Blessed

I am so blessed and yet I am also very blind to it most the time.
God has given me a huge family full of God-fearing, loving, caring, intelligent people.

Let me just start with my parents:
My mom- She is so patient with us. She loves us and cares for us. Even though it get really expensive she goes out of her way to buy healthy (organic if possible) food for us. She cooks huge meals and devotes her time to her kids well being. Rarely does she take a break for herself, she is constantly on the move for others. For as long as I can remember my dad and us kids where always put before her. But beyond all this, God is her number one. Yep God goes before my dad, He goes before my siblings, He goes before me. I am so thankful for this!
I know most people are thinking: what? Before her own kids and husband?
My answer is, umm yeah. My mom realizes that the One who gives her the strength to go on day after day, the One who taught her patience, the One who continually teaches her love, is the One to be put first, and she does so. Mom thank you for teaching me where true wise priorities should be, by constantly making God number one in your life.
Dad- Feeding 9 kids on a high school teacher salary is not an easy thing to do, but somehow this man manages to do it, as well as provide a secure and loving home. He is very wise and has great advice if you actually listen to it. I've found in my life whenever I've asked my dad for advice, and then not listened to it, it has always ended very badly for me. He does not "rule with an iron fist" but rather does everything out of love and tries to lead by example. Were we kids punished/are punished? Yes. If we disobey there are consequences. I've had my share of spankings/groundings/timeouts/things being taken away/etc. But I deserved it, and more importantly I learned the value of following rules. There are rules in life, some more important than others, and my dad, I believe, taught me the importance of obeying rules either set forth by God or by those in authority over me. My dad also has God as his number one. I can't remember the last time I've asked for advice that my dad's advice didn't include something about prayer or scripture or (most often) both. Dad turns to the Father in Heaven in order to be a good dad to his children.
Dad thank you so much for your love, advice, help, guidance, and punishments when necessary. You have helped me so much in life (you and mom both) and I'm just seeing the tip of the iceberg, thank you so much. Words cannot express my gratitude.

Now for my siblings:
Joel - Your desire to learn more is truly inspiring to me. I think your love of books rubbed off on me and I thank you for that immensely. Also thank you for showing me how trusting God was all aspects of your life truly is what we are called to do. Your willingness to follow God half-way across the globe is so great. Also your patience on God to bring you the right person to marry is very encouraging to me. Thank you.
Melissa (sil)- I could say the same thing about your willingness to follow God. It truly is a blessing to have two people in my family strongly follow after the Lord's will, even if it leads them to a desert...literally. Also, just for all your prayers and encouragement these last few months, just for being there whenever I have needed you, thank you for that. (Also to both of you, I've so very excited about my nephew!)

Elise- You have helped me throughout the years in so many ways I won't even attempt to name them all. Thank you for writing to a scared, lost, confused little girl, and helping her grow up (at least a little bit since then). All the time you put into me, and everyone else in the family, has not gone unnoticed. I know I don't say it enough, but thank you, so very much. You have shown me how to follow God, although I still mess up all the time you've shown me His grace, both through your life and through your words. I love how you talk about God and how He speaks to you, its very encouraging to me. Thank you for being there for me, to help lead me back to God every time I want to stray. Also thank you for Selah and Alexa, even on really hard days those two can bring a smile to my face so easily. They are beautiful just like there momma.
Jason (bil)- Thanks for all the laughs, sharing music, movies or just good conversations. I love all the fish tank stuff, its given me a better appreciation for the hard work that goes into mantaining something like that. Also your love for the Lord is very evident, thank you for letting me see the transformation of God in your life, and the hope it has given me for others who I desperately want to see the Love of God. Thank you.

Jeremy- You have helped me so much this last semester, I don't know how to thank you enough. Every time I wanted to give up you would open my eyes and say look at what you need to be concetrating on. Your encouragement was not soft or gental, but strong and I was not able to avoid it or ignore it, and I truly thank you for that. Also thank you for never making me feel like I wasn't good enough. In basketball you would be the one to pass it to me, tell me to shoot, encouarage me to reach higher. In college you have seemed to do the same, you tell me to get out there, be active, search for what God has for me. In places where I have truly felt out of place, the odd man out, you have shown me that I can belong, that I do have the ability to fit in and do good things....though I'm still working on that. But thank you for your encouragement.
Amanda(sil)- You are so beautiful and kind. I'm just amazed sometimes at your kindness, to just say or do the right thing in the moment it is most needed. I know you get that from God, and your love for Him is evident. You have also been there to encourage me, whenever I have asked. I'm really looking forward to seeing my neice in a few months, I'm so happy for both of you.

Michelle- Thank you. You have shown me in your life how to diliegently seek after the Lord. I love how whenever your life gets really busy instead of putting God to the side, you shove the other stuff out of the way to make sure you spend time with Him. I've seen time after time how you get stressed to the point of breaking, and then just give it all up to Him. I have seen Him lift the burndens off your shoulders time and time again as you are willing to hand them over to Him. Thank you so much for showing that to me. And also for all the times you have prayed with me or for me. I really apprieciate it more than words can say. Plus thanks for taking time out of your super business to show your little sister around a new frightening place. I honestly don't know what I would have done without you here to help guide me, I've felt so lost and frightened and constantly you take my hand and point my face heavenward and tell me to ask Him for help, and then you also demonstate His love by helping me. Thank you for being there for me.

Stephen- Little brother, you have truly taught me a lot of patience. I don't mean that to sound mean, and I am truly grateful for it. Thank you for always being willing to stand up for me. I know you liked to poke fun at me, but I also had the reassurance that if I ever was really threatened you would be there to protect me. Thank you for showing me that things really are worth standing up for, like in school whenever you would protest unwholesome books, it is encouraging to see someone younger than me truly stand up for what they believe.

Aleya- Your art, whether in the form of picture or poems, gives me a new appreciation for things in this life. The way you say things in your poems ressiates with my heart and I thank you for that. You can express my feelings in words without even knowing it and then you look back to God. You express your heart, and then say "Lord take it". That is so encouraging to me. God truly does shine out from you, you are a part of His beauty. Thank you for not only being my sister, but also being a really good friend. Thank you for all the laughs, the tears, stories, trips, moments, songs, etc, that we have shared together. You bring joy to the people around you, and I am so glad that God blessed me with the privlidge to be one of those people.

Shannon- girl you are amazing. You are so talented, but you don't even know you it. You are humble in the things you excel at. I love your diligent work to improve your abilities, whether that be at some art form or sports, its really encouraging to see that hard work really does pay off. Your willingness to help people is so great. I love you for it (as well as other things). You constantly put others before yourself in that way, you see someone in need and you help them out. I know you think your work at home goes unnoticed, but it doesn't always. Thank you for helping mom out with chores or food or helping Elise out with the little girls. You are a blessing, and I hope you know that.

Claire- You are growing so fast, I love to see the way you that you are already maturing. I think that it is awesome that even at a young age you are willing to give things up for what you believe in. I know that not watching Disney things is sometimes hard, but I really like that you see the importance of bigger issues. You love God and I'm looking forward to seeing the ways He works in your life. Keep sharing Him with your friends, its a blessing to see you unashamed of Him and all His glory. Don't change that. Thanks for being my little sister!

Selah- You are a joy. You are so beautiful and lively. I love seeing how God creates all these personalities and sticks them in us from a young age, you truly have a strong will. You make me smile even through difficult times. You are lovely.

Alexa- Beautiful baby. I love you and am glad that I have gotten to be in your life, even though I'm not around as much as I might like. Your little toothless smile and baby chuckles brighten a room. I am thankful for you.

God, thank you for all those you have put in my life, both friends and family. God I am so blessed that I can't even take time to write out all the people who have touch my life. Thank you so much for that Lord.