I'm always glad to see New Year's Day.  For a long time, my family has made New Year's Day all about fun, food and fellowship.  I also appreciate the themes that you hear tossed around by the media... Talk of resolutions and fresh starts.  Our God is the God of clean slates.  I'm just glad I don't have to wait until January first each year for Him to wipe mine clean.

I love to hear birds singing outside.  It reminds me of my childhood, growing up on the farm, and my time spent at the lake, where the closest road noise is two miles away.  And while I know that these birds are claiming their territory or wooing a mate, I enjoy their songs and choose to believe that in that moment, at that time, God blesses my little life with a song from one of His creatures.

I'm immensely grateful for grace and forgiveness.  It is by the grace of God that I am who I am today, and His forgiveness is one of the things that gives me hope for tomorrow.  Forgiveness from others is also precious, for I'm simply a mess, and I make loads of mistakes.

The ability to communicate is a huge blessing.  Having spent a fair bit of time in a foreign country where I wasn't fluent in the native tongue, I find this blessing most valuable.  I've mentioned before different mediums of communication for which I'm thankful.  But today, I'm simply thankful that, if I so choose, I can convey with my mouth the thoughts in my mind, and the people around me can fully understand.

I'm thankful for the breeze.  On a miserably hot day, it can bring momentary comfort.  On an autumn day, it holds the promise of winter.  It carries scents and smells, and with them, memories and feelings.  Each breeze that crosses my cheek brings many blessings.

I'm thankful for computers. In high school, I wrote book reports by hand. In college, I wrote papers on a typewriter. Computers have made my job simpler, and they will, hopefully, make my children's road through education a bit simpler.

Those closest to me will probably ask if I had to choke out this post......  I'm thankful for Christmas.  (And yes, I am choking a tiny bit.) 

I'm thankful that our world pauses at this time of year and recognizes our Savior.  And they/we do this in various ways.  Some people give to others when all year long they've only received.  Some people go to mass or worship for the first time in months, or possibly years, and they let the love of God into their hearts, even if it is only for a short period of time.  And some people forgive and make amends with long lost friends or family members.  While there are many things about this holiday that I don't care for, in the end, I'm thankful that it promotes Christ. 

I'm thankful for grandparents.  I'm thankful for the memories I have with mine.  But I'm also thankful that I get to see my children making memories with their grandparents.  A grandmother models a special sort of love to her grandchildren, and a grandfather is a kid again when playing with his grandbabies.  I feel so blessed to be a witness to and recipient of these wonderful relationships.

It does my heart good when I see my oldest being a caring big brother.  I've made so many mistakes in parenting him, but seeing him offer kindness and caring to his siblings when they are sad or hurt gives me hope that maybe, even after all I've done wrong, he will turn out alright in the end.

I love being the quiet observer when my younger two children are playing pretend with one another.  They interact well together, their play is positive and creative, and we're all having fun.  I'm thankful that my children are good friends, and I pray the friendships will continue into adulthood.

I've come to really enjoy time in the kitchen with my daughter.  She is full of questions, and it is fun to see how wide-eyed or entertained she can be by work in the kitchen--something that can often be mundane to me.  I'm thankful for these moments with my daughter.

I'm thankful for the times when I'm alone in the car with my younger son.  Very rarely do we have each other's full attention.  These times alone are a precious commodity.

I'm thankful for times playing catch or shooting hoops with my older son.  Most of our interaction with each other isn't pleasant, as it involves arguing and fighting.  But these times together with a ball in hand make our relationship less volatile and more meaningful.  I'm so thankful we can interact this way.

I'm thankful for the Bible.  I love the stories of the Old Testament that demonstrate how fiercely God loves His people.  I love the stories of Jesus, and how salvation is revealed to us.  I love the words of encouragement and advice for practical living.  And I love the glimpses of heaven, that give us hope for our future.

I'm thankful for my parents.  I've mentioned before that my family carries with it a certin degree of dysfunction, but I'm thankful for the road my parents chose to walk.  A road of faith.  A road of debt-free living.  A road of love and tough love.  And today, I'm (usually) able to stand on my own two feet thanks to the values they instilled in me.

Here's another arguably silly one... I'm thankful for entertainment.  For movies, for games, for television.  I'm thankful for these things that draw me closer to my family and friends, and sometimes offer momentary distraction from the not-so-pleasant things that this life can bring.

Electricity is a wonderful blessing.  I'm not sure I can expound upon it more than this and this.  I'm simply thankful for it.

The chaos of life and sickness have prevented me from keeping up with my list of things for which I'm thankful.  Here's my catch-up list.

Dec 14 ~ I’m thankful for wool socks and whoever had the brilliant idea to invent them.  I have chronically cold feet.  It’s part of who I am.  I’m thankful that, in the winter, my toes can almost become toasty thanks to my wool socks.  Warm feet make me happy.

Dec 13 ~ Silly as it may sound, I’m thankful for naps.  I rarely get them anymore, but each time I wake up from a nap, I’m thankful for the time—however brief—that I was able to sneak in a bit of extra rest into my chaotic life. 

Dec 12 ~ Prayer is a beautiful gift.  I’m thankful that I can speak with my Father about the concerns on my heart, whether they are silly or most grave.  I’m thankful that, when I can do nothing to help a friend in need, at least I can pray for them.  I’m thankful for the comfort and solace time in prayer can bring.  And it seems that I’m almost always filled with hope after ending some time in prayer.  It is a huge blessing in my life.

Dec 11 ~ I’m thankful for the ability to walk.  I admit, it is something that I take for granted.  I’m thankful that I have two healthy legs that can bear my weight, stand in the kitchen while preparing dinner, carry me throughout the grocery store, and—if I ever get my act together—will walk and run daily in order to get healthier.

Dec 10 ~ What a colorful world we live in!  I love color!  I find that color in things—in our children’s eyes, in the sky surrounding us, in the faces of our friends—is often the bearer of great joy.  Look around sometime at all the shades and dimensions of color that nature brings.  What an amazing gift from God.

Dec 9 ~ I’m thankful for early warning systems.  Countless lives have been saved, I’m sure, thanks to the early notice of the presences of severe storms. 

Dec 8 ~ Gloves are a marvelous little invention that I’m so thankful for.  I can get pretty cranky when my fingers are cold.  Mittens were a nice invention, but gloves keep your fingers individually mobile, and I’m glad for something to keep them warm in the winter.

Dec 7 ~ I’m thankful for telephones.  I can connect with someone in mere moments to ask for help, check on someone, express gratitude, or simply shoot the breeze.  And while it isn’t my favorite communication venue, I’m still thankful for the telephone.

Dec 6 ~ I’m thankful for dates with my husband.  In the midst of a most chaotic life, dates keep us familiar with one another and having fun, reminding us why we chose to be together.

Dec 5 ~ Among our many blessings are the people who care for my children while I am at work.  Our care givers are helping form and mold our children, and I’m thankful that they are all wonderful, loving, godly people.

Dec 4 ~ Oh how I love blankets.  I’m so thankful that on cold winter nights I can add layers to my bed and they keep me warm.  In days gone by, wealth could be measured by how many blankets a family had.  By that standard, my family is quite wealthy.

Dec 3 ~ Modern medicine is a huge blessing.  I could list probably a hundred things that modern medicine has revealed or improved upon, but for now I’ll just say that I’m thankful to live in a country and state and city where medical opinion and treatment are readily available and easy (for my family) to obtain.

Dec 2 ~ I’m thankful for opposable thumbs.  I cannot count the things I do routinely—no, daily—that require opposable thumbs.  I continue to marvel at the human body, and what a wonderful and genius creation it is.

Dec 1 ~ My faith is a tremendous blessing.  It serves as a compass when my path doesn’t seem clear and a comfort when my life is rough and painful.  It grounds me, it guides me, and it helps me to grow.

Nov 30 ~ Despite the various levels of dysfunction, I'm thankful for my family.  We may not always see eye-to-eye, but we do love each other.  I’m sure there are thousands of people out there who wish with all their might for a family, so I’m thankful for mine.