“For me when October rolls around I always think about thankfulness..I guess cause Thanksgiving will soon be coming up and seasons begin to change in life..and so I always try to look over my life and the life that I am choosing to live and ask myself am I really thankful?..am I really appreciative of everything that I have in my life?..or do I simply take these things for granted?..the blessings and goodness of the Lord..Amen..cause I have thought an awful lot here recently about this time in mine, Erik’s & Anthony’s life..we were in New Mexico and we were parked at this Walmart and I was getting ready to cook us some dinner..tacos to be exact..and anyhow I am in the back and Erik & Anthony are up front in the cab of our truck..for all that doesn’t know my husband is an owner-operator truck driver and we both quit our full-time positions 17 years ago..to travel as a family and homeschool our only son..but anyways this was one insentient that had taken place that I frequently remember and recall in our life..so as I was in the back cooking making these tacos for us..I as well had been complaining about this one tiny drip that just would not stop in our truck..and Erik had caulked this place on the top of the truck..even on the inside..but for whatever reason when the temperatures would change outside it would begin to do this..so back to the cooking part..so as I am complaining about the drip there was this knock on Erik’s door..and of course he rolls his window down and there was this man and he goes on to asking Erik, sir I don’t want any money..and I don’t want any food from you..but I was wondering would you happen to have an extra blanket that I could have?..and at that moment as I was standing in the back tears began to roll..well, actually stream down my face..and I begin to tell the Lord how sorry I am for being so ungrateful..even though in my own eyes and heart I didn’t even know that I was..so of course Erik says, absolutely we have a blanket you can have..so I begin to pull down a pillow and a blanket for this man..and he was so grateful..and so thankful for that blanket and that pillow..Amen..so even yesterday there was this picture of this tiny little child..maybe a toddler I can’t say..but he was so thin and so hungry..and all the while this lady was giving him a drink of her water..Amen..and the saying on the picture says, so tell me again just how bad your life is?..cause I can say if we totally look at our hearts and our attitudes over what we do have..can we truly say that we are thankful?..Amen..or do we just simply murmur..and complain..cause you know I have always heard that if we would leave American soil and travel to another part of this world and see the people that have nothing in life..they live in one room homes..the entire families..they have no heat..no air conditioning..no luxerys..they eat fish maybe for some..they take baths in dirty water and drink the same water that has trash in it..but these people they say are the most genuine and the most happy people you’d ever meet..isn’t that something?..so my question to us all is what are our complaints this evening?..are they truly something that should be a complaint?..or are they simply things that were wanting or we think we’re needing?..cause honestly guys we do have everything we need in our lives..we are so blessed..and I am not speaking of material things..cause they say if you are speaking of material things when you say your blessed then you have no idea what blessed actually means..Amen..so my heart for each of us is to let us be thankful with what we do have in our lives..whether it’s a little we have or a lot..we do have something..considering some have nothing..Amen..all the while loving our neighbors..loving our friends and family..and more importantly loving our Father our heavenly Father..letting Him know that we are thankful and ever so thankful for everything He has done and everything He has given to each one of us..1 Thessalonians 5:18-23..Amen..for a heart of thankfulness always leads to a life of love, peace and joy..for it is in His name, Jesus’ sweet & holy name, that I do ask and pray..Amen and Amen..Be blessed today my dear sweet friends and remember wherever you go and whatever you do, Be a light for our Father, Much love to you all, Mandi