There is so much to be thankful for!

#ourCOG

I love classical music and especially holiday classical music and so once Thanksgiving ends (I force myself to wait) I crank up the tunes on my computer and even splurge with a new purchase each season. Last year, I bought Josh Groban’s holiday CD and although it has a touch of pop, I’ve always enjoyed the smooth voice of Josh and his music gets lots of airplay for me (can you sing You Raised Me Up?).

On his holiday CD is a song entitled “Thankful” and the line that always gets me (and did today) is

So for tonight we pray for
What we know can be.
And on this day we hope for
What we still can’t see.
It’s up to us to be the change
And even though we all can still do more
There’s so much to be thankful for.

During the holidays there is always a place in our hearts for others and often we give more in this time of year than at others.  Still, Josh is right and we know there is so much wrong in the world and so much that needs to be done to make the world a better place.  However, in the midst of this is a sense that we have much to be thankful for.

We can get lost in the stuff of our lives and lose our way, feeling that the load is too much, there are too many needs, too much responsibility, etc.  Just today, I spoke with a person who is feeling the crunch of their assignment and needs to let some stuff go.  I recognize it because I’ve been to that spot more times than I’m comfortable to admit.

This has been a year without equal in our lives.  Kathy and I have grown so much, endured more than we thought we could and been given more responsibility than we might ever have thought–and despite the negatives and the challenges, we find ourselves at another holiday season–GRATEFUL! No, everything is not as I wish it might be but I’m better than I thought and we are still standing.  I’ve chosen the following ten things to publicly express my heartfelt gratitude.  Let me hear from you on your own list…

  1. Grateful to be saved.
  2. Grateful to be married to Kathy Lanier these 32 years.
  3. Grateful that Kathy is alive and improving.
  4. Grateful to know that prayers works in all things that touch my life.
  5. Grateful for the power of grace and peace in times of struggle.
  6. Grateful for two sons who love God and me.
  7. Grateful for our parents, their health this year and wisdom still available to me through them.
  8. Grateful for the place I serve God and the people who are colleagues and teammates in the merger of Ohio for the church.
  9. Grateful for an outstanding assistant in Doris Fuson.
  10. Grateful its time for Christmas and the grands are coming to my house this year.

May God grant you a new spirit of gratitude and thanksgiving to our God!

By ourCOG