I am thankful

Well it's that time of year where we all spend time at home for the holidays, during this time we usually realize/ talk about a few things we are thankful for.  I am very thankful for the usual, my health, friends, and family but to a new extreme this year. 

I have always been thankful for these things but more so this year than any other.  This year has been one to REALLY thank God for.  The past three years I have had a few health struggles starting with shingles, followed by mrsa, then followed by ovarian cyst that lead to surgery.  This year (crossing my fingers) I have yet to come down with any extreme pain, sickness, or accidents. 

If I knew how to photoshop someone in I would add you to this picture Lorraine!

Next would be my friends. I've always been blessed with having a great group of friends but this year is definitely towards the top of the list.  I've built strong relationships with some great girls and guys.  I don't think I need to expand on it too much because most of us know what it's like to have great friends that you can always count on...and if your reading this and you don't then you should come join mine :D




And then there is my family.  As the funds are decreasing, the car is failing,  and more mental breakdowns about the future are happening I've realized how much my family really IS always there for me.  Growing up is hard and I don't know how I would get by without my parents.  They always have my back through thick and thin.  So thanks mom and dad.  With the fairly new addition to our family (my brothers wife) it has been great to finally say I have a sister and to have them live so close to me at school.  Having two big brothers has its ups and downs while growing up, once you get past the physical abuse it really is fun to follow your brothers around ;) But really I couldn't have asked for better siblings. 

I realize this post has nothing profound in it but I wanted to give a shout out to the things I found myself being thankful for this Thanksgiving.  What are you thankful for this year?

Creation is All Around You

^{Genesis 1} In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth. ² Now the earth was formless and empty, darkness was over the surface of the deep, and the Spirit of God was hovering over the waters.
My boss once told our staff to take advantage of the view that we have right outside our apartments.  Living in such a beautiful place can often be something people do not take advantage of.  We do not notice the creation that God has given us because we are around it everyday.  It would only take a second to stop and thank Him for everything he has blessed us with, big or small.
Every morning I storm out of my house to head to my class and I walk right underneath of these trees.  Not once did I stop and thank God for the beautiful things he has put all around me.  I live in amazing mountains all summer and think nothing of it, I live with these beautiful trees right in my backyard all year and think nothing of it.  God could have surrounded me with muddy swamp water and a shack but He hasn't.  He has given me leaves full of color, a two story home, a beautiful pond across the street to enjoy during the year, and mountains full of His beautiful creation to live in all summer.  So my suggestion to anyone reading this today; stop and take a minute to look around you.  Are you taking advantage of your surroundings by just walking past them everyday or are you thanking God for what he has created for your eyes to see, your ears to hear, and your hands to touch?  God has created all things, even the dirt between your fingernails.  So take some time to thank Him for the things you get to enjoy everyday.

W.W.J.D

So I have decide to try and start this blog back up. I am starting it out fresh.  I was sitting in class today very very frustrated with my professor.  I thought to myself how will I vent these feelings without complaining to multiple people and just getting more frustrated, this is when I decided I will start my blog back up and just vent about it online. That's the 21st century thing to do right, talk about your feelings on a blog? 

The question that I keep asking myself is, how do I get through 3 more classes with a professor that I have problems respecting or taking advice from? I have a professor who is very intelligent and has a lot of real life experience that could make him a wonderful professor but he seems to be teaching with a very biased opinion on things.  I feel as if I am learning information from one point of view.  I do not want to be forced to have certain beliefs as a social worker.  I do not want him to generalize social workers as having all of the same beliefs, morals, and political points of view.  As a social worker there are some beliefs that you must all agree on but for the most part that will depend on the agency you work for.  I do not handle someone telling me what I need to believe and what not to believe, what is good and what is bad.  I would like to form my own opinions on things by hearing the facts, not what my professor thinks the problem is and how it needs to be fixed.  First off what he thinks is a "problem" may not be something I consider to be a problem at all. Are you following me here? I don't like being forced to have your opinions.  Not that everything he says I disagree with but I would like to figure that out on my own. What this paragraph comes down to is the fact that I want to learn so that I can become more educated, not so that I can become more liberal.

As I dwell on my thoughts and feelings toward my professor I am trying to find a way to turn these negative things into something positive.  I do not want to have this anger toward someone that I should be showing respect towards and gaining a better education from.  I need to find a way to get past the negative emotions I have in his class and focus on the positive and factual information that he does teach us. I was reading through Philippians 4 to help me find a peace about the situation.  4:5 says "let everyone see that you are considerate in all you do. Remember, the Lord is coming soon (NLT)"  If this wasn't convicting than I don't know what would be.  I need to remember to be considerate, fair minded, and reasonable to those not only inside the church but also those outside.  I need not seek revenge against those who treat us unfairly nor are we to be overly vocal about our personal rights (this coming from my bible study notes); all I could think about in class was marching up to him and laying it all out on the table, telling him what I think of his class.  I hate admitting when I'm wrong but yet again the Bible wins this battle.  4:13 "For I can do everything through Christ who gives me strength (NLT)"   To be able to handle another 3 semesters with this professor I need to change my feelings and attitude toward him.  I can only do this if I actually want to do it.  I need to be in prayer about my attitude and pray for a heart change toward him, it will be the only way to bare the rest of my college career with him, otherwise I am bringing unneeded stress and anxiety on myself.  I need to learn to take what my professor says with a grain of salt.  I know this heart change will take time, but I need to remember the letters I wear around my wrist right? W.W.J.D (what would Jesus do?)

Originally I thought I would just blog about my frustrations with my prof but as I was writing I found it necessary to try and change my attitude. To look to scripture for guidance. Maybe this blog thing will be good for me.

I will end my blog with this:  Philippians 4: 8-9 says- Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable — if anything is excellent or praiseworthy — think about such things. Whatever you have learned or received or heard from me, or seen in me—put it into practice. And the God of peace will be with you.(NLT)

Beginnings

So what has intrigued me to get a blog? I have no idea. Maybe the thought of having one more thing to distract me from school work, maybe I just wanted some place where I could write, or it could just be that I wanted to copy Austin Corbett, who knows?  The thought of someone being able to read what I write here, but not being able to see who is interested in my thoughts or daily life is, well, strange. But yet I find myself giving in to yet another networking device.  Either way I have done it, I've created a blog.
I figure the best time to start my first blog is the day before fall break is over. I've accomplished some school work, slept in, watched movies, and now I've created this. I don't care to be too profound or interesting in my first post. Just an introduction to my new found distraction.