Giving Thanks

2 Corinthians 9:11 says "You will be made rich in every way so that you can be generous on every occasion, and through us your generosity will result in thanksgiving to God." I wanted to take some time, in light of the upcoming holiday, to "be generous" in my thanksgiving and share how God has made me "rich in every way" so that it will "result in thanksgiving to God" by some of you.

I thank God for:
1.) My salvation and the testimony I have in Christ Jesus. When I was 8 years old, I came to know Christ as my personal Savior and have never been the same since. Now, I won't say that I've been perfect since that day - I've been no such thing. But I am a changed person. My faith and reliance on the Lord have gotten me through many hard times.
2.) God's grace and forgiveness. Without this, I would be nowhere. Because just like I mentioned above, during those time when I'm not perfect, I know without doubt that He will be there to pick me up and set me back on the right road - and love me in spite of myself.
3.) The promise of Heaven. One day I will get to see God with my own eyes!!!!! Well, they will be perfect heavenly eyes, but you know what I mean. For those of you who don't know me very well, I ABSOLUTELY CANNOT WAIT TO GET TO HEAVEN!!!!! Most days I wake up wondering if it's the day the Lord will come back, and I get excited at the possibility.
4.) My family. Some of you know my family well, and for you, all I have to say is "my family" and you know why I'm so thankful for them. For those of you who don't know my family, let me tell you a bit about them. My parents are amazing. They would do anything in the world for me, and have done some pretty amazing things already! They are precious people with huge servant's hearts. I always feel at home with them, and I know there is nothing I can do to lose their love. My sister is pretty amazing herself! She is my other half. She really does know me better than anyone, and we can fight and be over it 2 minutes later like nothing happened. She is the best sounding board a girl could ask for. My brother-in-law loves to give me a hard time, but I know would be there for me in a heart beat if/when I need him. He's a great guy and takes wonderful care of my sister! My 2 nephews and 1 neice are THE best kids in the world. Plus they are so dang cute! They bring so much joy to my life, and I don't know what I'd do without them! Plus, there are a whole host of grandmas, aunts, uncles, cousins and "adopted" family members that I could go on and on about!
5.) My friends. Now, I cannot possibly go into every detail of everyone of my relationships with my friends....they are all so awsome that it would take me forever!!! In my friends, God has given me wonderful supporters, shoulders to cry on, comedians to make me laugh when I'm down, listeners, kindred spirits, confidants, and sisters/brothers. I'm sure I could not make it without all these people.
6.) My church. I attend a wonderful church that preaches, teaches and believes whole heartedly the Holy Word of God. I cannot ask for more than that! I have wonderful Sunday school teachers who are involved and are great spiritual leaders for us!
7.) Friends and family that have gone on to be with the Lord. I have seen more death in my life than a lot of people my age, but the blessing is that most if not all of those people were believers. So that means a few things: They are in the presence of their Holy Father right now! I will get to see them again one day! And they all left a huge imprint on my life. They have all been used to help shape me into who I am today. God works amazing things through tragedy, and He has certainly done that in the deaths of my friends and family members.
8.) A home to live in and food on my table. I know I gripe a lot about not ever feeling like I can catch up, but I have yet to sleep out in the cold or go hungry. God provides. Always.
9.) My talents and gifts and passions. God gives us each a unique personality, with unique talents and gifts and expects us to use them for His glory. I am so grateful that He has opened doors for me along the way to point me in the right direction. I am blessed to be able to do what I love.
10.) Suffering. Some of you may be reading this and going "What?! She's thankful for suffering?" Well, I don't LIKE suffering, and truth be told, I really don't know how much I've REALLY suffered. I just mean, the hard times, the sad times, the things we think are really bad but God uses to teach us and grow us and stretch us. And those are the exact reasons I am thankful for it. I was reading a blog post by a friend of mine (found here) and he reminded me that scripture says suffering brings perseverance, perseverance brings character, and character helps us live a life full of hope. And oh, what would life be without hope?

Now, I want you all to leave a comment telling me what you are thankful for. You don't have to list 10 things (unless you want to), but please share what you are thankful for. Attention Blog Stalkers who never leave comments: LEAVE A COMMENT THIS TIME. :)

I pray blessings for you all this coming holiday season. I hope you all have a wonderful Thanksgiving!!!