Big Ten.

It's Thanksgiving. I love Thanksgiving because it means friends, family, and gratitude. It would be incredible if I could stop every day to savor the things I'm grateful for, but honestly, Thanksgiving would lose some of it's appeal if that happened. I do gratitude lists here and there, but Thanksgiving allows for a deeper look at things that rock despite what the surface looks like. So here's some gratitude in no particular order.

1. Jesus. Oh yes, I went there first. I'm so grateful for what my life looks like today because of what Jesus did for us so long ago. That I don't have to run around earning grace. That it falls freely and covers us all because He made the ultimate sacrifice. It's not about liturgy, rote prayer, or rules. It's about love.

2. My family. I absolutely love and adore my family. I'm sprawled diagonally on the couch right now (THE best spot on the couch) missing them so deeply. My body threw a curve ball, and I can't fly to meet them. I am so grateful to be a part of a family that means so much to me that I miss them this much.

3. Girlfriends. I have been incredibly blessed with amazing women in my life. Women who laugh and cry with me and pick up the pieces when I feel shattered. Women who visit me in the hospital because they know what loneliness does to my soul. Women who speak truth to me because they care about me and not my feelings.

4. Modern Medicine. I'm so grateful that as technology has advanced so has medicine. I'm grateful strains of things that used to kill people have been eradicated, and hope remains for cures for the terrible things that can afflict our bodies.

5. Technology. This is pretty broad and vague, but I'm grateful to be able to connect with people in new and brilliant ways that were unheard of 10 years ago (Facebook, Twitter, Text Messaging, etc.). I refuse, however, to let modern technology replace the exchange that happens in a face-to-face conversation with a friend.

6. Wealth. I am so blessed, and I take it for grated all the time. I wish for more money and more possessions, forgetting there are children and families fighting for pennies. I'm grateful for organizations like Compassion and Food For The Hungry that allow us to share the goods and bless the poor.

7. Church. I love Heartland Community Church and what it means to be a part of the bigger church. LOVE LOVE LOVE it.

8. Freedom. The depth of our freedom as US citizens escapes me a lot -- until I hear about someone who died doing something I do every day, or saying something I say every day. I'm grateful for the liberties I have to speak my mind, to worship as I want, and to earn a living. We are so blessed and so rich.

9. Transportation. This could be a technology one, but I'm counting it as something separate. I'm grateful for planes, trains, and automobiles, for the opportunity to see God's creation without having to walk or row thousands of miles.

10. My 5 Senses. I'm so thankful that I have eyes that see, ears that hear, a really strong sniffer, fingers that feel, and a mouth that tastes. I can walk, talk, laugh, sing, listen to music... the list is endless, and I'm so grateful.

Happy Thanksgiving to you and yours!

To hold you over...

I'm linking to a contest for a bunch of cool stuff from a really funny guy.

I will update this thing with a REAL post by the end of the week. I promise.