five thanks on thursday + FALL!

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Hello :)
Today marks the official beginning of fall, and guess what?!

I LOVE IT. I absolutely adore fall. The sweaters, the scarves, boots, big chunky socks, drinking hot chocolate to keep warm, lots of blankets, the crisp of the air, bonfires, flannel.... ohhhhh I could go on.

I live in a town where basically we love pumpkins. Every third Wednesday through Saturday of October we shut down our town for something called The Pumpkin Show. If you haven't heard of it, you are either 1) living under a rock, or 2) have a life outside of pumpkins. :) Either way, you should go back and click on THE PUMPKIN SHOW to see what it's all about. I will post more about this lovely event another time, probably right before it happens, but oh well..

So, as you can see... I FREAKING LOVE FALL. :)

Okay okay, enough sickening love stuff about me and fall.... today I am trying to restart my five thanks on thursday to truly revel in those things I am grateful for.

It's so easy lately to get caught up in life, the good and the bad. Lately, it's seemed to be more of the bad than the good.. yet, I firmly believe that in every bad there has to be, there just HAS TO BE something good from it. So, alas, here are MY thanks on thursday:

1) I am very grateful for the job I have. I am pretty sure I was thankful for this last time but.. I just need to express it once more. As I drive home very upset or worn out on my lunch breaks most days I usually pass many people out and about, walking, and sometimes they seem like that they have a very rough situation they are in. Each time I am very humbled by this. I need to remind myself that, 1)it is a blessing to have a job, period. Especially a job in a Christian environment. My boss is awesome, some people I work with are awesome. I just really need to start appreciating it more. Many people apply and apply to many places and never gain employment. I am blessed.

2) I am grateful for my family. As of late all I usually say are really negative things about my family. About so many people not having to deal with the things I have dealt with within my family.. and ya know what? Some of that IS true. Some of the crap my family chooses to do I don't know many people who have family members who do those things... BUT, I do know there are other families out there have to deal with these things and WORSE. So, I am counting my blessings on this one. I am grateful to even know that I am supported by my family. I can't wait to be able to start our own family one day.

3) I am grateful that the Father provides. For a few months I have felt this heavy weight of anxiety and worry on my heart. On days when it isn't so bad, I still feel it... Sometimes it gets so bad I can barely breathe, I can't even muster out tears or move, even though I want to so badly. I have had to take a step back and sometimes leave for a little bit in order to gain back some sense of peace. The other day it really hit me hard for some reason. Things kept coming at me left and right at work and within my family and friends... it was too much to handle. I left work that day and bawled my eyes out. I couldn't even muster any words.. just many tears. Later that evening I had the house to myself. I found a podcast about worry and anxiety and it was just what I needed. I am grateful that He calls us to NOT WORRY, to not put our hearts and minds on earthly things but rather in Him and in heaven. I am grateful that I can rely on Him. Yes, things are hard, He even promises that we WILL have trouble in this world (John 16:33), but we can get through it with peace with Him.  This is not our home.

4) I am also very grateful for my husband. He is my best friend, you guys. (cue the ganging or the aw's, either one is fine!) I don't even think you guys KNOW how insane I am. Well, if you do, then you know that my husband is a GEM. He is so supportive and loving, kind, sweet, funny, handsome, and all-together just tries for me. He tries to understand me. He tries to help me when I am struggling. Ah!! I could go on , but I will spare you. The Lord really works through Him to get to me. I have never met someone so patient. Wow!

5) I am grateful for my car. My grandma hasn't had her car for a few months now, so any chance I get I let her borrow mine. I am grateful for it because I sometimes get frustrated with having to let her use it, only to remember that she NEEDS it. I don't. I don't need my car on the weekend. Heck, we are lucky if I even put on real clothes, let alone ME drive somewhere. If I go anywhere, Aaron drives. So, DUH! Yes, grandma you can borrow my car!! I am grateful that it was a GIFT to me. I am not grateful for the circumstances that led to me getting it, but I am grateful to have it. We are blessed to only have one car payment instead of 2, and that is AWESOME because we pay the cost of a mortgage in school loans  haha.

What are YOU thankful for today?