Thanksgiving

Lately, I feel like I have been focusing more on positive things in my life than I usually do and during this I also realize how many blessings there are in my life. I am so richly blessed. There are many, many, many, many things to list here but I'll keep it to some highlights.

* My savior. Jesus Christ. Words cannot describe how thankful I am that Jesus loved me even while I am a sinner to come and to die for me. Only through Him do I have hope. I do not deserve any of what he has done for me. God is so good. His love in unlike any others: unconditional. He loves me even though I daily miss the mark, I daily do things for selfish gain, and I sin daily and yet he loves me. How amazing is that!

*My family. Wow! I am so blessed when it comes to family. I have two incredible parents that love each other and love my brothers and I. They have spent hours and hours showering us with love and working hard on our relationship with them. And my brothers! If I had to create my own brothers I couldn't even imagine having brothers so good. They both take great care of me and are there for me all the time. My extended family is also great! Both sides of my family are wonderful. So yeah, my family I am thankful for.

* My fuge families. Fuge is an amazing organization and I have loved being a camper and a staffer for this great camp. When working camp for four summers now, I have left with a new family. They are great. I love my Fuge family and love how God has provided so many great friendships from Fuge, especially this past summer.

* Time with family. God has given me a yeah and a half near my family and given me opportunity after opportunity to spend with my family. From days and hours spent with my grandmother to weekend after weekend with my family, I have loved it all. I am so grateful for this time and I am trying my best to savor it and take all off these opportunities. I believe God is leading me to be a career missionary in Asia and therefore know that I will not always be as close to my family and will not have as many opportunities to spend with my family so I am thankful for this time. I am thankful for the many opportunities to be with them.

* My house. I love where I live. It has been a great place to live. It has been like as sanctuary that has kept me sane so many times in the last year and a half.

* School. Although I struggle with my job and I am frustrated with it on an almost daily basis, I am thankful that this year I have a better classroom. I am thankful for the students that are in my room that want to learn and that follow procedures and I am thankful for the patience God gives me daily to deal with those that are behavior issues. I am thankful that my job has provided me the opportunity to live in my house and that because of it I have been able to cancel the last two years of my student loans from Berry and will officially have them paid off when the school year ends in May.