I really did not intend to blog today.  It’s the day before Thanksgiving and my Marathon Cooking day. Not that my preparation is so monumental because tomorrow Sweet William and I will joyfully drive just a quarter of a mile to my cousin’s house where family will gather with a wealth of food.

But this is my day to cook, people.  And sample. {smile}

Yet, on this very busy day my heart is full of thanksgiving, even from the early hours of the morning as I wrote my Joy List, the annual numbering of blessings from the past year.  It is a habit that started years ago, and the list just grows longer.

With my grateful thoughts, tears are the special ingredient all day.  Tears of joy.  Tears of hope.  Tears of longing.  Tears of heartbreak.  They are a wellspring in me today.  They are cleansing my soul.  And my Lord understands each one.

I thank God for the gifts that have come brightly wrapped, all cheerful and joyous.  I thank Him for the gifts that came shrouded in dark mystery for they sent me running to His safe and everlasting arms.

So I lift my heart in praise and enter His gates with thanksgiving and His courts with praise.  I will give Him thanks and I will bless His name.  Because He is good.  His love lasts forever.  His faithfulness extends to my children and my children’s children.

How can I not give Him the honor due His name?  He has been good to me.