Thank God it's Friday

One of the nice things about starting something new is you get to start your own traditions. This morning I decided that I wanted to start a tradition on the blog that I think is beneficial for living out my relationship with God. Each Friday (Thank Gods it's Friday!) will focus on being thankful and all that I have to be thankful for.
Sometimes, we (I) take many things for granted, and fail to stop and just say, "thank you" to God. So, each Friday I will consciously, whether it is a good day or a bad one, focus on what I am thankful for. (Editors note: Thanks to my friend Jeff and his blog for the idea he is spending every day in November writing about something he is thankful for.)

I thank God for my family. My wife Nicole is the most wonderful person, she is an excellent wife and mother who is beautiful on the inside and out. I am so blessed to share my life with her and I thank God every day for her. I thank God for my children who make me want to be a better me and who show me that I can love in ways that I never thought were possible. I am also thankful for a loving caring extended family-- great parents and in-laws, brothers and sisters.

I am thankful for my church family, Dockery Chapel. I am the luckiest pastor that I know. I thank God that I get to serve him alongside the people of Dockery. You are loving, caring, and compassionate. You inspire me, challenge me, encourage me. You let me be me and you love me. I would not want to trade places with any pastor I know. I am thakful for my church and this community.

I am thankful for the many friends that I have who pray for me, love me, support me, laugh with me, cry with me (although sometimes you say I do this too easily) and just plain do life with me.

This is just the beggining of the list that I can compile of things that I am thankful for today. I just want to stop and say "Thank you, God!" It seems as I think about these things it is apparrent that I have truly been blessed. As my friend Jeff says, "I have won the the Lottery!" when it comes to my wife, my children, my family, my church, and my friends.

What do you have to be thankful for today? Take some time today to say "Thank you" to God. Count your blessing. After all, it is Friday. Let's see what a little thaksgiving may do for our ordinary day.

In Christ's love and Mine,
Doug