giving thanks with a greatful heart...

Lately, I have been thinking over the last year, and all that has happened. As I do this, I can't help but be thankful for so many things. I figured since Thanksgiving is coming up I would spend some time sharing the things I am thankful for. This will not be my entire list, but a highlight and they are not in any particular order.

I'm thankful for:

~my dad getting better

~having a supportive family

~a job I have learned from

~extended family...and the laptop they gave me and the prayers, encouragement, and money

~friends I can stay in touch with

~a phone so I can stay in touch with everyone back home

~all the letters/visits/phone calls I have received from family, friends, and church family

~planes...so I can go home for Christmas!

~a loving, gracious, merciful Savior

~my health

~having a chance to encourage, help, love, and share God with teens

I know for me, I tend to take things for granted after a while. Moving this far from home and reminded me how thankful I am for so many different things. Working with these teens has also made me realize that sometimes, I have a lot more to be thankful for than they do. I've grown up with a family that loves me and have some amazing friends. A lot of these youth don't have even that. Please keep them in your prayers as the holidays come up. This tends to be a really hard time for them. Some have families to go back to and some don't. I enjoy trying to make the holidays a special time for the youth who have no family to celebrate with. For Thanksgiving Day, everyone that is not on visits gets together to have dinner and hang out. This year we might even get to play Guitar Hero. ;-)

I hope and pray that anyone who reads this, has many things to be thankful for. It's so easy to let the hard/negative things take precedent, and we forget all that God has done for us. God is control, and He knows our needs before we know them. I'm so thankful He is the one in control and not me.

The youth are already into their second quarter of the school year. Most of them are doing very well in school, and there is usually one or two that struggle. I would ask that you would pray for one girl in particular...she has been refusing to go to her first two classes and has come up with every excuse not to go. She is failing a couple classes, and is having a lot of issues in the cottage. She has been the the system for a large amount of her life, and has a lot of things to deal with. Please pray that she will be placed where she will get the best care. A lot of these kids struggle with seeing God as good. With all the bad stuff they have had to deal with in their lives, they have a hard time understanding that God does love them and to trust Him. Please pray that seeds will be planted in their hearts and that someday they will understand and give their hearts and lives to God.

Thank you for your prayers. They are so appreciated and needed. Please don't stop praying!