This past week, it seems I have spent a lot of time crying and being depressed……devastated almost. Sometimes I don’t know what’s wrong with me, or maybe that’s part of my problem: always thinking that there IS something wrong with me. But anyway, I feel like I need to just take this time to write a list of things I am thankful for, because I have a lot to be thankful for, a lot of things I neglect to remember because I am always so focused on myself. So, bear with me. This list will not be in its entirety….it would be WAY too long. But, even being incomplete, it will be rather long. So, feel free to read it, but don’t feel obligated. I don’t really need anyone to read it. I just need to write it.

I am thankful for:
-My loving God and Savior Jesus Christ
-being alive, being healthy, being able to walk outside and see and hear cicadas, feel the sunshine, breath clean air
-flowers
-my loving parents (and I could go on and on about them)
-Love
-All of the people included in my community of faith, who have supported me and put up with me and allowed me to be real
-Ryan, who makes me face parts of myself that I don’t want to yet need to face, and from whom I learn a lot of life lessons
-music, of all kinds
-Good friends (whom I started to list but feared leaving someone out, so I’ll just leave it at “good friends”)
-Laughter
-A nice place to live, good jobs to make $, an education
-Passions
-People who feel so comfortable around me that they can fart and know I’ll just laugh
-Places like Hueston Woods, where I can temporarily escape
-Having a car to get me around, and having the money to buy gas for it
-Animals, especially our crazy dogs
-Silence, peace
-Being able to dance in my room with the door closed and know that I can dance freely and sillily and God is the only one who sees me
-Cathy, who offers sisterly love at all times, and with whom I can share and ask girly questions
-My little sister, who shows me that there is still innocence in the world
-My little brother, who always offers encouragement to me just by watching him live out his life
-My big brother, who helped me find the Lord
-My two ultimate roomies, Ellen and Christi, who offer me faith, love, and laughter
-Creativity
-Silly things
-Being able to cry freely
-Being able to communicate with God
-Crazy dreams
-Outrageous things like purple hair
-People of incredible faith, like Vir
-hugs and kisses
-Swimming pools!
-Living in a country where I can express my faith freely
-Encouragement
-The Bible
-Instant Messenger, which allows me to stay connected with people
-Ice water after a workout…..ahhhhhhh
-Deep, late night conversations that last until the wee hours of the morning
-marriage (yes. Someday I do hope to be married!)
-instruments with which people can worship and make awesome music

That’s my list for now.