Thankful for my Food, Clothing and Shelter

I am giving thanks for 3 things in this blog.  Although it sounds like the typical thing to say........ food, clothing and shelter.... honestly its something many of us take for granted. 

Unfortunately when most people think of the 'starving' they think of only people in other countries.  I am aware that there is a huge crisis of starvation in other countries but  there is also starvation right here in our backyards.  If you ate even one meal today, you are more blessed then billions of people in this world.  My husband and I went out today, to purchase items for some food bags, as part of a Love Wins campaign our church is doing.  The campaign is assisting families with getting the fixins for a Thanksgiving meal.  This is our 3rd year participating in this and what we do is so small yet will be such a blessing to someone else.  We have a place in Cedar Rapids called Mission of Hope that I was able to volunteer at a couple of times and hope to spend more time there in the future.  This place accepts food year round and feeds people year round.  I am thankful for the food that is donated there and challenge everyone to make a contribution at a place such as this, not just for the holidays but year round.

I am thankful also for clothing and honestly I have way more then I should have.  Another thing that we could all do to help others is quit hanging onto clothes we will never wear and donate them to a local goodwill or shelter.  My husband and I challenged  eachother to this today to donate some of our clothes and for us this will be something that someone else needs to hold us accountable for.  :)  We are totally bad at hanging onto clothes way past the time we should.   If you are reading this, please feel free to hold us accountable in this area.

I am thankful for my home and know that I am so blessed to have the things I have.  My home is beautiful and way more then I ever dreamed of having.  I will always remember my father standing on my four seasons porch and looking out onto our acres of land and saying to me "Sweetheart, this is the most beautiful place, you have no reason to ever want for any more then this"  :)  My dad liked to keep things in perspective and he was as usual right about my home.  Its beautiful and I am so thankful for the time I have spent here.   I dont hang onto it real tightly because you always have to be prepared to move in the direction God wants you to in life, but I do treasure the time we have spent here.  I am very thankful for my home and all the things God has blessed me with.