Ten Thanksgiving Topics

"In everything give thanks; for this is God's will for you in Christ Jesus."
-1 Thessalonians 5:18
      Thanksgiving was yesterday (as of writing), so I decided to share ten things I am thankful. Why should you read about what I am thankful for? The point is that hopefully you will learn more about me and are encouraged to think about what you are thankful for. I've written about Thanksgiving every year I've had this blog, so this year I thought I'd just share my personal thanksgiving topics. Here we go:

1. I am thankful for my life. It's funny how often I forget to be thankful that I exist. God didn't have to create me, yet He chose to. There are billions of people in the world, and I'm blessed to be one of them. Simply existing seems like something very simple to be thankful for, yet I am thankful for it. However, even more than just existing, I'm thankful that I have life- life that comes from God.
2. I am thankful for my youth. The older I get, the more I realize that I am blessed to be young. Age is such an interesting concept; the older you become, the more you realize how valuable youth is. I've seen myself change so much from my younger years, and most of that change has been for the better. Although I am not as young as I once was, I'm thankful that I am still a young person. I thank God that I have good health and energy to do things. Sadly, I do know this will not last forever, so I am thankful now.
3. I am thankful for my family. My parents have spent so much time, effort and money to raise me and my brothers. Sometimes I try to imagine how much money they could have saved if they did not have to raise me, but I always fail. The amount of time, love, money, and effort they spent to raise me is incalculable. I am also thankful for my brothers, who bear with my many faults. They also are fun to hang out with every once in a while.
4. I am thankful for my church. My church, UBF, is such a great place to be. Every time I go to church, I just feel so welcome and loved. The people there are great people who love each other and readily welcome anyone who attends our church. I really feel like I belong to my church, and I am so thankful for that. There are people of all ages, and it is always fun hanging out with the youth group and college group.
5. I am thankful for my Bible teacher. My Bible teacher is awesome. Although we often don't meet because we are busy, every time we do meet I am blessed. Many times we will just chat about the Bible or just different topics on our minds. My Bible teacher is a great listener, and he always has good input to the things we end up talking about. I have really been blessed through my Bible studies with him.
6. I am thankful for my country. People often say that America is great, and they are absolutely correct. The United States is a very developed country, and we get to enjoy many things that other people simply are not able to. Here in the US we are able to live very comfortable, which unfortunately doesn't happen all over the world. Although I am thankful for the privilege of living in a developed country, I do realize that living here often makes me forget that not everyone can live in this way.
7. I am thankful for my job. The past summer, as I have mentioned before, I got my first job. It's definitely a struggle to keep up with work and put in my hours, but it definitely is worth it. Having a little bit of financial freedom has really made me grateful. I no longer have to keep bugging my parents for money, and I also can buy more things that I like. Even more than the money though, I am thankful that my job has taught me how to be patient. 
8. I am thankful for my blog. Having this blog is a great way for me to write out my many thoughts on different things. I remember that before having this blog, I often would have thoughts and forget them easily. Now that I am able to write down my thoughts, I can look back and remind myself of different things. Most of my blog posts are me simply writing about a topic that I have been thinking about, with no real structure to it. I also hope that this blog has encouraged you all that read it.  
9. I am thankful for my Bible. The Bible is a source of wisdom, knowledge, and life. Although I don't read the Bible as much as I should, I realize how true it is. It has so much wisdom to be learned in it, if I would just take the time to read it. The Bible also tells me who God is, and how great He is. I learn about how I should live my life, and how I can honor God. Reading the Bible is fundamental to growing in Christian faith, and I thank God for it.
10. I am thankful for my God. What can I say about God that hasn't been said before? A hymn I recently heard again has a very good lyric about God's love- "Could we with ink, the ocean fill, and were the skies of parchment made; were every stalk, on earth a quill, and every man a scribe by trade, to write the love of God above, would drain the ocean dry. Nor could the scroll, contain the whole, though stretched from sky to sky. (The Love of God)" That lyric pretty much sums out the vast love that God has for us. I am so thankful for God and His love.

-Smart