Yeah, sure, okay......

What's fairly amazing is that I actually opened my mouth in the church service today and talked about some things I am grateful for. This was a big step for me because I rarely open up to anyone about myself. I've gotten so over the years that, rather than stick my head out and risk someone cutting it off, I just don't bother letting anyone know anything. To put it in X Files terminology, I "trust no-one". This has served me well for many years. Trouble is, it has left me with very few true friends....but they are the kind you can count on one hand and that is a blessing.

But today I was almost gushy in my expression of being thankful for some of the items on the following list, which I have expanded since this morning:

• my "adoptive parents" Bob & Lillie, the parents of my best friend, Bob Jr., who have graciously included me in their family for Thanksgiving & Christmas.
• my new church family who accept and love me as is and never indicate that they care about interrogating me about who I am or what kind of past I come from.
• that after 28-30 years I finally got to make some long overdue and heartfelt ninth-step apologies to some folks who really needed to hear them. not only did they accept the apologies, they even forgave me for all the garbage I injected into their lives all those years ago.
• 26 years of sobriety one day at a time (sometimes one hour or minute at a time!)
• strong and, so far, lasting recovery from stage 4 cancer (a miracle in itself) and how it forced me to end a 46 year dependence on cigarettes
• a roof over my head, for now.
• air to breathe, pure or not,  for this purpose, it's still free.
• food (sometimes too much and too good!) to eat.
• Clean water, and good tasting thanks to Brita water filters.
• a car that's reliable, mostly.
• the love of God.
• the devotion of two little, manic fur balls who are my loyal friends and keep me warm at night.
• finally, a whole lot of blessings that I couldn't possibly be aware of but which I know have been poured out on me all my life.

Someone once said that if we stopped to count our blessings when we "say grace" at dinner, we probably would never get around to eating. Whoever this person was is absolutely right....God never stops blessing us, sometimes even when we don't ask for it and certainly not because we deserve it, it's just His good pleasure to do it when we earnestly try to live according to His purposes. Let's make this Thanksgiving day one of praise for the one who gives us all the reasons to be thankful.