Fifty.

As Thanksgiving approaches, I thought I would continue the tradition that I started last year, and share a list of fifty things I am grateful for. “Every good and perfect gift comes from above...” [James 1:17]. I cannot express how truly thankful I am to Him, for all the gifts He's given me. I am overwhelmingly and abundantly blessed!

50 Things [I am thankful for]/[that make me happy]/[that I take for granted]/[I love.]

1. Christ, and His unfathomable grace, mercy, and peace. He knows that I, like Peter, will stumble and turn away from Him – it's unavoidable. Still, He chooses to love and forgive me. Still, He looks my way.

2. The Body of Christ. Family. These are listed together for a reason.

3. Lessons learned. God is so loving, He allows circumstances to be sent my way that will challenge me, because He knows that I will be strengthened by them in the end. How kind He is.
   
4. Growth.

5. Teachers - especially those whose lives teach more than the words they say.

6. Regent University. Every time I walk through the door, I start grinning - that's all it takes. It is an honor for me to even walk the hallways.

7. Sunlight glinting through trees.

8. The quietness and peace that overcomes the world with a snowfall.

9. The people in life who encourage and inspire you, just by who they are, and the genuine witness of their lives.

10. Heart – the wellspring of life.

11. Christmas music – yes, all year 'round!

12. The Christmas season, and the love that becomes all the more apparent this time of year.

13. Shared dreams and shared excitement.

14. A good game of charades.

15. Knowing I am never alone.

16. Story.

17. Aesthetics, and the correlation between faith and art.

18. A good sleep-in after a long, tiring week.

19. Listening to the piano.

20. Photography: the ability to capture a moment in time.

21. Sunrises. Sunsets.

22. The promise of tomorrow.

23. Experiencing warmth, after having been cold.

24. Freedom.

25. A hope that does not disappoint.

26. Songs or Bible verses that come to mind at just the right time.

27. Going for a walk, and spending time in His Creation.

28. The sky. (Especially clouds.)

29. Memory.

30. Life itself.

31. Breath.

32. Secular movies that tell holy truths.

33. Spoken life.

34. The change in seasons.

35. Getting lost in a good book.

36. Hugs. (Sidehugs do not count, except under extreme circumstances.)

37. Revelations.

38. Yachal.

39. Watching dancers dance and listening to the sound of their shoes skimming across a smooth surface.

40. Musicals!

41. Thought-provoking, challenging questions.

42. Taking time to be silent before God.

43. Worship.

44. Truth.

45. “I'm proud of you.”

46. Reassurance – a hug, a nod of encouragement, supportive words, the touch of a hand.

47. Knowing that the God who named the stars has numbered the hairs on my head.

48. Sharing about life, love, and God with others.

49. Agape.

50. You.
    
    

    

    
    
    Without wax,
    Sarah.