Thankful

This past weekend I spent a day and a half preparing our home for an event that didn't happen. Since moving to Austin the opportunities to host people in our home have been few and far between, and I was so excited to have people over for a fun, cozy afternoon. On Friday I cleaned the house, went to the grocery store, and baked. Saturday morning I cleaned some more and rearranged for maximum space (900 square feet takes some creativity at times) and assembled supplies (it was meant to be an OCC shoebox packing party). But then the appointed time came and went and nobody came. The day was wet, cold and dreary. It's a busy time of year. The invitation had not actually been met with any official R.S.V.P.s, so I probably had been over-zealous in my preparations. It was quite disappointing, but I carried on. Cleared away the food. Put the living room back together. Went out and enjoyed a nice evening with my family.

When we lived in east Texas we had people come hang out in our home every week, and I loved it. I loved that our friends were comfortable enough to come in, get something from the fridge and make themselves at home automatically. I loved providing snacks and movies and a place to relax. It was a tiny apartment, dominated by our gigantic sectional sofa, but it made me proud. It was a place people where people wanted to be, and I really want to have that again.

But, disappointing weekend aside, I am thankful. Thankful for a place to call home. Thankful for the improvements and adjustments we've made in order to make it our own, even though we're just renting. Thankful for a yard so I could try my hand at gardening this year. Thankful for my incredibly talented father who screened in our porch a year ago, giving us and our cats more space. Thankful for a huge, overstuffed, incredibly comfortable chair that we found for $90 at Goodwill last winter. Thankful for IKEA furniture that is flexible and cheap and fits our space just right.

This year the majority of major retailers will be open all day on Thanksgiving, bulldozing through the day of gratitude for another day of profit. Thousands of people will shop instead of enjoying a day at home with family. But on the flip side, this extended shopping frenzy has (for some, at least) increased awareness of what Thanksgiving is actually supposed to be. A lot of people have been sharing thankful thoughts every day this month as we lead up to the holiday. So, here are a few of my own.

This year I am thankful for:

- Family and friends who give encouragement. 
- A husband who has fought alongside me to preserve our marriage.
- The joy of seeing my husband's relationship with God grow in leaps and bounds. As we grow closer to God we grow closer to each other.
- A job in ministry. I am thankful for this every single day.
-  Far-away friends who still take the time to ask, listen and care.
- Opportunities. Opportunities to travel, to experience new things, to experience change (as scary as it may be).
- Peace. I often struggle with finding peace in my situations, but I am learning how to rely on Him and find it faster.
- Forgiveness. So much peace is provided by forgiveness. Learning how to express heartfelt regret and experience someone else's pain and ask for (and receive) honest forgiveness is incredible.

That's the short list. There are many more, but simply put...

I am thankful.