Giving Thanks

It’s Thanksgiving, which marks in my mind the official start to a mood I’m in until the end of the year.  I can’t explain it, but I know I love it.  A huge emphasis gets put on family and friends.  No matter what has happened in the past year, I know that the new year brings hope and new beginnings.  This feeling of the “holidays” makes me appreciate the people that God has placed in my life...family, friends, co-workers, and the community which surrounds me in general.  So in the tradition of Thanksgiving, I’m just going to list a few things/people I’m thankful for.

• An awesome wife and two beautiful daughters are everything a man could ask for and more

• Having both sets of grandparents available for my kids is something neither Ninit nor I were able to enjoy.  I’m glad that our parents are a huge part of our kids’ lives

• Then there are our siblings.  I realize how thankful I am that they are in our lives.  Our kids  are so excited to visit them or better yet have sleepovers.  They love being babysat by them

• Friends who we are doing life with...they are practically family

• Conference calls with a group of friends on a weekly basis...support structure

• Bi-weekly breakfasts with my brothers...relationships are hard work

• In these times...thankful for a job that I LOVE to do and an employer who appreciates my hard work

• For a wife who has dedicated this season of her life to staying home and raising our kids...priceless...absolutely priceless

• For partners who work hard and do their best to make things work

• For a church that tries to do everything according to the WORD

• For a school where I know my kids will, at the very least be taught to be Christ-like

• For a house that we could call home

• For a community of believers that surround us

• For friendships that continue to flourish after 27 years

• For technology that has improved my life and allowed new kinds of relationships to begin(Thanks Twitter & iPhone)

And so much more...