Happy Thanksgiving, God!

You tell us to 'always be thankful, no matter what happens' (! Thessalonians 5:18). You know that being thankful is a big part of our having good mental health.

So today I want to doubly concentrate on things for which I am thankful. 

I am so thankful for family and friends. Thank You for opportunities to spend time with them Thank You for a measure of good health; it makes me so thankful.

I am thankful for my senses:  a nose that works, for eyes that see and ears that hear. I am thankful for a good appetite and food to enjoy.

Thank You for my community and my church family. I am blessed beyond measure. I am thankful for the state of Iowa where I live and for the United States. For being able to live in a country with so many freedoms. Many countries aren't as blessed as we are, and have been for several centuries.

Thank You for the plans You have always had for me, for us. You give us a future and a hope! You don't always answer our prayers like we ask, but Your plans are bigger than ours. Thank You that You promise to 'be with us always' (Matthew 28:12); through the good times and the bad. Thank You for walking with us!

Pretty short list, I know there are millions of more things for which I am grateful. I am going to take a walk now and reflect on more things for which I am thankful. Thank You for walking with me!

In Jesus' Name.

Amen.