Thanksgiving 2009

Today has been a wonderful day. I am such a blessed man! I got to run a 6K race with two of my children, enjoy our annual family football game and then an amazing lunch with the family. We had one of the best Thanksgiving days that I can remember. This year has not been an easy one for our country and we have certainly struggled more than I ever thought we would. In the midst of all this, God has taught me so many lessons. He has reinforced the things that are really important; family, good friends, the grace and love of God and how important it is that we show that to others around us. I have always thought that financial gain is not a bad goal, so long as I didn't place too much importance on it. This year I have determined that money is a goal that returns very little happiness. I am sure that those who are rich will stop reading about now, but we spend so much time trying to reach financial goals, that we miss some important things along the way. This is not an anti-money blog, by any means. The goal of my business is to make money, and the more we make, the more successful we consider ourselves. However, this year has taught me that it is just as easy to be thankful and happy when times are challenging. Today, I watched my granddaughter walk, I saw the smile on my nephew's face when he caught a touchdown pass in a football game he has looked forward to all year, I watched family sit around and talk, and enjoy each other's company. Today I experienced joy, and it cost me nothing, but meant everything!! Real success is not exotic trips to faraway places, but is found in the simple things of life. May God help us all to learn this lesson on a daily basis!

Happy Thanksgiving!! Blessings to all!!