Thankful

A cliche Thanksgiving post.

What I'm thankful for and why:

life.

Mark 10:6 But from the beginning of creation, "God made them male and female."

Without God, we would not exist. I'm thankful that He gave life. I'm also thankful that Jesus gave his life so that we could keep ours eternally. 

salvation.

John 11:25-26 Jesus said to her, "I am the resurrection and the life. Whoever believes in me, though he die, yet shall he live, and everyone who lives and believes in me shall never die.

Life without salvation is nothing. It's a wasted existence. I'm incredibly thankful that Jesus died to pay the price for our sins. I will forever be thankful.

redemption.

Ephesians 1:7 In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of our trespasses, according to the riches of his grace.

On a daily basis, I'm reminded of what a horrible sinner I am. I'm reminded of my past and my failures. But then I remember that I've been redeemed. I don't have to worry about my past. I don't even have to worry about future sins. They've already been paid for by Jesus' perfect blood. What an amazing gift.

family.

Life can throw some serious curves. I'm thankful that I have a family who sticks by me no matter what. Not only in my darkest hours were/are they there for me, but I've seen their love to my other siblings in similar ways. I know that not everyone has a perfect family. My family doesn't come close to perfection. Every family has flaws because they are made up of imperfect people. But I'm so thankful for the family I've been given. I can look back on my life and say for certain that I would not have come to some of the realizations that I did without their love, mercy, forgiveness. patience, and wisdom. I'm forever grateful for my parents. I'm so blessed.

friends.

Everyone says they are thankful for friends and family on Thanksgiving, but I feel like this time its different. Being thankful for my friends takes on a different meaning this year. I'm a pretty social person, but through my own doing, I isolated myself from most of my friends in past years. I only had a few close friends. When everything was said and done and I went through what has proved to be the most challenging time in my life, I found myself with no one but my family. I found myself alone. And I don't blame anyone but myself. God looked down on me and knew I needed certain people. He knew they needed me. And I can confidently say that I have the most amazing, incredible friends around. Every single day I thank God for them. Every single day my heart feels so happy that it might burst at some point and time because of the love I have for them. Every single day. Oh how blessed I am! I won't even begin to list them because there are so many, some closer than others, but I know that every one of them is in my life for a purpose and I in theirs. I love all of you!

freedom.

This year, freedom doesn't mean freedom of religion, speech, or any other political connotation to me. This year it means freedom from my sin. Freedom from myself. Freedom in Christ. It's incredible to get to a point where you experience real freedom. I can't even tell you. You have to experience it for yourself. It changed my life. It makes me so happy to know I'm free in Him.

These are just a few things. There are so many things in life I'm thankful for. I'm thankful for the people and experiences that led me to where I am now. Many people look back on life with regrets but I can confidently say that I don't regret where I came from. I don't regret those special people I met along the way. I don't regret. I am thankful. Thankful that I continue to learn and grow every day. Thankful that God has unlimited love, mercy, grace, forgiveness and patience. Thankful that I can now see the positive qualities in myself: my strength, my passion, my love, my talents.

I'm thankful that God meets us where we are. When I was wandering and confused, he gave me a family to accept me. They were closer to me than my own blood. But when I was found and had to make hard changes in life, he provided me with an immediate family who persevered through my phases and stages. That meant more to me than anything. The perseverance in my struggles. What an incredible God who looks down and gives us what/who we need when we need it/them. Oh how He loves me. Oh how He's blessed me. My heart is incredibly full. Full of joy, happiness, and thankfulness.

Psalm 9:1 I will give thanks to the Lord with my whole heart; I will recount all of your wonderful deeds.