice.
* Cooler weather. I am thankful for it for many reasons (Can anyone say "No humidity??") but I love that it just naturally slows down life a little. The other night I told Rob I was going to bed early because I was bored...and it made me happy to admit that I had nothing to do.
* Football. Not NFL or even college football. I am thankful for the boys' football teams. It's been fun watching them play this season.
* My students. They are such a blessing. I love the interaction I have with them on a daily basis.
* Our neighbors. I am thankful that we have a close knit community on our street, who watches out for each other and offers help when needed.
* Books. How do people live without books? Reading is my escape from reality and I love how my imagination goes wild when I read a good book.
* Our bed. Last night was a rough night with the boys coughing and P snoring. So, on that note, I am thankful for the nap I'm about to take.

I hope that you take a few minutes to acknowledge what you are thankful for. There is so much that we take for granted and I want to start being more purposeful in my gratitude, for the many blessings in our lives.