Giving Thanks

On the eve of one of my favorite holidays, I decided it was necessary to have a post devoted to the wonderful celebration of Thanksgiving. It is easy this time of year to have a feeling of guilt because I know I have so much, and I also know there are people who have so little. This year, however, I decided to have a different focus. Instead of feeling guilty, I am going to honor God by actually thanking him that I do have so much, and for the fact that he has blessed me in so many ways so that I may bless others. When I started to make a list of all the things I have to be thankful for this year, it was interesting to me that all my "things" were not the first to come to my mind. Instead, it became a list of simple, and often silly, things that I am the most thankful for. It is these very things that I so often take for granted, but should be aware of daily. This list may sound weird to you, but each one makes me smile just to think about. So here goes...

drinking coffee out of one my favorite mugs

when nolan sends me texts in the middle of the day, just to say hi

living with awesome and fun woman as roomates

knowing that in six months, I'm marrying my best friend!

putting on a hoodie right after its been in the dryer

the clearance rack at Target

slippers

post-it notes that I use to remind myself of things (the main decor of my my office!)

afternoon naps (actually, naps are good any time of the day)

crossing tasks off of my daily to-do lists

being paid to hang out with amazing teenagers

waking up before my alarm and realizing I have another hour to sleep

living in a community where my friends have become a family

cooking with someone

pictures to remember all my life experiences

peppermint mochas from Starbucks (you can order them any time of year, but it only feels right around Christmas!)

putting in a fresh pair of contacts

going for walks

rainy Saturdays

DVR (to record my favorite shows)