10 Things I'm Most Thankful For

"In everything give thanks; for this is God's will for you in Christ Jesus"

1 Thessalonians 5:18

The Thanksgiving season leads us to think about all that we are grateful for. Many fill their Facebook pages with things they are thankful for and we often are looking deep at our lives to those things that we may take for granted. It's a season of gratefulness and a time when we are more likely to voice those things we are thankful for. It's also something that God wants us to do. You read many examples in scripture of God's people thanking Him for what He has done. 

So, with this in mind on this Thanksgiving-eve I wanted to share the top 10 things I'm most grateful for....

1. My Savior...without Him I wouldn't have redemption from my sin. I wouldn't have the hope that only He can give. I am so thankful that He chose to rescue me from my sin and that He has promised eternal life. He is my guide, comforter, creator, healer, and my all. 

2. My husband...He is my rock and my best friend. I'm so thankful that God brought us together because he has shown me what unconditional and sacrificial love is. He inspires me to be quick to forgive, calms me when I'm angry, comforts me when I'm sad or discouraged, and loves me in spite of my shortcomings. He has shown me Jesus so many times and I'm so blessed to have him.

3. My children...they are such a blessing in my life. They have been used to grow me in so many ways. They inspire me to laugh more, love more, and invest more. They have given me a glimpse at the love that our heavenly Father has for us. Even on the toughest days I can sit back and see how special they have made my life. 

4. My parents & my brother...My parents sincere love is something I never want to take for granted. They have always done their best to make my life more fun and secure. They are always there when I need them and don't turn away a request for help. My brother loves me in spite of all the times I beat on him. I can confide in him and he's always ready to help out. 

5. My family...I'm thankful for all my extended family. Grandparents, Mother-in-law, my husband's family, aunts, uncles, cousins, etc. Their  love is unmistakable and sincere. They always have a warm, welcoming smile and my only regret is that I don't see them often enough. 

6. My church family...so, I say church family but really they're just as much family as my blood relatives. Their's is a sacrificial, genuine, agape love that shows me the love of Christ. I can share with them the darkness of my heart and they understand because they know they have sin themselves. They help me grow closer to Jesus and show me Jesus through their lives. 

7. My country...yes, our country has it's share of problems but compared to other countries I think we have to admit we have it pretty good. I'm thankful for the opportunity to freely share about Jesus Christ, to home-school my children, and to have the many freedoms that others don't have. 

8. My friends...my friends are really my family too, but there is a different kind of bond with them. We can laugh with (and at) each other like you can't with other people. We can share embarrassing moments and talk about the silliest things and don't need to take each other too seriously. However, when one of us is hurt we can be a shoulder to cry on and we are always available to give or get advice. 

9. My home...I guess this is obvious. It's my shelter and my comfort. I never want to take my comforts for granted because tomorrow is unknown and there are many who don't have even half of what I do. I only want to make sure I only keep what I need and give the rest to those who need it more.

10. Coffee...Those who know me best are probably waiting for this one! I am so thankful for my coffee and yeah, I don't think I could live without it. I know that everyone is aware of my love of this bean because when my husband was injured last year people brought things to our home for us and on the table were four containers of coffee!! They know what I need!! 

So, that's my list of ten things I'm thankful for. Of course, there are many more that weren't mentioned. Never take for granted what you have and most importantly don't forget to thank the One who has given you them.

How about you? What would be on your Top 10 list?