This is it: Thanksgiving Day! I hope you are all enjoying food and fellowship with family and friends today, and—most importantly—giving thanks with grateful hearts. (Unless you are Canadian, of course, and celebrated Thanksgiving in October.) Check out my previous weeks’ thankful posts here, here, and here, and Cindy’s Gratitude Project.

From President Lincoln’s Proclamation of Thanksgiving, October 3, 1863 (right in the middle of The Civil War):

“The year that is drawing towards its close, has been filled with the blessings of fruitful fields and healthful skies. To these bounties, which are so constantly enjoyed that we are prone to forget the source from which they come, others have been added, which are of so extraordinary a nature, that they cannot fail to penetrate and soften even the heart which is habitually insensible to the ever watchful providence of Almighty God.

No human counsel hath devised nor hath any mortal hand worked out these great things. They are the gracious gifts of the Most High God, who, while dealing with us in anger for our sins, hath nevertheless remembered mercy. It has seemed to me fit and proper that they should be solemnly, reverently and gratefully acknowledged as with one heart and one voice by the whole American People.”

Day 19: Lessons learned through hardship
I’d be lying if I said I enjoyed hardship and pain, and maybe even if said I enjoyed the lessons learned through the trials. But I can choose to be thankful for those lessons learned the hard way as I know they are good and necessary in my life.

Day 20: Answered prayers
This one needs no explanation, right? I rejoice when God answers my prayers with a “yes!” especially if it’s something I’ve been praying about for any extended amount of time. And I remind myself to rejoice that God hears the prayers of this sinful, unworthy soul even when He doesn’t give the answer I’m looking for.

Day 21: Nature
Today is abnormally warm for late November—so warm that we ate lunch outside on the patio and basked in the sunshine. There is beauty in every season, in daytime and nighttime, in the midst of the storm and the calm before and after. We serve a big God, and nature speaks volumes to that fact.

Day 22: Blogging friends
I love learning about and from people who have a different perspective on life than my own. As I go through my daily routine, I don’t meet very many new people. Blogging has introduced me to all kinds of interesting people I would not have met otherwise. I’m also thankful for this medium as a way to keep up with real-life friends who are now geographically distant.

Day 23: Simple joys
…like waking up without an alarm clock, hot showers, and warm mugs of fragrant tea. I attempt to focus on simple joys such as these with my Five-Senses Friday posts (which have been sadly lacking the past couple of weeks). There is much joy to be found in the simple, small pleasures of life.

Day 24: Thanksgiving Day itself
It’s easy to take Thanksgiving itself for granted, to treat it as just another holiday that promises time off work, lots of food, and football on TV. But really, how great is it that we have a national holiday set aside to give thanks to God for his many and abundant blessings?

Day 25: Another year filled with blessings
The 365 days that have come and gone between last Thanksgiving and this have been a gift and a blessing. While that’s not to say I haven’t shed tears over hardships and trails in my own life and the lives of others, I can honestly look back with praise to the One who gave me those days to live in the first place. What a gift!

I’m back with the third installment of Thankful Thursday. You can catch up with the previous weeks here and here. Can you believe Thanksgiving is just one week away?

Day 12: Opportunities to serve people in need
It is a great blessing to give back to people some of what God has given me. Whether it be a sack of groceries, spending time listening to cares and hardships, or holding hands and bowing heads together in prayer. I think the giver receives just as much blessing (if not more so) than the receiver.

Day 13: Old friends you can pick up with right where you left off
Today we made a two-hour drive to meet up with Jeff’s college roommate (and best man in our wedding) and his bride of almost a year and a half now. We hadn’t seen them since their wedding, and even then things were crazy. This was our first chance to spend any substantial time with the two of them together. It was just like old times, seeing Jeff and Addam laughing and joking together.

Day 14: God’s work through the ages and generations
In church this morning, we got a history lesson on the political times surrounding Christ’s birth and the census that took Mary and Joseph to Bethlehem. While I have to admit I was wondering what the point was of talking about this for so long, Pastor Wayne brought things full circle. How often do we consider the lengths to which God goes to put together all the little details that ultimately culminate in me being who I am, who He’s made me to be? All the world events that cause two people to be in the same place at the same time and eventually join lives together and produce more unique offspring… over and over again to get to me. It absolutely boggles my mind.

Day 15: Being able to make my home my job
For those of you who don’t know, Jeff and I have an agreement: He works the 9-to-5 job (or 8-to-6 as is more often the case) bringing home the proverbial bacon, and I take care of [almost] all the household work: cooking, cleaning, shopping, laundry, bills and budgeting, home maintenance, yard work, dog walking, etc. I love having the time to do those things without rushing through everything and falling into an exhausted heap at the end of every day. I’m still learning to run an efficient household, and these things take time (at least for me). This arrangement also gives me time to do things like blog and volunteer and keep a busy social schedule. I know some people would go crazy, but I love not having a “real” job! Sure we have less money this way, but the trade-offs are totally worth it.

Day 16: Good food, readily available
I’ll be the first to admit I love food, good food that is. Preferably as fresh as possible, though I have been known to love some processed junk, against my better judgment, especially if it contains chocolate (Nutty Bars, anyone?). Food, simply prepared, best shared with others, is one of life’s finest pleasures. And not everyone gets to share in this gift as they eat whatever they can find just to keep going another day.

Day 17: Kind words, particularly in the form of blog comments
Okay, so this one might seem out of place with some of the other things I’ve been focusing on, but seriously… it thrills me to hear the electronic chirp signaling a new message in my inbox and see a new comment posted on this here blog. Somebody read what I wrote (or viewed my photos) and liked it enough to comment? It gives me warm fuzzies every time.

Day 18: Operation Christmas Child
If you haven’t heard of Operation Christmas Child, go—right now—to www.samaritanspurse.org/occ and read about this wonderful program that shares hope and love with millions of children around the world every year. This is National Collection Week across the U.S. (through Sunday). I’ve had the honor of packing shoeboxes for several years and more recently volunteering at our church to help with local collection. Like I said on Day 12, it’s an enormous blessing to give in this small way that means so much to so many.

What are YOU thankful for this week?

I’ve been a bit distracted this week, but here I am with Thankful Thursday just at the tail end of the day. Here’s Week 1, if you missed it. And don’t forget to check out Cindy’s Gratitude Project. It (and she) is a blessing.

(Sorry, no time to dig up corresponding pictures this time.)

Day 5: The dogs
It’s amazing to me how much animals, who cannot speak in human words, can speak to my heart. I have loved animals since I was a little girl, and am thankful for these two precious puppies in my life and heart. These two canines, with their unique personalities, are a constant source of joy, laughter, and unconditional love. I love their crazy antics, soft licks, sweet cuddles, and tail-wagging enthusiasm. I can’t get enough of their soft fur and intelligent, deep brown eyes. But most of all, I never tire of their excited welcome when I return home.

Day 6: Our house
Four walls and a roof. A place to come home to. A place to call my own. I don’t want to take these things for granted, yet so often I’m guilty of that very thing. I love our little brick house. Sure, some days I mutter under my breath at the awkward kitchen and lack of [automatic] dishwasher or some other such thing, but so many people hardly have more than a piece of tarp over their heads or dirt beneath their feet. Not only do I have a solid structure around me, but I get to paint and decorate because it’s completely mine. (Okay, so technically we share it with the bank, but we’re not in danger of foreclosure. Another blessing!)

Day 7: Scripture
Scripture is another thing it’s easy to overlook as normal. I mean, how many Bibles do you have at your house? I know we have a surplus. It’s such a gift to be able to read God’s words at any time in our own language. And to go to church every Sunday (without fear or suspicion) to hear teaching from scripture. But do I really cherish this gift? I take it for granted all the time, and I’m working to change that.

Day 8: Books
Written words are fabulous. All it takes to be transported to another time or place (or both) or to benefit from a new idea is opening the cover of a book and diving in. My life is richer for the books I’ve experienced, and I am sad for those who cannot or choose not to read. They don’t know what they’re missing.

Day 9: A God who loves me and knows what’s best for me
I suppose I could have just said God’s sovereignty, but sometimes the big theological words get in the way of their meaning. I don’t pretend to understand God’s plan, but I’m glad He’s got one, and I’m thankful His ways are best (even when it hurts).

Day 10: Changing seasons
There’s always been something beautiful to me about the changing of the seasons. I love the way they mimic the seasons of life, and how they teach us to value the differences and benefits of each season. The coming of spring and its revelry is all the more joyful after a long winter.

Day 11: Our veterans
Today is Veterans Day. It’s always a more poignant observance when we, as a country, are in the midst of active war. Thanks to the many brave men and women who face the perils of battle head on every day. And to those they leave behind. Thanks to those who have passed on, fighting bravely for freedom. My grandpa didn’t talk much about serving in WWII, but I know he served his country with pride. He, along with so many others, was a part of the Greatest Generation. Thank you all for your service.

What are YOU thankful for this week?