Being Thankful . . .

November marks when Thanksgiving falls upon us, and as such it seems that a good number of people are posting each day online what they are thankful for.  I thought I would take the opportunity to jump on that bandwagon for this blog post.  In no particular order, here are a few things that I am thankful for.

Middle School/Junior High Students:  I am thankful for this group of kids.  I am thankful they allow someone as goofy as me to be able to spend time with them on a weekly basis playing fun games and more importantly going thru God’s word together.  I am thankful they continue to open my eyes to new teachings and show me why this age group should not be shrugged off by adults.  Middle school can be one of the more difficult periods of life; kids are trying to figure out who they are, what their place is in the world, they get tons of media dumped on them every day, they want to be kids yet some are being thrown into roles beyond their years…it’s just tough.  I feel blessed that I get to try and help them thru this four-year stretch of life.  I’m thankful that some of them think I’m “cool  enough” to still talk to me once they have graduated from our age group, makes a guy feel loved.

Technology:  I am thankful that as I write this my daughter is in the midst of a one week trip to Japan, and thanks to modern technology I can get updates as to how they are doing and where they are.  I don’t typically over-worry about such things, but it would be tough to not know anything about what is going on while they are so far away.  I’m thankful she gets the opportunity to travel the world at such a young age, something most will never experience.

Family:  My family rocks!  I am thankful that I have a wife that puts up with my stubborn and perhaps borderline immature ways.  I love the fact that my family has a great sense of humor and knows how to have good honest fun.  I am thankful that my kids are all awesome people who love God and are not afraid to let that be known.  I am thankful that God has entrusted me to take care of a family even when I feel inadequate for the task at times, and no matter how many times I mess up, through His grace and mercy I am forgiven.

Church:  I am thankful I belong to a church that has such a heart for serving others that it shows in so many ways.  I am thankful for the body of people that have been placed in my life that have become close friends and people I consider family, and the impact they have had on my life.  I am thankful that we are free to praise and worship our Lord and Savior and do not have to try and hide while doing so.

There are so many other things I am thankful for that I cannot write about all of them.  Things like sports, especially dodgeball. There’s nothing like a good clean face-shot, even if it does mean I’m out of the game. Mt. Dew, my favorite drink in the history of forever.  I could go on and on. 

I pray that all will take a moment during this holiday season to reflect on the blessings in their life and all the things they are truly thankful for.  God has blessed many of us with much more than we could ever need, and for that we should all be thankful.  I hope everyone has a wonderful holiday season, and takes some time to be thankful for all the blessings in their life.  God Bless!

Justin Bowman