Thankful, I Am

Fall has finally come to our neck of the Southern woods. The leaves have begun changing and falling almost at the same time!

I am enjoying this Thanksgiving season and really
don't want to begin the sprint into Christmas just yet!

I always hesitate to do an "I am thankful for" list
for some reason but here goes....

1) Jeff. The past couple of years have probably been two of the toughest we have had in 17 years of marriage. Through it all, he has continually shown amounts of grace, love, and support that simply amaze me. He has listened when tears and feelings probably didn't make much sense and has always believed that I am stronger and better than I am.

2) Gracen. Oh, the smiles, laughter, and joy she brings to us.

3) Extended family--grandparents, nieces and nephew (only one, right now), sisters, brothers-in-law, great grandparents. Each one is treasured and loved.

4) Friends that are, in many cases, like family.

5) A church home.

6) Books.

7) Flickering lights of great smelling candles.

8) Great music.

9) Conveniences/luxuries. Life could certainly be lived without them but is much simpler with them!

10) Pain. I've had more than I want but so much less than some. And, to be perfectly honest, I didn't want to put this on this list. I am quite simply tired of it. But, because of it, I've learned much.

"Thankfulness is a secret passageway into a room you can't find any other way. It is the wardrobe into Narnia. It allows us to find the rest of God--those dimensions of God's world, God's presence, God's character that are hidden, always, from the thankless." --Mark Buchanan
The Rest of God