Sheesh, this is hard. Not the giving thanks part but the writing every day part sure takes a lot of discipline. Maybe when I am done with November, I will be able to write more frequently than once a month. I wouldn't count on every day.

I digress.

Day 7: I am thankful for the fall weather. It wasn't until I moved to Little Rock that I was able to appreciate fall for the first time. I love the crisp air that signifies that it's time to bring out all the cute sweaters, scarves and boots. Finally, you don't need  to invent an excuse for a nice cup of hot tea or hot coffee. Picking up leaves and looking at the lovely colors was one of my favorite things in Little Rock. Everyone made fun of me, but coming from Arizona, it was a new exciting thing for me. However, there are no fall colors here, sigh, but I do tend to remember the friends and fun times I had in Little Rock more so in the fall. It's the perfect weather for cooking and you know that is one of my all time favorite things to do. In fact, today I roasted green chilies (in preparation for making tamales). Dad told me how to roast them in the oven but neglected to tell me that the smoke alarm would go off multiple times and that the house would smell like green chilies in a sickeningly way for hours after I was done.

Day 8: I am thankful for our home and being able to come home every day. This two bedroom apartment has served us well over the last couple of years. It's safe, peaceful, and comforting and I have turned into quite the homebody. So many people don't have a home at the standard that we would consider to be the bare minimum. When I was in  Swaziland and saw all the small one room huts that were built from mud, sticks, stones and grass with dirt floors and no windows, it really gave me a deep thankfulness for what I call home. The ability and probability that we have to buy a house in the future where ever we so desire is such a blessing when so many have no real choice and are thankful just to have a place to call their own and store their few belongings with a roof over their head.

I've heard it said several times before, that God specifically chose the time and place for each person to be born to carry out a very specific part of His overall plan. I pray that since God has placed us here in the US, in the top percentage of wealth around the world, that we would have wisdom and direction on how to best use our resources, education and position to bring Him glory. May we never forget how blessed we are here in this place, in this time.