I’ve been itching to blog ever since I stepped into my blogging sabbatical so I decided to return for a moment. I’m sure I’ll have something to write for Christmas too.

Lately I’ve been thinking about specifics. I see how bland generalities really are and how humans are drawn to details. It’s the details of life that inspire and make a difference: the colors which make the rainbow; the varying shades of green and blue of the Pacific Ocean that cause it to dazzle; the subtle grin my husband has that makes my heart skip a little.

I know I am thankful for many things but instead of merely listing general categories I want to share specifically why I am thankful for these things:

~Salvation: it’s no small thing to know that my sins no longer stand between me and the Almighty God. When I die, I can stand spotless before His throne because Jesus took my place on the cross. Until then, I am growing in my relationship with Jesus through the gift of His Word, the Bible. For this I am thankful.

~Family: there is nothing quite like having my own people who I can dedicate my life to loving and serving. Each one of them is my dream come true. I yearned for a husband who would be my best friend and faithful listener and steady confidant. I ached for my very own babies to fill my arms. And now all of these people fill my home with their laughter, their tears, their silly antics, their warmth, their chaos, and their mutual love for me. These 6 people need me and for this I am thankful.

~Nature: the peace that only comes from being outside and absorbing the fragrance of fresh air, glimpsing the sunlight dancing off the varying shades of green, hearing the various birds chatting about their day. For this I am thankful.

~Friendship: I am blessed with friends from all walks of life and corners of the world. Each one helps me to see life with fresh perspective and my closest circle, my mom tribe, holds me accountable in my efforts to live intentionally. Life would have less dimension without friendship and for mine I am thankful.

~Books: my brain would shrivel up without the opportunity to step into fresh realms of thought. I never regret opening up any one of the books from the piles near my bed and reading a page or ten. For this I am thankful.

My list could go on and on ranging from tasty food to hobbies to employment to second chances and forgiveness to…you get the idea. This Thanksgiving let’s all immerse ourselves in the details of life and take time to mention specifics. For what are you thankful? Be specific.