Happy Thanksgiving

Well. It's almost Thanksgiving. So, I thought that maybe I should write a blog about what I am thankful for, because well, let's face it...I have a lot to be thankful for. Starting at Number 10, here is:

Jenny's Top Ten Things To Be Thankful For:

Number 10. Target- The one stop shop. Well, usually. I can find anything at Target. Gifts. Clothes. Jewlrey. Food. Tolietries. Purses. Shoes. Home Decor. Car supplies. Storage. M and M's. You name it, I can find it. I love Target. And, I am thankful for it. It makes me happy to shop there. You might be thinking why is she thankful for a store? I just am. It's more than a store to me, it's an experience. And recently, I have been able to experience it with Dan which just adds to the joy. I think I also love that with the changing seasons, I can find all sorts of fun, unnecessary knick-knacks for the upcoming holiday season.


Number 9. Books. I love books. All types. Everything from books on my relationship with God, to children's literature. And, everything in between as I am a huge Twlight fan. Books create a great escape. Also, I have an incredible imagination for an adult. So, reading tends to feed that insatiable desire within me to go to far off lands and meet new and interesting people and creatures (like house elves), as I am also a huge Harry Potter fan.

Number 8. The internet. I got a lap top for Christmas last year and since then many have joked that it is an added appendage of mine. I second that. I realize my addiction is to an unhealthy degree. I don't think this became apparent until I dropped my lap top and the Geek Squad had her in their care for three weeks. Anywho, I love the internet. I love that I have access to people and information 24 hours a day. And, if I were to make a sub list of things I am thankful for it would be:

Facebook
My blog
AIM
itunes
Hulu (online free tv)
Jibjabs (making e cards and sendables with people's faces cut out)

Yes, many of the ways I connect with people is online. I realize it's artifical at best and you can't fully engage in conversation with someone online (nonverbal cues are so essential), I think it's a great way to connect with people you may lose contact with because of distance. I am horrible at maintaining long distance relationships on average, so I enjoy it. Plus, talk about escape!!


Number 7. My Job- I may complain most days about how I have no time to myself. I may even tell you how annoying it is to hear Evie whine all day long. I may even get so frustrated with the fact that I clean up the same toys about 5 times a day, wipe her nose about 3 times as much, and get really bored being alone with a toddler all day long. What you will normally not hear is how thankful I am to have a job like this. It's actually kinda nice. I can go and do as I please (her car seat takes up permanent residence in my car) including getting my groceries, doing my laundry, running to Target, and going out to lunch with friends. Also, I get about a 3 hour break each day while Evie naps to do my Quiet Time or catch up on episodes of 30 Rock and The Office, nap (and God only knows how enjoyable it is to get paid to sleep), blog, and make various phone calls. All in all, I have a really great job and I am thankful that not only am I building into the life of a small child for God (and more recently into the lives of the neighbors' kids as my services are now well known, plus it's like a second job without putting out more hours), but I also get practical application for when I have my own kids. It's a great job, so don't let me fool you when I complain that I have it so hard.


Number 6. Grace. Yes, I mean God's grace. But here I am referring to Grace Fellowship Church. It was like a beacon of light for me before I moved. I had this vision that I would move to Baltimore, start attending Grace regularly (I would visit when in town, so I already knew about it), get involved in a small group, join Exit 242 (the college/career group), and make friends and have some fellowship. Sure enough, it happened pretty much in that order. I am thankful to have fellowship again!! I think I was becoming an island while still living in Salisbury, and no man is an island! No woman for that matter, either. It is so good to be known, to have accountablity again, and to grow in fellowship.


Number 5. My friends. So, my friends are obviously super cool. I wouldn't surround myself around the uncool...ever. Hehe. Yes, I am so thankful for them. As we age, their friendship just seems more valuable to me. Mostly because when I think back on the times we have shared, I realize that we have been through a lot together. So much drama. So many times of absolute joy. We have worked, played, sang, shared, loved, cried, eaten, been crafty, laughed, and even gotten frustrated with one another over the years. Through it all, we have built friendships that will hopefully last a lifetime. Without a doubt, I would not be the person I am today without them all.


Number 4. My Family. Where would we be without those who have seen us grow and change into the people we have become today? Where would I be without the love and support my family has shown me? This year, my brother offered me a home for three months while I was getting acquainted with Baltimore (he lives in Towson with his family). Where would I be without my mom's financial support during a rough season of moving? Where would I be without my sister's gentle spiritual guidance and challenges to be more of the woman I need to be (she never lets me settle on being ordinary ever)? Where would I be without the moments of laughter and even the tears? Where would I be without these people who allow me to be me? Living a sad existence for sure. Family is important. And, my family (as weird as we are) is an amazingly, dysfunctionally functional source of love and guidance.


Number 3. My move. Many of you know that I moved to Baltimore in March of 2008. It was an impulsive decision on my part. I decided to quit my job and move in one day. It was crazy. Impulsive for sure, but a decision I had been weighing on for years. I had wanted to move, but never thought it was the right time. Never felt like I had the resources or the energy to follow through with it. For sure, moving is a stressful time. And put on top of that quitting a job and becoming homeless, as well as working through one of the deepest depressions I have ever faced all at the same time and you're looking at a season of hard times and misery. I went from seemingly having it all pieced together so nicely, to not knowing where I would lay my head at night (literally). But it is through our seasons of darkness that I believe God uses for us to trust Him more and lean on Him for understanding. And, you can only move forward in life. Times were hard for sure, but those who sow in tears will reap a harvest of joy. Which leads me to my Number 2...(For the full story ask me about it sometime)


Number 2. Dan. You didn't think I would make a top ten list and forget to include you babe, did you? I am thankful for Dan Fockel and I am not ashamed to admit it. He has been one of the most amazing additions to my life. The more I make room for him, the more I want to make room for him in my life. I enjoy our conversations, our witty banter, our dinner dates, our lazy time, our time serving with each other, our phone conversations. I am thankful that I have someone who is caring and sweet. Someone to share my thoughts with and bounce ideas off of. He is becoming a trusted confidant and friend as well as a man I respect and adore. I look so forward to the times we get to spend together. Dan, your companionship is already something I cherish. I believe fully that God is so good to me for bringing you when He did. :)


Number 1. My Relationship with Christ. Obviously, I am thankful that God has created me, loved me, saved me, disciplined me, sacrificed for me, and given me good gifts. Without Him in my life, I would be leading a bleak existence. Everyday I grow more thankful to be known by Him and it makes me want to use my life to glorify Him in every way. Why wouldn't I? I was bought with a price. I no longer live, but Christ in me. God didn't die to make bad people good, He died to make dead people alive. Think about it.