This time of year, it is nice to look back and see what the Lord has provided and give thanks to Him for everything...the good and the bad.  I accidentally closed a conversation with a phone salesman from Canada with "Happy Thanksgiving" and pondered his seemingly delayed response until after some time realizing the error of my comment.  But in reality, Thanksgiving Day should be for more than the mere establishment of a community that has long since left its roots in honoring God.  It should be for giving thanks to God for His continual blessings.  It should be about showing each other appreciation for variety of reasons. 

I thank my God for sending us a portion of Himself, His only Son, to come and be the sacrifice for sin I could never make.  I thank God for the family from which I was born: My Dad and Mom, for my awesome brothers and sister for whom I would never trade: John, Paul, Jeanette, and Tommy.  I am thankful for the additions to our family through marriage and birth: Christine, Ken, Carrie, Preston, Amber, Brandon, and Annabelle.  I am most thankful for the family I have been blessed with: my wife for a life time Yulanda, and our beautiful children: my daughter and princess Areyliah Jean and my son and conqueror Dayson Joseph. 

I am thankful for God's promises concerning their lives and look forward to seeing them develop into the fine young people I know they will be.  I am thankful for the awesome in-laws I have.  I hesitate to call them in-laws because we are much more than that.  With no hesitation do I call them Mom, Dad, brother and sisters (by names of course: Mike, Tonya, and Seana) along with my nephew Cody.  I thank God for the friends that God has given us to walk with us in this life (by choice and not forced by establishment) that time nor my memory would allow me to name in full.  I am thankful for a gift and a dream...to be part of reaching God's seperated children who He loves so much. 

But most of all, to elude to a previous thought, I am thankful for God, my Father, my Everything.  His grace abounds so much in my life due to the vastness of my weaknesses.  He is my life source and for that alone do I give Him all thanks.  He has to provide nothing for me ever again and He has already done enough.  His life for mine...an awesome gift for which I say thanks.  In closing I will repeat a song that was dear to me growing up.  My Dad and Mom would sing it while my Dad would play on the guitar I now travel with.

He paid a debt He did not owe

I owed a debt I could not pay

I needed someone to wash my sins away

And now I sing a brand new song

Amazing Grace: all day long

Christ Jesus paid the debt that I could never pay