being thankful

Enter his gates with thanksgiving and his courts with praise; give thanks to him and praise his name.
Psalm 100:4

2009 has been a tough year on all accounts. Today is Thanksgiving, and thankfulness has been weighing on my mind recently. As most people i know, i have so much to be thankful for each day but do not always find the peace and presence of mind to appreciate these things. Today, I will try to remember some of the things that I appreciate and I will make an effort to take more time to be thankful every day.
 

"As we express our gratitude, we must never forget that the highest appreciation is not to utter words, but to live by them." 

~John F Kennedy

Here are some of the things that i am thankful for today: 

-despite and because all of the hardship that i've encountered this year and last, my relationship with God has grown incredibly. I am thankful for Him and everything that He is, has been, and always will be. He is everything to me.  

-i have the most incredible family a girl could ever hope for. we've been through a lot together in the past year or two, but we always pull together when times get tough and we get through everything... together.  

-even though i'm not doing what i had hoped to be doing, i am thankful that i have a job. i feel fortunate to have a job at all, especially in such a a tough job market. i count that blessing each morning as i drive over the bridge on my way to work.  

-i am thankful for the breathtaking views i get to see each morning on my way to work and each evening on my way home, watching the sun come up over the water and then watching it sink into the water on my way home.  

-i am thankful for the opportunity to stand beside my baby brother a couple of weeks ago as he married the girl of his dreams. seeing how he loves Kelly the way Jesus loves us is inspirational. I am so blessed to have such a brother, he is a wonderful man. Kelly is a lucky girl.  

-i am thankful for the precious time that i was able to spend with the rest of my family while in Lousianna for Adam's wedding- both sets of grandparents, my uncles, my aunt, and my cousins.  

-i am thankful for my health  

-i am thankful for my sweet and loving dogs and that Sonny (the oldest cockatiel in the world) is still alive and healthy.  

-that i have the ability to help the people around me and be giving when i have an abundance to give from and continue to give even when i have little.  

-i am thankful that i was led to a start attending a new church this year and for the awesome church home that i have found at Calvary Chapel St. Pete. i love going to church every week and i look forward to it. i really learn a lot of new things there and have met some awesome people through the 2 ministries that i've become involved with. i hope to have the opportunity to get more involved there this year.  

-i am thankful for my roomate, Toya.... in college, i lived with some awesome guys- Pat, Martin, and Adam.  we were friends, got along great, had fun together, and laughed a lot. it's hard to find good roommates... but i am lucky to have Toya. she's awesome. we have fun together, we go places and do things together, we talk a lot, and our house is always filled with love and laughter. we were friends before we moved in together, and we were both nervous about how living together would affect our friendship, but it has really turned out great. she has been an awesome friend to me and living with her makes life much more full and fun. i am thankful for her.  

-my friends. when your life isn't perfect anymore- that's when you find out who your true friends are. the people who stick by your side no matter what, the ones who make you laugh when you forget how it feels to laugh... i am so lucky to find myself surrounded in the company of a few of the most amazing people in the world, who i am blessed to call my friends. i could never put into words how wonderful they are and the difference they have made in my life. for them, i am truly thankful.  

-Glee & One Tree Hill, the two TV shows that i am shamelessly addicted to.  

-Music... enough said.  

-i am thankful that i was able to graduate law school this year.  

-i am thankful that i was able to have the opportunity to travel to Costa  Rica this summer, it was eye opening to travel out of the USA for the first time. And, since then, I have had a thirst to travel more and more... i want to see the world, or at least a lot of it. Also, while in Costa Rica, i was fortunate enough to meet a new friend, Mark, whom i am thankful for.  

-Yoga. In a time in my life when things can get stressful, i'm grateful for yoga. tell me, ya'll, what other form of exercise includes going to class with flip-flops on and finishing with a nap- separated by a good butt-kicking in between?