What did you expect, a turkey card?

Well, tomorrow is Thanksgiving. Can you believe it's already here? I wanted to write a post last week about all the stuff I'm thankful for, but it definitely seems more fitting now that Thanksgiving is upon us.

Obviously, we should be thankful every day. But the truth is, most people spend much more time complaining than counting their blessings. I know, I'm guilty too. I despise it when I catch myself complaining, but there's always an excuse for it in my mind. One thing I've been thinking about lately though, is the fact that if you are a Christian, every person you talk to throughout the day is watching you, and paying very close attention to you. I did a lesson a few weeks ago with the youth group, and one thing I wanted them to remember is that everything we do is testifying for God. The problem with that is we may do things that reflect God incorrectly. We are supposed to act like Jesus, right? Well, everytime we lie, or hit someone in anger, or steal something, that may lead others to believe that Jesus would have done the same thing. It also shows that we as Christians are not that different from the rest of the world - which is also totally incorrect. Everytime I hear myself go into a rant complaining about something, I feel so silly. Think of what it will be like when we get to heaven and realize just how much time we wasted here, how much breath we wasted on such insignificant things.

/soapbox (for now)

I just want to mention some things I am so thankful for, and I try to thank God for many of these things every day. How many of these things are you thankful for too?

• my church - I could write an entire post about my church, so I'll just leave it at this general thanksgiving :)
• my husband - again, I could go on and on about him. But most of you would probably think I am way too mushy! I am mainly thankful for his faith, for the times he makes me laugh, for his patience, his playfulness, and his strength. And now I am already thankful for his love of Brianna :)
• my family - my family is definitely my stronghold, from grandparents to parents to my sister. My family exudes hard work, strong faith, extreme humor, and a willingness to stick by others in the family.
• I'm thankful that my mom is here for another Thanksgiving.
• I'm thankful that my dad wasn't afraid to share his faith at his job all the years he was there.
• I'm thankful that my sister is my best friend, and for the strong relationship we have.
• I'm thankful I have two jobs that I don't have to be afraid of losing. I'm thankful that Stephen cannot lose his job either.
• we have one more car than person in our household. so we never have to worry if one of the cars breaks down or needs something done to it.
• I'm thankful for all the services that are available that I don't need - lawyer, fireman, policeman, hospital, bankruptcy office, car repair, therapist, rehab, loan officer, bail bondsman... the list goes on
• I work at a domestic violence shelter and don't live there
• I live near a food bank and don't have to use it
• probably 5-10% of the food I have (freezer, fridge, and pantry combined) could go bad before I'd ever even have to use it
• I can flip a switch at home and have heat from gas logs immediately
• I can read my Bible whenever I want to (and yet sometimes I choose not to for some reason)
• I shop at thrift stores and sales because I love a good deal, but not because it's all I can afford

I know I could keep going with this list. I hope this Thanksgiving, and every day after that you can find more things to be thankful for than to complain about.