Count Your Blessings!

A friend of mine, Amanda, blogged the other day about taking a minute to sit down and think of some things in your life that you are thankful for. Thanks for the idea Amanda. :) We all, especially as Americans I think, tend to get wrapped up in our own little worlds & always have the attitude of "If I only had..." or "If I can just...", you get the point. It's so easy to fall into that trap! I do try and keep a positive attitude when I can & try to remember to be THANKFUL more than complaining, but I so often forget of how much we truly have! This reminds me of the song "Count your blessings, name them one by one, Count your blessings see what God has done..." I should teach that one to Maddy. Anyway, if I counted all of my blessings, we'd be here all day. Here is a list of 10 blessings that I thought of and wrote down. Take the time to count YOUR blessings & see what God has done!

1. My wonderful husband. What a man! Matt shows me love day in and day out. He is patient and kind. He knows me inside and out. He is a hard worker and a great provider. I am fortunate to be able to not only call him my husband, but truly my best friend. He is also a pretty awesome Daddy.:)
2. Maddy and Reagan. My girls. I love them so dearly and consider myself blessed beyond belief to be a mother to these two little ones. They bring so much joy to my life, I truly cannot imagine being without them. From the pitter patter of their little feet in the morning, the giggles when we play, the "I love you"'s, the "ma ma"'s, and the hugs and kisses, to the tears, temper tantrums, and teething, I love them with my whole heart!
3. My ladies Bible study. I'm so thankful for this group of gals the Lord has brought together in Fredericksburg. We are learning so much from Beth Moore's Daniel study and our group is steadily growing. Come to think of it, I'm thankful for every Bible study along the way (FCS, Frankfurt, churches, etc.) and for the wonderful people I've met in the process.
4. T-A-R-G-E-T, Chick-Fil-A, Panera Bread, Old Navy, Staples, Starbucks, and various other stores and restaurants. These places are great! I sometimes forget what a luxury it is to have access to them, but have been quickly reminded when living in Germany and traveling to South Africa, Korea, etc.
5. Good health. Sure, I say that I feel old (I do!), and yes, I do hav a lot more aches and pains than I used to, but I can run EIGHT ( 8 )miles! And after that, I can still function and even run again a few days later. I'm running a 15k this weekend! I may not look exactly like Barbie doing it, but I will do it! Rock on.
6. Sports. I absolutely love sports! Without them, I feel as though life would be very boring at times! I watch NCAA basketball (go UNC!), play basketball with the "Driblettes" on Monday nights, play tennis with my hubby, and play soccer with Maddy and Reagan. Sports and physical activity can be used as a vehicle for so many things, including fun! I'm so thankful that I have a body that allows me to participate.
7. I was born in the USA! I can wear whatever I want, live wherever I want, go to church, worship Jesus, and even homeschool my kids if I want. Amen!
8. Wonderful friends and family. I am so blessed to have such thoughtful, encouraging, and giving friends. (Not to mention hysterical & fun)! Bible study group, friends from high school and college, running buddies, best friends, and sisters. They are all wonderful to have and I am THANKFUL for them. My parents and in-laws (YES, in-laws!) are irreplaceable! Love them to death and am so thankful to live so close to them.
9. A big house with a roof over our heads and food on the table. So many people around the world aren't fortunate enough to be able to say that. It may not always seem like it, but we have a lot more than most.
10. Jesus died on the cross so that I could be saved and have eternal life. It doesn't get any better than that. He is my Redeemer, my Deliverer, my Savior! I am not perfect, I am forgiven.:)

What are you thankful for????