Thankful...

As we enter in to this Thanksgiving holiday I caught myself thinking about how sad this year has been, how things just haven't gone as well as we had hoped or planned...then God convicted me. "I do ALL things for your good" and "I hold you by your right hand."

Life never goes as we would have planned and praise God that it doesn't! If I was in charge, my life would be a total mess. So....thankful, that's how I need to react to everything that happens in my life.

I'm thankful for waking up this morning next to the most wonderful woman God ever created. I'm thankful for the 2 greatest kids a father could have. I'm thankful we have all 4 parents living, close by and very much a part of our lives. I'm thankful for a pastor who showed me that God loves "showing off". I'm thankful for a church where we can worship our Creator and experience our God in new and exciting ways each week.

I'm thankful for doctors and the wisdom God has given them to treat illnesses. I'm thankful for people around the world who have brought breast cancer into the spotlight. I'm thankful for trials, I'm closer to the Lord than ever before, closer to Allison than I ever imagined and closer to my family and friends than I ever thought possible. I'm thankful for the many prayers lifted on my behalf when we were too overwhelmed to pray.

I'm thankful for music, my iPhone and Andy Griffith re-runs. I'm thankful for butterbeans, french toast and sweet tea. I've learned that being thankful doesn't have to be about the big things: salvation (of which I'm eternally thankful), good health, family, etc. Being thankful for butterbeans is just as important and God is honored when we remain in a constant attitude of thanksgiving.

Next Wednesday Allison has another surgery, this time we pray all the cancer will be removed. That's next week. For now, I'm going to enjoy turkey, sweet potatoes and just maybe catch an Andy Griffith re-run, thank you Lord!