What Do You Have To Be Thankful For?

It's 2010, and it's Thanksgiving Day again this Thursday.  I'm so excited, the turkey is thawing, the pie ingredients sitting in my pantry, ready to be beaten, tossed, rolled and baked into scrumptious goods for our bellies, devoured with family and friends around a warm, cozy kitchen.

Thanksgiving Day is my absolute favorite holiday, hands down.  Especially since about three years ago, when our life as the Blanco family was looking up again after the hardest time of our lives!  Anyone who doubts God's goodness and provision should just let Juan and I tell you even ten minutes of our story, and you will know, by the gleam in our eyes and the wide smiles on our faces, how good our God is!  Life can be tough, and unfair, and flat out miserable sometimes.  God knows that, and He always give enough grace and love and strength to get us through.  And not just through it, but better for it!

So I have ALOT to be thankful for this holiday.  My handsome, godly man and the integrity he lives every day by.  The way he holds me every day, kisses me every night, and values me as his wife and mother of his children.  My strapping young son and his tender heart, the way he cares for his sisters, even when the estrogen levels reach "overboard" in this house!  At twelve, he has a sense of God's call on his life, and holds an incredible heart for God.  My oldest daughter and lifesaver, Isabella.  At nine, she is "little mama," nurturer, family cheerleader, Sophie's life teacher, and everybody's friend.  Gigi, in her six year old innocence, is very wise, too loud and wonderfully humerous!  She lights up any room she enters, and her charm is endearing, even right after she's made you steaming mad!  Sophie, our "baby" at two, (almost three) is gorgeous, delightfully stubborn, and never boring!  She has the voice of an angel, and is painfully shy outside of the house.  She has many admirers, as she sports the favor of the Lord on her and her life!

You see, the most important things in my life are not things at all.  I know what it is like to lose those most precious to you.  I've lost them before.  God in His mercy saw fit to restore me my family and future.  And I'm so very, very grateful for that.

I'm thankful for the family of God, His people who embrace eachother, share in life with eachother, correct eachother and cheer for eachother.  Without them, we would be weak warriors in this battle we are in!  No one in the body is perfect, or should pretend to be.  We're meant to be different, to complete eachother and strengthen eachother for this walk.

I'm thankful for you, my readers, as I tred this troubled ground of being a wordsmith for the Lord.  It is not ever easy, not always rewarding, but so necessary.  He has put me here, at this time and in this place to wield the Sword, His word, and do battle for His kingdom.  I am so thankful that He gives me the testimony, the words, and the stubborness to fulfill His call on my life in this ministry of writing.

So I just have one question for you, my friend, what do YOU have to be thankful for this year?  God bless you as you take inventory of all His blessings in your life!