thankful.

Today, November 25th 2010, is Thanksgiving. A day for Americans to eat until they can't breathe, then sleep it off while the sounds of football play in the background. It's a day of mental preparation for one of the most intense shopping days of the year. It's a day off work and school, a time to see family, and a day to forget about counting calories. Sounds fun, yeah? Indeed it is. But Thanksgiving is also a time of actually giving thanks. Imagine that! Reflecting on the things God has given us? On a day set aside specifically for giving thanks? What a wonderful idea! So...here is what I am thankful for on this fine Thanksgiving Day.

Family.

I am so very thankful for my family. They do so much for me, even from hundreds of miles away. And they support me in everything I do or set out do do. As I was sitting through some freezing soccer games this season, I was reminded of the numerous miserable soccer games and cross country meets that my parents came and watched me at. Even now, they try to make it to as many games as possible, though the drive is substantially farther than it was in high school. I am so grateful for that support. I'm thankful for my brothers who make me laugh on a daily basis. And though they're goofy and fight all the time, I know they would fight tooth and nail for me. I, likewise, would do anything for them. I'm thankful for my grandparents who continually open their home for me, drive to pick me up from places, do fun crafts with me, make delicious foods, and shower me with wonderful thrift store gifts. I am lucky to still have all four of my grandparents who have continually shown me love and support. Most importantly, I am thankful for the Christ-like example my whole family has shown me over the years.

Friends.

I have the most wonderful friends. Ever. Period. I've been blessed with a solid group of Christian friends and an awesome group of friends from high school. Though I've gone from Illinois, to Wisconsin, and now back to Illinois, I've been able to make and keep some really great friendships. Some I've been friends with my whole life, and I can't remember a time when they weren't a part of my life. Others were more recent additions. But all of them have had special impact and have been rich blessings in my life. I love all the laughter and crazy times we've had. So I am thankful for all of you, dear friends! Thanks for putting up with me. :)

School.

Though I complain about the price tag, and the amount of homework I have to do, I am grateful for the opportunity I've been given to attend Greenville College (and school in general). Recently I read the book Three Cups of Tea and was again struck by how much of a blessing it is to be able to attend school. There are kids all over the world who have not had that privilege and who may never get the chance to attend school as I have had my whole life. Not only am I thankful for the chance to go to school, I am thankful for the school itself. I can't tell you how much I've enjoyed being able to pray and worship openly with my fellow students and my professors. I think the first time I was told that my homework would come from reading the Bible was one of the coolest things I've experienced. Also having my professors and coaches pray over me has been an awesome and rewarding experience. I am grateful for this body of believers that help me to grow scholastically and individually.

Spanish.

I am thankful for the ability to learn and speak another language. Yes, it is hard. And yes, I frequently complain about it. But I am so excited to see what opportunities being able to speak Spanish will bring me. And I am thankful because I know that not everyone can grasp the workings of other languages. But God has blessed me with that ability and I know that he will help me to use the skills I am learning for his glory.

God.

God has richly blessed me in every aspect of my life. Most of all, I am thankful for him. He who has provided in ways I can't even begin to fathom. Even when I don't follow his plan and try to do things on my own. Even when I stumble and fall. God is there to pick me up. He has a plan for my life, and is working for my good. The Master and Creator of the Universe cares intimately for me. This is amazing to me. I have done nothing to deserve him, and have nothing I can give back to me. But he loves me. And always will. And he (only he) has made it possible for us to live with him forever. I anxiously await that day. There is nothing I am more thankful for, for from him and through him and to him are all things. And he loves me. I am blessed.

There is so much more I could list that I'm thankful for. These are the big things in my life, the things I hold near and dear. Maybe a future post will explore the more minute details of life that I am thankful for. As I prepare to take a post-turkey nap (coma?!), I leave you with a challenge to really take time to give thanks. One day a year is not nearly enough. I fall prey to this as much as the next person. But we have been given much, and should take time to reflect on the things we have been given.

"For everything comes from him and exists by his power and is intended for his glory. All glory to him forever! Amen."

-Romans 11:36 (NLT)

Books to Read Before I Die

Today I finished one of the books on my "To read before I die list!" I've been reading John Piper's "Desiring God" since the end of this summer and I finally finished it today! Good book- lots in it, but thought provoking. I'm slowly crossing off and rapidly adding to this list of books I want to read or have been told I need to read. It's an ever-growing list, but I feel very accomplished when I do get to cross off a title! So here's my list, in no particular order. I'll read them as I come across them (I just started Sense and Sensibility as I found it on my roommate's shelf). Some were recommendations, others ones I've heard of but never read, and still others are some that are in my possession but have never been read. Any you'd like to add to it? Or think I should add to it? I'm always up for new reads and this is in no way a set list!

-Don Quixote, Miguel de Cervantes (I haven't decided if I want to read it in Spanish or English yet. Maybe both!) (Check February 2011-English)

-One Hundred Years of Solitude, Gabriel García Márquez

-Their Eyes Were Watching God, Zora Neale Hurston

-In the Time of Butterflies, Julia Alverez

-Uncle Tom's Cabin, Harriet Beecher Stowe (Check May 2011)

-Great Expectations, Charles Dickens

-Heart of Darkness, Joseph Conrad (check February 2012)

-Of Mice and Men, John Steinbeck (Check April 1 2011, no joke!)

-On the Road, Jack Kerouac

-Les Miserables (Unabridged), Victor Hugo

-The Hobbit, J.R.R Tolkein

-The Fellowship of the Ring, J.R.R Tolkein (Check July 2011)

-The Two Towers, J.R.R. Tolkein (Check July 2011)

-The Return of the King, J.R.R Tolkein (Check August 1 2011)

-Atonement, Ian McEwan (Check June 2011- I was disappointed with this one...)

-1984, George Orwell

-All of C.S. Lewis' works (I'll enter them as I finish them instead of making a huge list of one author's works)

-Till We Have Faces (Check December 2010)
     -Mere Christianity (Check 2009)
     -Chronicles of Narnia (Check, several times!)
     -Screwtape Letters (Check June 2011)

-Just do Something, Kevin DeYoung (Check June 2010)

-East of Eden, John Steinbeck

-Faith Like Potatoes, Angus Buchan

-Don't Waste Your Life, John Piper

-Desiring God, John Piper (Check November 2010)

-Sense and Sensibility, Jane Austin (Check November 2010)
-Persuasion, Jane Austin (Check January 2012)
-Northanger Abbey, Jane Austin (Check April 2012)
-Mansfield Park, Jane Austin (Check May 2012)

-Count of Monte Cristo (Unabridged), Alaxandre Dumas

-Passion of Jesus Christ, John Piper

-Three Cups of Tea, Greg Mortenson, David Oliver Relin (Check November 2010)

-The Brothers Karamazov, Fyodor Dostoyevski

-The Death of Ivan Ilyich, Leo Tolstoy (Check December 2010)

-The Subversion of Christianity, Jacques Ellul

-Your God is too Small, JB Phillips

-Eternity in their Hearts, Don Richardson

-Amusing Ourselves to Death, Neil Postman

-The Poisonwood Bible, Barbara Kingsolver

-Half the Sky, Nicholas D. Kristof and Sheryl WuDunn

-We Wish to Inform You that Tomorrow We Will be Killed with our Families, Phillip Gourevitch

-La sombra del viento, Carlos Ruiz Zafón (I've read it in English, but I'd like to read it in the original as well)

-Truck: A Love Story, Michael Perry

-I Would Die For You, Brent & Deanna Higgins

-Gulliver's Travels, Jonathan Swift (check November 2011)
-Robinson Crusoe, Daniel Defoe
-Wuthering Heights, Emily Bronte (check March 2011)
-Stuff Christians Like, Jonathan Acuff
-Brave New World, Aldous Huxley
-A Clockwork Orange, Anthony Burgess
-Lord of the Flies, William Golding
-Catcher in the Rye, J.D. Salinger (Check August 2011)
-Silent Spring, Rachel Carson
-The Hunger Games, Suzanne Collins (check February 2012)
-Born To Run, Christopher McDougall
-I, Rigoberta Menchu, Rigoberta Menchu
-Paradise in Ashes, Beatriz Manz
-When Helping Hurts, Steve Corbett & Brian Fikkert
-Guns, Germs, and Steel, Jared M. Diamond
-The Hole in our Gospel, Richard Stearns
-My Utmost for his Highest, Oswald Chambers

October

Another month has come and gone away. So long October, hello November! Every time a month passes here at Greenville, I am again reminded of how quickly time flies. So, for your sakes (whoever you may be) I will take a moment to reflect on what October brought me.

I started October right after having a wonderful visit from my parents. They came down to spend a few days here in the Ville, see a few soccer games (one win, one loss), eat at the new restaurants in town, see the sights (of which there are so very many in Greenville!) and help me figure some things out for the upcoming months and years. I will never be too old to get a hug from my parents while I'm upset over something that's out of my control. It was so good to have them here for a few days, to get some groceries :) and some much needed advice. I am so grateful for the example my parents lead and the love they continually show me. I am also constantly encouraged at the support they show me in whatever I choose to do.

October brought me an excessive amount of soccer games. When I look back at my planner from October it seemed that all we did was play soccer! Not that I'm complaining, we've had a fantastic season and played some really good games during October. There were a lot of wins, a few losses and a tie, and a whole bunch of really good memories. October also included two overnight soccer trips. I took my first trip to Kentucky for a big win over Spalding and after a big Homecoming win (!) we took off for our annual trip to Chicago. After spending some quality time at Chipotle with my dear friends Kirsten and Rebecca, and a lot of walking around the downtown area we played (and tied) one of the toughest teams we'll play all season. My dad came down for that game so we got to sit and talk during the guy's game. :) It was a very short visit, but a good one none the less. That next weekend we lost to Webster for the second time, but I was able to drive up to Champaign to visit with my momma, grandma, aunt, great aunt, and my uncle. Another quick visit, but one that brought a much needed break from the day to day Greenville life. Finished off October with two more wins and a wonderful senior day. I'm so glad to have been able to play with these seven girls for two years. They are all amazing players and friends, and their presence will be missed next year. Love the times we have all had together!

October of course brought classes and homework too, but I try not to dwell on those. ;) Classes, toiling over Spanish papers, and preparing for tests in no way compare to all the fun times we had. Which, we most definitely made time for. Banangrams, camp fires, Freak Show Fridays, and Haunted Houses, Family Dinners, trips to Edwardsville for church, movie nights, and just going crazy with my girls! Who ever said there's nothing to do in Greenville never hung out with my friends and I!

All in all, October was a very fun and busy month. Much soccer, family and fun made for another great time at good old Greenville College. And that's all I have to say about that! :)