This time of year, we give thanks for our abundant blessings. What are you giving thanks for this year?
Periodically, I have to examine myself and see if I have an attitude of gratitude. Am I grateful for what I have been given, or do I want more? It can be easy to overlook our blessings and concentrate on what may not be going well in our everyday lives.
We need to remember that we are very blessed to live in this country, the land of opportunity, one in which we are free to follow our dreams. A land in which we can worship God the way we see fit, not the way the government orders, and one in which we can still freely share Christ with our unsaved friends and family.
Here is a short list of things for which we can offer thanks:
• A loving Heavenly Father who provides for us
• Our family and church who love us — faults and all
• Our health
• Elections in which citizens may freely vote for candidates of their choice
• Jobs that provide for our financial responsibilities
• Police, firefighters and EMTs
• Our brave military and veterans
• Hospital staffers who work long hours, holidays and weekends
• Pets that love us unconditionally
Let's choose to be grateful for what we have and share with those who are less fortunate. Donate food to your church's food pantry, invite a struggling family to dinner in your home, take groceries to a shut-in, help in one of our local soup kitchens. There are many ways we can share our bounty with those in need. Be creative.
Several retailers are now opening on Thanksgiving Day to get an early start on Black Friday. Some of the culprits are: Bass Pro Shops, Bealls, Belk, Best Buy, Big Lots, CVS, JC Penney, Kohl's, Sears, Target, Walgreens and Wal-Mart.
If you are as dismayed as I am, take a moment to call their corporate headquarters or post a note on their Facebook page and let them know their employees deserve to be home on Thanksgiving — not working.
Wishing you and your family a Happy Thanksgiving full of the Lord's blessings!
Janice Lynn Crose, a former accountant, lives in Crestview with her husband, Jim; her two rescue collies, Shane and Jasmine; and two cats, Kathryn and Prince Valiant.
This article originally appeared on Crestview News Bulletin: 9 things for which I'm thankful