My Thank You List for God, 2004 Edition

I guess this should have been posted yesterday, but it was still brewing in my mind. Here is my official 2004 list of things I gave thanks for yesterday. Apologies if some are semi-political, but this is my list of thankfulness and no one else's.

1. Thank you, Lord, for the healing of my back. I had a herniated and extruded disk in my back this year which was pressing directly on my spine and causing great pain. Along with this main thanks comes several other lesser ones:
   • Thank you for good doctors who were skilled and yet merciful.
   • Thank you for a good church which cared for me and sent over the elders to pray over me.
   • Thank you for modern pain medications which let me work as much as I could while the doctors figured out what was wrong.
   • Thank you for a family which was understanding.
   • Thank you for disability insurance which kept some cash coming in when I could not work.
   • Thank you for the recliner for when I could not sleep in a flat bed anymore.
   • Thank you for a job where I was not fired for missing so much work.
   • Thank you for the chance to still go on some vacations this year, despite the lost work.
2. Thank you, Lord, for the way the election worked out.
   • Thank you that there was a clear winner, despite a closely divided nation and the use of new voting systems.
   • Thank you that my candidate won.
   • Thank you that the loser graciously accepted defeat and did not attempt a repeat of 2000.
   • Thank you that the country accepts the election as legitimate and does not question the results as they do in Ukraine.
   • Thank you for the reassurance that even if the other side had won, they had the country's best at heart and simply a different vision for how to reach that best.
   • Thank you that there were no terrorist attacks in the U.S. during the election.
   • Thank you that the only way Osama Bin Laden could reach the American people was by using Freedom of Speech, a right we treasure and which he would deny his own people.
3. Thank you for a great family that loves me and accepts me for who I am, even when who I am is not the best person.
4. Thank you that I was sufficiently healed from my back injury to attend both Sean and Ward's weddings.
5. Thank you that I was invited to both weddings, and allowed to take part and help out where my talents allowed.
6. Thank you, Lord, for providing women to Sean and Ward who love them intensely, bring out the best sides of themselves, and who understand that some days they will be saying "I love you because you're so great" and some days they will be saying "I love you, anyway."
7. Thank you, Lord, for Mod-Blog where I can put up a few of my foolish thoughts to be shared with the world. And thank you for the modest success it has had in garnering readers.
8. Thank you, Lord, that the worst thing that I had to worry about this year was my health.
9. Thank you, Lord, for a job where I can use my talents and earn money. I know your provision of a job for me could have been slinging burgers or emptying trash or something else that I am capable of, but this job is one that makes use of some of my best talents and lets me give something back to the world.
10. Thank you that you lead me to your Son so early in life, so that I have known Your love for so long.
11. Thank you for the honor of leading some others to Jesus Christ in my time here on earth.
12. Thank you for a good dog, a pet to remind me what unconditional love means.
13. Thank you that even though I have not found the girl for me, yet, that either you are saving her for me or have prepared a single life for me for a reason which is to your glory.

There is so much more, but I think that hits the high points. No reason to take up the whole Blog. God knows my heart and what I am thankful for. But now so does the rest of the world... in part.