It’s the day before Thanksgiving and I find myself sitting at the desk in my home office with Christmas music filling the room.  Focused on trying to complete the work tasks on today’s list, Barlow Girl’s singing of “It’s the most wonderful time of the year” seizes my attention.  I sit back in my chair, my mind racing to list the reasons for being the season to hold this title.  The first reason is Thanksgiving Day.  On the cusp of a day filled with family, parades, football, turkey, and naps on the sofa, I pause to list a few of those things I am thankful for.

• I’m thankful for my heavenly father, the Lord Jesus Christ.  He is my provider, comforter, healer, and strong tower.  He is a light unto my feet in a dark and dying world.
• I’m thankful for my church, the Calvary Apostolic Church.  The place where I can join with the body of Christ in worship, learning, growing, and fellowship.
• I’m thankful for my Pastor, James Stark, a true man of God, founded in the Word, led by the Spirit, and my shepherd.
• I’m thankful for my wife, Cara, the love of my life, my best friend. Through the good and the bad, think and thin, sickness and health, till death alone separates us.
• I’m thankful for my children, Brooke and Elijah, the two who bring more joy to me than any thing else in the world.  My princess and my favorite man in the world.
• I am thankful for our home, a place of protection from the cold, shade from the sun, and the seat for where family resides.
• I am thankful for the dinning room table, home to; family dinners, coffee with the newspaper and my wife on a Sunday morning, Bible study with family, fellowship with friends, and family board game nights.
• I am thankful for my parents, all of them.  Through good times and bad, every experience has a lesson to be learned and leveraged.  These lessons have shaped me into the husband and father that I am today.
• I am thankful for my sister, Robin, the longest relationship of my life.  As two ships that left the same harbor into the fog of life, I know she will be my tug when I sail into rough waters.
• I am thankful for PJ Ulry and Chad Rogers, two men, which have silently made a huge difference in my life.  One has shown me how I should connect with God, the other has shown me how God wants to connect with me.
• I am thankful for an Apostolic heritage that spans five generations; beginning with my great grandfather Hollie Pinkerton, continuing with my grandfather Paul Ferguson and my father Robert Ferguson to my children.
• I am thankful for my country, the United States of America.  As Americans we are blessed beyond what any of us can imagine.  I am able to freely worship, provide for my family, and have the freedom to live my life without the constraints of a non-democratic government.
• Finally, I am thankful for close friends, good health, sufficient income, friendly neighbors, good music, delicious food, warm clothes, safe accommodations, reliable transportation, and a loyal dog.

As we start into the season of Christmas trees, homes trimmed in lights, parties with family and friends, school concerts, church musicals, gift giving, snow ball fights, and manger scenes, do not forget all those things that actually make this the most wonderful time of the year.