*~True Thankfulness!!!~*

  You know we should always be thankful for all that God provides us, but in our daily lives of hustle and bustle we often don't take the time to reflect on just how truly blessed we are!
   I have been trying more and more lately to do just that. My preacher gave a sermon a little while back and said something so very true. "Even the poorest Americans are rich when compared to the people of some other countries."
  Think about what those people are going through, and how we have been blessed. A lot of them have no resources and no where to turn for help. In America we have churches, food pantries, shelters and so many other options.     
   Even some the very poorest of us still have a roof over our heads, running water, bathrooms. We have shoes on our feet, clothes to wear, food to eat. We have TV's and microwave ovens, and so many things that those beautiful people in other places around the world will never get to have.
  I try to get up each and everyday, not just on Thanksgiving, and look around me at all that God has given me. The beautiful trees that God created with all their many colors and the way they bend and sway in the wind, the birds that sing to me every morning, the beautiful white puffy clouds against the amazingly blue sky. Remember to thank our precious Creator for all that He has given you. We are truly and deeply blessed.
  My husband lost his good paying job a few months back. We are living on substantially less income now than we were last year at this time. But, despite that....we are blessed!! Christmas is going to be slim this year...but despite that we are truly and deeply blessed! Celebrate, and be thankful for what God gave us in His one and only son Jesus Christ!  Look around you at your home, your yards, your families, and rejoice, cry out in thankfulness to God the Father for all he has blessed you with.
  One night I was thinking about a particular family member that repeatedly did and said things that were such a frustration. I was looking up to the stars and God very clearly said to me "Love the Unlovable". So, I am also thankful for those people in my life that cause frustration, irritation, even anger, because through them, God is teaching me something! I thank God even for the trials and tribulations we must face. He is right there with us holding our hands all the way through, and making us stronger in Him!
  May God shine His glorious face upon you, and continue to send you blessings overflowing!