The air you breath, your health and strength, your right mind and peace of mind, your family and friends.  Have you stopped to think of all you can be thankful for?  I was pondering this as I saw more bad news about the economy and read the dismal truth about world affairs.  No doubt, these are troubling times but then again is that any surprise?  For those who read the Bible, its hard not to recognize that the times we are experiencing are the times Jesus spoke of over two thousand years ago.  He said, "in this world you will have many trials and tribulations." (John 16:33)  He also said "nations would fight against nations". (Luke 21:10)  In fact, He was very clear on what we could expect as time winds down.  And yet, He encouraged us to not let our hearts be troubled, if we believe in God and have faith in His son. (John 14:1)  We can rest easy knowing that our sovereign God still has control of world events.  Even when it doesn''t make sense to us, we can trust in the integrity of His character that He will protect those who love Him. 

And so, despite all that is amiss, we have much to be thankful for.  Take time today to write a ''thank you'' letter to God.  Thank Him for everything big and small and even those things that may have been difficult to endure but brought you closer to Him.  In fact, your biggest thanks should be for anything that caused you to seek Him and to discover His great love for you!

"Surely the [uncompromisingly] righteous shall give thanks to Your name; the upright shall dwell in Your presence (before Your very face)."  Psalm 140:13

"I believe that I shall look upon the goodness of the Lord in the land of the living. Wait for the Lord; be strong, and let your heart take courage; wait for the Lord! "  Psalm 27:13-14