Tag Archives: 2013

What I’m Thankful for (2013)

HAPPY THANKSGIVING, TRUE BELIEVERS!

As I do every year, I try to make the holiday about more than turkeys and football. I take the time to remember what I am thankful for, when I probably take them for granted during the rest of the year. Holidays have a way of reminding you that the attitude it emphasizes should be practiced all the year. Thankfulness is especially important to me since life has been tough for me (something I try not to talk about much here) the last few years. I’m happy to report, though, that things seem to be slowly improving.

So, without further ado, here’s my updated list of things I’m thankful for.

1. God the Father (Abba)

2. Jesus Christ, God made flesh

3. The Holy Spirit, my counselor

4. My salvation

5. The Bible

6. My wonderful family (Mom, Dad, Josiah, Jarod, and Sarah)

7. Grandma Ruth, who’s still with us at age 91

8. That I’m an American

9. That I’m a published author

10. God’s providence

11. My talents

12. My spiritual gifts

13. My college degree

14. That I’m a TUFW alum

15. I’m intelligent

16. Running water

17.  I can read

18.  My new car, Silver Sable

19.  My church

20. My iPhone 4S

21.  My many friends (you know who you are)

22. My pastors

23. My creativity

24. My job (I may not enjoy it, but in this economy, it’s appreciated)

25. My freelance writing gigs

26. That I almost never get sick

27. Our pets

28. That I’m a nerd

29. My movie, book, music, and video game collections

30. Our house

                31.  Electricity

32. The seasons

33. That I live in Indiana

34. My driver’s license

35. That I volunteer with RemedyLive

36. My laptop

37. That I’ve been able to do some fun traveling this year

38. My cosplay costumes

39. My vlog

40. The new friends I’ve made this year

41. The internet

42. That I took the GRE and scored well

43. Swing dancing and the Grand Rapids Original Swing Society

44. Indianapolis Colts

45. Fans for Christ, GameChurch, and Christian Gamers Guild

46. My clothes (and many nerdy T-shirts)

47. Gen-Con

48. My camera

49. The works of C.S. Lewis

50. And 50 years of Doctor Who!

What are you thankful for?

NaPoWriMo 2013: Day 1 – ‘Madness’

Today’s prompt (which I learned I can choose not to use) was to write a poem that had the first line from an existing poem. I chose the first line of “It is not Love, it is Madness” by Mirza Ghalib.

With that, here’s my first poem of NaPoWriMo 2013!

Madness
By Nathan Marchand

(You say) It is not love, it is madness,
An insatiable fire.
Give it voice, and it will consume
With every word that affirms its uncertain promises.
Keep it silent, and it will devour
Soul, mind, and body from within,
Until it bursts with a volcano’s fury.
It comes unexpected, uninvited, perhaps unwanted,
Only to leave the heart emptier
With each new failure,
Killing it softly.