My husband and I went to a hotel this Valentine's Day weekend.  
With all of our children.

It would be illegal in the States to have that many bodies in one hotel room. 

Today is Thanksgiving.  It is also my husband's birthday.  
That is an incredible juxtaposition of events.

It makes me tremendously thankful for this man that I am thankful for anyway.

So this morning I listed 30 things I am thankful for in my husband.  (Otherwise known as "30 Reasons Why I Love Tim.")  

Your spouse may not have a birthday today, but let me encourage you to do the same things for them. Surprise yourself and delight them by coming up with a grand list of things you are thankful for!  Here is mine.  

1. He reads his Bible.  Every day.  Without fail.  Even on airplanes and in hospitals.
2. He is self-disciplined in his eating.
3. He is careful with his money.  Frugal.
4. But he is not stingy.  He is generous.
5. He has taken me around the world.
6. He corrects the children with Scripture.  Not with emotional manipulation.
7. He is a peacemaker.
8. He is not a gossip.
9. He does not stir up quarrels.  He looks for ways to avoid them.
10. Until they absolutely have to be addressed.  Then he addresses them with humility or tact.
11. He prays for me.
12. He prays for our kids.
13. He prays for the world.
14. His work is the Word; his love is the Word; his hobby is the Word.
15. He doesn't hunt or fish much, and he rarely watches sports.
16. He took me ice skating a few times, purely because I love it.  And he doesn't.  It was an act of love.
17. We can read two separate books in the same room and we both view it as a "date."
18. He is my personal Strong's Concordance.  I'm terrible with numbers, which translates to terrible with references.  He remembers--or can find easily--even the obscure ones.
19. He takes his time with decisions, which means that we perfectly complement each other.
20. One of the few times I have ever seen him weep was over the spiritual needs of Asia.  I will never forget that moment.
21. He taught me to enjoy reading maps.
22. He hasn't forced me to learn to drive a stick shift.  Although he thinks I should know.  In fact, for my sake, he always buys automatic cars.  (Of course, he knows I like to drive with a coffee in one hand, so maybe that plays into his decision.)
23. Even though he is not a coffee drinker, he has learned to like the special occasion Cafe Mocha for my sake.
24. He loves me.  In spite of all my faults.  (And they are many!)  
25. He knows when to say those important words:  "Children, your mom isn't feeling well today.  Please do everything you can to help her."
26. Although he encourages me in efforts regarding physical fitness, he also reminds me that my body won't ever be the same after 6 kids and 5 c-sections.  
27. And yet. . . when I go jogging, he always supports me.  Even if it is theoretically dinner time.
28. He is one awesome teacher.  And I get the benefit of that even before his students do.
29. He taught each of our kids to ride a bike.  (Except the twins.  Maybe in a few years.)
30. He faithfully took out the trash until he had a son old enough to replace him.

I ran out of time to write before I ran out of things to write.  I could probably come up with a list of a hundred or more.  

Why don't you do this for a special person in your life:  a mother, a father, a spouse, a child?  
Maybe your pastor--that would be an incredible gift.  Pastors usually only hear the complaints.  

Happy Thanksgiving!