Mine kept growing. When I got to #10, I told Ben, "It's between you and Jesus, so I think I better add one." HA. Clearly, mine is in no particular order.
1) The family I dreamed about my whole life-- a hubby who loves me and a team of little people who adore me as much as I adore them and keep me on my toes!
2) Modern conveniences like Mobile deposit/banking where I can bank from my couch and Amazon Prime that delivers everything from toilet paper to milk to Christmas presents to my front door, lickety split fast!
3) FaceTime/Skype/Facebook Messenger that allows my sweet Sydney to see, chat, and giggle with her best friend an ocean and a continent away! (And sometimes she even shows off her new gymnastics moves to her!) Every time I hear them laughing together, I thank God that they live in 2016 and have the ability to stay best friends just like this!
4) A church that has stretched and challenged Ben and I beyond our black and white beliefs and gives us tangible opportunities to make a difference in our world and a place where we are comfortable to invite any of our friends-- no matter where they walk of life currently has them.
5) Amazing parents who love me, my crazy kids, and all of my crazy ideas. They are always ready to give an extra hand (or 4) to make my life easier. An extra set of parents who have been there since I was a kid who love me like their own and are also amazing grandparents to my kiddos.
6) A job that allows me to use my passion for helping others on a daily basis, and a company that has seen me through 2 pregnancies, 21 months of breastfeeding, 4 different roles, 2 years of NP school, a fractured elbow, 100s of kidney stones, and still loved and supported me through it all!
7) A hand full of patients who have broke my heart, stretched me to my breaking point, and changed my heart forever. I love and hate them, and keep doing this job for patients just like them.
8) Social Media--- because without it I would have missed out on so many relationships and opportunities to help! It has given me the opportunity to deepen relationships, maintain relationships, and coordinate so many awesome things like food/clothing drives and other fundraising. It allows me to supplement our income through virtual yardsales and sell Rodan + Fields to a much larger network than I'd ever have without it!
9) Warm, soft, snuggly blankets. A soft, spacious mattress, and MY pillow. No explanation needed here. Obviously.
10) My high school sweetheart that I literally got to grow up loving. He's been there every step of the way and I wouldn't want to do have done life any other way.
11) Jesus. A living, risen Savior. One who lived a perfect life among imperfect friends. One who died a sinner's death on a cross- for my imperfections (and yours!). The perfect embodiment of Truth and Grace. The fulfillment of prophecies, but not the religious type you'd expect. A carpenter's son who was frequently seen with those most called unclean-- lepper's, tax collector's, prostitutes, Gentiles. He came and changed all of the rules. His teachings challenged a lot of black and white thinking.
12) Blueprint 58 and The I-58 Mission-- two of my favorite not-for-profit ministries serving those living in poverty in Atlanta (South Atlanta). Thankful for friends brave enough to devote their lives to this and create amazing organizations to walk side by side with those who know what it feels like to be hungry or wonder where their next rent check will come from. I'm thankful to be a small part of these missions and have an amazing organization to help.
13) A burning desire in my heart to help the poor. To provide tangle things, like toiletry items, underwear, food, socks, and meals to these people.
14) A huge burden to defuse the fiery hate among black and white neighbors. Although I feel incredibly unqualified for this mission, I feel so strongly that this will be an issue that continues to grow and spread if both sides don't put away their preconceived ideas, their defensiveness, their entitlement, their pride, and pull out our GOD SENT HIS SON TO DIE FOR EVERY.SINGLE.ONE.OF.US and showed us many times through Jesus that HE didn't care which group you belonged to.
Most of these are the reason for my stress, my chaos, my migraines, but they're also the things that make life worthwhile, and for that, I'm so very thankful!!
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