Giving Thanks

Well, all of your great lists of what you are thankful for has really made an impression on me, so I decided to make one for myself. Here goes….

I am thankful for…

God! More than anything, I am so thankful that He plays such an important role in my life. The older I get the more I realize how much I need to stay close to Him. I had no idea what I had come in possession of when I was saved as a 10-year-old little girl. But, as a 28 year old woman, I can tell you that my relationship with Him grows sweeter with each day that passes. I have found that regardless of who I am trying to please in this life, it is most important that I am truly trying to please Him. That is my goal!

Evan! Wow. What did I ever do to deserve such a great kid? I thank God that He allowed me to be his mommy every day of my life. He is my soul, and I realize now that I simply wasn’t whole before he was born. I know now that I was put here to be his mommy and I want to strive everyday to be the best mom that I can be. I fall very short of this most every day, but I pray that God will help me to teach him the right things and that we can point him in the right direction all the days of our lives.

Shaun! It is very comforting to know that I go to sleep each night and wake up each morning beside my very best friend. He knows me like no one else does, and though we’ve had our share of trials and disagreements, God knew what He was doing when he put us together and I thank Him that he did. Shaun has ALWAYS done his best to provide for our family, naturally and spiritually, and I love him so much for that.

My parents! Again, I don’t know how I ever got so lucky to be born to such wonderful parents. They raised me in a way that taught me to put God first in my life, to be a friend that people could count on, to always stand up for what I know is right, and to just be the kind of person that I ought to be. Today, I can see that they have always put my needs far above their own, and I love them and need them more today than I ever have. They are wonderful parents to me, but I love even more watching them be wonderful grandparents to my baby!

My siblings. Sometimes I wonder if we are part of the same gene pool, but I love them so much. My siblings are quite a bit older than me, but I am still quite fond of them and am so thankful that God gave me an older brother and sister to look out for me. I also love my brother and sister-in-law as well as my precious nieces and nephew.

My family! God let me marry into a wonderful family who truly loves me like I am their own. He gave me great parents-in-law, brothers-in-law, sisters-in-law, a niece, great grandparents...I could go on and on. I love them all! He also gave me great aunts and uncles who have always spoiled me rotten. Now that torch has been passed on to Evan! :-)

My church! To say that I love my church family would be the under statement of the century. They are closer than natural family, and I simply could not make it without them. I am also thankful for Shaun’s church family, who again, treats me as if I were their own. We are very lucky to be surrounded by so many people who can help us raise Evan the same way that we were raised.

Friends! What would a girl do without her friends? God has surely given me the greatest group of friends that I could possibly have. Some I talk to daily; some weekly; some monthly; some yearly; but each one serves a very special purpose in my life and I am a better person because of each of them!

My job! I LOVE IT! Don’t get me wrong, it has its days, but there is something very special about making a difference in the life of a child. I want to teach them all I can, but more than that, I want them to know that I love them and want what is best for each of them. I also get to work with a great group of people. That is very special.

My house, car, etc. I am so thankful for a nice warm house to come home to each night. Even if two of my burners don’t work on the stove and my shower leaks, it is still a shelter over our heads that keeps us safe from storms and cold. I am thankful for a car that starts each morning and lets me get to where I need to go. These are things that I take for granted most days, but today, I am thankful for them!

Answered prayers! Even though sometimes they don’t come the way we want them to, I am so very thankful that God hears and answers prayers, and am hoping and praying that He's got a few more to answer for us in the future! I am also thankful that everything is as well with us as it is. I know that can change quickly, and I don’t want to take it for granted!

So, there you have it. I have so much to be thankful for. I wish each of you a WONDERFUL Thanksgiving!