Thanksgiving is a time to sit back and review our lives and be thankful for all of our blessings. To be honest, I don’t deserve any of them-
I am thankful for where I live. I do not live in Northern Iraq, where terrorists are cutting off the heads of those who disagree with them. I do not live in Jaurez, Mexico, where drug lords rule the city, and I do not live in Ferguson, Missouri, hiding behind a locked door while thugs destroy businesses in my town.
I am thankful for my medical practice, where in spite of all of the changes insurance, regulations and reimbursement, I still have the freedom to do the right thing every day. I am thankful that I have more opportunities to bless and help someone in a week than many other good people will in a lifetime.
I am thankful for my office staff. I spend 40 hours a week with these ladies. They make me laugh, cover my back, work hard, do more than I ask. Gracie, Alisa, Jessica, Alisa- you are awesome. My PA Brandie is simply the best there is at what she does.
I am thankful for the freedoms I have in the United States. Even though some of these freedoms are threatened in the name of tolerance and political correctness, I still have them and live in a country where there are millions of people who have fought for them and will continue to fight for them.
I am thankful for dog videos on the internet. No explanation needed. Dogs are awesome.
I am thankful for my kids. Not just for what they do and have accomplished, but for who and what they are. They are honest, faithful, and moral. Every Sunday there are with us in church, reminding me of the faithfulness of God and that when you have the most important things, you do not need any more.
I am thankful that the Ford Motor Company, in 1957, started making Rancheros, and that they continued to do so, because my 1964 Ranchero is a pretty cool ride.
I am thankful for my wife, Lisa, who has been my rock for over 32 years. I am fully aware of the fact that ours is the type of marriage about which many others can only dream. Our marriage is not perfect, but life simply does not get any better.
I am thankful for the gift of Faith. Why Eternal God, before the beginning of time, chose me to be His child is a mystery that is beyond comprehension. God truly delivered me, from the psychological damage that comes from child abuse, from the consequences of my anger and pride in this life, and by the death of His Son, the consequences of my sin in the next life. I am blessed.
I am also thankful that I am not a Turkey
Happy Thanksgiving!
Bart
PS: a year ago I shared a post about the first Thanksgiving when the blessing was given by one of my ancestors. You can read it here-