thankfulness

"I would maintain that thanks are the highest form of thought; and that gratitude is happiness doubled by wonder." -G.K. Chesterton

Top ten things I'm grateful for in this Thanksgiving season:

1. grace and mercy. I am so incredibly grateful that the Lord has redeemed me from the pit of my sin.

2. my family. I'm thankful for two parents who love the Lord and love each other. I'm thankful for my younger brother and his example of perseverance.

3. my friends. God has given me some good ones :) I'm so grateful for friends who both encourage and challenge me.

4. my church. I am so blessed to have been raised in a church that is founded on the Word. I'm so glad that I have the opportunity to be surrounded by people who deeply love the Lord.

5. the UP Women RA staff. These girls have been such an amazing blessing to me. I have found some very dear friendships in those girls.

6. CBU. The Lord knew what He was doing when He sent me to CBU. It has been the perfect school for me. I'm also grateful for the nursing program. Although, many days I'm not sure why I'm in nursing school, I'm grateful for the opportunity to be in a program when the field is so competitive. And I'm confident that the nursing program at CBU is exactly where God wants me to be :)

7. my roommates. This year has been so much fun. Paco, Whitters, and Shelbs keep me sane. They always make me laugh and encourage me on my difficult days. I'm so very thankful for an apartment that's drama-free and so much fun to live in!

8. the opportunity to be an RA. It's an incredible opportunity that a lot of people want to have. It's been an awesome experience that continues to grow me as a person.

9. the ISP program. I am beyond grateful that the Lord has used this program to completely change my life. This program is the program that sent me to Africa, not once but twice. The Lord used Africa to completely rock my world and broaden my view of the world and of God. And this summer, this program is giving me the opportunity to go to South Asia :)

10. my freedom. I am eternally grateful for the people who fight to keep me free everyday.

11. Bonus! I am thankful that this break gave me a chance to breathe. This semester has been (and will continue to be) pretty overwhelming. This break gave the chance to sleep and spend time with family. I got to visit the Sagers! I got to sit and do nothing but hold a baby for a few days and it was glorious.

Thank you Jesus for everything you have given to me!

And now...it's time to tackle the homework that I've been putting off all week :)