Practicing Thanksgiving – Revisited

As the month of November has come to a close, I wanted to be able to look back on all 30 of the things I listed on Facebook that I was (am) thankful for, so here’s my list:

  1. Today, I am thankful for a friend who met me to walk this morning without whom I would have probably stayed in bed.
  2. Today I am thankful for my hubby, Mike. He works so hard to provide for his family, and when he is on 3-11, survives on not a lot of sleep so he can take our kids to school since that is the only time he sees them on this shift. I am blessed to have such a good husband and I love doing things to spoil him (like making him Pumpkin Toffee Cheesecake) since he is usually the one spoiling me. ๐Ÿ™‚
  3. Today I am thankful for my small group (Mike, Kimberly, Mark, John, Curt, Michelle) and especially Scott, who would do anything to help out at any time, including running kids to and fro. I love you all and am so glad that we get to do life together!!
  4. Today I am thankful for the friends that God has blessed me with. Friends that bring me breakfast, lunch, and hot cups of what’s the point. Friends that know me well enough to know I am having a bad day from a text. Friends that pray for and with me. Friends I can laugh with, talk with, cry with, and just sit with. Thank you all for your friendship!
  5. Today I am thankful for my family and a lazy day at home with them that will include snuggles, games, tv, homemade smoked pulled pork, homemade pumpkin pie, tickles, giggles and lots of love!
  6. Today I am thankful for my couch. It is the place where I spend time with family and friends, where I nap, where I read and study. The place where snuggles and tickles abound and memories are made and remembered.
  7. Today I am thankful for a job that I love that is right where God has placed me for the last 11 years. I am thankful that where I work is filled with co-workers that are also amazing friends.
  8. Today I am thankful for my son, Ty. He is opinionated, creative, fun-loving, imaginative, energetic, and so much more. He brings a smile to my face (almost) every time I look at him. God has taught me so much using Ty!
  9. Today I am thankful for a pastor (and boss) who is sensitive to the Lord’s leading, sets a good example for all of us in the ways he leads, takes responsibility, and does his best to glorify God.
  10. Today I am thankful for things like heated car seats, warm showers, and cozy sweatshirts. And the fact that I don’t have to be outside for my job when it is cold outside. Good things to be thankful for on that first really cold morning of the season. (And Lillard Luttrell, if you call me today from the beach, I will come through the phone and hurt you. Badly.)
  11. Today I am thankful for all of those who have served, are serving, and will serve our country in the military. People like Lynette Mellor, Jennifer Weiss, Steve Donnan, Jennifer Donnan, and so many more. THANK YOU for serving our country!ย  โ€ŽPatrick N Carrie Davis-Lent – this includes you!
  12. Today I am thankful for music. Music can lift me up, it can feel with me, it can unleash feelings I can’t put words to, it can bring me closer to people, it can be an avenue to hear the Lord speak, and it can just bring absolute joy and fun. I especially am thankful that I get to share my love of music with my kids. ( We watched the CMA awards together last night.)
  13. Today I am thankful for that wonderful thing called the Sunday afternoon nap and I am already looking forward to my date with my couch this afternoon.
  14. Today I am thankful for opportunities to enjoy God’s creation, particularly with my kids. Taking nature walks, looking at clouds, enjoying the moon, etc. I see things so much more through the eyes of my children and love it!
  15. Today I am thankful for my Lord and Savior. I’m thankful for the ways that He has saved me, and continues to do so. I am thankful for the ways that I learn from Him through His word and His people. I am thankful that even when I fall short (which is often), His grace abounds.
  16. Today I am thankful for my daughter, Anne. She is (usually) quick to help, especially when it comes to cooking these days. She has a big heart and is always looking out for others. Even though she is growing up fast, she still has a child-like joy about life. We are blessed by the gift we have in Anne!
  17. Today I am thankful for the unexpected. A previously unplanned lunch with my husband. A note from a friend that is just what I need. A smile from my kids. A laugh after reading a blog post. Sometimes it’s just the little things that make a big difference.
  18. Today I am thankful to be part of a worship team that not only practices music but also practices prayer and devotion to God. I have missed spending time with these wonderful people of God. It is good to be back.
  19. Today I am thankful for my middle sister, Seffie. I love our talks. I love the fact that she is always looking out for me. I love her good heart. I love the fact that she is my lifelong friend. โ€” with Stephanie Luttrell Hammer.
  20. Today I am thankful for days of rest. They are rejuvenating. They give us a reboot. They help us just stop in this society of constant go. Thank you, Lord for the example and command of Sabbath rest.
  21. Today I am thankful for Family Game Night. It had been awhile since we had one, but we always have fun when we do and last night was no exception. I love spending time with my family without electronic forms of entertainment and with good fun and conversation. ๐Ÿ™‚
  22. Today I am thankful for parents who raised me “in the way I should go.” They taught me not just right and wrong, but what it really means to be a person of integrity who follows Christ in all I do. They taught me what love is and provide amazing examples of what marriage should look like, how to parent, and how to care for others. I love you! โ€” with Kathryn Davis Luttrell and Lillard Luttrell.
  23. Today I am thankful for the reminder that just like I am attentive to, and always willing to get up for my sick son in the middle of the night, my Father God is always watching over me and knows where I am, what is happening in my life and is always taking care of me.
  24. Today I am thankful for family. Since Mike’s mom died, Thanksgiving has been a hard day, but today we will be surrounded by the Ennen side of the family who is so glad to have us as a part of the day. Happy Thanksgiving to you all!
  25. Today I am thankful for the whole family sleeping in and then just hanging out in bed with my hubby.
  26. Today I am thankful for the wonderful benefits of living in a small town. I love the community events that are put on where we get to enjoy one another’s company as we walk around downtown or check out the lights display at the Farm Heritage Museum. I love running into friends and hanging out with them. I love being able to run through town and see people I know. And I am so glad that we are raising our kids here.
  27. Today I am thankful for worship. What a wonderful thing to be able to worship our God and King with all that is in me!
  28. Today I am thankful for a night of listening to some amazing music at the Christmas Pops concert with my daughter and some of my friends. Good music done well, along with snuggles from my girl and wonderful company made for a fantastic ending to a spectacular weekend.
  29. Today I am thankful for both exercise days and rest days. It always feels good to exercise, and sometimes it feels just as good to have a rest day.
  30. Today I am thankful for: finishing a run with no breathing trouble, friends that encourage me during my run (Anne Dawdy Borwick, Lisa Gaulden Barber), friends that let me “shop” in their closet for clothes that fit (Kimberly King Gan) so I can look nice for Joy Michelle Luttrell Veach and Stephen Kuehn‘s wedding this weekend, and the fact that I get to celebrate my sister’s wedding with all of my family in just a few more days!!!

What an exercise! It was good for me to have to think each morning about which of the things I was thankful for I wanted to post, because, when you make yourself become aware of what is happening in your life, you find many things that you are thankful for.

I hope that you had opportunity to find things to be thankful for over the last month, too. But don’t let it stop now. Continue to be aware of those things for which you are thankful, and thank the Lord for His gifts.

Of all the things that you are thankful for, which one rises to the top today?