By this time, I was watching in mild disbelief. The most comical moment, in my opinion, was when a guy went on a nationwide search for an exotic animal he wanted to ride for his grand entrance. I was hoping he’d pick an ostrich (because how funny would that be?), but when I stopped watching, he was trying to find an elephant.

It’s a birthday party.

Who does that? Who cries because she doesn’t get a brand-new car when she’s 16? Who rides an elephant to a party? Every guy and girl profiled seemed like really fun, sweet individuals, but the show also made them seem ungrateful and obsessed.

As much as I hate to admit it, my reality is that I’ve had plenty of whiny moments that make me seem ungrateful and obsessed as well. I get a little too focused on what I don’t have or the ridiculous stuff I think I need. All I have to do is focus for a second, and I come up with a list of the elegant detail work God has hand-painted all over my life. In the spirit of Thanksgiving, I thought I’d share my list of thankfuls with you.

My Thankfuls
I’m thankful for blue-sky Sundays, rainy days when I can sleep in, stars all over the sky, first snowfalls, and rows and rows of gray mountains. I’m thankful for city skylines, gorgeous paintings and friends who love me and look out for me. I’m thankful for strong hugs hello and sad hugs goodbye.

I’m thankful for nights I write so much I see the first glimpse of sunrise. I’m thankful for music—endless, amazing, wonderful music to match every mood. Life deserves a soundtrack, don’t you think? I’m thankful for the most fun, wackiest family a girl could have. I have parents who tell me they love me every day, a talented brother who has become one of my favorite friends and a sister who lets me talk about the same things over and over.

I’m thankful for cell phones and e-mails, for calls and notes, and mixed CDs, even when life gets busy. I’m thankful for inside jokes I have with my best friend. I’m thankful for great plays, for my car (seven years and still going strong!), and the way my treadmill sounds when it’s at that 2.9 mph whir. I’m thankful I live in a place with such amazing doctors, wonderful education and the freedom to worship the way I want. I’m thankful for my scars and freckles. I’m thankful for great novels, good movies and sweet poetry.

I’m thankful for mall trips with my best friend, old home movies, glasses and contact lenses. I’m thankful for people who challenge my thinking, people who inspire creativity and people who make me laugh. I’m grateful for democracy and freedom, and for men and women who defend those rights. I’m thankful for coffee, cold days and loud music.

If thankfulness were a fireworks show, this would be the grand finale: I’m thankful for the indescribable love of a sovereign God who is so involved in the lives of His girls. That’s the relationship that sets my heart and imagination on fire, that shines a light on all my darkness, that fills me up with purpose, promise and worth.

When change happens, He holds on to me. When tragedy comes out of nowhere, He holds on to me. In my most wonderful moments and my most tragic moments, I’m safe in the arms of a God who will never let me go.

Because of Him, every moment matters. On this side of heaven, we’ll have to swim through used clichés and adjectives to try to explain God’s glory. Maybe that’s for the best. Where words fail, we can love, serve and live lives that resonate that crazy love.

I can’t think of a better way to explain what He means to us than by living lives sold out to Him. It doesn’t matter if your birthday parties are elaborate or small. The way we impact the world will never be through having the most amazing car, the most gorgeous dress or the most celebrity-packed party the world has ever seen.

The way we impact the world will come from the time we spend with Him—in His Word, in worship, in prayer¬—and how we allow His all-consuming love to change our hearts. The way we love and serve other people (especially those who can do absolutely nothing for us in return) changes everything.

Overflowing Thankfulness
Paul writes about thankfulness in several places. In Colossians 2:7, he instructs the church to be “overflowing with thankfulness.” Paul had as much reason as anybody to find something to complain about, but he seemed to find true freedom and closeness with God when he acknowledged how God was working in his life.

I don’t think God is put off when we wrestle with disappointment and frustration. True gratefulness doesn’t have to be an obnoxious, over-the-top optimism. It doesn’t mean we won’t grieve through legitimate heartbreaks and hard times. Living in gratefulness does make us more keenly aware of how God is working.

Being grateful people helps us get over ourselves and get caught up in what He’s doing in the world around us.

Ostrich Day, Turkey Day, Taco Day
Back to birthday parties. When I turned 16, my mom made tacos, my friends took me to a movie, and my dad gave me a set of golf clubs that were shorter than normal clubs (so I could actually use them). Ironically, I’ve always thought tacos would be a better Thanksgiving food than turkey. I’m sure if the pilgrims had been given tacos, our traditions would be completely different.

This Thanksgiving I’ll be in south Georgia around a table full of candlelight, good food and hilarious conversation. It’s the one time of the year I get to have the people I love most, all in the same room. I can’t wait.

I hope whether you’re having tacos, turkey or a giant Thanksgiving party complete with your own ostrich to ride, this season fills you with joy, peace and happiness.