There are days that I’m not as thankful as I should be. I take so much for granted. Big things that I consider little things.

I live in a beautiful home. I live in a safe neighborhood. There is food in my refrigerator and my freezer. We have reliable transportation…not just one, but three! I have a wonderful husband. My children and grandchildren are healthy. I have a job. My husband has a job.

This is my short list of things that I take for granted.

Last night I got a good dose of why I should be thankful every day for everything. I arrived home at a decent time, had to do one work-related task and then settled in to be with my family.

After a half hour or so, I realized it was cool in the house, so I stepped in front of the thermostat (we have one of those Nest thingees and when no one walks by it after an hour or so, it automatically drops to a lower temperature to save money). Nothing. The thermostat was directing the furnace to come on, but the furnace wasn’t responding.

We went to the basement and yes, the furnace had given up. It didn’t want to work any longer without some care. We walked away knowing it was going to be a cold evening.

However, my husband doesn’t give up that easily, he is a do-it-yourself-er and he has a technical brain that understands just about anything…after all, he is an electrical engineer. So after dinner, he scoured the internet for possible fixes and finally came to a conclusion. He believes it is a small part that doesn’t cost much. But it would have to wait until morning to be fixed.

So we went to bed with warmer sleeping gear, put a couple more blankets on the bed and drifted off to sleep.

It’s actually not too cold in the house this morning. It’s bearable. And this morning I am thankful. I had a warm bed to sleep in. There was a roof over my head last night. I even have electricity this morning. There is so much to be thankful for and I need to be grateful.

Today, I want to share a few verses of Scripture to remind me (and you) about being thankful. These are just what I need.

Psalm 28:7 (NIV) “The Lord is my strength and my shield; my heart trusts in him, and I am helped. My heart leaps for joy and I will give thanks to him in song.”

Psalm 30:11-12 (NIV) “You turned my wailing into dancing; you removed my sackcloth and clothed me with joy, that my heart may sing to you and not be silent. O Lord my God, I will give you thanks forever.”

Psalm 69:30 (NIV) “I will praise God’s name in song and glorify him with thanksgiving.”

Psalm 100:4 (NIV) “Enter his gates with thanksgiving and his courts with praise; give thanks to him and praise his name.”

Psalm 107:1 (NIV) “Give thanks to the Lord for he is good; his love endures forever.”

And listed below are a few more for good measure.

1 Chronicles 16:34

Psalm 9:1-2

Psalm 34:1-3

Psalm 50:23

Psalm 95:1-3

Psalm 103:1-5

Psalm 118:28

Psalm 138:1-2

Isaiah 12:4-5

Ephesians 1:3

Ephesians 5:20

Philippians 4:6

Colossians 2:7

Colossians 3:15-17

1 Thessalonians 5:16-18

I pray that these verses will remind us all today to be thankful for the little things as well as the big things in our lives.

Grace and peace be yours in abundance,

Donna