Belated Thanksgiving Greetings...

Happy Thanksgiving!!

At all times and for everything giving thanks in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ to God the Father. 

~Ephesians 5:20~

Gratitude is not only the greatest of virtues, but the parent of all the others. 
~Marcus Tullius Cicero~

Hi everyone! How was your Thanksgiving? Hope you all had a festive day full of great food, a little football, and time with family and friends. I watched the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade, which is a personal tradition for me, then I went to spend the day with my parents and visit extended family. As a child, I loved Christmas the most. However, as an adult, I've grown to love Thanksgiving! It's probably the one time of year when folk aren't too hard on ya for piling up that plate. I probably can eat my weight in turkey, crescent rolls, and cranberry sauce alone, lol. Seriously though, Thanksgiving gives me the chance to just hang out with family. Since all of our schedules are SO different, its hard to get aunts, uncles, cousins in one place. But since no one has to work tomorrow, we can sit and just enjoy each other's company.

It's a wrap on Thanksgiving 2010, and its on now as many gear up for the Christmas holiday season. It's hard to believe that Christmas is EXACTLY a month from today, y'all!! However, before I start with all of that, I wanted to share a few things I'm grateful for this year:

Cheryl's Gratitude List

1. My health--I know everyone says that, but its true for me. Because you can have all kinds of things--fame, fortune, and all the things that money can buy--but if you don't have your health, none of that matters.
2. Being employed--My job isn't the most glamourous or highest paying job, but I'm so grateful for it! I've been laid off twice in the last four years, and being broke is for the birds! In my line of work, because of the economy like it is right now, I hear about so many people who want to work, are able to work, and can't find a job. People are losing their homes and everything they own. So its a reality check anytime I find myself groaning about getting up to go to work each day.
3. My family--I have great friends, but my family is my lifeline. They have seen me in my good, bad, and (dare I say it) ugly moments, and love me anyway. My family have really hung with me through being laid off and other challenges, and I just thank God for them all. I could write a book on how much they have been a blessing to me. I just hope I've been as much of a blessing to them as they have been to me.
4. Finally, I'm thankful for God's grace and mercy--I'm just so grateful for His love and presence in my life. I know that He watches over me and walks with me through this daily journey.

There are many other things, great and small, that I'm grateful for, but these really top my list this year. So now it's your turn, and I want to hear from you. What are you grateful for??