How Can I Say Thanks

... oh, where to begin.

So over a cup of coffee early this morning, I fashioned this list.  I could go on and one, but this is a good start.

How Can I Say Thanks

·     My family and all that they represent in my life, past and present.  I cherish each and every one of them unconditionally.

·     Friends – one of the greatest gifts that life has to offer.  Friends fill a part of your heart that no one else can.

·     The ability to love - Love is a beautiful emotion and something we should be grateful for every single day. Your ability to love is what makes you grow as a person. Love can teach us deep lessons we would never learn any other way. It can teach us about ourselves and about others. It is an amazing feeling, and it is unmatched through anything else. It can lead to pain, or heartache, but it is worth every second to have experienced it at all. Love freely and deeply, for being able to love is what makes life worth living.

·     The ability to learn - Your ability to learn –Knowledge is a never-ending quest, and is a key player is a happy and fulfilled life. Never take the ability to learn for granted, considering that some people struggle with even the simplest things.  Relish in the knowledge of others and teach yourself as much as you can. You can never know too much, the more you open your mind to learn, the greater an experience life will become.

·     Our body – The human body is an amazing and interesting thing. It moves us, helps you, heals us, takes us places we want to go. Be grateful for your body and treat it with the respect it deserves. Fuel it with proper nutrition and care for it accordingly. Be gentle with it, and challenge it. Use it to the best of your ability, and most of all enjoy it no matter its shape or size. It is a great gift.

·     Children – They teach us so much about living. You need only watch a child’s free-spirit for a moment to see the pure joy they hold inside. Children living in the moment, without much regard for what has happened in the past. They love openly, without restriction, and they take pleasure in every thing they do. If you have children of your own, enjoy them every chance you get because they grow for too quickly and before you know it that time is gone. If you do not have children find ways to enjoy others, or embrace the values that they live by and find a way to incorporate them into your life. You will be amazed by how much you can learn from a child if you are willing.

·     Good health

·     My home 

·     Faith in God

·     Freedom

·     My job

·     Disappointments - So that I can learn what matters most and enjoy success that much more.

·     Happiness – The state of mind – not people, places or things.  Happiness is a choice.

·     Joy - Joy is deeper than happiness. At it's foundation, it is the security that Christ holds fast and gives peace, hope and comfort--even in the midst of hardship. Joy is rooted in the certainty that Jesus is our Lord and Savior, and He is in control, no matter what we endure.   Joy comes from being connected to him.  It comes from a deep trust,  an inner "knowing" that He is in control and that he is good.  No matter what.

·     Mistakes - Without our mistakes we would learn no lessons,

·     Kindness of strangers -  The kindness of strangers can be a magical thing. Look around you and observe all the wonderful things that people do for each other every day. These kind acts may not always be easy to spot, but they are there, and they are making a difference. When it happens to you, you will know it, and when you do it for someone else it may change their life. Always be aware of those around you, and be thankful for their kindness even when you can’t see it with your eyes.

·     Challenges - A good challenge makes us strong, teaches us about ourselves, and pushes us to our limits. Challenge is what makes us grow and what moves us forward in life. Be thankful for the challenges you face because they make life more interesting, and they push you in the direction you need to go.

·     Our pets  - Animals provide us with unconditional love, trust and companionship. Wild animals not only give us food, but also teach us about life and they cycle it takes. They show us strength, and give us all we need to survive.

·     Music – Music soothes the soul and is an extraordinary pleasure. It can enhance a mood, or change an emotion. It invokes memories, and creates new ones. It is a gift I am thankful for regularly.

·     Laughter – It truly is the best medicine, and something that should be exercised often. Be thankful you have reasons to laugh, people to laugh with, and the ability to do it at all.

·     Food –As you sit down for your next meal be thankful for every bite, and remember that there are so many people who have nothing at all to eat.

·     Dreams and goals - Dreams and goals drive us, and knowing they are a possibility is a true bonus. Dream big, set high standards and work to achieve all of your goals. They only thing that is stopping us from accomplishing anything is ourselves.

·     Talents – They are God-given.  They are not products of our own doing.  Give God the glory for your talents, whatever they are, utilize them, and be thankful for them.

·     Strengths – to use in order to help ourselves and others

·     Weaknesses – Because no one can be good at everything, and because they challenge us to work harder, or urge us to ask others for help.  They can lift us higher if used in the right way.

·     God’s creation and the world around me – One look around hastens immediate praise and adoration of our Creator.  The earth and its raw beauty is an amazing thing, nature offering healing powers like no other.

·     Parents – Parents are cherished because without them I would not exist.  Parents give love and nurture throughout our lives unconditionally and teach us life lessons of enduring legacies, leaving meaningful and lasting impact on our lives.

·     Second chances – the Gift of forgiveness.

·     Sunrises and sunsets - The beauty of the sun, the warmth it brings, and the beginnings and the ends that it represents.

·     The small things in life – Flowers, fall leaves, the first snow, giggles, friends, warmth of a fire on a cool evening, hugs, recalling fond memories.

"The Lord has done great things for us

and we are filled with joy."

Psalm 126:3