The 12 Days of Thanksgiving: Day 1

As great as yesterday was, today has been infinitely better.

It all started this morning with church. My good friend, Kristy, did a great job teaching the kiddos this morning, and as a bonus taught me something! She shared the story of Jesus healing the ten lepers. Jesus had healed all ten of them, but only one returned to thank Jesus. I realized this morning that there are some people who I thank often for different things, there are some people I don't thank as much as I should, and then there is Jesus - someone I never thank enough. I decided today that for the next 12 days my blog will serve as a "gratitude journal" where I will write about some of the things I am most thankful for this year! Here we go:

Day 1: I'm thankful for my church
It was about this time 2 years ago that I was first introduced to Grace Baptist Church. There was this group of kids at my school that had a bond that I had never seen before. They were all great kids on their own but I could tell there was something special about them. Fast forward to basketball season and I realized I now had a connection to an Upward Basketball program, something I had wanted to be a part of for awhile. So, my now good friend Shellee got me all set up to coach a team. As the basketball season went on I met more and more people and learned a lot about Grace.

I didn't actually start going to church at Grace until a couple months later, but immediately they allowed me to plug in and find a place to serve. I have gone to a handful of churches in my life but there really is nothing like Grace. It is a group of people who are first and foremost trying to be like Jesus. It is a place of true worship, family, and a place where authenticity is encouraged. I'm thankful for those kids who introduced me to such a special place. I'm thankful for all the people who have become a part of my life because of Grace. I'm thankful to God for leading me there, and for making it such an important part of my life.

And finally, today I am very thankful for a song we sang this morning. It is called "In Christ Alone." It was written by Keith Getty and Stuart Townend but has been recorded by several different artists. I came right home from church, downloaded it and have been listening to it non-stop all day, I may even be a little hoarse from singing it so loudly. If my life had a theme song, this would be it:

In Christ alone my hope is found;
He is my light, my strength, my song;
This cornerstone, this solid ground,
Firm through the fiercest drought and storm.
What heights of love, what depths of peace,
When fears are stilled, when strivings cease!
My comforter, my all in all—
Here in the love of Christ I stand.

In Christ alone, Who took on flesh,
Fullness of God in helpless babe!
This gift of love and righteousness,
Scorned by the ones He came to save.
Till on that cross as Jesus died,
The wrath of God was satisfied;
For ev'ry sin on Him was laid—
Here in the death of Christ I live.

There in the ground His body lay,
Light of the world by darkness slain;
Then bursting forth in glorious day,
Up from the grave He rose again!
And as He stands in victory,
Sin's curse has lost its grip on me;
For I am His and He is mine—
Bought with the precious blood of Christ.

No guilt in life, no fear in death—
This is the pow'r of Christ in me;
From life's first cry to final breath,
Jesus commands my destiny.
No pow'r of hell, no scheme of man,
Can ever pluck me from His hand;
Till He returns or calls me home—
Here in the pow'r of Christ I'll stand.