It’s the week of Thanksgiving and I’m thinking a lot about gratitude. Despite any unfortunate circumstances that may be going on in our lives, there are so many reasons to be grateful. It’s important to remember that your circumstances don’t have to be perfect for you to be grateful; in fact you are doing yourself a disservice if you can only be grateful when things are going well in your life. There are things in my life I’d like to change, and I believe in time they will change, but in the meantime I’m grateful. I never forget that there is always someone who has it worse than I do, and would switch places with me in a second. And guess what? The same thing applies to you. There are millions of people who would trade places with you. It’s easy to take the simple things for granted. For example, you never think about how grateful you are for your health until you find yourself bed ridden with an illness or you visit a family member who can no longer care for themselves without the assistance of someone else. Every day I thank God for my life and my health, and it’s not a trite prayer that I utter without meaning, it’s heart felt. One thing that has been on my mind this week is what the people affected by Hurricane Sandy are going through. I especially think of them in the early morning hours after I wake up. One of my favorite things is to wake up on a winter morning in a warm house. As I was feeling so grateful for being in a warm house I was reminded of the families who are still without power on the east coast. The stories are not topping the headlines on the evening news anymore, but those families are still dealing with the repercussions of that storm, and they will be for many months to come. The other day I heard on the news that there are still thousands of families without power. I remember times in my past when finances were hard and my power was turned off; I remember how hard it was to endure that for a day or so. I can’t imagine being without power for weeks, with no definite end in sight. Now factor in how the temperatures are dropping and you begin to see the effects are devastating. I don’t say these things to make you feel sad, but just to offer some perspective. Some of the most inspiring stories I’ve heard from the victims of Sandi are those where the people say how blessed they feel in the midst of what they’re going through because they still have their lives. So I just encourage you to spend time reflecting on those things that are good in your life. I promise you, there are several things you have to be grateful for in your life. As for me, I’m grateful for my family; I’m grateful for my job; I’m grateful I have a sound mind and the ability to conceive ideas; I’m grateful I have a strong, solid network of true friends who genuinely love me; I’m grateful I have a life free of drama and a home filled with peace; and more than anything I’m grateful for my salvation and relationship with Christ. What are you grateful for? Until next time… Peace, Love & Fitness! ]]>

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