Is next week really Thanksgiving?  How can November be almost over?  Where did the month go?  Each and every day time seems to move quicker and quicker, and I find myself wanting to press the pause button.  I want more time to think, to read, to write, to hang out with my family and friends–why is there never enough time in the day to do all I want to accomplish?  Yes, I know.  Everyone has twenty-four hours–so that should be enough–right?  But somehow it never is.  My to-do list is never done, and I find I always want to add more adventures to my day in order to embrace life even more.

Every day I wake up is a gift from the Lord, and I do not want to take a second for granted.  So this Thanksgiving, I intend to recall all of my blessings-both past and present.  Especially, since this year and next year I will be celebrating two amazing milestones in my life.  These are events I have hinted at in some of my posts but never declared.  Honestly, one day I hope to write about them, so I will most definitely let you know more about my experiences at that time.  For now, I will just tell you that the Lord rescued me and saved me on more than one occasion in my life.  I found myself in a place where I should not have survived, and it is only by the hand and grace of God that I am here today.  So, I hit ten years from one medical incident this year, and I will hit twenty years from another medical event in January.  Praise the Lord is all I can say, and I am so humbled from knowing what He has done for me in my life.  No day should go by without thanking Him for what He has brought me through.

The holiday season is such a wonderful time.  It is filled with great food, hot cocoa, and warm hugs from seeing people you may not have seen in a long time.  As we celebrate Thanksgiving this year, let us count not only our own blessings, but let us remember to thank those who have been a part of those blessings.  Whether that be your parents, grandparents, aunts, uncles, doctors, nurses, pastors, or friends–let them know how thankful you are to have them in your life.  We cannot walk this life alone–it takes a group effort to get through each day, and it especially takes more individuals to fight the good fight.  I am beyond grateful to have known various doctors throughout my life, and I firmly believe they were hand-picked by God to be there for me when I needed them the most.  Yes, God uses each man and woman on the planet to carry out His will that He ordained before the foundation of the world.  He has a plan for my life and for yours–remember, you can and do make a difference in the lives of those you meet.

My prayer is that you have the Happiest Thanksgiving this year.  And please do not forget to count those blessings.  I read a couple of quotes recently that I would like to share:

“Appreciate where you are in your journey, even if it’s not where you want to be.  Every season has its purpose.”

“Every encounter offers me the opportunity to be kind, generous, and of service to someone else.”