Thanksgiving thoughts 2016

Today I will focus on being thankful for all of the great people and things in my life.

I'm thankful for my wife (I still haven't figured out why she's put up with me for 28 years), my children (including the wonderful young woman who has married into this crazy clan a year and a half ago) who make me exceedingly proud every day. 

I am thankful for my friends who support and challenge me, accept me and honor me by listening, laughing and sharing some of the important things in their worlds with me. 

I am thankful for my parents, brothers, sister, my in-laws, respective spouses, nieces and nephews.  I am thankful for the times I have gotten to see them and hope for more opportunities.  Cousins, aunts and uncles are included as well.

I'm thankful for my home, and my job, my neighbors and coworkers.  I'm thankful for the people who teach my children, those that taught me (a much more challenging task) and those who, in a less formal way, continue to teach me today.

I'm thankful for the cozy bed last night, the hot shower this morning, the good breakfast and the warm house.  Oh and coffee!  I'm thankful for coffee. :)

...and the list goes on and on.  I need only to look around and pay attention.

I am thankful for my health and for the health of those I love.  I am thankful for my church community and to my Lord who has bestowed these blessings upon me for reasons I cannot begin to understand.

I hope to maintain this posture of gratitude for at least the day and maybe it will leak into the rest of my year.