A New Year Thought

In light of the new year and the closing of last year I've been thinking of all the blessings God pours out on us. I know that I have no clue as to all God has given me and yet from the bottom of my heart I thank Him for all the blessings He has shown me and for knowing that He loves me no matter what may be going on. I have learned that blessings are not only when times are good and everything is happy but God gives us blessings in times of challenge and draws us closer to Him, which is the biggest blessing of all. But one of the biggest blessings and my deepest thanksgiving is for the wonderful parents He has given me. I could never write on paper what they mean to me but I do want to thank them for their never ending sacrifices and love they pour out to me and my siblings. Quite honestly, I took my family (and to my shame still do sometimes) for granted and didn't realize how valuable each member is and that it is our loving father and mother who have poured their lives into us, to teach, train, and guide us down the path that leads to everlasting life. In Proverbs it says that "her children will rise up and call her blessed" and to paraphrase that just a little we like to say "their children rise up and call them blessed". So as this new year is upon us and we thank the Lord for His love and blessings I just want to encourage you to thank your parents for all they do (they do more than we will ever know :)! They are the ones God has put over us and He makes no mistakes. My prayer this year is that God would give me a new depth of understanding of how to honor my parents and bless them as they have given so much for me.