Thankful Thursday

1. Sleeping in your own bed after being away

Last week I was staying in a hotel in Plano, TX (a northern suburb of Dallas) because I was on the committee for our user conference at work and it was just easier for the team to be staying near the conference. The hotel was SUPER nice and the beds were great, but there's just something about coming home to your familiar surroundings and sleeping in your own bed again after being gone. Priceless.

2. A successful conference!

And to go along with #1, we had a great conference! It was a LONG time coming and a LOT of work went into it, but it was all worth it. Everything went smoothly, the whole team pitched in and did what needed to be done to ensure success. We are all thrilled with how everything went. What a great feeling!

3. Making a friend laugh REALLY hard....then joining them

I like to think that I laugh regularly in my life, but I never realize how little I REALLY laugh until something super funny happens and my stomach is aching from laughing so hard. I totally agree with the scientists when they say that laughing is good for your health - both mentally and physically. It must be a chemical thing in the brain - it's like a high to laugh really hard. During our conference lasts week, I just said one little thing and Mayce just erupted in laughter and we all were doubling over in a matter of seconds. It's just the greatest feeling!

4. Finding the perfect gift for a special person

Thinking of the 'perfect gift' idea is something I struggle with. I never mind coming up with the money, or wrapping the gift, or anything like that....it's just that I struggle to find that perfect "something" that they would just love. There's nothing like the feeling of finding "IT" and being able to give them the gift and seeing the look of joy on their face when they open it!

5. Knowing that God always keeps His promises

This one is a matter of faith.....and I have to keep reminding myself that God never fails - He always keeps his promises. I love that verse in Jeremiah 29 - it goes like this: "For I know the plans I have for you," declares the LORD, "plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future."

Sometimes I wonder if I will get married again, will I have kids?, will I change careers?, will I find a different path in life that I never would have imagined? And for all of those questions, I just make myself go back to that verse and remember that God always keeps his promises - we just don't know exactly what they will look like yet!