Thankful

The turkey is in the oven, and in a few hours the family and friends will arrive. All 35 of them! Most of them are my husband John's family--parents, brothers, a sister, and all their spouses and kids. Also coming are friends who are far from their family and their four kids. Oh, yes, and my own family, my husband, my three kids, and Kayleigh--one of the teenage moms I've adopted as my own and her husband Nate and three kids.

This morning I was thinking back ... back to the Thanksgiving not too many years ago when I was a pregnant teen. I'd dropped out of school, my boyfriend had dropped me, my high school friends went on with the own lives, and I felt so very alone.

Yet, it was during that pregnancy that I made a decision--to give my life to Christ. To let Him fix up what I've screwed up.

Fast forward to today--a beautiful family, friends, a home to welcome them into ... these are wonderful things to be thankful for.

But mostly I'm thankful for Jesus. For being forgiven of my sins, for hope in eternity in heaven, in peace today ... and tomorrow ... because He lives inside me.

It was the best decision I every made--a decision I'm thankful for every day.