Give thanks for everything, and for everything, give thanks.

Life isn't always peachy and sometimes, I wonder why God loves me at all. There are so many times where just dealing with people (like my sis) seems unbearable. Yet, God is good, and He gives us love for all (in timing) - even family.

Thanksgiving seems to have always been my favorite holiday. It's the beauty of spending time together without anything besides the enjoyment of each other. At Christmas, it's spoiled with presents and surprises, sadness, or disappointments of them. At Easter, we have great egg hunts, even for the adults, but again, some people are annoyed when people win year after year when it's completely luck. With Thanksgiving, it's all about family and having a spirit of thankfulness for everything God has given us. To me, that's beautiful.

I'm thankful for my church and the church family that I have. I love the beauty of seeing people healed internally and externally. I love seeing the beauty of kids that are surpassing me in their maturity, faith, and trust in the Lord.

I'm thankful for my family and all of my relatives. I got to see almost everyone this year. I missed my aunt and uncle in Ecuador and their 3 kids and 3 granchildren that live in CA and OR. I also missed my uncle's brother's family and my cousin-in-law's family that usually join us. Oh, and I definitely missed my cousin, his wife, and their 2 daughters who got there after we had to leave. And, I can't forget that I missed my cousin that is on his way to become a Phase 2 Army Ranger - pray for him. Yet, I am blessed. I still got to see tons of people. I have a set of grandparents that are living - even if they tell crazy stories. I saw 4 aunts, 5 uncles, 11 cousins, and 9 second cousins. My life is pretty good.

I am also thankful that I have ways to make ends meet. I might not have money for excess, but I have money to pay my bills and needs, and for that, I am thankful.

Last night, we went out to celebrate my cousin's 30th birthday. It was awesome and fun. I got to run into people I haven't seen in years, and I made friends with people I've never met. It was also great to be able to be around Christians in every setting. Thank You Lord for always allowing me to be around people that remind me of Your awesome presence.