Thanksgiving.

So Thanksgiving is coming up.
People seem to make a bigger deal out of the food than what the holiday is really all about.

Yet I'm sure you've all heard this before.
Thanksgiving is when you give thanks.
Hence the name "Thanksgiving."

So I figured I'd take up some of the space on my blogger to tell what all I'm thankful for and how greatly I'm blessed.

So for all of you who don't know, I have a best friend. haha. Her name is Kara and she is pretty much one of the best things that's ever happened to me. Kara really came into my life about 2 years ago. I'm pretty sure in was close to the end of spring. I had just started coming back to church as a result of someone who I used to call my boyfriend. :p She just came up and talked to me one day and we haven't stopped talking ever since. She is the only friend that I've had who is ALWAYS there for me, has been for almost 2 years now, and will continue to be for the rest of my life. She has been the most inspiring person in my life. If it wasn't for her I seriously doubt I'd be even half as close to God, or even a third of how happy I am today. She is one of the most intelligent, caring, thoughtful, and loving people that I've ever known. She is pretty much the closest to me as anyone has ever been. I feel like she was someone God planned to use to bring me closer to him and has been that way thus far. :p So there's one thing I'm UBER thankful for.


Another thing I'm thankful for is the Gunters. I feel like another one of them. I know that they all love me so much and they're probably the closest thing to a functional family that I've ever had. It's been really hard for me growing up practically motherless but now I have two families supporting me and it's one of the best things anyone could ever ask for. The Gunters have been the most supportive, caring, disciplining, influencing, sacrificing, and loving people to me pretty much ever. Even though they have quite a large immediate family I feel love for and from each one of them and I will always be endlessly thankful for that.

The next thing I'm going to say I'm thankful for is my friends. I have amazing friends. I'm so thankful for Cody who, to me, is a very giving caring person. Cody is one of the best friends I have and he is one of the best at listening to what I have to say. Then there is Jessy. Jessy is an amazing girl. She is so caring and is always there for me when I need her. She's like a walking support beam. She is one of many people I know who help me get through my everyday life. She's great at relating to me and knows a lot of what I've been through. Of course Mara. Mara is one of the nicest people I've ever met. She is so genuinely caring, giving, and loving. I know she is always there for me and I love her to death. John G. is also a very close friend of mine. John is a very caring and intelligent person. Not to mention he's a great listener. John is someone I really look up to because of how good he is with dealing with his parents. He is always so respectful to them and that's one of the hardest thing for me to do. Then there is Kirbs. Kirby is by far one of the nicest, caring, Godly people I have ever met. Kirby is one of the best at giving advise and he is very supportive. I know he'll always be there for me if I ever need him. Dan :D
Dan is always there for me and he is one of few people who actually really care about me and the things I deal with. He's just Dan, there's no one else like him, lol. Then there's Jared. I can always count on Jared to care if something is wrong with me. He's pretty much always the first to ask if I'm okay. He's like a little brother to me and I care about him a ton. :] Hannah Moore is just amazing. She ALWAYS makes me laugh. Hannah will always be the last person in the world to judge you and that's why I love her so much. Then theres a whole long list of all the people who just love me. Patrick who can always make me smile and is very kind. Alec, and even tho he makes fun of me all the time, I know DEEP down inside he really cares. John R. who can always make me laugh. I'll go on to say James and even though he can be a jerk :p I know he really cares. Also Mark P. who is very nice, caring, and generous. Pretty much anyone who is there for me. god has blessed me so greatly with the best friends I could ever ask for.

Then, of course, I'm so thankful for Chris. He is the only boyfriend that I've had who I'm best friends with too. Chris is another person who I know won't ever judge me. He's a very deep, creative, funny, thoughtful, and caring person. We share many of the same interests and ways of thinking. I'm just so thankful that I have someone so wonderful to connect to like that.

There are so many people I'm thankful for and one that I haven't mentioned is my family. I'm so thankful for the support, freedom, and love that my family has given to me all of my life.

The 3 people who I respect and listen to more than anyone would be Mark Laprise, John Pryor, and Dennis Mullen. They are basically my resource for God. Mark has known me since I was really little and he was basically the reason I found out about Morrison Hill. He also baptized me and is a big part of the reason that I am so close to God. John Pryor is the best youth minister I've ever had. He inspires me to think about things deeper than from what things look like on the surface and has taught me so much. While bringing our youth group closer and closer with every time we meet and his devotion in putting so much effort and care into what he teaches us, John is another one of the reasons I'm as close to God as I am. Dennis is the Pastor at my church. Along with what he does for our church and how much he has taught me and everyone at Morrison Hill, he has brought me closer to God and helped lead me to get baptized and really give my life to Jesus. I am so thankful for my church and everyone who has encouraged me along the way.


There is so much I'm thankful for. Among these things is my freedom. My freedom to write. My freedom to love. My freedom to worship. My freedom to express myself weather it be through art, writing, the way I dress, or the way I look. My freedom of choice of music. My freedom of being able to be whoever I want to be and do pretty much anything that I want to do. The freedom and rights that I have are all protected and maintained by all of the soldiers who are fighting wars all over the world today. Because they sacrifice their lives everyday just so that we don't have to and so we can have this freedom that we tend to take for granted.

I'm thankful for this earth and for the beauty God put on it, through people and nature.

Something else I am especially thankful for is my health. To have to see Kara and her family suffer through the health problems they all have, I've realized how truly blessed I am to be as healthy as I am.

Also I'm very thankful for everything that I have when it comes to food, clothes, shelter, money, family, and so many other things that I know a ton of people who aren't as fortunate as me to have.

Lastly and ultimately I'm thankful for God, who suffered and died for me so that I can have salvation and life.


Something else I wanted to mention in this blog is my mom.

Sunday night was the Thanksgiving dinner at church. During worship, I couldn't help but think about my mom and what she was going to do for Thanksgiving. She has no family, and nothing to be thankful for. I went in the bathroom and cried my eyes out.

I just needed to talk to her.

I called her, sitting in the bathroom stall, praying to God that she would be there.

I thought I knew she wouldn't pick up.

But she did.

She asked what was wrong. She said she knew I'd been crying. Something not many people could sense from so far away. I told her I missed her and she said the same and we exchanged "I love you"s between sobs.

She said that my grandparents wouldn't talk to her and she didn't know why.
She's been moving from apartment to apartment trying to save 20 dollars here and there.

She said it snowed.
Two inches.
I miss the snow.

But this isn't about me.
My mother is in a bad situation.
She needs prayer.
God does amazing things and I know this because he's done amazing things in my life.
So please, keep my mother in your prayers and may God bless you.

Thanks.