Thank You So Much

This weekend I listened to a sermon about the tenth commandment: "Thou shalt not covet." Prior to this, I never much considered myself a covetous person. I think i get by fairly with minimal material possessions. I don't think I ask fr much. However, I soon learned that there's more in life to be envious of, and that those things keep me from truly appreciating all that I have been blessed with. The pastor presented the congregation with a challenge: go home and list everything you're thankful for. Keep listing for a few days. He challenged us to come up with a list of 50, 100, or even 500 items. I see this as a valuable activity, as I have been so blessed in my life, though I often forget those blessings when I'm overcome with self pity at one temporary situation or another.

So here's my top 25, in the order in which I thought of them. I managed to create an excel spreadsheet of 64 items in about 5 minutes, and I'll keep adding as I think of things.

food

emergency room

dentist

electricity

gas

my own car

college education

job

multitude of grocery stores

fashionable and seasonal clothing

hair dye

the internet

computers

itunes

all of my senses

rain

vegetables

family

friends

past relationships

learning from mistakes

wisdom

affordable housing

medicine

entertainment

"I have learned to be content whatever the circumstances. I know what it is to be in need, and I know what it is to have plenty. I have learned the secret of being content in any and every situation, whether well fed of hungry, whether living in plenty or in want. I can do everything through him who gives me strength."