Tuesday, November 13, 2012

My Thoughts And Reflections Of All The Things I Have To Be Thankful For This Thanksgiving

In today's world people just seem to be busier than I can ever remember. Thanksgiving has always been one my favorite holidays. I hope this Thanksgiving we can all slow down long enough to be thankful for all God's blessings. Sometimes we need to be reminded that family and friends will not be with us forever. Blessings come in many forms, I would like to share a few with you.
Family is what Thanksgiving is all about. Be thankful for all members of your family. Family doesn't have to be perfect in order to be thankful for them. Joan and I just celebrated our 11 TH anniversary. I got married more than fifty years ago but about three years went by after Bubba passed away before Joan and I got married. Bubba and I were married 39 years so I have offically been married for 50 years now.

I have so many things to be thankful for. I am so thankful that God has seen fit for me to be able to be married to two Angels.

Where or who would we be without family? They are our foundations, our roots. They love us at our best and even more important at our worst.

Thank God for Martha, Jimmy, and Jessica. Thank God for Barbara, Brett, Carter, Griffin, and Christopher, and all the many great times and memories we have had. Thank God for the short time Janet was a part of my life.

Thanksgiving is also a time to give thanks for our friends. Friends are the family we get to choose for ourselves. Just like our families they love us even with our imperfections. They see the best in us when we don't. They show up when we need them even though they don't have to. They celebrate our accomplishments with us. They make us laugh when we are sad. They some times even make us cry, but most of the time they are tears of joy. They're just there, and most of the time that's all we need them to do,

I tell people all the time although I am an only child I have more brothers and sisters than any one I know.

I can't imagine a world without Grandchildren.They are a constant reminder of what is most beautiful about the world. There have been times when I was having a bad day, but a smile, a laugh, a hug, or a I love you Papa makes me forget what ever may have been bothering me. Grandchildren see the world without distorted lenses, they are so innocent.

Spend time with children seven or younger and people over seventy. You can learn a lot from both age groups.

Good health is one of those things we take for granted until we don't have it any more. If you have the ability to walk, talk, sing, and laugh, just remember the people who want to but can't any more.

Today is never guaranteed to us, so if we get it we should be happy about it. Think of all the people young and old that you have loved that didn't make it to this day. Those of us that have made it to this day should think how lucky we are and treat it as such.

As I have reached the ripe old age of 72 and have been doing a review of my life I realize how lucky I have been. Of course there were many times when I didn't think that way, but this is where hindsight is a good thing.

Reflect upon you present blessings of which we all have many, not on your past misfortunes of which we all have some.

Not what we say about our blessings, but how we use them is the true measure of our Thanksgiving.

What we do for ourselves dies with us. What we do for others and the world remains and is immortal.

If we meet someone who owes us thanks, we right away remember that. But how often do we meet someone to whom we owe thanks without remembering that?

We can always find something to be Thankful for, no matter what may be the burden of our wants.

Wow, I just keep thinking of reasons I should be thankful but I will end with this thought.

Thanksgiving is a time to give thanks for the special and wonderful people who have entered our lives and make each day more beautiful and meaningful. I hope you have many reasons to be thankful not just on Thanksgiving but every day.

My Thanksgiving prayer for you " The God Of Love And Peace Be With You " Corinthians 13:11.

God Bless You On Thanksgiving And Always

Thanksgiving 2012