When I Count All My Blessings, I Get a Smile on my Face - 1st Addition

In honor of the holiday season, it seems like a good time to reflect on the things I am “thankful” for. As cliché as it might be, whenever I stop to think for a few seconds about how incredibly blessed I am, I get a little overwhelmed. Since I am trying to keep to my promise of writing BLOGS rather than novels, I will pick what I think to be my 3 biggest blessings, even though it is by no means the end of the list.


1. My Savior. Lately I am learning so much more about forgiveness and God’s grace. For a good part of my life those were honestly more just words to me than something that I really felt. When I think about this aspect of God though, it is overwhelming and wonderful. I’m thankful that the Lord loves me so much, no matter how little I might deserve it.
2. My Family. I don’t have a large family like many, but those that are in it have blessed my life tremendously. I have parents who are an example to me of how parenting should look. Their love and support is endless. They are my advice givers, people who would drop anything and everything for my needs, and they are two of my best friends. So many people are not blessed is this area and I realize the Lord’s love even more for me because of their presence in my life. I am also thankful for my extended family. For my cousins (and their little ones) who bring so much love and laughter into my life. Specifically, for my cousin who shares in my faith, encourages me in my walk, and is constantly reminding me that he loves me. For my aunts and uncles who’s relationships with my parents and me make me wish that I wasn’t an only child. And, for my grandmothers (my grandfathers both died before I was born) who had such a large hand in making my family an amazing one.
3. My Friends. I have had a theory for a while now, that since I don’t have any brothers and sisters, God has blessed me tremendously in the area of friends. All the friends in my life support me and encourage me in different ways. They bring so much joy to my life…those I’ve known since I was 11 and those I’ve known just a few months. Specifically (in no particular order), I am thankful for my friend who will drop anything to come help me move classrooms on a Friday night in a time where my life was turned upside down. I am thankful for my lifelong friend who has known me longer than any other, has had a tremendous impact on my spiritual life, and who will forever be a sister. I am thankful for my friend who is giving me constant hugs, calls me out on the things I need to be called out on, and doesn’t mind a midnight phone call for advice. I am thankful for my friend who I have so many happy memories with, specifically European travels, and our friendship that has remained unchanged despite distance and busy lives. I am thankful for my friend who reads my mind in a way I don’t really get and is willing to work to try and understand me better. I am thankful for my friend who shares most of my college memories and who is part of the new tradition of annual mother daughter trips. I am thankful for my friend (and his wife) who leads my church group, is a tremendous example of leadership, and also understands my running obsession. I am thankful for my friend who knows that donuts with sprinkles is the best distraction on a rough day, who can make me laugh more than any other friend, and can finish my sentences because she connects with me on a level that is hard to explain. I am thankful for the rest of my friends who I could continue to list and give specific reasons as to why I am thankful for them but then I would probably be bordering on a novel, which is against the rules (although I think I’ve already done that)

So clearly I can go on and on about my blessings. Good thing I just picked three. Happy Thanksgiving (a day late) and get ready for CHRISTMAS!!!!