thankful thursday

Happy Thanksgiving to you and yours, dear readers! I hope everyone is enjoying their holiday and getting ready to enjoy weeks of turkey sandwiches, turkey chili, turkey pizza, and anything else you can come up with to use up all of those turkey leftovers.

Today we are doing a special edition of Top Five Friday, and we're doing a Thankful Thursday. Of course, there are the things like having a roof over our heads, secure jobs, and our good health, but I wanted to think back on the blessings from this year in particular.

1. Our Church: We spent months visiting different churches when we first moved here, but didn't feel that any of them were where we were supposed to be. We finally settled on a mega-church in town, and while the worship was good and the sermons were meaningful, we felt we had zero support there, and zero opportunities to give back, no matter how much we tried to get involved. There was just no sense of community, and it was so hard to get to know people. In April of this year, we decided to go back on the church tour, and stumbled on a tiny congregation in Orange that we had missed the first time around. We knew from the first day there that it was where we were supposed to stay.
They have been so incredibly warm and welcoming. We've had dinner at the pastor's home, we have bonded so much with our community group, and next month I'll be teaching Sunday school! I am so grateful that God has placed us in this wonderful congregation.

2. Friends: I feel so incredibly blessed to have the friends that I have in my life. I know that there are a lot of people out there who have no one to call when they're feeling overwhelmed and discouraged, and I am so thankful that I have amazing girls that I know I can call anytime I need them ... I just hope they all know that I want to be as supportive for them as they have been for me! I am so very thankful for the friends in my life that love me unconditionally, even when I may not be acting particularly lovable:)
3. My gorgeous husband: You knew this one was coming, I'm sure! We are literally a match made in Heaven:) He is the most sincere, most patient, most fun person I have ever had the privilege of being around, and I feel so incredibly blessed to be married to him. I am by far my happiest when I am cuddled up on the couch with him, just talking about our day. Every little girl wonders what kind of man she'll end up marrying, but I never could have imagined someone as wonderful as him. I really can't say too much more because I'm getting emotional just trying to write this ... but ... I love you, sweetheart and I thank God every day for you:)

4. Jemima: I know this one may seem silly, but I really don't know what I'd do without my little gray dog. She is such a source of joy in our lives, and is such a faithful companion. We have so much fun laughing over her silly little ways, and taking pictures of her every move. No matter what kind of day we've had, we always know we can come home to a sweet little dog that loves us no matter what and is so excited to see us she can hardly contain herself.

5. My Family: I feel so incredibly blessed to have the family that I have.

My parents are so incredibly wonderful, and I am so thankful to have them for my parents. They have been an example to me in their amazing marriage and their walks with the Lord. If I can do half as well with my life as they have with theirs, I'll be pretty proud of myself:) They have supported me through all my whims and adventures as a little girl, and always give me the confidence I need to pursue my dreams.


I don't know what I'd do without my amazing siblings. They are so much fun and are all such amazing people. I am looking forward to the years ahead as we all get older and continue making memories together. Ya'll mean the world to me!


So to my parents, siblings, grandparents, my aunts, uncles, cousins and all of my wonderful friends, (and anyone who happens to be reading) I am very thankful for you and I love you all so much!