Thankful

Happy Thanksgiving! I hope you are getting the chance to spend some time with family and eat lots of turkey! Kyle and I are enjoying a yummie Thanksgiving breakfast with my parents and then heading to the lake for a full-blown feast this afternoon! I hope I don’t explode. Yesterday, I decided to take some time and reflect on the things I am most thankful for in my life. Many times the day comes and goes with a full belly and not much else. We are all so very blessed, and what an opportunity we have today to pour our hearts out to Jesus and each other with gratitude! With that said, here is Christie’s Top 10 List of Things She Is Thankful For: 1. My Jesus. Each year is a new adventure with Him, and I am most thankful for another year of resting in the palm of my Savior’s hand. Life with Him is truly life. Abundant. Purposeful. Blessed. Thank You, sweet Jesus. 2. My husband. He is everything I have prayed for since I was a little girl and so much more. He knows what it means to follow Christ, how to love unconditionally, and how to lead our family. He puts me above himself constantly, and He puts Christ before both of us. Being married to him is by far the biggest blessing in my life this far. Is he perfect? No. But most days he comes pretty darn close. :-) I love you, sweetheart. 3. Laughter. Oh how I love to laugh! Living with Kyle certainly has brought lots….he makes me laugh like no one else! Laughter is truly the best medicine; it would be hard to get through most days without it! 4. Finishing School. Well, after 18.5 years of education, it’s time to call it quits. As of next week I will have taken my last test EVER and will have earned my Master’s Degree in Communication Disorders. I will be ready to finally join the rest of the 9-5ers and enter the working world! So long, afternoon naps. (But hello, paychecks!) 5. Hard times that humble us, teach us, and allow us to choose joy amidst hardship. Most importantly, these times show us more of God’s character. Paul says it this way: “I am not saying this because I am in need, for I have learned to be content whatever the circumstances. I know what it is to be in need, and I know what it is to have plenty. I have learned the secret of being content in any and every situation., whether well fed or hungry, whether living in plenty or in want. I can do everything through Him who gives me strength.” –Philippians 4:11-13 So let it be true in us, Lord. 6. My family. Love, love, love them. Both sides. 7. Good books, because they are my favorite. There is nothing like curling up with a fluffy blanket, cup of coffee, and a great read (usually recommended to me by Hayley or Anne). 8. Health. I completely take this one for granted everyday, but in a world of so much sickness and pain, I am so thankful for another year of healthy, strong bodies. I've recently been reminded that we never know what we may face in our lives, so let's rejoice in being healthy this year! 9. My friends. They support me, teach me, love me. I don’t know what I would do without them. So much has changed in the last couple of years (graduating from college, moving, starting jobs, getting married, etc), and we just don’t see each other as much as we used to. Yet it is so comforting to meet up with friends and realize that nothing has changed at all, no matter how long we have been apart. What a blessing. 10. Thunderstorms. They always do wonders for my soul. :-) “We give thanks to you, O God, we give thank, for Your Name is near; men tell of you wonderful deeds.” -Psalm 75:1