i don't know why, but i always think of thanksgiving as kind of cliche. i say i'm thankful for crap, but really i'm not at all. i just enjoy the food and the warmth of my family being together, but it was mostly just another selfish day in an enjoyable season.
this year has been a big struggle to renew my mind, to be authentic instead of just going through the motions everyday, to avoid getting dragged through the trivialities of life. therefore, i think the Bible verse that has shaped this year for me is Romans 12:2: "Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to trst and approve what God's will is--his good, pleasing and perfect will."
i often get caught up in myself and who i've let myself become, but discovering this year that i can mentally take action to renew the way i think by memorizing Scripture and taking on different thinking habits has really changed the way i look at things. i have the power in Christ to be more authentic, to use my time better, to change how angry and frustrated and stressed i allow myself to become over situations. it's a challenge, and i like that.
so, this season i want to really give thanks:
i'm thankful to have a God who is in control and who reminds me that i can't really do much on my own so i need to stop worrying.
i'm thankful for parents who have great intentions for my life with their advice, who love the Lord, and who love me and love being involved in my life.
i'm thankful for a positive, kind-hearted, open-minded boyfriend in my life.
i'm thankful for wonderful friends who love me, challenge me and often forgive my flaws.
i'm thankful for the influence God has given me among certain groups of people. i'm thankful for freedom in Christ in America and the opportunity to experience Christ at all.
i'm thankful for job opportunities and all that i have been able to learn recently.
i'm thankful for the blessing of being able to attend school with the help of scholarships and my parents, so that i have a better chance at gaining employment in society.
i'm thankful that i am able to give thanks--that the Lord gave His life and gave me the Holy Spirit so that i can know Him through prayer and share in His power. such things sounded so lofty and so strange until i knew this unexplainable gift.
i'm thankful for my past--no matter how sticky or how stupid my decisions were--because they've shaped who i am currently becoming.
most of all, i am thankful for tomorrow and the future purpose for my life.
i hope i never forget how to seize the day.
happy thanksgiving to anyone who reads.
- erin whatley
- two-two-niine, Georgia, United States
- i never thought it would be hard to fit a nut into a nutshell, but here's a go at what i'm about. foremost, i know, love and follow the Lord. i'm a wild card. i enjoy being alone as much as i enjoy other people. i eat up anything art-related. i'm an only child. i have a BBA in Marketing & an AA in Fine Arts. i'm the marketing and PR gal for Stewbos group, a job i truly love. i do this part-time, and the rest of the time i'm a stay at home wife/mama to Justin and Vayda. i itch to travel and i delight at learning new things. you'll find i'm neurotic, intellectual, honest and somewhat naive. i'm open and compassionate, yet paradoxically hard on myself. my biggest fear is succumbing to cynicism, and my greatest joy is experiencing growth. my idol is willy wonka, because i never want to grow up. i sing and dance my way through the day. I believe the best ones are full of giggles. i think blogging is rather self-indulgent. writing about my thoughts feels selfish, yet i enjoy the exploration it brings. thanks for stopping by.
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