It almost seems cliche' to blog about stuff I'm thankful for this morning. Still, I'd rather risk sounding cliche' than show even a hint of callousness about God's tremendous blessings. In truth, I have so much to be thankful for that it sort of hard to know where to start.
I'm writing from my living room couch, so maybe that's the best starting point. It's the same couch where I just sat with my wonderful wife Denise and prayed about the new day. I'm thankful for my wife, for our daily morning prayer time, for Christ's shed blood that allows us to go directly to God the Father and for a home-centered lifestyle. The same couch is also where I begin most workdays when I am not traveling, and I'm very thankful for the opportunity to make my living by writing fish stories from home.
When I'm not at home, I'm often in the sort of place most folks would only get to visit on vacation and often with a fishing rod in my hand. This year's adventures have taken me from Maine to Alaska to Texas and fishing adventures have ranged from ice fishing for trout in the Colorado mountains to casting Road Runners for giant bluegills in eastern North Carolina. I miss my family when I travel, but I am thankful for the wonderful places I get to visit as part of my work. I'm also thankful for Denise taking care of our home while I'm away. I could not do what I do for a living without her complete support.
I'm very thankful for Sarah, Nathaniel, Asher, Autumn and Eli and for what each adds to our home. It's so fun seeing God's gifts developing in our children. This year, I'm especially grateful for Sarah's Lavender Cottage, which is my oldest daughter's new art studio/gallery, and I've had so much fun watching Nathaniel grow as a performer and teacher in the mountain dulcimer community and as an aspiring outdoor writer.
I'm realizing even as I write this that I won't scratch the surface of all I have to be thankful for, so maybe a list of a few things -- a sampler, which will be far from inclusive and in no particular order -- would be a good way to finish:
My Bible, mountain laurel, the West Fork of the Chattooga River, freshly ground wheat, Sarah's Bible memorization, the Gruber family, bird feeders, smallmouth bass, Miss Charle', Mountain View, carrot juice, Mr. & Mrs. Kollock, pictures from Autumn, the Main House at Acorn Hill, Christ Covenant Reformed Church, my parents and siblings, the World Wide Pressed Flower Guild, dulcimer teachers, Asher's army guy wars, my truck, the Wiese family, running with Denise, our fence, the Community Garden, NGFDA, Central Alliance Church, Friday pizza, our Thanksgiving tree, family praise time, SEOPA, home education, fish stories, hymns coming from Nathaniel's dulcimer, Eli's greetings...
