30 Days of Thanks
November 30 - Love
I am thankful today for love in all its forms. I am thankful for the love of my husband and family. I am thankful for the love of friendship. And most of all, I am thankful for God's love.
November 29 - Christmas Season
Today, I am thankful that the Christmas season is upon us. I am thankful for the fun and the family time to come. Most of all, I am thankful for the REASON for the season - Jesus' birth!
November 28 - Grandmother
I am thankful that I got to have all four of my grandparents until I was grown. But today, especially, I am so thankful for the time I got to have my dear, sweet Grandmother. Today is her birthday, and she is spending it in Heaven. I am thankful that my girl got to meet her. I am thankful for the strength she showed and the gentle, loving example she set.
November 27 - Childhood friends
I am thankful for friendships formed in childhood. I am lucky to still have my oldest friend in my life, and I hope the same will be true of these girls. They only see each other a couple times a year now, but they fall right in together as soon as they get together. I am also thankful for the chance to peek inside a little girl's mind while listening to them play today.
November 26 - Pappy
I am thankful for my father-in-law whom my girl calls Pappy. Pappy has helped us out so much this year. He stepped up when we desperately needed him. He loves my girl so much and I am proud to have him in our lives.
November 25 - Parents
I am so thankful for my parents. I am thankful they raised me in a loving, secure home. I am thankful they raised me knowing God from day one. I am thankful for all they have done for me and my family and continue to do for us. Most of all, especially this year, I am so thankful just to have my wonderful parents with me. An accident and a medical crisis this year have reminded me just how lucky I am to have them both.
November 24 - Family
Today, Thanksgiving Day, I am thankful for family! I have a wonderful family and am proud to be a part of it.
November 23 - SUNSHINE!
I am so thankful today to see the sunshine! It's been a wet, dreary week so far, and today was a very welcome reprieve.
November 22 - Entertainment
Today, I am thankful for the entertainment my girl provides herself (and me in the process). The imagination on this girl blows my mind.
November 21 - Communication
I am thankful today for my cell phone. It's a simple one, not a smart phone, but it keeps me in touch with those I love. It's also bailed me out when my car has left me stranded or I've gotten lost. (Wait, not that I'd EVER get lost....) Yes, sometimes I cringe when I hear it ring because I'm not a big "phone" person, but I am always happy to be able to talk to my friends and family. Really, how cool is it we can pick up a little device and connect to someone who is across the country, or even the world?
November 20 - These guys (and all the rest)
This kind of goes along with the Veteran's Day thanks, but I think they deserve a day of their own. These two guys who are near and dear to my heart are serving our country right now. I am thankful for the sacrifices they make, and the sacrifices their families make. Confession - I obviously didn't take this ON November 20, as I don't have a satellite camera...
November 19 - Silliness
I am thankful today for silliness. I am thankful for the chance to laugh and be goofy with my silly little girl. I am thankful for the sound of her giggling. I don't think there is a more beautiful sound on earth.
November 18 - Rara
Today, I am thankful for Rara (so named by my girl). I am thankful she raised a wonderful son. I am thankful that she loves my girl so. And I am thankful she welcomed me into her family.
November 17 - He's still workin' on me
I could go many ways with this one. I could say I am thankful to God for creating an amazing and enormous universe - and I am. Who isn't awed to stand under a night sky and look at the innumerable stars?! But when I look at this, I think...it took Him just a week to make the moon and the stars, the Earth and the Sun and Jupiter and Mars...but He's still workin' on me. So today, I am thankful that God's not done with me yet--that He's still working on me. I am nowhere near even being in sight of perfect, and never will be, but I am better than I was, and that's all thanks to God. I'm thankful that He doesn't give up on his children when we mess up, but just keeps working on us.
On a side note - if you zoom in on this photo, you'll see that the stars are slightly elongated. This is not from camera shake. This was a 30 second exposure, and you can actually see the Earth moving in the photo (hence the slight streaking of the stars) in that short amount of time. Amazing.
November 16 - Water
I am currently ready a dystopian novel in which all modern amenities have been stripped away by grave human error. It made me think of how thankful I am to have clean running water in my house. Though the novel is obviously fiction, the unavailability of clean water or running water is reality in parts of the world. When I stared this project, I had the "big" things in mind, but the fact is, we should be so thankful for simple things like this because if we didn't have them, they wouldn't seem like simple things at all.
November 15 - AWANA
Today, I am thankful for our AWANA program and for all the folks who work so hard on it. I am thankful for the souls who have been saved through it, and for the children who come each week to learn about Jesus.
November 14 - Tires
Today, I am thankful for new tires. These are my Christmas present this year because TIRES ARE EXPENSIVE! While it's not the most glamorous thing, it is a necessary thing, and I'm thankful the need arose while I had my Christmas savings available to use. Not hydroplaning is a good thing.
November 13 - Music
I am thankful for the music these two have brought into my life. One of the first things I loved about my husband was his musical talent. Some of my favorite memories of our dating are listening to him playing and singing. Now, I get to see he and our girl rock out together. (or twang out, as it were).
November 12 - God so loved the world
If my 30 days of thanks were ranked instead of random, this would've been 1st. Thankful doesn't seem to be a strong enough word, but it's what I've got, so... Today, I am thankful that God sent his Son to save us from our sins. I am thankful for Jesus' ultimate sacrifice on the cross. I am thankful that He didn't stay in the grave but rose again and lives today. I am thankful that God loved us, loved me, enough to make such a sacrifice. I am thankful that because of this, I get to have a personal relationship with God. How awesome is that? We have the opportunity to not only be forgiven, but also to have a real, personal relationship with the One who created us!
November 11 - Veterans
Today, Veteran's Day, I am so thankful for the men and women who choose to serve our nation in the armed forces. I am thankful for the sacrifices they make to keep our nation free. Also, I am grateful for the families of these men and women who wait at home, hoping and praying that their loved ones come home safely. Thank you for your service, thank you for your sacrifice.
November 10 - Medicine
I am thankful I live in a place with readily available medical care and medicine. Many parts of the world, this is not the case. Sure, there are a LOT of problems with healthcare in this country, but the fact remains that we have it so good in comparison.
November 09 - Job
I am thankful for my job. I'm so thankful that I have a job to provide for my family, especially in this unstable economy. I am so grateful for it, I've worn the numbers off my keyboard working hard!
November 08 - Friend
I am thankful for my friends. I am blessed with some wonderful friends!
November 07 - Fall colors
Today, I am thankful for the beauty of the seasons. Each season holds it's own beauty whether it is the starkness of winter, the rebirth of spring, the steamy green of summer, or the crisp colors of fall. I thank God for giving us a change each season. With each change comes a feeling of a new start.
November 06 - Messy little hands
This kind of goes hand in hand with yesterday's post. Today, I am thankful for messy little hands, because these little hands hold my heart. I am grateful for the opportunity to paint a munchkin hand for silly little craft projects and making memories in the process. On a side note, I'm also grateful that this paint didn't make it onto the table pictured. :)
November 05 - Baking
I am thankful today for the chance to bake with my baby girl. There are several things to be thankful for here, the first being that we have food in order to bake. I am also thankful that my mother did the same thing with me as a child, and we have great memories of cooking and cleaning up together. This continues today. My family spends a lot of time together in the kitchen when we all get together. Finally, I am thankful for a dear friend who shared her grandmother's roll recipe with me and showed me how to make them.
November 04 - Husband
I am so thankful for my wonderful husband of ten wonderful years. Add almost four years of dating to that, and we've been together for almost half my life. He is my best friend, and a great father (as shown in the snuggle bunny picture). Marriage is not always easy, but it is worth it. I am thankful that we both recognize that love is not just an emotion, it is a verb, an action. It is an effort, and that effort is what makes it worth it. God truly blessed me when he sent him into my life.
November 03 - Beauty
The sunrise this morning was absolutely stunning. So today, I am thankful for nature's beauty. When I see skies like this, my mind immediately starts singing "How Great Thou Art." God is truly a wonderful artist, painting the skies so beautifully.
November 02 - Heat
I am thankful today for a heated home. It's dropped below freezing a couple of times in the past week and I am so grateful to have a warm home!
November 01 - Prayer
I am thankful for God's blessing of prayer. I am thankful that I can talk to God anytime and know He is listening. I am thankful that I get to hear my little girl praying each night. There is a wonderful preciousness to hearing that sweet little voice talking to God.