Thanks and Givings...

I am thankful for…
The pursuing love of Christ.
The freedom to love.
A large family.
With a large dog.
My friends.
Especially the trifecta of joy.
Colorado sunsets.
And the hope of sunrises.
Words.
Coffee.
Especially when it is made by the hands of Starbucks employees.
Travel.
Books. And bookshelves filled with books. And especially when those bookshelves are in my house. Not for decoration purposes. Not for balance. But because books are one of the things that make me feel alive.
Purposeful endings.
And fresh beginnings.
Music, which sometimes feels like it was written by a soulmate.
And soulmates who don’t laugh when I quote musicians…musicians like John Mayer.
Grace. Which, according to Anne Lamott, and which I have so often experienced, acts like water wings when you are sinking.
People who dispense grace.
Families that aren’t mine, but feel like mine. Like the Tuckers, the Swains, the Adams, the Warkentins, the Underwoods…
Crackling fires.
The soothing affect of red wine. No, I am not a wino, and take off your judgement caps, you know exactly what I’m talking about.
Brilliant autumn colors.
And mutued winter hues.
Laughter, deep, belly laughter.
Food.
All the people who have come into my life and made me exactly who I am today…down to the color of my hair (tips to Laura and Wendy) and the way I walk (darling physical therapist, this one’s for you), and the way I think (oh, there are just too many of you to list...but I love you all).
I am thankful. Sometimes I don’t feel thankful, but the truth is, that doesn't change the actual state of my thankful soul. I am one who is thankful.