On being home...

Whew. Have hardly slowed down at all since I've been back. I am truly blessed. I knew this before I left, but only since I've been back have I realy appreciated that fact, and in how many ways it is true. Since I got my truck broken into, I had to get some new IDs, and a new checkcard, get the window replaced, had to put my truck back in my name and get the insurance going again. Have been gradually getting things unpacked in the apartment, which is a chore I loathe. I hate moving, because of how you have to make things up as you go. I've gotten better at it having moved around so much the last couple years, but it still isn't my favorite thing.

Last night we had a big dinner at a friends house, had about 30 people there from church. Ate ourselves silly, then had a small Bible study and a prayer. Went around the room and said what we were thankful for. I said I was thankful to be home, which I am, but it goes a little deeper than that. There are guys(military) I've met and heard of that came home from Iraq and Afghanistan to homes that had been destroyed by Hurricane Katrina. There are others that came back to broken homes, whose wives had cheated on them, or squandered their money, or just up and left altogether. Some of them came home to no family, or to uncomfortable financial situations. Some guys (or gals) came home in a box, and their families and friends will never be able to have Thanksgiving dinner with them again.

I am so incredibly blessed. I have a great family, lots of siblings(which is rarer than it used to be), awesome parents that have been and continue to be tremendous examples of how to live. I have a wonderful church, full of real people that don't just play church. They are human, and they make mistakes, but they keep going and trying to do better every day. Having lived in one place my whole life, I have a stability that many people don't have. I know this beautiful city I live in, and I see people I know everywhere I go. It is amazing to see how things have changed, and comforting to see how they have stayed the same. I have good friends from every facet of my life. There are friends from homeschooling, from Boy Scouts, from the army, from church, from yahoo and blogging, from all over the US and all over the world. It is overwhelming and humbling how many good people I know, and having so many I look up to and want to emulate. I hope I'm able to learn a little from those ones, and am able to be such a good example to anyone who has the dubious opportunity of looking up to me.

I think it's a very good thing for young people to join the military. I know it was good for me, to get out and see some new places and do some different things. I've met some very good people that I want to remain friends with the rest of my life. I've also met some people I'd never see again if I had my druthers. I've learned a lot about the world, and experienced some things I'd have never gotten to do otherwise. I've cried and laughed and appreciated things so much more than I believe I would have if I had not joined. God has looked upon me with such favor, and may He keep me humble enough to never think that I deserve it.

I am not the All-singing All-dancing Crap of the World, to borrow a phrase from the movie Fight Club. I make so many mistakes, and am so lazy, stubborn, ignorant, and just plain careless sometimes that I wonder how I'm able to dress myself. I am just a guy who tries to do the right thing, and succeeds sometimes. I am prone to trying to please everyone, and I'm realizing what I've been told many times, that it just can't be done. No matter how hard I try, somebody is going to be critical and displeased with me. Therefore all I can do is just keep trying, to do my best to please God and do the best work that I can, and forget about the boneheaded things I did yesterday so I can focus on doing better today. I can't worry too much about tomorrow because things will change a dozen times between now and then, but I have to try to plan a little because if one fails to plan, then one plans to fail.

Thank you God for blessing me with the country I live in, for the State that I was born in, for my wonderful family, for so many faithful helpful friends, and for the time to spend with all of them. Thank you God for the small things, like sweet tea, for my little truck, for trees, for laughing around a table or in a living room with good friends and family at something funny somebody said, or about this time or that that we all experienced together. The big things are what other people remember about your life, but it's those small things that you will never forget. God, help me to truly live each day to the fullest, and take joy in everything, even when life is not fun.

There are so many many things to be thankful for, I could fill up several posts with all of them. I guess what I'm most thankful for is opportunities to spend time with people I love and that love me, because those times, whether good or bad, are truly the happiest times of all and they're the times I will never forget. I hope everyone reading this has at least one or two great friends to share this holiday season with, and that you take the opportunity to let them know that you appreciate God planting them in your life.

If you've read this all the way to the end, thank you. I hope this didn't get too sappy on you, but I guess I'm just waxing philosophical after being gone for so long from all of these wonderful people and places. I'm thankful for Life, and for Life More Abundant. God Bless you, and have a Happy Thanksgiving. Razorsedge out...