Happy Thanksgiving!

Our nation has set aside this time of the year to think about what we are thankful for in our lives. Of course, we should do this every day. Remembering to count your blessings always provides a balance to put your life in perspective, because it is the problems and negative things that are usually on people's minds particularily, when they are in the thick of things.

Here are some of the things that I am thankful for (in no particular order):

* I am thankful that I was born in a country that honors liberty and provides me the opportunity to make the most out of my life and succeed.

* I am thankful for the men of women who are making the sacrifices necessary to keep us safe from the murderous Islamic Extremist thugs who want to kill every one of us at the worse, or, at least, take away our freedoms and quality of life and replace it with slavery and forced conversion to their religion.

* I am especially thankful for those in our military who have paid the ultimate sacrifice in this war and all wars past. There are no words to adequately express my gratitude for them so I offer to them my utmost respect and honor.

* I am thankful for the wonderful parents I have who made the sacrifices for me and my brother and sister and who are the reason for anything decent and respectable in me today.

* Along with my parents, I am thankful for my grandparents, relatives, and ancestors who passed down to me a good, strong Christian foundation to build my life on.

* I am thankful for my brother and sister both of whom I am very proud of.

* I am thankful for my beautiful, wonderful wife. She has been a wonderful blessing these last 15, going on 16 years. She is an example of a tremendous gift that God has given me that I don't really deserve.

* I am thankful for my three children. I can not imagine a life without them or my wife. My have brought me much joy watching them grow up.

* I am thankful for the friends that have been in my life. I've been fortunate to have good friends of top notch character and that I am proud to know.

* I am thankful for God's gift of salvation in offering up his Son, Jesus, to die in my place for my sins.

* I am thankful that Jesus, of his own free will, was willing to suffer and die for my sins so that I can have an eternal relationship with God and Him. This is another example of a wonderful gift that God has given me that I do not deserve.

What are you thankful for?