SUBMITTED: Monday, November 23, 2015

Heavenly Father, thank you so very much for the many, many blessings we received this year. It is overwhelming when I stop and think of all the ways you took care of our needs and provided a way through each and every challenge that came our way. Thank you so very much for all the people -- family, friends, parishioners, even strangers -- who loved us through a very stressful time. Thank you for revealing to us your love through these people. Thank you for showing us how great is your love. Thank you for showing us just how big people's hearts can be and how incredibly kind and generous people can be. There is much evidence in our world today of how people can treat each other badly, but I am here to say thank you so very much for showing us just how amazing people can be. We are capable of so much kindness. When you work through us and reveal yourself in us -- it is truly miraculous. This kind of display of love is proof of your existence and love for all people. For anyone who doubts the existence of God, please turn off the television and put down your computer and walk away from social media and go out into your community and experience of kindness of strangers, or be the stranger who is kind to others, and look at all the beauty in creation and you will see where God is. He is real. And he loves us -- more than we can possibly imagine.