Years ago, my great friend, Ben Hay, told me that he made a point to come up with something he was thankful for everyday.  He told me that to me at a time when I was unreceptive to help from anyone.  The words have stuck, but I have not practiced what he imparted to me as often as I ought to.

I am thankful, first of all, for my salvation through Christ.  I have new life through His sacrifice on the cross.  I don’t want to take a long time to explain how I know I am saved through my faith in Christ, so I will put it simply: it is not by any single action, commitment, oath, word, or deed that I am saved, but only in my belief in Christ as my Savior, God, and King.  That reassurance is key to me for a fulfilling life and one in which I can work for my  God in love rather than compulsion (I Peter 5:2).

Second, in a very close second place, is my family.  I have been given an exremely huge responsibility to guard, raise up, instruct, and discipline my spiritual life for their sake.  They have given me so much encouragement to keep after my spiritual growth.  The blessing that comes with having a wife who understands and supports my spiritual walk is uncanny and words cannot express it fully.

Third, I am thankful for my family, both in-law and natural.  I have taken them all for granted, but I love them so much.  They all sacrifice so much for me.  They give money, time, patience, and love to me when I hardly ever returned it and I appreciate them for putting up with me during that time.  My in-laws are so encouraging and supportive to me in my new life I am trying to trek, always allowing me to speak openly about my faith and my spiritual growth.  I am always proud of them as well and always seek to make them proud of how I shepherd my family.

Fourth, I am grateful for my church and my pastors.  They have had a large impact on my life and my outlook on life.  I have learned so much about Scripture in these last several years under their collective wings.  Learning and gathering bible knowledge is not enough, though.  I have also learned, through their guidance, that application of biblical principles is more valuable to us than vain knowledge.  Knowledge alone makes us arrogant, but when we apply these principles we will be changed.

Here’s a fun list of what I’m thankful for (no explanations needed hopefully)

babies

hard work that pays off

trumpet

banjo

love

a country where I can say and believe as I choose without fear of government reproval

the Bible

Holy Spirit

my new life in Christ

books

quiet times

reading to my sons

bible study

the beautiful world we live in

organization

proper management of money (hopefully will be getting more of this continually)

prayer

good food (great food, too)

grace through faith

college

days off and vacation days

sanctification (being saved during the remainder of this life)

the gospel

elders (those with wisdom who are much further down life’s road)

God’s preservation of the Bible

my beautiful wife

brothers in the Spirit (in Christ, fellow saints)

reflective hangouts

God’s saving grace (I mention this a lot, but rightly so)

iphone

my job

my coworkers

return guests at my hotel

the laundry room work (1st job I truly held myself accountable to)

gigs (especially paid ones)

helpful iphone apps

video games

marching band

jazz band

wind ensemble

orchestra

great orchestral trumpet performing

my great-grandmother’s cuckoo clock (my first heirloom)

Christmas

Thanksgiving

a home for my family

 

As you can see, I could go on forever.  What a great life.  My thanks go to my God, Jesus Christ, who gave me all that I have, all that I need, and all that I will ever need (and then some because He is the God of abundant life), and what I need most for the life waiting for me at the close of this one.