What I Am Most Thankful for in 2009

I am thankful for so many things this Thanksgiving. This past year my family and I went through so many struggles, but I have to admit without those struggles, I wouldn't have realized was a blessed life we live. The list is endless, but I want to highlight the top 5 things I give thanks for.

1. I have to thank God for everything He has done and how He provided for us in the bleakest of times, especially when the economy caused our income to go from $36,000 down to a measly $15,000. We learned how to live without luxuries of any kind, how to scrimp and save, how to budget, and how to entertain ourselves and to not only accept what little we had, but how to appreciate the things we already had.

2. I am thankful that the doctors and nurses at Hill Country Memorial Hospital in Fredericksburg, Texas had the wisdom and knowledge to save my daughters life when she was born 3 months ago. Not only did they act quickly, but they managed to keep me calm. Mary-Grace is now a healthy, active infant who brings so much joy to our lives.

3. Thank you to my husband, Ben. He is the most patient, caring, faith-filled l man I know. He has seen me at my best and at my worst and has stuck by my side even when I pushed him away. Not only does he support me in everything I do, he treats me better than what I deserve.

4. I give thanks for healing. I had been afflicted with a mental illness for most of my life that affected every person I came into contact with. This illness seemed to destroy everything in life I came into contact with. My mind was never at peace because I was always battling some invisible force, demons if you will. At the beginning of the year I was taken off all my medication due to my pregnancy, and in September, when my daughter was a month old, my psychiatrist said I was in complete remission and that my daughter must have healed me! I have been symptom free all year.

5. I am so thankful to live in America, where we are free. So many countries are living in war zones, without clean water, afflicted by disease and starvation. We have the right to vote, to speak our minds, to wear what we want, to marry who we choose. We have so many freedoms, rights, and opportunites. We have so much given to us in this country.

Thanksgiving is a time once a year where all of our family and friends gather together to give thanks. The other 364 days of the year we are just too busy to stop and remember how blessed we are. Next year, I will give thanks every single day for all that I have.