November 20, 2009

Thankful

So last weekend, my cousin Christy posted the following as her facebook status:

Let's see how many people can do this. Every day this month until Thanksgiving, think of one thing that you are thankful for and post it as your status. "Today I am thankful for..." The longer you do it, the harder it gets! Now if you think you can do it then repost this message as your status to invite others to take the challenge, then post what YOU are thankful for today.....

I know that I am so blessed and often times I don't acknowledge that and I get so caught up in all the difficulties that I don't focus on the good. So I decided I needed to do this and I want to share a list of things I am thankful for here as well... some are repeats from Facebook, some are not :)

I am thankful for my Savior, my Friend, Jesus Christ and the abundant grace He shows me every day. In BSF this year, we have been reading the Gospel of John and I have been so amazed to read and get a deeper glimpse in the Person and Heart of Christ and just the amazing realization of how little I deserve His love, yet how freely He gives it!

I am thankful for good friends. I have been blessed with 3 of the most amazing best friends throughout the years! Nicki, Erin, and Lara are all there for me to laugh with and cry with and share my heart with and I am so grateful for each one of them! I love seeing how our friendships grow and change over the years and I look forward to many more years of laughter with each of them!

I am thankful for my family. My Mama Reed who has become one of my greatest friends in the last few years. She is always there to encourage me and bring me back to reality! My brother Nick who I am enjoying getting to spend time with during his season living back at home... who always shares absurd stories and quotes with me and lets me join him on Rock Band regardless of how bad I am! My brother Jeremy who gives me lots of reasons to laugh and who I am so proud of for all he has accomplished! And my sister-in-law Aja who helps to balance out the house full of boys I grew up with! I am so grateful to have gotten a sister almost 5 years ago when Jeremy got married... and I couldn't have chosen a better one!

I am thankful for my job. I have faced a lot of trials at work over the last year and it has been rough, to say the least. But I am thankful to have a job where I get to work with families and children every day. And I am thankful for my co-workers who are supportive and encouraging when I need it most!

I am thankful for my health. I have been thinking about this a lot in the last week... I know so many who are ill. My Sunday School teacher from when I was in High School was recently diagnosed with cancer that they found in his brain, spine, and lungs. His spirit through this trial has been so amazing to see and I know the Lord is already working a miracle in his life and his body. But I also have 2 of my babies that I work with who are in the hospital, both for the 3rd time in 2 months. I started thinking the other day about how so many of the babies I work with have seen more doctors in the last year than I have in my entire life. And it just made me feel even more blessed that I have not had to face such a trial recently.

I am thankful for cool weather. I love being able to come home and open the windows! I love being able to wear long sleeves. And I loved my $28 electric bill last month!! :)

I am thankful for my church family. When I moved back to the Dallas area, I took that opportunity to visit several churches and even started getting plugged in at one close to me. I was loving it and still miss it at times. But when the pastor at my home church passed away unexpectedly, all I wanted was to be back with my church family. I grew up in this church where my parents were charter members, where I was baptized, where I took my first steps at a church picnic. And since going back I have been given the opportunity to work with the youth group, teaching Jr High Sunday School and helping with sunday evening and Wednesday night activities. Every weekend I am challenged by these "kids" and encouraged by them and I feel so lucky to get to work with them!!

I am thankful for my puppy, Allie. Seriously, there is nothing better than having "someone" to come home to. I love curling up with her on evenings when I am home. I am so grateful to have her for company!!

I am thankful for the future. I feel as though I have a lot of exciting things coming up, and I can't wait to see the plan unfold!!

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