Thankful for the little things.

Oh fall. It's one of my favorite times of year! The cooler weather, the leaves changing, jackets, pie, family get togethers, thanksgiving, and did I mention pie? I just love everything about fall! Especially Thanksgiving. 

Even though I absolutely love this holiday, the other day something hit me. Why is it that we, as Americans, take just this one day to truly sit back and think of everything we're thankful for. We are blessed throughout the whole year. Every single day we are blessed, yet we only think about it on one day. Yes, I know. We all do sit back every now and then and are truly thankful for the people or things around us. But why don't we do that everyday? God has taken the time to actually care and love for us to bless us, and yet we can't even thank Him. 

I recently helped with my college class at church by putting together Christmas shoeboxes for children in other countries who don't have enough money to get a Christmas. We watched a video of the kids receiving these boxes and you should have seen the looks they had. They were so thankful and they looked as if they had been given the whole world. All over a shoebox that contained a handful of items. Items us Americans have and use every single day. How blessed we are, yet we take it all for granted. 

I want to start taking each and every moment I am given as a blessing. I want to be thankful for everything I have and the people around me. If a child in another country can be forever grateful over a tiny shoebox, I can certainly be thankful for everything in my life. 

God has been working on my heart for a while now, and He is truly teaching me how to be thankful for the little things. 

Words.

For the majority of my life, I have been afraid of the future. What it will bring, the people involved, and how it will change. I have never known why, but I have always had a feeling it could be because the future  is really unpredicted. Your life can change in an instant and never be the same. 

But all of that is starting to change. Some things happened recently that have started to make me excited and eager for the future. Especially the near future. I can feel myself opening up and breaking out of my shell and I think that is what is making me excited for the future. 

I have always asked God to show me where He wants me and what He wants for my life, and I think he is showing me. Part of what He is showing me is that there is no reason to be afraid, He knows everything about everything. He has the ultimate control and knows exactly what will happen in the future, therefore there is no reason for me to be afraid and worry. 

So from this moment forward I am going to do my best to break out of my shell, stop worrying, and give it all to Him. 

I guess this is just another side road on my endless journey to please and glorify Him. 

I can't wait. :)