Thankfulness, 1-7

Life has been completely crazy and busy and I haven't been able to see straight for quite some time...I'm getting used to it! I am SO excited that Thanksgiving is this week...only one more day of classes and then I'm free for 5 WHOLE DAYS...yeah, I'm just a little bit excited. I get at least 4 Thanksgiving dinners/lunches/feasts beginning on Thursday - THAT makes me really happy!

So I'm hopping on the train of all of this Thankfulness writing...there have been a few days that I have written on Facebook things that I'm thankful for...I'm not going to write 21 things today...hopefully I'll get time to blog again in the next 24 hours and I can do like 7 a day until I get all caught up! Here goes!

1. God - lately, I've just been in a funk, and a lot of it has to do with just where I am in life...getting ready to graduate, not sure what's going to happen after graduation, and that freaks me out a LOT. But through it all, days when I don't pray like I should or read my Bible or spend time listening for God, I know He is still there and He is still holding me, guiding me, loving me like He always has and always will, and that just overwhelms me! I do not know where I would be in life without God and my relationship with Him...I would be lost, that's for sure. It breaks my heart to hear stories of people, especially people in my life, who feel as though no one loves them and they have no purpose in their life. I can't imagine feeling like that. God has blessed me beyond all belief and like I said, it just overwhelms me.

2. My mom - I haven't seen my mom in 5 weeks...that's the longest I have EVER gone without seeing my mom (or the rest of my family, for that matter). She's my best friend. We make each other mad sometimes, but I know at the end of the day she's going to be there for me.

3. My dad - my dad and I have grown a lot closer over the past few years. I am so lucky to have him as my dad. I know that he would do absolutely anything for me to help me however he possibly could. I mailed him a card last week and he got it over the weekend, and when he got it he text me and said thanks and he can't wait for me to be home...my dad doesn't say things like that very often, so when he does, it just makes me all warm and fuzzy inside.

4. Zach - I could write a book about this amazing young man that God has given me. I can't even begin to explain how much my life has changed in the past year because of him. He is one of the biggest blessings in my life, words don't do him justice. It amazes me each day how God uses him to change me, challenge me, hold me accountable, and sometimes Zach doesn't even realize how God it using him. I never thought I would find someone who would make me feel the way Zach does, and I never thought it was possible to be so head over heels in love with someone either :)

5. My friends - where to begin...I wouldn't be half as sane as I am without them!
*Kasee, my best friend since high school, roommate for the past 3 1/2 years, sister friend, she has helped me through some of the hardest things in life and I just can't imagine my life without her!
*Jessica - my twin sister from another mister ;) We've known each other since we were 4 or 5 and first started playing Biddy Ball together. I love how we can go weeks without talking and then pick up right where we left off. She is there for me no matter what. If I called her now and told her I needed her in Evansville, she'd jump in her jeep and drive right down here.
*Angela - I think it's so funny that we met my freshman year over lunch and now we're roommates! We're great roommates - she puts me to shame on being neat and tidy! I love when we come back from our weekends and can spend an hour talking about what we did, we can have light discussions but we can get into deep God talks as well. She is such an encouragement and inspiration to me!
*Jalayna - my twin! I love how people ask if we're sisters when they see our pictures :) We have the same reactions to so many things, it's great! She's another one with whom I can go periods of time without talking and when we see each other we just pick right back up where we left off. I'm so glad that we got to go to Passion 2011 together and get to know each other last semester! Who would have thought that JANK would be created (Jalayna, Angela, Natalie, and Kasee). All of these ladies are great inspirations and such a wonderful support system in my life! I can't imagine going through college without them!
*Siera - we've had our ups and downs, like all friends, but we have such a funny friendship. We like to pick on each other...a lot...and people sometimes think we're really hateful, but we're not. It's great being able to sit down and talk about life and then be goofy and go back to talking about life. She's one who will tell me how it is...whether I like it or not.
*Kaitie - is like the younger sister I've never had! She goes to Zach's church, so I met her about 9 months ago when I first went to his church. I have loved getting to know her, because we are so much alike. We just act completely goofy whenever we're around each other and I personally think it's awesome! Yesterday after church we realized that it'll be 2 weeks before I'm back, and today she text me and said that 2 weeks is just entirely too long, so we're going to have a dinner date sometime next week. She is such a sweet young lady, and her random texts just brighten up my days and make me laugh, sometimes until I cry.
*Heather - we met in French class our freshman year at USI and found out that her grandma worked with my aunt and she was from Madison, which is just 25 miles from Scottsburg. We have become great friends since then, and I'm going to be in her wedding in May! We were roommates our sophomore year and it was great getting to know her better. I miss being roommates with her and spending time with her. She's always encouraging and positive and is another one who can just life me up when I'm down. I have turned to her for a lot of advice over the past few years and I am so thankful that she's always there for me!
*No these are not all of my friends, but they are some of the most important ladies in my life! All of my friends have touched my life in some way or another, and God uses every one of them to help me!

6. My health - something that I take for granted. I get a small headache or sore muscles from working out one day and complain, when in fact I should be grateful that I am able to get up and walk each morning, I don't have some terminal illness, and I can function on my own!

7. USI - it has kind of been my home for the past 3 1/2 years and it has made me who I am today, especially Encounter. Joining Encounter is one of the best decisions I have made since coming to USI. The people there have become my family and support system that God has provided for me (not to mention that's where Zach and I met ;) ) I'm almost finished with my college career, and that makes me sad, it's so bittersweet. I don't regret for one minute coming to USI. I have gone through a wonderful education program that has given me so many great experiences with students who have changed my life. It's weird to realize that in less than 6 months I'll be done living on campus here...but I know that God has a wonderful plan for me and He is teaching me to be patient and wait on Him to show me what the plan is :)