Today is Thanksgiving, and to celebrate, I've asked my kids to join me in being thankful. Here are their responses to the question "What are you thankful for?"
Jake: Uh... Thanksgiving holidays, family and friends, trees (cuz they give you paper and air), you, shelter and water and food, and Mom... Emily, Zachary, Josh, and me.
Emily: Elise and Noah and... and I'm thankful for mmmm.... all the other Rhens, and I'm thankful for... Thanksgiving and Halloween and my notebook and I'm thankful for you, I'm thankful for you. Dad, you're on my list! And I'm thankful for um... I'm thankful for my name. My letters. And I'm thankful for everybody in the world. And for Grandma and Grandpa. And I'm thankful for Anthony and Dominic and Lisa, and I'm thankful for the Smith's house. I'm thankful for Jeff's house, Dad! And I'm thankful for um... the Johnny Rocket's people. That's all. Your turn, Josh!
Josh: I'm thankful for my family, computers, rollercoasters, birthday parties, Christmas, Halloween, time, movies, the outside, frisbees, vacations, phones, friends, and music. My dad's CD, blah blah blah. [spelling it out] E. T. C. [You want me to put that?] Yeah. Blah blah blah. E.T.C.
Zach: Um... My name and my Thomas train. My computer. Ummm... CDs, cars and trains and cars and trains! Computer games!
I'm grateful for many things today. I'm grateful for a God who has captured my heart, who has loved me with a passion that I can't even describe. I'm grateful for a God whose love is not based on my ability to earn it. I'm grateful for a God whose heart is turned toward me with love and affection.
I'm thankful for Luanne. Her uncommon beauty, her strength, her constant good humor, her passion for life, her fierce devotion to her kids and me, her dedication to God, her willingess to walk with me through all the good and bad of life, her vulnerability.
I'm thankful for my children. I never dreamed that I would have four kids someday. That I would awaken each morning to these little human beings climbing all over me, hugging and snuggling and begging for breakfast. ("Let's go upstairs! C'mon... It's Seven Zero Zero!") I'm thankful every day for the chance to love and be loved by them.
For extended family and for all my friends, I am grateful. For music and movies and art, I am grateful.For a great job and community at Peninsula Covenant Church, I am grateful. For a chance to fulfill my dream of making a record... and to do it with one of my heroes, Mike Roe, I am grateful. For the dinner that is to come and for the fact that I'm on vacation and still in my pajamas at 11:00am, I am grateful...
But I'd better go get dressed. 