Psalm 30:4, “Sing unto the Lord, O ye saints of his, and give thanks at the remembrance of His holiness.”

Yaaaaayyyyyyyy. Today is MY BIRTHDAY!
There are so many things I’m beyond blessed with and just thinking about it, when I really take the time to look around me and take a break, I sigh with gratitude. How did I get so blessed? Thankful is not even enough to describe my feelings towards my entire life. I have seen awesome destinies truncated by lack of life and so I have concluded that life is a huge privilege. Today, as always, I am very thankful that I have mine.

First of all and most importantly, I am thankful for the belief I have and the faith in my Lord Jesus Christ, in His death, resurrection and promised return. I am constantly looking up for I know faithful is He who promised. And even though there are frustrations this side of heaven, my awareness of my Maker is intact. Never mind that I don’t fit the mold, always, I am His. I am thankful for prayer, grace, unconditional love, total forgiveness and all the fruits of the Spirit.
The other things I am thankful for are the people in my life. I’m so thankful for the fact that I am continually surrounded by people who love me and encourage me. Through blogging, friends, family and co-workers, everyone encourages me to do what I love and it pushes me to be the best person. That’s the best feeling ever, knowing you have a support group to keep pushing you to be better.

I am so thankful for my parents for their unconditional love, endless patience and never ending knowledge. I wouldn’t be who I am today if it weren’t for them. Both my parents have been incredibly supportive. And so, I thank you both for protecting me and showing the difference between right and wrong; thank you for giving me a family to be proud of. Thank you for wiping my nose when I was sick or placing a washcloth on my head when I had a fever; thank you for being my very first coach and mentor; thank you for being determined and never giving up; thank you for showing me that actions do indeed speak louder than words; thank you for giving me a home to grow up in; thank you for being strict when I was growing up; thank you for helping me with my homework; thank you for instilling in me a love for learning and education; thank you for supporting my dreams no matter how big or small; thank you for showing me how to cook; thank you for being there for me when my love life was on rocky ground; thank you for listening to me and ALWAYS being on my side; thank you for giving me a strong work ethic and a “never give up” attitude; thank you for loving me unconditionally, no questions asked; thank you for showing me the importance of faith, family and friends; thank you for taking me to church when I was younger; thank you for showing me that God’s love is constant; thank you disciplining me; thank you for knowing this list could go on forever as there’s no way to thank you for all the wonderful things you have done for me; but most of all, thank you for being my parents and loving me.

I am grateful for a husband who gives unconditional love and provides the kind of environment in which I have to thrive. He is the joy and rejoicing of my heart. Every day, he holds our family together with a strength that is unmovable. I feel blessed to have him as my co-pilot through life, and I could never imagine my life without him. He loves me no matter what my faults are. He doesn’t hold grudges and has taught me that holding grudges is overrated and he’s right. He puts God first and this gives me confidence in his leadership because I know he is lifting up all of his decisions and concerns to God first. He never complains about me. He truly undergirds me with his love and never ceases to amaze me with his endless patience. I am thankful that I never worry about his integrity or priorities. He always seeks me out for reconciliation when we’ve had an argument. I tend to want to hide myself away and stew in my anger (I’m changingoooo). He doesn’t let bitterness take root. He rarely discourages me from dreaming big, but he usually offers practical advice and asks hard hitting questions that bring me back to reality. He also works so hard to be a great provider and head of our household. I know that He will be by my side no matter what happens in our life.

How can I not acknowledge the brothers that gave me thick skin? They are, without a doubt, the best brothers this world has ever seen. I smile, laugh, and cry as I type this (and cringe…I know I’ll get some kind of crap from them for being so mushy ;)). These boys taught me to never take myself so darn seriously. They taught me to laugh at myself when others (or they) laugh at me. They taught me that blood is thicker than water. Some friends can come and go…family is there for life. They taught me that we can fight like cats and dogs one second, but we’re all hugs and high fives the next. Nothing will ever change how much we all love, support, and got each others’ backs. They taught me that there is no one I’d rather fight for me than my brothers…they take family seriously, and no one better mess with their sister (except them, of course). They remind me each day that I will always just be their little or big sister…and help keep me grounded with all we have going on in life. These boys will never let my head get too big no matter how crazy this roller coaster gets, and for that, I am forever grateful. They remind me daily by their examples that family is the most important thing in this world. They are the best family I could ever have.

I am grateful for other members of my biological family as I am very African in the sense of enjoying the input of several members of my extended family in my life. Aunties, uncles, cousins, and in-laws…I am thankful for every single last one of them.

There are those with whom I have no blood relationship but with whom relationship has transcended into much more, so much more…friends. Another year of life not only means another year of opportunities to make friends, but another year of opportunity to deepen the friendships we do have. How precious it is when you can recall a friendship that is nearly as old as you are! I cannot even imagine my life without my friends. Laughter, stories, text messages, and loving me when I do weird stuff makes me love them even more. They are always there when I need someone to talk to and make me not feel so gosh darn crazy when I want to run another race or do some crazy stuff. I am thankful for faithful friends and friends I’ve met in this creative blogging community.

I am thankful that I have a crew of students who come to school each day wanting to learn more. They come to class with an innate sense of wonder about the world around them and they feel my classroom is a both a great place to learn and a place where they can safely learn from failure. I am thankful for my Boss who not only granted me an opportunity to work with her, but also guided me and made me strengthen my focus on all that I ever wanted to achieve. She makes even the most tedious job a lovely learning process. I’m also thankful for the people I get to work with, for the opportunity to work hard, for the opportunity to have fun at work, and for the grace to know when to do which. I am thankful for all difficult people in my life, they have shown me exactly who I do not want to be.

My life is simple and for this I am thankful for all that helped me develop the skill set to be how I am. Unassuming, satisfied with my lot in life without being complacent no matter what happens, able to work towards a definite goal, independent and dependent by turns, strong, weak, courageous and fearful. I love the bag of contradictions that I am, and that has always stood me in good stead.
Another thing I am thankful for are my abilities to listen, learn, and accomplish.
I am truly thankful to be able to wake up every morning knowing I have people depending on me to do my best and to never give up.
I am grateful for resources beyond my earning power; influence, money, prayers that bring situations and circumstances under control and changes in mine and others’ lives all around for good. I am deeply thankful.

I am thankful for Time. Time is my most limited resource (and yours too, I presume). There never seems to be enough to accomplish all we want to do (sigh). Yet, I’m very thankful for the limited amount of time I have on earth. The reason? It helps me focus on what matters most! If we had unlimited amounts of time, we would waste much of it on things that don’t matter. The limited nature of time is a positive motivator for considering wisely how we use it.

For someone who has been healthy most of her life, I am thankful that I enjoy good health. I am grateful that during the times I have taken ill, I was properly diagnosed and treated and for all the drugs that assist me in leading a healthy life.

You never value stuff till you don’t have them. I have recently had to be away from home and stayed in a really crappy hotel (for want of a worse name to call it) and it has helped me appreciate my house a little bit more. All the issues it has and all that remains to be done, all of which make it peculiarly mine. Also, I have always hated public transportation because I am closet claustrophobic and detest people in what I consider ‘my space’. Therefore, I am thankful that I have a ride that takes me from place to place with minimal discomfort.
I am so overly thankful for food. So many people go without and this is something I never have to worry about. Another thing I’m so very thankful for is clean water, whenever and where ever I want it. It’s amazing how many things we ‘have’ that we take for granted.

I am thankful that I can string words together to relieve my pressures. I imagine that this is a good thing because I think it would be catastrophic to be unable to express how I feel because I could not find the right words. Yes, that would be hell.

I am thankful for Opportunities (even the ones I have missed or failed to take advantage of)…at least they were available to me.

One of the things I am most grateful for is my imagination and creativity. It rocks! It takes me away from unpleasantness, towards my utopia and enables me do so much more than I could or would have been able to do otherwise. It astounds even me sometimes in its ability to travel, connect and do stuff that I am sure must be illegal in so many places on the surface of the earth. I am also thankful for common sense.
I am grateful for my thankfulness. I am capable of seeing miracles in almost everything and I really think it’s a great trait to have.

I have learnt several other things I ought to be very grateful for…and one of them is you…..yes, you! Whether you stumbled on my post today or you are a follower, thank you for taking the time to read my thoughts. Whether you agree or disagree I appreciate just the fact you took the time to read my words. For being who you are and touching the world with your presence. For being alive and reading this post. For giving me the chance to touch your life and fulfill my purpose to help others. Thank you.