Blessed

On this Thanksgiving, I am overwhelmed with blessings and I don't even know where to start. I have certainly been blessed in the past, but only in this past year or so have I truly been able to see how God has blessed me and given me reasons to thank Him with all that I am. This year, I'm not thankful because I'm supposed to be thankful; I am thankful because of the overflow of this full heart of mine. So, on this Thanksgiving day, here is what I am thankful for:

I am thankful for my God. For His provision, His providence, His protection, and His redemption. For His forgiveness that I can't begin to comprehend. For Christ, whom He sent so I could be saved. For the fact that He has a better plan for me than I ever could ask or imagine. For the transformation He's doing in my life. For the blessings He gives and hard things He brings me through for His greater glory. For the fact that no pain or grief or sin is ever wasted, but He uses it and brings good from it. For the assurance of salvation... I am so happy I don't have to worry about where I will spend eternity.

I am thankful for my family. For the testimony we have as a family who didn't let hard things get them down, but kept pressing on and honored the Lord through it. For y'alls support in my crazy idea to go to Rome. For the love you show me even when I'm unlovable. For the fun I can have with you... y'all crack me up.

I am thankful for my friends. For the laughs. For the tears. For letting me be myself. I am blessed by your presence in my life. I couldn't have picked better friends. I don't know how you put up with me sometimes, but you do. You love me more than I deserve.

I am thankful for my 242 girls. Without you, I don't know where I would be. Y'all were there for me in the toughest times and are with me today. You know me inside and out, and still love me. You are the community everyone longs for but can't seem to find. I feel so at home with you, and love you dearly. And y'all make me die laughing. The inside jokes are innumerable, and I love it.

I am thankful for my leaders in the faith. For Lindsee, Dondi, Angie, Jessica, JJ, Mrs. Ina, Mrs. McKeand, Ms. Diane, Pastor Brian, Mr. G, Mr. Terry, Allison, Amy, Dave, Dana, Beth Moore, and others. For showing me how to serve the Lord with joy. For teaching me what it means to be a Christian. For being mature Christians I look up to and want to be like when I grow up. For investing into this nerdy, homeschooled, redhead's life. For supporting me and believing in me when I don't believe in myself. For speaking wisdom into my life continuously.

I am thankful for my teachers in school. Mom, Mrs. Money, Mr. Frazier, Mrs. Snow, and Mrs. Kapavik, just to name a few. For pushing me academically even when I didn't think I could do it. For helping me love learning and learn to appreciate the wonderful education I've been blessed with the opportunity of having. For helping me realize that God desires for us to learn and use our brains wisely.

I am thankful for the Word. For it's correction, reproof, and teaching. For the way God speaks to me through its words. For the fact that it is God-inspired and inerrant. For the blessing of having it in my own language and owning multiple copies.

I am thankful for technology. As annoying as it is sometimes, I am thankful to be able to communicate with people that are far away. For Skype that will become my best friend in Rome. For the convenience of so many things that were, at one time, so inconvenient. For the knowledge I am continuously absorbing (there's also countless junk I absorb, but let's concentrate on the positive, people!).

I am thankful for all of my material possessions. I have always had EVERYTHING I need and MANY of the things I want. I eat much more than 3 grains of rice a day. I have clean water readily accessible. I have never been without electricity (not even a need! People lived without it for hundreds of years!). I have tons of clothes, a home, and air conditioner (THANK the Lord for the air conditioner!).

I am thankful for my church. For the people who have loved me since I started coming to church as a baby. I've seen you grow in the Lord and it encourages me to grow along with you. For Greg, who has pushed me and stretched me and had faith in me and encouraged me to go out of my comfort zone to serve the Lord.

I am thankful for the opportunity to go to Rome. I want to learn to be more like Christ. I want to help the Elliott family obey what the Lord is doing. The desire of my heart is to serve God with every part of my life, and that includes where I decide to live and what I decide to do, not just how to go about my American dream with a Christian twist.

I am thankful for transformation. For the work God is doing in my life. For the grace He has given me despite who I am. That I don't have to stay where I am, but that God welcomes change in my life so I can be more like Him. I don't want to be who I was, but I want to continually be more God-honoring every day.

Hoping and praying you are able to remember things you are thankful for today! Would you share some things with me? Let's rejoice in each other's blessings!

Psalm 100

"Make a joyful noise to the Lord, all the earth!

Serve the Lord with gladness!

Come into his presence with singing!

Know that the Lord, he is God!

It is he who made us, and we are his;

we are his people, and the sheep of his pasture.

Enter his gates with thanksgiving,

and his courts with praise!

Give thanks to him; bless his name!

For the Lord is good;

his steadfast love endures forever,

and his faithfulness to all generations.