a snapshot of thanks

I'm not much for words this morning. I'm not sure if it's that I'm completely overwhelmed with thankfulness or that I stayed out until midnightish on a work night (when did I become 100?). I literally just let the doorbell of our office ring 6 times without moving. Our poor volunteer stood in the cold until someone came from the back and said "why is no one answering the door?!" Oops. I'm slow at the whole being alert thing today.

In lieu of loaded words that would fail miserably to justify my gratitude, please enjoy this little picture book of thanks. Excuse the funky sizing and layout issues. I'm perfectly pathetic when it comes to anything technical.

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Thankful for friends, old and new. The ones who know the worst of me but still believe the best.

 

 

 

 Thankful for encouraging,  life-giving words that come in all forms at always the right time.

 

Thankful for friends that don't use any words and that get my weird sense of humor.

Thankful for my church. And the people I get to serve and lead and lead with.

 

 

I'm thankful that those people ^ have great character and are the same people on stage as they are off. That they serve people behind closed doors- without need for recognition.

I'm thankful for my cute little house that keeps me warm and safe and has space to enjoy the company of friends.

I'm thankful for my mom. I won't write more because I'll cry. Nobody warned me  that at 27 you turn into a total sap. I say 'mom' and my eyes well up. I adore her.

I'm thankful for friends who live in fun places and let me crash on their couch when I want to get away.

I'm thankful for my puppy dog who nestles into my chest when it's cold and who kisses me even when I've gone 2 days without showering.

I'm thankful for my brother. I'm thankful that he is an overcomer. That he will make up songs with me about kitchen spatulas and sing it over and over with full gusto just to get on mom's nerves.  I'm thankful that he found someone he loves and wants to share a life with... and that she is beautiful on the inside and out.

I'm even more thankful for him for giving me the best birthday present in the history of the world. I've never known a joy like you, Collins, and I'm really the luckiest Auntie in the world.

 

 

I'm thankful for my family. For my dad. And my granddad and my sweet grandmother. I'm thankful for my aunts and uncles. I'm thankful for my cousins, like Hannah and Carter, who I would choose to love even if I didn't have to.

 

I'm thankful for my job. I'm thankful that it shifts my perspective and keeps me focused on the beauty and brevity of life. Helping people die helps me to live.

I'm thankful for a car with a back up camera. Without it, I would have hit at least 3 mailboxes, 6 passing cars, and 2 small children by now.

I'm thankful for insurance.

I'm thankful for my health. I'm thankful that I have legs and arms that do what I say and organs that do their job and for doctors who jump in if they dont.

I'm thankful for my sweet little town that has - despite my resistance - made itself feel like home again.

This is but a teeny glimpse of my gratitude. There are so many faces and spaces and things that didn't make it on this post.  Mostly because I just quickly pulled pictures from my phone. I used about every one I had in there.. except for my documentation of the ladybug takeover that is currently taking place on my dining room ceiling. I'm not thankful for that.

Above all, more than anything.. greater than I could EVER say? I'm thankful for grace.. for mercies that are new every morning.

He has done great things...