Lord, it's good to be thankful.

If you really think about it, if you can still think, there are so many things to be thankful for; it make me almost ashamed of myself.

I was visiting an older person in the hospital last week while checking on my first wife. I asked my old friend, "How are you doing?"

"I'm doing right well for a boy my age," he answered. "The doctors over in Dothan said the only thing that would fix my heart is open heart surgery, and I am too old to take that," he continued.

I told him that he had already lived 19 years longer than we are promised if we are good.

My older friend laughed and said, "That's something to think about. I'm not in any hurry to go, but when I'm finished here, I’m ready."

At my age, it's good to have older friends, and I have lots of them. It's even better when even though they are not in any hurry to leave this world, they are ready for eternity.

I was also most thankful for the doctors letting my first wife out of the hospital last week. It took a pickup to take her medicine home and will probably take a bank loan to pay for all of this, but thanks also to the doctors, nurses, cleanup folks, cooks and technicians at our hospital, she is home, and getting better. We are blessed people.

Several friends have said, "I know you have your wagon full taking care of Betty Jo, Uva and helping get out the newspaper each week."

I would always reply, "It is my pleasure. I've got some good help, good friends, and the Lord gives me the strength to do it all with love."

My Mama taught me that about all we are remembered for is what we do for others, especially those who can't help us back. It is sorry folks who don't or won't do for their own.

I talked to a younger friend that was nursing a machine in her lap that kept her heart beating, hopefully long enough for it to heal. She was proud to be here and glad to be on the heart transplant list. Her husband was proud he had retired recently so that he could help care for her. Talk about being thankful.

We Americans, and especially we Southwest Georgians, have so much to be thankful for; it's almost sinful. Most of us think that this really is Eden. We've messed it up a good bit, and the gnats were put here just to keep the nonbelievers out.

In times like these, which, by the way, most people in the world would like to have, we have so many things to be thankful for.

We in this area can look around and see what a bountiful crop our farmers are bringing in. For that we should be thankful.

We just celebrated and honored our many veterans and gave thanks to those who are serving now to protect and preserve the freedoms that we enjoy. Many have given the ultimate gift, their very lives. We should not forget and should be thankful.

As I write, there are volunteers who are helping prepare to give at our local food bank gifts to those in need. We should be thankful for those who volunteer and help those in need.

Most of those who have jobs to go to are thankful to have one. There are thousand who have not had a job this year, and it's getting worse.

We who have more than most of the rest of the world should be the most thankful.

We should be most thankful for our freedom to worship. We are losing it, but we will fight to keep it.

We should be thankful for every man and woman returning from Iraq and Afghanistan who fought for our freedoms.

We should be thankful for health. We don't seem to miss good health until we don't have it.

We should be thankful to have food, drink and shelter. Most of the people of this world do not have enough of any of the three.

We should be thankful for a loving spouse, children, family and friends.

We should be most thankful for a loving, forgiving Lord who looks over our failures as long as we look to Him for eternity.

If you really want to be thankful for what you do have, go to a wing of a children's hospital and walk down the halls. If that doesn't make you thankful for your lot in life and your condition, Lord bless you.