Giving Thanks

Before diving into Christmas season (which, I'm not going to lie, I'm guilty of; Red and green are definitely in full-force at the Ransom house), I want to give the Thanksgiving holiday its deserved recognition. 

I have to say that while I'm still guilty for possessing the human nature of taking things for granted, I do acknowledge how blessed I am on a fairly regular basis.  It's unfortunate that it took a few specific situations, along with a health scare, to stimulate this.  Either way, I am glad - and thankful ;) - for everything that helped fuel this response.

I am desperate to teach Raegan very early on how important it is to be thankful.  How easy it is to forget to do this.  We've all been there, right?  When it's so easy to focus on the negative: what we DON'T have; what we have NOT had the opportunity to do; what we REGRET; what we DON'T like about ourselves; what we DON'T like about others. Etc Etc Etc

I may sound like the "Master of the Obvious" here, but I have to say that I find this a completely unhealthy and self-absorbed way of living.  So many bad things derive from it...jealousy, anger, entitlement, envy, selfishness, and an overall negative energy.


My hope is for Raegan to be grateful and fully aware of how blessed her life is on regular basis, not just when she is prompted by a sad story from time-to-time about someone less fortunate. 

How will I do this?  I have no clue.  It's the same question that I struggle with when trying to figure out how I will help her to be a kind person. 

For starters with being thankful, I plan to continue beginning our nightly prayer together with, "Thank you, Lord, for all of the blessings in our lives.  We know that there are those who are less fortunate than us.  Please keep us forever mindful of how blessed we are." 

While the remainder of our prayers is often dominated by something heavy on our hearts, I do vow to do better at naming specifics.   

Colossians 4:2

Devote yourselves to prayer, being watchful and thankful.

There are so many little things to be thankful for. Those are the difficult ones to always pay attention to. When I am having trouble seeing all of those little things in my life, I visit other blogs and read the author's stories. At first, I thought this was somewhat invasive, but...that's what online journals are for...sharing.  Have you ever visited THIS BLOG?  I challenge you to read it from beginning to end. Amazing.

In honor of Thanksgiving, I thank God for some of the biggest gifts in my life:

...for Jesus Christ who died for our sins; for my husband, Chuck, who is the epitome of "good", the love of my life,  and who constantly helps me to keep things in perspective; for my sweet baby girl who is the biggest blessing that I could ever imagine; for my parents who have always made their infinite love for me apparent and who have both provided an example of hard work; for my brother for his friendship, humor, and for bringing Andrea, Maggie, and Hannah Ryan into my life; for my Mother-in-Law for raising such a wonderful man; for my Father-in-Law for always making me feel comfortable; for my Brother-in-Law for his heart and his undying effort to improve; and for the health and continued safety for all of those mentioned and more...

I hope you enjoy this holiday.  Even while I'm "trimming the tree" this week, I will be mindful of all of the blessings in my life.  And, believe me, the above is just the tip of the iceberg. 

On a lighter note, as a lover of casseroles, I am pumped about this week/weekend.

Happy Thanksgiving!