Tomorrow is Thanksgiving Day. I will spend it eating too much turkey and dressing, followed by too much of my wife’s wonderful pie.

I will watch the parade in the morning, and then football in the afternoon. And I will spend time with my family as we give thanks together.

Today I want to take the time to do what the old gospel song says, “Count your blessings, name them one by one. Count your blessings, see what God has done.”

This is my final column for the Bryan County News. Next week I will begin a new ministry as the pastor of Shellman Bluff Baptist Church in Townsend after more than 14 years at First Baptist of Pembroke.

So it is certainly appropriate to consider the blessings I have in life.

I am thankful for the Lord Jesus, and his salvation. The Bible says there is salvation in no other name.

That sounds arrogant to some. But if you have met him you realize that he is like no other. He gave his life as a sacrifice for us. What a wonderful savior he is!

I am grateful for family. I was raised by godly parents. I have a wonderful sister. Her husband and children have been a blessing to me.

I am most definitely grateful that God led me to Shorter College, where I met Tina Meade. Come Dec. 22 we will have been married 40 years. God blessed us with two sons, James and Corey. I am thankful.

I am thankful for sunsets and sunrises, for the mountains and the oceans. I am grateful for automobiles and air conditioning.

I am thankful for chocolate and key lime pie. I’m grateful for baseball and for that one World Series win in 1995.

I’m thankful for memories, both good and bad.

I am grateful for dogs. We have two now, a beagle named Belle, and a Pomeranian named Cookie. Through the years I have had Lassie, Magic, Murphy, Barney, Molly, Bandit and Blaze, each one a faithful companion.

I have so many reasons to give thanks, and not enough time or room to mention them all. But I am grateful to you the reader, and to the folks at Bryan County News for giving me a forum to share with you.

I wish you God’s blessings, and pray that you will trust and follow him.