I took some time the other day to write what I am thankful for: this is just scratching the surface of how full my heart is these days.
I am thankful for...
parents who love me; brothers who love me and protect me; Grandparents example of faith; my sister-in-laws; Lenora's life; being present for her birth; being in japan; my teammates; Mark's leadership and teaching; Jin's heart and beauty; Abbie's sweet kindness and girly ways; Yaya's love for adventure and how boyish he is; Kayla's words and her snuggles; i love how faith, forgiveness, and love are quick in these children; 
HB, and her faithful friendship; RH, spurring me on; Ducky and her friendship, her patience with men and sharing her story with E with me; for Skype; KB's strength and listening ear; thankful for her. Her relationship with MB, her love for others, her sacrifice to stay where God has her, her obedience. Thankful for all my friends; for Kim's love for me and how her faith was so atractive to me; Jamie's purity and showing me how God loves His "trophies of grace"; thankful I can be a Trophy of Grace; Jamie's faith in hard times and living out Habakkuk 3:17-18; her showing me the WHOLE world and being patience as I learned about other cultures and nations; Johnson's who prayed for me and had faith that I was no a lost cause in H.S.; my Dad on the piano and guitar; my Dad never letting me settle for liking the BSBoys but instilling in me a love for GOOD music; the churches that prayed for me and loved me when I was unlovable; Farka Jane's faithful friendship and forgiveness; Em's strength and friendship through freshman year until now; Ward loving me and keeping me laughing; 36 Valley girls who wept for and with me when I returned from Japan; Noxon and her quick response to prayer; bible study gals and their genuine hearts; the beauty i saw in women all around me; Alesha; my parents for letting me follow my dream to come to Japan; 
my mother and her tears; my father and his faith; the women of 2006 who showed me friendship, womanly beauty and loyalty; the men of 2006 who showed me my worth in Christ, who affirmed my "freedom" to be who I am, to have godly friendships; thankful for JL and the wisdom he had; the teachability; the gentleness. Thankful these guys raised the bar of standard in my life; thankful for Mary and how she balances me; thankful for her heart, her laughter our alone time, our silliness, our confessions, and our story of how God brought together two opposites in peace; thankful that God is the ultimate Restorer; for Kyle and Jennifer's arrival and our team dynamics; thankful for Jennifer's humor and her ability to make me laugh when I cry; Kyle's ability to make 60 hot dogs seem like 100, their love for You, Lord; for each other and for me; thank You for the days I couldn't find strength and my team carried me; thank you for life, love and peace. Thank You for your grace. Thank you for beauty, rivers that I can swim in and the ocean I dream of; sunsets and sunrises; blue skies and starlit nights; i love beauty and you give it so freely to me; thank you for music; for dancing; for Your forgiveness; 
thank You for being in my pain as a child, my confusion as I grew, and in my rebellion as a teen; thank You for never leaving me or thinking I was too lost; thank You for not letting me toughen too much; for giving me a tender heart; thank You for weeping with me and for me when I was not aware. Thank You for You, thank You that the little dreams I would have settled for were not from You; thank YOu for wooing my heart; thank You for finding me; for Redeeming me; for the desire to be with You; the longing for Your return; thank You for children; different cultures and experiences which help me grow; for my friendships; Monday nights with Kie; Shabe; homeless backpacking; and moments of miscommunication in a language You created; thank You for the 2007 team; for setting an example of quality through them; for the women and their beauty; the men and their strength; Thank you for making me a woman and giving my sisters and friends that experience of pregnancy. Thank you for little hiccups and kicks from deep inside.
HB, and her faithful friendship; RH, spurring me on; Ducky and her friendship, her patience with men and sharing her story with E with me; for Skype; KB's strength and listening ear; thankful for her. Her relationship with MB, her love for others, her sacrifice to stay where God has her, her obedience. Thankful for all my friends; for Kim's love for me and how her faith was so atractive to me; Jamie's purity and showing me how God loves His "trophies of grace"; thankful I can be a Trophy of Grace; Jamie's faith in hard times and living out Habakkuk 3:17-18; her showing me the WHOLE world and being patience as I learned about other cultures and nations; Johnson's who prayed for me and had faith that I was no a lost cause in H.S.; my Dad on the piano and guitar; my Dad never letting me settle for liking the BSBoys but instilling in me a love for GOOD music; the churches that prayed for me and loved me when I was unlovable; Farka Jane's faithful friendship and forgiveness; Em's strength and friendship through freshman year until now; Ward loving me and keeping me laughing; 36 Valley girls who wept for and with me when I returned from Japan; Noxon and her quick response to prayer; bible study gals and their genuine hearts; the beauty i saw in women all around me; Alesha; my parents for letting me follow my dream to come to Japan; my mother and her tears; my father and his faith; the women of 2006 who showed me friendship, womanly beauty and loyalty; the men of 2006 who showed me my worth in Christ, who affirmed my "freedom" to be who I am, to have godly friendships; thankful for JL and the wisdom he had; the teachability; the gentleness. Thankful these guys raised the bar of standard in my life; thankful for Mary and how she balances me; thankful for her heart, her laughter our alone time, our silliness, our confessions, and our story of how God brought together two opposites in peace; thankful that God is the ultimate Restorer; for Kyle and Jennifer's arrival and our team dynamics; thankful for Jennifer's humor and her ability to make me laugh when I cry; Kyle's ability to make 60 hot dogs seem like 100, their love for You, Lord; for each other and for me; thank You for the days I couldn't find strength and my team carried me; thank you for life, love and peace. Thank You for your grace. Thank you for beauty, rivers that I can swim in and the ocean I dream of; sunsets and sunrises; blue skies and starlit nights; i love beauty and you give it so freely to me; thank you for music; for dancing; for Your forgiveness; thank You for being in my pain as a child, my confusion as I grew, and in my rebellion as a teen; thank You for never leaving me or thinking I was too lost; thank You for not letting me toughen too much; for giving me a tender heart; thank You for weeping with me and for me when I was not aware. Thank You for You, thank You that the little dreams I would have settled for were not from You; thank YOu for wooing my heart; thank You for finding me; for Redeeming me; for the desire to be with You; the longing for Your return; thank You for children; different cultures and experiences which help me grow; for my friendships; Monday nights with Kie; Shabe; homeless backpacking; and moments of miscommunication in a language You created; thank You for the 2007 team; for setting an example of quality through them; for the women and their beauty; the men and their strength; Thank you for making me a woman and giving my sisters and friends that experience of pregnancy. Thank you for little hiccups and kicks from deep inside.Thank you for Your son Jesus. Thank You for filling my heart with Your blessings and with Your Spirit. I am full, Lord. I am abundantly blessed. Thank You.
(pictures: 1st Rochelle at week 35... sooo soon my niece will be in the world! 2nd. Baby Bump. that is a picture of my "only-known-by-God-at-this-point" niece/nephew... lovingly referred to by his/her own parents as The Bump; 3rd Trying to get Kayla to make faces, she is a joy in my life; 4th a leaf...)
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