First and foremost, I am thankful that Jesus came to save me from my sins. Through his death, burial, and resurrection, I will someday be able to walk the streets of gold as I have repented and been baptized. What a wonderful gift salvation is!
Second, I am thankful for my wonderful husband, Ben. He puts up with my moods and is my number one supporter. He never questions any of my decisions and he is my rock. God sure knew what He was doing when He brought the two of us together and I know Ben is the only one in the world that was made for me. I'm honored to be able to call Ben my husband, and I don't know what I would do without him in my life.
Third, I am thankful for amazing parents. They recently celebrated 39 years of marriage! What a great example they are for Ben and I! My parents fully support our decisions as a couple. Not only do Ben and I have good examples in my parents, but we also have another amazing example in Ben's parents. They, too, have been married for several years (32 1/2 years to be exact!), and since I consider them my parents, too, I think it's appropriate that I mentioned them with my parents in the number three spot. Without our parents, Ben and I wouldn't be who we are or even where we are today without them.
Fourth, I am thankful for our family. My sister and her husband, Ben's sisters and their husbands, my nephew and nieces, our Grandma's, our aunts and uncles and cousins, etc. Family is very important to us, and Ben and I are so incredibly blessed to be able to have our entire immediate families in our same town! Not very people are able to run over to their sister's house or to their mom and dad's just to say hi on any given night.
Fifth, I am thankful for our friends. It's so nice to be able to find friends that share the same interests as us and who understand our crazy work schedules. I know that several of our friends will be "friends for life" and it's so comforting to know that I can share things with my friends in confidence and know I can totally trust them. Finding good friends is difficult, so I am very thankful for the ones I have!
Sixth, I am thankful for our warm, little 2 bedroom starter home. Although it's not our "dream home," it is still home. I watched a movie the other night about homeless men and thinking of others out in the cold with no home to call their own makes this little starter home seem not so bad.
Seventh, I am thankful for our jobs in our hometown. I guess you could say that number seven is a combination of living in our hometown and working there. With the economy being in the state that it's in, it is even more of a blessing that both Ben and I have been blessed to find jobs in our fields of study.
Eighth, I am thankful for food. I know this is probably too much of a given since we need food and and water to survive but I really am thankful for food. Not only do I love to eat (who doesn't?!), I enjoy baking and cooking for others. I consider making food for others one of my stress relievers. It's a good relaxer for me, so I'm thankful that I can find something that I love doing that benefits others.
Ninth, I am thankful for vacation days. Yes, I am thankful for my job (see number eight), but I am thankful for days off when I can get things done or just relax or visit new places. Although vacation days make me wish I was a stay-at-home wife (no kids yet so I can't say stay-at-home mom), I know that's not feasible. What I do know, though, is that I think vacation days are necessary to stay sane and to give you that extra "boost" of energy so you can perform your job even better. Everyone needs vacation days when they can do what they enjoy, and for me, that's blogging, making cards, crafting other projects, watching TV, organizing, shopping and getting good bargains, cooking and baking (see thankful item number eight), and getting house chores done. These hobbies are all things I'm also thankful for.
Tenth, I am thankful for living in the United States of America and for living in the great state of Iowa. I'm thankful for the soldiers who sacrifice time with their families to help serve and protect our freedoms. Also, although some might not think Iowa is the ideal state to live in, I love it. Throughout my childhood, my parents (thankful item number three), took my sister (thankful items number four) and I on many vacations (thankful item number nine), so I've been blessed to be able to visit many states in the U.S. I love visiting new places and having the opportunity to say "I've been there!" but there's nothing like coming home to Iowa. Iowans are friendly, have good core values, and many have common sense. I think a lot of people feel the same way about the state they were raised in, and since I have never lived in a different state other than Iowa, I think I will always feel this way Iowa.
I can write many other items that I'm thankful for, but my list could continue on for a very long time!
Happy Thanksgiving to the few people who actually read this blog! I'm thankful for you, too! :-)
No comments:
Post a Comment