Thankful On Paper

I wanted to link up with the beautiful No. 17 last week for her Thankful on Paper series, however I stumbled and fumbled with figuring out who to write to.


It isn't that I don't have people I am grateful for, I do, I do, I do, I do. However, I think I do a decent job of letting them know how special they are to me.  Also, this year my heart has been so fully and completely blessed, it just didn't feel right, continuing to go on praising the Lord for the many blessings, and not thanking the people whom the Lord used to give us these blessings. 
As I've only met this couple one time, I think it's safe to say they wont stumble upon my blog here before receiving their letter so I'm going to share the letter here with you today. I wrote the letter out on notebook paper and created a card on my computer that I'll sort of recreate for you below. My plan is to get their address tonight and take the boys over there, have them ring the door bell, say thank you and come back to me. Hopefully, this gesture will bless them today, even a fraction of how much we have been blessed. 
Thank YouFor our new home

For the memories that we've made ...
(inside of card) 
And those yet to come. 
Blessings from,The Thomas FamilyBrian, Teresa, Owen and Micah
(back of card) 
Peace to you from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. I thank my God every time I remember you.In all my prayers for all of you, I always pray with joy.Philippians 1:2-4

Dear Mr & Mrs D, I know this letter is out of the ordinary and definitely out of the blue, but I had to write it nonetheless. Each year around thanksgiving I make an effort to be nostalgic to slow down, think and reflect on my blessings. This year in particular I'm pausing daily to record and share a praise to the Lord with my friend and family online. 
Already, several of the things on my list specifically relate to our home. The front porch and our first ever time passing out candy on Halloween. The millions of leaves and sounds of laughter as the boys played with their dad. The luxury of having a dishwasher. The sunset seen from the beautiful picture window. The bright red fall flowers out front I didn't expect and couldn't love more. 
Since purchasing this home from you we have paused several times, daily, (at first it was several times a day) to praise our Lord for this new home. The beautiful kitchen, the arches, larger room for the boys, the basement, the bones and the solid foundation, the space for a guest bedroom/office, the room to grow, the entryway to keep our coats and shoes without cluttering our home, the garage, fenced in yard, the driveway for bike riding. The size.The style, oh how we hoped for a ranch!The appliances.The extras. Light bulbs, toilet paper, trash bags, clocks, shovels, mops, trash can, air fresheners. You name it, and we were blessed by it, and have probably thanked the Lord for it. There was a challenge online I wanted to follow that said basically to think of the person who has had the greatest impact on your life (right now) someone who has blessed you with or taught you something invaluable and then write them a thank you, on paper. 
We have so many amazing people in our lives, a church family, family, friends and mentors who have blessed us abundantly over the years, through the trials and joys. Parents who define "giving" and "putting love into action,"  so many people whom I would normally expect to be at the top of my thank you list. 
However, looking back at 2011 our greatest blessing was walking through the door of our home, together as husband and wife, parents, homeowners, for the first time. Our journey towards home-ownership finally complete. Our prayers for a safer, homier/roomier place for the boys to grow up, for a place we could decorate and make our own, finally answered. 
I want to thank you both from the bottom of my heart for letting the Lord use you to bless us so abundantly, so completely that even still my husband will walk into a room, hold my hands and say "could you love this house anymore?" 
Actually, I fall in love with it a little as each day goes by. 
I do not know your story, how the Lord used you, how He worked through different Realtors or friends, but I do know I am so incredibly grateful that our paths crossed, that your home was on the market long enough for us to find it. 
Thank you for all of your generosity the day we closed, for being willing to sell us this beautiful home, for all of the extras, and for taking such good care of it over the years. 
May the Lord bless you abundantly,Teresa Thomas
Alright readers, that's it for today. Thanks for stopping by my blog, as always I hope that you were blessed by this space. Head over here to check out other Thankful on Paper posts today. 
Don't forget to slow down and enjoy this Season of Thanksgiving and count your blessings.