Gratitude

In the spirit of Thanksgiving week, and after hearing a wonderful sermon by Kristian on "gratitude," I have felt a greater desire in my heart to express my thankfulness to our ever merciful, gracious, and AWE-some God who has blessed me beyond words, despite my incredibly undeserving self. Here are just a few aspects of my life that I deeply thank our Lord for:

1. My God- His amazing grace in that He loves ME (why??? how???), so much so that He gave HIS SON for me. Maybe when I'm a parent I'll have a better glimpse (albeit still so small, I'm sure) into this kind of love, but for now, it is so mind-boggling that all I can do is be so humbled and grateful.

2. My husband- my best friend, my lover, my confidante, my teacher and guide, my biggest fan and supporter, and often times, my personal chef, assistant, manager, recording engineer, photographer, and the list goes on. My man is one of a kind and I am so thankful to be his wife. There are no shortage of reasons why I love, adore, and respect him, so if you feel like reading more about them, click here.

3. My parents- they are not only two of my closest friends, but such sources of inspiration and guidance, and such role models to me in how they live their lives. Their marriage is a witness to myself and to others and the way they carry themselves in their public and private lives are such examples of how we are called to live as Christ-followers. We have so much fun together, too- I truly love my peeps so much! Again, for more on why my mom rocks, click here and here, and why my dad rocks so much, click here.

4. My family- I also feel blessed to have a Too-daddy (grandpa) that can do no wrong in my eyes (more on him here, too), a brother who I think is totally cool and has had some of the most incredible experiences, and an extended family that pretty much gets along and has a good time together. And yes, that even includes the in-laws... well, for the most part! :)

5. My friends- despite how infrequently I may get to see or even talk with a select group of ladies, I know they are there for me and I deeply appreciate the individual relationships I have with each. I also appreciate the many friendships Steve and I have developed at Apostles, and through our church community groups. I know this city can feel like quite a lonely place when people feel isolated and I am so thankful to have such a large groups of friends in Christ in this great place. In fact, here's a slideshow of our special Thanksgiving feast with new friends here:

"Friends"giving- November 2008

6. My church- see above, partially, and check out their website. I have never been more challenged to live a life as God truly intends than I am as a member of the Apostle's congregation listening to the words of wisdom from JR, Kenny, and Kristian. I'm thankful for becoming more sacrificial and outwardly focused as a result, and while there's a lot of work that needs to be done in me in so many areas, I'm so thankful for the opportunity to learn how I can become the woman God intends me to be through their messages.

7. My city- have I ever mentioned how much I absolutely LOVE New York City? Yeah, I probably have. But boy is it true! I love the culture, the people, the food, the sights, the seasons, the parks, the beauty, the buildings, the shops, the bridges, the rivers... So much to love. A lot to dislike, to be sure, it's certainly not for everyone, (and by raving about how much this city rocks does not mean I'm knocking any other city - just a disclaimer!:), but I really am content in making this amazing city my home.

Well, 7 is a good number so I'll stop with that, although, I am thankful for so much else. To keep this from turning into another one of my mammoth posts, however, I'll end now and close with some statements that really spoke to me from Kristian's sermon last Sunday:

The greatest realization of gratitude will be found in the presence of grace.

Gratitude can be found in what God is yet to do.

Expressing gratitude is the only right response to the grace we receive.

The way to the Good Life is through gratitude.

We are made to worship, glorify, and give thanks!!!

I hope you had a wonderful Thanksgiving and were able to reflect in God's goodness in your celebration!