Thanks

Hey everyone!

Today is Thanksgiving. As I was thinking about this past year, I think I have more to be thankful for this year than ever before. God has really been working in my life the past few years, but it has been most prevalent this year.

First off, I want to cover the "basics". My health is in great order. Although I have lost weight and muscle mass, and haven't been eating as much or as healthy, I am still in remarkable shape. That is all God's doing, for He made my body how it is; and for that I am thankful.

My parents have been very understanding this year. I lost ten percent of my scholarship this semester, and my parents have been very understanding about it and supportive. On top of that, I told them about my trip to the Middle East this coming summer, and they didn't shoot it down immediately like last year. I think God has really been working in their lives as well on top of everything else. I can see it most in my dad. And for that I am thankful.

I have been learning so much in school, even though it has been brutal on both me and my GPA. But even through the stress and storms, God has been teaching me. I have learned more about the world and how it works, in addition to the many things I am learning in the classroom. For that I am thankful.

I am very thankful for my church family; and "family" is definitely the right word to use. We laugh, we cry, we fight, and we celebrate together: a true family. I have always grew up in semi-mega-churches, so having an intimate family of about 40 people is very unique for me. They have taught me a lot about the body, and I am looking forward to where God is directing the church next. For that I am thankful.

Most of all, I think I am most thankful for my friends this year. God has over-blessed me with some amazing friends this year. The past few years in college have been rough for me--some of it my own doing, and some of it out of my control. Either way, I really had no solid social support. I had a lot of friends, but not one solid group of people I could go to and really talk about my problems and associate with them, and them love me unconditionally. I always had individuals I could go go (and I am SO GRATEFUL for those!), but never a group that felt like a family away from home. In the past, I had some people I could hang out with, but I never really felt like I could go to them with problems. Or I had the opposite: the people I could go to for my problems always judged me or pushed me away. But this year, God has blessed me with some wonderful friends who care about me for who I am, accept me for who I am, and are looking out for my best interests. And I am SUPER thankful for that.

So, God, ya did a good job (again) this year. (No surprise there!) May you receive all the praise today, God! Thanks for everything, and I love you!

Following His Call,
Adam
(2 Corinthians 2:15)