I'm thankful for my health, and the good health of my children.  God has blessed us immensely with bodies that function well.  We have only a few aches and pains to groan about.

I'm thankful for rain.  I love that "rainy day" feeling of wanting to curl up under a blanket with a good book.  I love summer showers, and the smell that lingers in the air for the moments before and afterward.  I love the emotions that it arouses in my heart and mind.  And I'm especially thankful for the benefits that it brings to our lovely world.

I'm thankful for toothbrushes.  I just hate the feeling of a grimy, dirty mouth.  Toothbrushes are a fabulous invention, and I'm extremely thankful for them.

I love music.  I love how diverse it can be.  I love how it can cause me to feel, or better communicate what I'm feeling.  I especially love music in worship.  It seems as though I praise God more fully when I'm singing.  Music, in my book, is a beautiful blessing.

I consider photos a blessing.  I adore how they capture moments in time.  The remind me of feelings and smells and sounds.  They can also tell a story.  (I especially marvel at photographers who can tell stories with their photos.)  So, I'm thankful for my photos.

I'm thankful for my salvation.  It is such a tremendous blessing that I cannot possibly define it in one small blog post.  But I'm thankful that God loves me enough to provide a way for me to spend eternity with Him.  And oh how I long for that day.

I'm thankful for the ability to read.  Reading educates.  Reading helps your imagination.  Reading grows your mind.  I'm thankful that I can read.

I'm thankful for the blessing of modern kitchens.  By modern, I do not mean the latest styling trends or most expensive appliances, granite countertops or Italian marble floors.  I don't have to grind my own flour or corn.  I don't have to cook over an open flame, or even in a clay oven.  My kitchen may be modest and small, but it is modern, and I'm thankful for this blessing.

I was going to say today that I'm thankful for jeans.  Instead, I'll say that I'm thankful that I and my family have clothing.  I heard a story last week from a man from Africa who said he didn't have a stitch of clothing until he was about ten years old.  He didn't know an existence without nakedness.  And then, when he was about ten, UNICEF came in and gave each child in his village one pair of underwear.  He said that was what they wore to school.  And when he got home, he had to wash it each night so he could wear it again the next day.

I'm thankful that my children have clothing.  That they have not only undergarments, but also multiple pairs of socks and shoes, jeans, shorts, dress clothes, tee shirts, casual shirts, sweaters, sweatshirts, coats, jackets, hats and gloves.  My family is extremely blessed.

I count my freedom as a blessing.  I am free to work where I want to work; to live where I want to live; to have as many--or as few--children as I want; to stay out on the town past the midnight hour, if I want; I can vote--or abstain from voting--for those in our government; and I can worship freely and frequently any God I choose. 

I'm thankful for the five senses.  What a blessing to be able to taste my food, to smell the rain, to feel my daughter's sloppy kiss on my cheek, to hear my sons' raucous laughter, and to see this beautiful world that God has created.  Probably the blessings I take most for granted are the those that these senses provide for me every moment of every day.  Thank you Lord for these gifts!

I'm thankful for the co-worker who has become a sweet and precious companion outside of our workplace.  She is wise, fun, funny, loving, governed by her love for God, and brave enough to call me to the carpet when I need it.  I can't imagine a life where she isn't present.

I am thankful for the colleague who has become like a brother to me.  My work with him has allowed the greatest chance for professional growth, while my personal interaction with him has led to a deep friendship.  I'm blessed to count him in my circle of loved ones.

I am blessed by the people with whom I work.  There's the daily "good morning" from the person who greets me when I walk in, the sage advice from the person who has walked a similar road as I, and even the encouragement and praise from persons in authority over my position---I am simply surrounded by fabulous people, and what a fabulous blessing it is.

I'm blessed with a great boss.  He is easy to work with, values my work and (most of) my opinions, and would go to bat for me in probably almost any situation.  He models Christ in his life, and is a fine example to all who know him.

I'm blessed to have a job.  An even greater blessing is that I really do love it.  It seems tailor made to suit my gifts and the things I'd hoped to do with my life.  I arrive at work almost every day looking forward to the tasks ahead of me, and I leave feeling fulfilled and genuinely appreciated.  My job is a tremendous blessing.

I'm blessed by my home.  I'm thankful that it is comfortable.  That it is warm when it is cold outside, and cool when it is hot outside.  I'm thankful that the roof doesn't leak, that the windows have glass panes, and that the floors aren't just dirt or thatch.  I'm blessed to have a comfortable home.

I'm thankful for my mother-in-law.  She has been an anchor for me over the past eighteen months.  She is always kind and considerate, always offers encouraging words, and looks for ways to make my life easier.  I can't imagine what my life would look like today if not for the loving touch of my mother-in-law.

Today, I'm thankful for quality time with my children.  This has been a hard week.  But the quality time with my children was like a salve for my soul.  We played at the park.  We took a trip to the library.  We ate cereal for dinner.  Then we hung out in front of the TV.  It was an all-around great evening.  A healing change of pace.  Thank you, Lord, for this evening.

While I certainly don't feel like doing it, I'm choosing to count these rough times I'm experiencing as blessings.  The Bible says, "My brothers and sisters, when you have many kinds of troubles, you should be full of joy, because you know that these troubles test your faith, and this will give you patience" (James 1:2-3 NCV).  The past two days have felt especially troublesome, and I'm trying to be full of joy.

I'm thankful for deodorant.  Not only my own deodorant, but that of others as well.

I am thankful for day planners.  If I can remember to write down what I need to remember, and remember to look at what I write down, my day planner keeps me in check.  At least when it comes to remembering things. 

On the heels of being thankful for my spouse...

I'm thankful for birth control!

Amen.

I'm thankful for my spouse.  The past two years haven't been ideal, and the past three or four months have been really rough, but I'm still thankful for my husband.  I'm proud of his achievements.  I'm blessed by what a great daddy he is.  And he supports me in all of my endeavors.  Not every wife can say that.  So I'm counting myself blessed.

Today I am thankful for my washing machine.  I'm thankful that I don't have to walk three miles to the nearest water source and beat my clothes against a rock.  Or even use a washboard and handmade soap.  I'm thankful that I have a clean water source in my home, and a machine that will do the work for me.

Giving Thanks, Day Four

I'm thankful for my small group.  Even though our group dynamic has changed a lot since we began, and I fear our momentum may be dwindling, I dearly love these people.  We've shared happy times and challenging times, and I fully believe that I could count on these folks for anything if I was in need. 

Giving Thanks, Day Three

Since this is a day late, I find it appropriate to say that I'm thankful for the things in my life that keep me busy.  I said it... I'm thankful for busy-ness.  These things give me a sense of purpose, they help me set goals to accomplish, they keep me out of trouble (HA!), and give me things to anticipate.

Giving Thanks, Day Two

I'm thankful for the progressivly positive behavior demonstrated by my children.  Eighteen months ago I wouldn't have dared to enter an eating establishment on my own with them, but dinner last night proved to be an altogether managable task.

Giving Thanks, Day One

I'm thankful for water.  Especially CLEAN water.  I can drink it.  Cook with it.  Clean with it.  And I'm thankful for the indoor plumbing that brings it immediately to my faucet.