1. my Heavenly Father because without Him, who would I be and what purpose would I have? Everything comes from Him and to Him alone belongs the glory and praise!
2. family! I realize now how much I took advantage of living at home during college. I have never been more homesick but am SO thankful for the encouragement and support of my family.
3. Christian home...after experiencing life outside of Rome and the Berry bubble, I am even more grateful for parents who raised me in the strength and love of Christ and holding me to biblical expectations.
4. friends...church friends, Berry friends, high school friends, TFA friends...I have been SO blessed by an abundance of friends no matter what stage of life. And what is even better is that we have been able to keep in touch and stay close even with those that I do not see on a regular basis any more. I still spend time with my church and high school friends when I'm at home and catch up on the phone or skype with my Berry friends!
5. church...I currently attend First Baptist Hazlehurst and am constantly amazed by their love and hospitality. I am also overwhelmed by the continual support of CBC.
6. my job...although teaching 3rd graders in rural Mississippi is the hardest thing I have ever done in my entire life, I am so grateful for a job with a salary that I can live off of. I have met so many incredible people through it as well.
7. my third graders...all 23 of them! I have to remind myself and my students often that the reason I teach in Hazlehurst, MS is for each and every one of them and the tiny bit of difference I hope to make in their lives.
8. opportunities...to travel, to spread the love of Christ, to enjoy other's company, to meet new people, to see beautiful wonders, to make new memories, to learn new things, to remember old times...we are all constantly blessed by a myriad of opportunities but often times miss them because we are too caught up with other less important things.
9. Berry College...not only did I meet some of my best friends and make some of my favorite memories there, I also learned A TON about teaching, friendships, leadership, and other random things that have made me into who I am today. Experiencing it firsthand is not just a saying!
10. the holidays...it was so wonderful to be at home this week for Thanksgiving and it was very hard to say goodbye this morning when I pulled out of the driveway. But, with it being the holiday season, less than a month and I will be back in Rome! Four weeks of teaching and difference making here I come! :)
