Thankful

I love the month of November.

Yes, it's my birthday month, (and that helps a lot), but I also really love Thanksgiving. Maybe it's because my birthday sometimes falls on Thanksgiving, so, as a kid, I always looked forward to when that would happen. (And I do happen to know that the next time it will happen is 2013, and I'm still excited now, as an adult!!!)

Maybe it's because we always got to see lots of family members at Thanksgiving, which was always near my birthday. And having lots of family members around generally meant I could have a family birthday party, even if it wasn't my birthday yet.

But I like to think that I've grown up a bit now, and I love the month of November for other reasons. I love being thankful. I'm happy when I'm thankful. And the more thankful I am, the happier I am. As I express thanks and gratitude, I come to recognize the Lord's hand in my life, and I know that He has blessed me so abundantly. I also realize that I should share my joy, happiness, and abundant blessings with others.

Also, I love to notice the little things, the simple pleasures of life. I'm thankful for the big blessings I have, but I'm also thankful for the small ones. But small is the wrong word. I'm thankful for the sweet, simple joys I get to smile about throughout each day.

So during this great month of November, I'll share some of the things I'm thankful for. It will help me be more aware of my blessings, and maybe it will help you notice some, too. Let's be thankful together. Let's enjoy this wonderful, thank-filled month of November.