Thanksgiving. It is a day in November that Americans have set aside to give thanks for our many blessings through out the year. It started many, many years ago when the first settlers of our country gave thanks to God for getting them through the first year on the new land they called home. They celebrated with food, fellowship and most of all praising and giving thanks to our Lord for getting them through the rough times, the good times, for provisions and for His faithfulness.
Each day of this month I am giving thanks and praising God for the many blessings He has provided in my life. One day is just not enough, and quite frankly, one month is not enough for me to list all of the many gifts, blessings and provisions that our Father God has blessed me with. Each day I will post a new blessing that I am thankful for on Facebook and I will add it here to my blog.
In all things we are to give thanks. In all things!! Most of the time this is so easy to do. When we truly can witness or see the blessing that we have been given. There are times when we are going through hardship, pain, grief and other sufferings that we just can't seem to see how we can be thankful for what is going on. But we are. In many cases it is easier to see the blessings looking back at the rough times, but in the midst not so easy. We need to remember like Job did, that God gives us the good times and the bad, and we are to be thankful and praise Him for all things. God is there through it all walking us through each storm, each joyous occasion, and every moment of our lives. We might not see what God is doing for us during the trials, but know down deep that He is there working in ways you and I cannot see. That is what we can be thankful for! He will never leave us or forsake us. That is what we can be thankful for!What we are going through, He sees and knows, and will get you through. That is what we can be thankful for! If God has not brought you to it, He WILL get you through it. That is what we can be thankful for!
As we grew from a child to an adult we might have experienced growing pains in our legs, etc. They hurt, yet were necessary for us to be able to grow into adulthood to become a stronger person. Aren't you thankful as an adult that you are not walking around in a preteen body? Just as those growing pains came upon us to grow and make us stronger as adults, so do and will the pains we suffer in life. We grow spiritually! That is what we can be thankful for!
I pray that you will take the time to give thanks to God for the many, many, many blessings He has given you. It is so important to give thanks. Being thankful opens your eyes up to so much more to be thankful for that you might have missed if you had not given thanks to begin with. That is what we can be thankful for!
Below is the tip of the iceberg of blessings that I am thankful for.
I am so thankful for our Lord!! For His love, provision, strength, faithfulness, mercy and most of all His grace!
I praise God and am very thankful for the parents I have. Thankful for their direction, love, support and for their teaching me many lessons about life. Though like all of us they are and were not perfect yet it is in that imperfectness true lessons were taught. I truly thank them for teaching me what unconditional love is, thus paving the way for me to be able to accept it from our Father God.
I praise God and am very thankful for His blessing me with my husband, Curtis. He is everything I prayed for. He truly loves me like Christ loves the church. I am truly honored to be be his wife. I am thankful for his integrity, compassion, strengths, his tell it like it is look on life, his support, and his love. Most important of all I am thankful that Curtis loves God and seeks to walk in His ways.
I praise God and am very thankful for His blessing me with three wonderful and unique sons. Each one of them are sincerely loyal, love deeply and laugh often. Their love for people will get them far in life. They make me smile, cry, laugh, agitated, pray a lot, be filled with pride, and much more. I am thankful for all they bring to my life and ask God to truly direct their steps.
I praise God and am very thankful for His blessing me with my Brothers & Sisters. In His divine wisdom He placed us together from the beginning to share life. Each one is different with their unique characteristics, strengths, weakness, humor, beliefs, talents and much more. They have challenged, scolded, loved, and supported me in life. I am so thankful that they are my family and love them all.
I praise God and am very thankful for blessing me with my extended family. Nephews, great niece, cousins, Aunts, and Uncles; all extensions of my family tree. Each one of you have been a blessing to me in one way or another. You each have a great way of looking at life and living out your faith and that inspires me. I am very thankful that God has allowed me to be one of the nuts on this tree with you.
I praise God and am very thankful for the privilege of having a roof over my head called home. I am so blessed to live where I am protected from the elements, where I can stay warm or cool, and to be able to lay my head down at night in a nice cozy bed. A place where all my personal needs can be met and I can relax and unwind after a long day. God's provisions are awesome and I am so thankful!
I praise God and am very thankful for being born in the United States. We have so many freedoms and privileges that we enjoy each day and take for granted. One of my favorites is the ability to worship freely without persecution. We are so blessed to live in this country and I am truly thankful!
I praise God and am very thankful for all the firemen, policemen, support staff, garbage men, road crews, EMT's, and all workers who work on our behalf to make our lives easier, safer, and livable. They protect, serve, clean & beautify to the best of their ability for all of us. Most of the time without a word of appreciation. I am thankful for what they do to keep my little corner of the world running smoothly.
I praise God and I am very thankful for all the men & women who courageously serve in our Military. They risk their lives so that we can enjoy a life of freedom, rid the world of terrorist, and bring peace in areas where peace is only a dream. I am so proud of the service my father gave in WW11 & Korea, my husbands current service in the Navy and my sons current service in the Air Force. You guys are my heros!
I praise God and I am very thankful for farmers. They begin their days before the sun comes up and work long after the sun goes down, so that we can have food to live on. The farmers are responsible for feeding the world. All through out the Bible their trade of planting seeds is used to teach us (Reap what you sow, ...& more). I am truly thankful to those who dedicate their lives to provide food for the rest of us.
I praise God and I am very thankful for all those individuals who serve on school boards, town boards, county boards, etc. Many times these people serve without pay (school boards) or gratitude. They spend several hours each month dealing with issues, making sure services are provided, and setting policy that will enrich our lives and the lives of our children. I am very thankful for all of them.
I praise God and I am thankful for teachers. Teachers are an important link in the growth of everyone. They teach us many of the basics. Not just in education, but life itself. Many times teachers will be the only one a child gets any affirmation, taught any morals and how to be good citizens. It is a heavy responsibility and the teachers I have had and my children have had did a excellent job and I am thankful.
I praise God and I am thankful for the wonderful gift of humor. Just think what life would be like if we could not find the humor in every situation. God has the best sense of humor of all. I am thankful that He has blessed me with the ability to see the humor and provide the humor when needed to make life easier to deal with.
I praise God and I am thankful for the many wonderful mentors that I have had in my life. From childhood to the present God has placed wonderful people to guide me, to teach me, to encourage me, to see in me what I couldn't see, to present new ways of thinking, to correct me, to love me, to show me the ways of the Lord and much, much more. I am so thankful that God sends these angels to guide my steps.
I praise God and I am thankful for modern technology. It allows me to stay in touch with my husband, my family, and many friends through out the world. I am so thankful that with just a click, a dial, or a press of a button those I hold so dear are right there.
I praise God and am very thankful for the jobs that I have. I am so grateful that God provided a new career path for me when it looked like I would not have one. With God's loving direction He picked me up and placed me in jobs that have provided me with a way to be responsible for my obligations and give me the freedom to serve Him when the opportunity arises. I am truly thankful.
I praise God and am thankful for the many necessities of life that I have at my fingertips, such as clean water. I am blessed to have water to drink, for personal hygiene, to wash my clothes and to cook with. Many people of this world have to walk for miles each day for water, while I, at times take it for granted. I a...m thankful for God's provision of water, and even more thankful for His gift of the Living Water.
I praise God and I am very thankful for the weekend. God knew we needed time to rest & play so we could recharge before beginning all over again. I am truly thankful for the time on the week-ends.
I praise God and I am very thankful that He never lets go of me. Through the calm and through the storms. Through the highs & through the lows, He never lets go of me. I am so thankful for that.
I praise God and am thankful for prayers. There have been many times in my life that I have fallen, have been discouraged, or have struggled, that I literally could feel the prayers for me. I am so thankful for those who pray for me & my family. I am thankful for the promise of answered prayers and for prayers being answered that I cannot see. Sincere thanks to all prayer warriors.
I praise God and am thankful for true, godly friends. Friends that God has placed in your life to hold you accountable, love you, guide you, share good times and bad, and will be there for you when everyone else isn't. They love you for who you are, even when you sin. They lovingly hold you up and walk with you throu...gh the storms. I am very thankful for true friends.
I praise God and am thankful for even those "surface" friends I have had in my life. Even though they weren't true friends, I appreciated the time together and learned many lessons about life. These friends have taught me how to forgive and showed me how not to be, thus helping me be a better friend to others. I am ...truly thankful that God used these people to help me grow.
I praise God and am thankful for old friends. Not just friends who are old, but friends who I grew up with from childhood. We have shared many common experiences that have molded us to who we are today. Reconnecting again is a true blessing and brings a smile to my face. I am truly thankful.
I praise God and am very thankful for new friends. These are the ones that God has recently placed into my life through FB, work sites, churches we have attended, and other places. God has a reason for bringing us together. I enjoy the privilege of getting to know others and always receive such blessings from them. I praise God for bringing new friends into my life.
I praise God and am thankful for the many different church families I have been a part of. Each one has helped my spiritual growth in one way or another. Some have been very supportive, nurturing and life changing. Others have taught me life lessons in other ways. I am thankful for each and every lesson that God has... used on my walk with Him. I am thankful for all the teachings that I have experienced.
I praise God and am thankful for great neighbors who help out while Cutirs is away. It is nice to know that I have someone I can go to for help with the house when I need it. I am very thankful.
I praise God and am very thankful for the gift of giving. God was the greatest giver of all by giving us His Son. "For God so loved the world that He gave...." I am so grateful that God has given me the gift of loving & giving. I pray that He continues to bless me so that I can continue to use His blessings to bless others. I am truly thankful for the gift of giving.
