I’ve been busy reading during an outrageous reading goal of mine that you’ll find out about in a matter of days, so I haven’t been blogging. My nose and mind have been deep in books. My sincerest apologies for being somewhat absent on the interwebs.

In all honesty, I’ve been reading a lot to get away from reality.

A book a day keeps the reality away.

Summer

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It’s now two days after the day of Thanksgiving.

Though the day has passed, I’m still just as thankful as I was that day or the day preceding it.

Being thankful in my mind is a way of life, an attitude if you will.

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To me, holidays we’ve set aside for specific things, have lost their weight to me. Though their meaning is there, and I have very fond memories, I just haven’t been able to get back to that place mentally.

The holidays are more of just another day to me and I usually spend much of the holidays sitting in my room reading and being content.

Similar to Valentine’s Day, which I’ve pretty much loathed since the end of elementary school, many holidays are celebrating things we should be doing or thankful for every single day. Why do we have days that we go over the top and do things differently than we normally would?

For Thanksgiving, we’re highlighting thankfulness, content with what you have and grateful for time spent with family, the time we’ve been able to spend with those who now leave an empty seat at the table with us for one reason or another.

My feels started years ago, but they’ve sunk their teeth in since my Dad passed away.

In truth, the holidays haven’t been too kind to me. I’ve been struggling to not be depressed about it, but I feel I dread much of the holidays. Why? Because I can’t get excited like others do. I don’t have family traditions like others do. I don’t have a lot of things, yet I am to be thankful for the things I do have.

I’m thankful for a dysfunctional family – I have one, which is more than some people.

I’m thankful for the ability to give year round, not just at Christmas.

Im thankful for friends that, though far away, can still pick up with me where we left off and plan and excited to see each other soon.

I’m thankful for the necessities of food, shelter and clothes.

I’m thankful for the hope I find in Jesus. 🙌🏻

That last one I’m thankful for is the most important because without the hope of Jesus, all the others are pretty meaningless.

The hope I have in Jesus spurs me to keep going on days I just want to give up (sleep and wallow).

The hope I have in Jesus causes me not to worry (for long periods of time).

The hope I have in Jesus is shared with my closest friends and it provides security that they’re also taken care of.

The hope I have in Jesus is proven through the sustained living conditions I’ve had in my life, though sometimes I want more – I lack nothing.

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Maybe being thankful for Jesus is considered a church answer, but it’s true.

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I’d like to think that my hope in Jesus isn’t just a here and there hope, ever fleeting when the good times come and I lose that strong grip on faith. That’s not always the case.

Sometimes I am discouraged about life.

Sometimes life is so good that I slip up.

Jesus is always there and I’m thankful that my salvation doesn’t depend on my perfection but on His sacrifice and absolute divine love for humankind.

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Since everything God created is good, we should not reject any of it but receive it with thanks. For we know it is made acceptable by the word of God and prayer.

1 Timothy 4:4-5