I’ve accepted the Be Thankful Challenge from ScaleSimple. The Challenge rules are …

• Share this image in your bog post
• Write about 5 people in your life you are thankful for
• Write about 5 things in 2015 that you are thankful for
• Spread the love and challenge 5 other blogs to take part

5 People I’m Thankful for

• My husband, Scott – Just a few of the many things about him for which I’m grateful … I love that he believes in the power of laughter and makes sure it’s a part of our lives. I appreciate his faith and strength. I’m also glad he’s easy to make up with after a disagreement. 🙂
• My children, Mandi and Michael – I am so proud of who they have come to be as adults. They bring so much joy into my life.
• My children’s mates, Ryan and Haley – What can I say? My kids picked good ones. They are both such loving people. (And extra thanks to Ryan for bringing little Elaina into my life!)

5(+) Things I’m Thankful for in 2015

• God’s provision, mercy and love
• My extended family – parents, siblings, in-laws, nieces and nephews … the whole crew. I love how much fun we have when we’re together and how we pull together during the hard times.
•  I’m thankful for this quote from Mr. Rogers: “Always look for the helpers. Because, if you’ll look for the helpers, you’ll know that there’s hope.” This thought has brought comfort to me many times in the past few years when the chaos in the world seems almost too much to bear. It also helped me define how I wanted to address the issues in my community (see posts on Ferguson) and other crisis situations in the world.
• So, besides being thankful for the quote above, I’m increasingly thankful for “the helpers” I see in this world and the hope they bring.
• I’m thankful for the friends I’m tagging below for this challenge. They are my writing retreat buddies. They inspire me, challenge me, and cheer me on towards my goals.

5 Nominations for this Challenge

• Susan Lawrence – Pure Purpose
• Linda Wallace – Ordinary People Extraordinary God
• Colleen Jumper – Connecting Scripture to Life
• Janet Ross – Convinced of This
• Susan Stitch – New Every Morning