[in the spirit of Thanksgiving]

Brighten your day with a couple of headlines on CNN.com as of November 16, 2012..

- "Israel mobilizing troops for 'possible invasion of Gaza' "

- "The Patraeus scandal: What we know"

..or not.

Be joyful always; pray continually; give thanks in ALL circumstances, for this is God's will for you in Christ Jesus.

1 Thessalonians 5:16-18

I know what you're thinking: how is one supposed to be throwing their hands up in praise over THIS? Let me take you on a little journey known as perspective..

per·spec·tive  (pr-spktv)

n.

3.

• The relationship of aspects of a subject to each other and to a whole: a perspective of history; a need to view the problem in the proper perspective.
• Subjective evaluation of relative significance; a point of view: the perspective of the displaced homemaker.
• The ability to perceive things in their actual interrelations or comparative importance: tried to keep my perspective throughout the crisis.

And now - in the spirit of Thanksgiving - I am going to list a few things I am thankful for:

1. The traffic I encounter on the way to work that turns out making me late because it means that I am employed.
2. Hurtful yet honest words from a friend because it means that they care about me enough to speak truth into my life.
3. All the complaining I hear about our government because it means we as a nation are blessed with freedom of speech.
4. The inadequacy I find myself getting caught up in as a 'Post Grad' because it forces me to look to the confidence I have in Christ.
5. The long lines we had to wait in to vote earlier this month because it means we live in a country that prides itself on democracy.
6. Natural disasters, such as Hurricane Sandy, because they force us to come together as a country.
7. The After-Thanksgiving-Dinner Food Coma I go into every year because it means that I have enough to eat.
8. The pain I feel in my knees after a long jog because it means I have the ability to run.
9. A sink full of dirty dishes because it means that loved ones are nearby.
10. The alarm that goes off in the early morning because it means that I am alive.

Keep reading.. now I'm going to ask you, "What if?"

• We viewed setbacks as opportunities.
• We realized that some of our complaints are completely and utterly worthless when taken into perspective. Take, for example, the complaint I voice when the restaurant I visit does not offer Diet Dr. Pepper; there are millions of inhabitants of this world who do not have clean drinking water.
• We noticed that only when we experience problems do we fully appreciate the good things in life.
• We took time out of our day to truly focus on all of our blessings and thank God for them; He didn't HAVE to give us anything.

I can assure you we would be more joyful; I can assure you we would be more prayerful - in turn, leading us to be more thankful.

Talking about our problems is our greatest addiction. Break the habit. Talk about your joys.
-Rita Schiano

The glass really is half full..