Happy Thanksgiving

As I sit on my couch listening to Christmas music, I know that at this exact moment my family is at church commencing their celebration of Thanksgiving. It's strange to think that they're doing this without me. This is the first time in my 22 years that I've missed a Thanksgiving.

There's something about this particular holiday that always seems to get me in all smiles (and it's not because of the random couple of days off of school - although that always seemed to help). Spending a whole day with family, eating some of the best food you could eat all year, and dwelling on all the blessings and thankfulness that we so readily forget is a great way to spend a day.

I can't help but think of all the things I'm thankful for. The holiday is instilled in me, even if we don't celebrate it in Indonesia. I want to share some of the awesome blessings that I am thankful for.

• My family - they bring so much laughter and encouragement to my life.
• Having a job that I love doing, especially with the tough economic times.
• The military who defend our country and sacrifice their time, talents, and lives for us.
• My brother Brad coming home safely from Afghanistan.
• Modern medicine that allows my Grandma to fight against cancer.
• Jesus dying on the cross and giving me the ultimate gift: salvation and eternal life with HIM.

I hope you all have a great Thanksgiving! May we not only be thankful for one day, but every day - all year long!