I'm Thankful

I'm thankful for Good Friday, for the amazing love displayed on that old rugged Cross, and for the forgiveness and redemption it offers.

I'm thankful for Reese's Peanut Butter Cups, for a glass of sweet tea, and for the crunchy French fries that got cooked a little longer.

I'm thankful for busy mornings, for afternoon runs, and for a quiet evening at home.

I'm thankful for March 27, 2020 - the day a bundle of fun named Hazel made me a granddaddy.

I'm thankful that after January 5th we won't have any more political ads in Georgia for at least a few months.

I'm thankful my teachers gave me a better education than I earned and that I no longer have to worry about pop quizzes or math homework.

I'm thankful for my Green-Eyed Beauty from Warner Robins and for the two sons she's raised to be fine young men.

I'm thankful that I don't have to ride a horse to work and that Hallmark movies always end with snow and a kiss.

I'm thankful for chicken parmigiana from the Italian Oven, for the Piglet Sandwich from Speedi-Pig, and for country fried steak and gravy from the County Line Country Store.

I'm thankful that Chuck and Amy Peters raised four wonderful daughters and that their second, Alecia, is the perfect match for our son, Cole.

Did I mention I'm thankful for my granddaughter Hazel?

I'm thankful for courageous doctors, nurses, and other health care workers who risk their own health to take care of ours.

I'm thankful for front porch swings, for O Holy Night, and for short lines at the bank drive-thru.

I'm thankful a lost puppy found us and that he made us his family, giving fourteen years of unconditional love and the gift of "just being ours." I miss you, Ferris!

I'm thankful for a patient, supportive congregation who has weathered this year's challenges with grace and courage.

I'm thankful for Facebook Live! worship services and Zoom meetings and for the ability to stay connected no matter how far apart we may be.

I'm thankful for a ride in my pickup truck, for blue Autumn skies, and for our fantastic staff at Providence.

I'm thankful for Paper Mate mechanical pencils, for warm blankets, and for the heroes who serve and have served in our nation's military.

I'm thankful for the people who come when we dial 911 and for people who say "Thank you" when you hold the door for them.

I'm thankful that somehow or another, the people at Chick-fil-A keep on smiling and saying "My pleasure" no matter how long the line of cars, no matter how hot or cold it is outside, and even if it's raining.

Oh, yeah, I'm thankful for Hazel. Have I said that yet?

I'm thankful when nobody falls asleep on Sunday morning and when the livestream is working without a hitch.

I'm thankful my parents made me work on the farm on Saturdays and that church wasn't a choice at the Flanders' house.

I'm thankful the Pilgrims aren't famous for liverwurst, spinach, or anything that crawled on the bottom of the ocean.

I'm thankful for my brother and my sister, and their families, and for in-laws who make me feel like I'm truly a member of their family.

I'm thankful for really garish, gaudy Christmas decorations - in somebody else's yard.

I'm thankful that it looks like some super smart people have developed a vaccine.

I'm thankful that "Jesus loves the little children; all the children of the world. Red and yellow, black and white, they are precious in His sight." And I long for the day when we live that truth out in our daily lives.

I'm thankful for an Empty Tomb and for the power of Resurrection.

I'm thankful for the promise of eternity with Christ and for the hope it brings.

I'm just plain thankful.