THANKS

Thanksgiving should be a part of our everyday lives....not just one day a year to give thanks. Our Heavenly Father daily loads us with benefits, and we should give thanks. Surely, goodness and mercy follow us all the days of our lives, and we should give thanks. Our cups run over with blessings and we should give thanks. Our help in time of need comes from the Lord, maker of Heaven and earth, and we should give thanks.

Early on we try to teach our children and grandchildren the importance of having good manners, to say PLEASE and THANK YOU. Our two year old granddaughter has learned this very well. When she was first able to talk, she'd say "t'ank choo", then she graduated to "thank you" and now she says a very drawn out "thaaaannnkks"....too cute! (I'm a grandmother, what can I say?) I'm just thankful that she has learned it and pray that she will continue it for the rest of her life.

Even as adults we often neglect this small pleasantry way too often. We forget to thank our loved ones when they bring us a cup of coffee or do a favor for us. We forget to acknowledge the little things that they do for us on a daily basis. We forget to say thank you to the waiter who pours our coffee or to the clerk who finds us the object we were searching for. So it's no wonder that we forget to thank God for all that He does for us.

I want to spur you to say THANKS today. We are living in difficult days when our troubles SEEM to outweigh our blessings. But, I promise you that if you will stop and count your blessings today and thank the Lord for them, you will soon see that you are way more blessed than you had imagined.

I'm going to give you a few to get you started, and encourage you to continue to add to the list.

I'm thankful :

To have been able to get out of the bed this morning (don't laugh...there are many who can't ).

I am thankful that I am able to walk without assistance.

I am thankful that I can see, hear and talk, unhindered.

I am thankful that I can taste my coffee (I couldn't for a while and it was awful!!).

I am thankful for the wonderful invention of email and computers.

I am thankful that gas has dropped below $1.99!!!

I am thankful for my wonderful husband who loves me and has been faithful to me for 35 years.

I am thankful for my precious children...
.....my dear son whom I love dearly and is about to become a daddy any day now
.....my sweet daughter whom I love and enjoy very much

I am thankful for my precious "grafted in " children....
......my wonderful son-in-love who is a terrific husband and father
......my sweet daughter-in-love who loves my son so much and is about to bless us with another granddaughter!

I am thankful for our precious, adorable granddaughter who is my sunshine.

I am thankful for the newest granddaughter who is not here yet, but whom we love already.

I am thankful for dear and precious friends of many years who are a continual blessing to my life.

I am thankful for a church that continually points others to Christ.

I am thankful for friends who storm Heaven in my behalf.

I am thankful to be a part of a women's ministry that spurs women to point others to Christ and whose goal is "every woman praying".

I am thankful for the women I've met through this ministry and the new friends I've made that have been such a blessing to my life.

I am thankful for my mother who loves me more than anything else in the world and would do anything for me.

I am thankful for my mother-in-law who has always loved me, been so good to me, and will celebrate her 94th birthday this Wednesday, Good Lord willing!

I am thankful for the health of my family.

I am thankful for our farm where we can go and get away from the everyday madness and noise and just be still and drink in God's presence.

I am thankful for God's word that shows me how to live and reminds me of God's great love for me.

I am thankful for prayer so I can communicate with Him and He with me.

I am thankful for God's love....a love not based on my performance...He just loves!

I am thankful for Jesus Christ who paid my sin debt, a debt I could not pay and because He did I have His presence daily in my life and will spend eternity with Him one day.

I am thankful for Heaven....it gives me something to look forward to when times are hard.

WHAT ARE YOU THANKFUL FOR TODAY???????????