Thanksgiving Day

Well, it's almost midnight as I post this so I will consider it officially Thanksgiving Day. We have so much to be thankful for every year but especially this year. I feel like it has gone so fast but a lot has happened and a lot hasn't happened (and sometimes that's a good thing if you know what I mean!). Here's a few things I'm thankful for:

Our progress in the adoption process, and I'm SO thankful that the paperwork is done!

My family is healthy, minus a few colds here and there, but God has blessed us this year with a healthy family once again.

I'm thankful that we are going to gather all together tomorrow and eat turkey and my mom's delicious dressing, casseroles, and lots of dessert, and we will share love and laughs.

I am also thankful that this year brought no major catastrophies with our house! Yay! That's a big one!

I'm thankful that God continues to teach me more about Himself.

I'm thankful that Brian is still enjoying his job at the office.

I'm thankful that we get to come home to a cozy house everyday.

I'm thankful that once we get home we enjoy being there and with each other.

I'm thankful for God's faithfulness to me despite my lack of it.

I'm thankful for our church and for the friendships we've made there.

I'm thankful for the new addition to my brother's family---Yay Brooks!

We are blessed with a lot here. I could go on and on. There's a lot to enjoy in life, and then there are things that are difficult, things we would rather have removed from our lives. But there is purpose even in those things. Sometimes my focus gets fixed on the things on want to see go, those hard, ugly things that make my life difficult. I become fixated on those. But I have to do like I'm doing now, and ask God to open my eyes to all the good things that He has given to me to enjoy. Sometimes, because they have always been there, I take them for granted. Like my family for instance, and my home. And even the beauty in nature. If we sit and think, really think and take notice, we would see all that we've been given and our hearts would pour out gratitude to Him. When we are thinking about all we have to be thankful for it becomes a little more difficult to complain...our complaining turns to praise! We just have to shift the focus. That's what I want to do more of.
Will you join me? Let's start today!!

HAPPY THANKSGIVING EVERYONE!!!!!!