If I were to write a list of all the things I’m thankful for, it would take a really long time. I don’t want to bore you by making a list a mile long, so I’ve decided to narrow it down to 10 things I’m grateful for this year. So, in no particular order, here they are:
1. I am a Hurricane Ike survivor. It was a rough storm, and there are a lot of people who lost their belongings, their homes, and even some people who lost their lives. My family and I are so blessed. The damage to our property was minimal, and none of us were harmed. Two months later, our lives are back to normal.
2. After Hurricane Ike, we didn’t have electricity for two weeks. We have friends that were without it for longer than that. Just stop for a minute and think about everything you do in a typical day that requires the use of electricity. It’s pretty overwhelming when you think about it! Going without power, air conditioning, the stove, the oven, microwave, computer, TV, ceiling fans, etc. has made me so grateful for all the conveniences we have in our country. We are so blessed, and even spoiled!
3. This year has brought a whole new family into my life, including a new step dad, cat, grandparents, and extended family members. It’s been fun to get to know everyone better.
4. Our closest family friends had a scary incident about a month ago. Uncle Tom, a man who has been like my second dad since I was about four years old, had a stroke on October 26th. Thankfully, he got to the emergency room pretty quickly, and the doctors were able to help him. He spent three days in the hospital, and now he is almost completely back to normal! I am so thankful that he is okay. Life would not be the same without him.
5. I am so thankful to have Ashlynne in my life! She is such a fun baby! I love her to pieces! Every little thing she does is magic!
6. I love talking and laughing with all of my friends and family. I have so many amazing people in my life!
7. I am very thankful for my tippy toes. Almost everything I go to do requires me to stand on the tips of my toes so that I can reach just a little higher. I’ve just recently realized how often I do that!
8. Earlier this year, I discovered a program for my computer called J-Tunes. It works in conjunction with my screen reading software (JAWS) and helps me to access I-Tunes! Before this, I couldn’t do anything with my IPod or I-Tunes, because it just wouldn’t cooperate with JAWS. (I had the same old songs on my IPod for over a year because I couldn’t change them by myself! It was pretty sad!) But now I am totally capable of doing it all by myself! It’s been so great!
9. I am so in love with good books! I am especially grateful for Braille books, books on tape and CD, and the Unabridged Digital Audio books library online! My life would be so boring without all these great resources!
10. This last one is the most important. Over the past year or so, I have been slowly waking up to the reality that God loves me. Not just the “Jesus loves me, this I know” kind of thing, but a real, deep, passionate love. It’s hard to describe, because it’s such a personal revelation. But, I want you to know that my Father loves you in the same way. He is always there, waiting for you to crawl up into His lap and snuggle up with Him. You are His baby, and He wants you to know Him for the loving Papa that He is. He is especially fond of you. Here is a link to a video that I found to be very interesting. It’s about 45 minutes long, and is a presentation by my favorite author and speaker, Wayne Jacobsen.
www.lifestream.org/audio/index.html
Click on the video called “Sharing in the Father’s Affection”.
Whatever you are doing on this Thanksgiving, I hope your heart is full of joy. Go in peace, and live loved.
