"..not what we say about our blessings, but how we use them."

I've been accepted into 3 different volunteer programs so far! I'm still waiting to hear from several others about the status of my applications, but this is so incredibly exciting! More information to come on this subject as it develops :)

As I've been researching and applying for these programs, I've surprised even myself. I know I've said before how much I've changed to get to this point, but I'm still a little shocked at my determination to help others. As Thanksgiving approaches (tomorrow...eek! Where has the time gone?!), I've been reflecting on what this holiday actually means. Yes, we all use it as an excuse to eat ridiculous amounts of food, to see family, to watch football. But what is it really? And why do we only reflect our thanks during one season out of the whole year?

I'd never really been one to show my gratitude or express my appreciation for what I have. I had always tended to take things for granted. I'd always focused on what I didn't have instead of what I did have. Looking at my life now, I realize that I'm incredibly blessed. I have an amazing family, all of whom I'm incredibly close with. I have loving parents who are actually still married. How many people can still stay that? Even when we didn't have much money, we were never denied the luxury of living in a house filled with love. I have a house to live in, a car to drive, a job that I love, and the opportunity to do what I truly want to do. So many others are denied what I have. Sometimes I feel that I don't have much, but when I really think about it, I have a world of amazing things.

"It is not what we say about our blessings, but how we use them, is the true measure of our Thanksgiving." -W. T. Purkiser
This is what I'm attempting to do now. I'm trying to find a program in which I can share my blessings with others. I want to be able to prove to someone that there is still some good left in this world. I want to show someone that people are still good at heart and that some people are still willing to give to others. I may not have much, but I have enough to give. I'm on a quest to live a servant's life with a servant's heart. I try to do small things here and there, but participating in one of these programs would allow me to give in a bigger way. I would be able to give my love and my help to someone who doesn't have the same luxuries that are so undeservedly bestowed upon me. Just being able to give is a Divine gift in itself.

So, instead of posting a FB status everyday this month about what I'm thankful for, I'm choosing to put it all into this one post:
-I am thankful for love. I'm thankful for the love of my family, the love of my friends, and the love I'm able to give to others.
-I am thankful for my job. Sometimes I may want to smack these kids, but they're so precious and I'm so grateful for a job with virtually no commute and no paper work ;)
-I am thankful for the little money that I do have. I may not make much, but I make enough to pay for the things that I'm obligated to pay.
-I am thankful for my years at JSU. No, I'm not fond of the school itself, but I am so grateful for the experiences I had while there. I would not trade those 4 seasons marching in the Southerners ColorGuard for anything. I am so proud of myself for being a part of that. I may dislike the school, but I'm grateful for the opportunity to have learned as much as I did while there. So many are denied the opportunity for higher education.
-I am so ridiculously thankful for the amazing friends that I have. I'm still so close with so many that I've known for years, and now I've been able to add several more to that list. I'm super blessed to have become so close with these people and I don't know where I would be without them.
-I am thankful for my relationship with God. I'm not the kind of person to shove Christianity down others' throat, but that doesn't mean that I'm not a Christian. That doesn't mean that I don't pray every single day and talk to Him. That doesn't mean that I don't trust in Him to lead me where I'm meant to go. I talk about my faith in times that I feel that it is appropriate, but not just to prove to people that I am, in fact, a Christian. I am thankful that no matter what my circumstances may be, no one can take away the personal relationship I have with Him. No one and nothing can get in the way of His love. I am thankful for the life He has given me and I praise Him for what he's done and is continuing to do in my life.

Giving thanks should happen all year. That doesn't mean simply stating that you're thankful for something or someone, that should mean that you show it by taking action. Show someone you love them by doing something for them. Always tell them you love them, but showing them is a completely different kind of declaration. Show your thanks and gratitude by giving to others. By giving yourself, your love, your blessings to others, you're already giving so much. You don't have to give monitarily, you can give your services, your helping hands, anything you can. This can simply mean being there for someone when they're sad, being a shoulder to cry on, being there for someone as a friend in their time of need, being there for someone when they're happy! Don't think that small good deeds go unnoticed. They're noticed by someone. Even if you're unaware of who it affects or how it affects them, it does not go unnoticed. I'm guilty of not giving thus far in my life. I'm working on that. I'm working on becoming a better person and a better giver. I feel guilty because I have so much while many have so little and I've not been sharing it.  

Be grateful, be kind, be courteous, be polite, smile at strangers, smile at friends, smile at everyone. A smile can change someone's whole day. Pay for someone's coffee in line at Starbucks. Pay for someone's meal in line or at a table in a restaurant. If you have the means, spread it around. Pay it forward. Little things like that can start a chain reaction. Be a light in this world, not part of the darkness that unfortunately shadows so many. Be someone others can look to as a friend, as a good person. I'm not saying everyone needs to do what I'm trying to do. I'm saying you should find little things to do to help. Go through your closet and drawers and get rid of all of those clothes you don't wear. Give 'em to the Salvation Army, King's Home, a thrift store, whatever. Every little bit helps so many. Give some canned goods away to a food drive somewhere. Just do something. By giving, you're blessing not only others, but also yourself. Be thankful, be grateful, be happy.