Thankful and grateful and blessed...Oh, my!

I have so much to be thankful for this year! In pondering my blessings, I've listed my top 7. They may seem cliche' or predictable, but that's okay! There are many more I could have added, but these are the things I thank God for every day.

1. MY HUSBAND. Honesty time. My husband and I haven't had an easy go of it for the past several years. I won't get into it, but let's just say there have been moments we've been "this close" to calling it quits. Only by God's amazing grace and the power of the Holy Spirit, things are getting better. Not perfect, by any means, but my husband is one of those guys who is willing to do whatever it takes to make it work. And guys like that are few and far between these days. I am so glad we've stuck it out and I look forward to many more years together.

2. MY KIDS. Yes, they are to blame for my gray hair, but I wouldn't trade them for anything in the world. I am so blessed to be the mother of two awesome teenagers who make me laugh, warm my heart, and keep me young (along with the Garnier Nutrisse).

3. MY FAMILY. My husband and kids have already been mentioned, but I'm talking about the rest of my family. My mom...my dad...brothers...in-laws...So if you shook my family tree, a few nuts would fall out, but I happen to be a fan of nuts!


  

4. MY FRIENDS. Diane...Cari...Ginger...Deb...Susan...I seriously have some of the most fabulous friends in the world. Whether it's encouragement, a shoulder to cry on, a hug, a good laugh, or a movie and/or coffee buddy, each one offers something different, yet exactly what I need. 



5. MY CHURCH. Okay, so I know there are a lot of great churches out there, and I may be biased, but my church rocks. Not only literally - as in rockin' praise and worship - but it is filled with the most real, accepting, Christ-like people I've ever met, and Pastor Duane is an awesome teacher and genuinely great guy. Plus, God rocks my socks off by allowing me to do really cool things like co-write our church's Christmas production, How Christmas Saved the Grinch, which will be attended by a projected 20,000 people this year! Is that cool, or what? I am so grateful for the opportunity to use my gifts to minister to people and am so honored to be part of a church that's alive and growing!

6. MY JOB(S). I am so thankful that I am able to stay home and do what I love to do instead of going to a job I dread every day. Not to say it's always a piece of cake, and there are days I feel like tossing my laptop out the window, but God has opened so many doors to the writing world for me (mostly through people I've met along the way) and I never take it (or them) for granted.

  7. YOU! 

 I know I'm not the most faithful blogger, nor am I the most amusing, entertaining or interesting. I probably over-promote myself to the point where you want to gag, and sometimes I'm sure I don't respond to you guys like I should. That's why I am thankful for every single one of you who reads my blog - even if only clicking over for a quick skim - and those of you who take extra time to comment. I appreciate you more than you know!

"Be thankful for what you have; you'll end up having more. If you concentrate on what you don't have, you will never, ever have enough." - Oprah Winfrey

What are you most thankful for this year?