Today when I looked up at my wall calendar, I could not believe it was November already; October went by so fast!

November is a special month because of Thanksgiving.

Once Thanksgiving comes and goes, Christmas is just around the corner, and the holidays are always an exciting time.

I remember last year for an issue of Barton’s paper, The Collegiate, my good friend Johnston, a talented columnist, wrote a list of what he was thankful for.

I thought I would borrow his idea and write my own list of what I am thankful for.

I have so many blessings in my life. Taking the time to stop and list these blessings helps me be even more grateful for all that I have.

I am thankful that Jesus loved me enough to die for me so that I can have eternal life and live in Heaven with Him one day.

I am thankful for my wonderful and crazy family who is always there for me and supports and encourages me.

I am thankful for my friends who listen to me and watch “Pride and Prejudice” with me, eat the “cuisine” with me in the caf\u00E9, and give me excellent advice.

I am thankful for my church family who is a shelter from the storms I encounter while out in the world.

I am thankful I live in America where I can enjoy freedoms that people in other countries cannot have.

I am thankful that I can go to college and further my education.

I am thankful that I always have plenty of food to eat, a nice warm bed and a roof over my head.

I am thankful for my contacts and glasses.

I am thankful for my car.

I am thankful for Snicker bars because I like chocolate.

I am thankful for cookie dough ice cream.

I am thankful for books.

I am thankful for bookstores and libraries.

I am thankful for colorful headbands and scarves.

I am thankful for comfy pajamas.

I am thankful for baseball caps.

I am thankful for my computer and especially Spell Check.

I am thankful for e-mail because it gives me a way to keep in touch with my friends.

I am thankful for Scrabble.

I am thankful for crossword puzzles.

I am thankful for my feathery purple pen and the cool, pink “Legally Blonde” pen that my friend Amanda gave me.

I am thankful for Chinese food.

I am thankful for cheesecake.

I am thankful for my mama’s fried chicken and macaroni salad.

I am thankful for football games that I can go to and cheer at, even when it is freezing outside.

I am thankful for my fuzzy pink slippers.

I am thankful for cameras because they allow me to keep pictures of those people I love close by when I cannot be with them.

I am thankful for music, especially music by Kenny Chesney, Lonestar, MercyMe, Casting Crowns and Jeremy Camp.

I am thankful for movies.

I am thankful for the beach.

I am thankful for flip flops.

I am thankful for blue jeans, especially my Levis.

I am thankful for chocolate milk.

I am thankful for Krispy Kreme doughnuts, especially at midnight when the hot sign is still on.

I am thankful for warm mittens and scarves.

I am thankful for sticky notes because they are very handy and come in cool colors.

I am thankful for colorful paper clips and other nifty office supplies.

I am thankful for multi colored highlighters because they make studying easier.

I am thankful for note cards, even though I never seem to have any.

I am thankful for plastic bins and boxes that make organizing easier.

I am thankful for handy microwavable foods, such as Betty Crocker Warm Delight chocolate cake, Easy Mac, and chicken noodle soup, which make living in a dorm room bearable.

I am thankful for the awesome people who live on my hall who make life in a dorm fun and interesting and never boring.

I am thankful for the helpful computer people are Best Buy, especially the Geek Squad.

Even though I am sure I could think of other things I am thankful for, I think you get the idea.

I have a lot to be thankful for, and so do all of you, faithful readers.

Please take the time, not just at Thanksgiving, but during the entire year, to stop and count your blessings.

I leave you with this thought: “It is good to give thanks to the Lord, And to sing praises to Your name, O Most High.”- Psalm 92:1.