A couple of months back I wrote a list of things I'm thankful for. That list included things like ice cream and indoor plumbing and the Winter Olympics. Well, I'm not only thankful for material things in my life. I've been blessed with some pretty fantastic friends and family members, and I've decided to compile a little list of a few people I am especially thankful for these days. So, in no particular order, here we go.
a. Charis Pope -When I see you, I see confidence. I see ambition. I see love. You inspire me to aim for excellence and you usually see to it that I'm on that path. You are so incredibly talented and you are using your gifts for the glory of Christ, and it is such a beautiful thing to watch and experience with you. I'm so thankful to have you in my life not only to experience your great ability to love, but to be silly with you. You are always there in a moments notice when I need anything from a verbal vomit time to just time to ride around in the car and belt Michael Buble. You have given me more than I could ask for and stuck with me through the recovery. I'm so thankful to call you my friend and sister and have you to be insane with.
b. Carrie Lee Arant - You are in Ireland, and though I joke about hating you for that, I am so proud of you. You are such a confident, beautiful woman of God. And you are so insightful and encouraging. When I see you, I see peace. I know very well that you have been stressed like everyone else and have your own confusions, but I genuinely never remember a time when you were visibly anxious. You have such a strong faith in the peace of Christ, and I love it. You are truly in love with our Creator and striving to be more like Him each day, and anyone who knows you can see that. You're an inspiration to many and I feel so BEYOND blessed to have you as my cousin and get to experience life with you first hand and process it over the same kind of coffee at the same table in Caribou while Trippy Barista sings out orders in the background.
c. Ashleigh Pirtle - Oh, Ash. How I love you. I love your spirit and your energy. I love your boldness to pursue the questions you have and get answers, even when it isn't comfortable. I love that you don't let hardships stop you and how you press forward through the dark to reach the light. We've been through so much together, and I wouldn't trade a moment of it. You fill my life with laughter and spontaneity; you keep things an adventure. You are so honest about what you are feeling and thinking, and I love that. From our videos to Bible study dates, I love everything about our friendship and the beautiful person you are.
d. Betsie MacLellan -Betsie Boo Boo, you are something special. You are genuinely passionate about everything you do and give all of yourself into the things you get involved with, even if you don't want to be where you (which you'll admit yourself). You have such a childlike faith and are so ready to trust God and completely let go. Watching you grow and learn and work is such a joy. You're one of those people that is a natural thermostat: you control the environment around you, not vice versa. You light up everywhere you go and fill those around you with such great joy. I love your heart. I love hearing your struggles and victories and getting to witness firsthand the results of you really pressing into God and His will for your life.
e. Ian Newman - Despite that I find malicious happiness in punching you in the stomach and calling you a Boy Scout, I think you are pretty great. I love how much you love Jesus, because you get so genuinely excited about Him and just who He is. It is obvious to everyone around you how on fire for Christ you are, and it's such an encouragement to see Him working in you. You truly have the spirit of David, and you are being made into a leader. I know I've said it before, but you have HUGE things coming for you. He has more in store for you than you can imagine, and I can't wait to see how that manifests in your life. I'm so thankful for your friendship and that I can call you my brother. I love just talking about the greatness of our Savior with you and hearing how He is working in you. Plus, having someone to drive off a mountain in a rock slide into a river and make up ridiculous hypothetical situations with just makes life most festive.
f. Haley Robertson - I wish I could type in your southern accent, but I immediately wanted to yell "HALEY!" in said accent when I got to your name. Haley Robertson, I love your gentle spirit. You are not always quick to speak, but when you do it is always worth hearing. I love your maturity and your ability to hold those around you accountable. I love how you look for the best in situations and are the first one to turn to Scripture in a time of frustration. I love how you attempt to be sassy and just make me laugh, and I love how you don't let other people influence who you are. And I love your pretty face. Seriously, you are gorgeous.
g. Kelsey Taylor -KELTHY. I'M THANKFUL FOR YOU. No really. I love your strength. I love that you know who you are and what you want out of life. You don't let people shake you. For someone who has seen so much pain, you love with all you have. I love how you are so loyal. You aren't one who takes relationships with people lightly, and you make such a fantastic friend because of it. I love how you are so real, and you tell it to people exactly how it is. Getting to talk with you and really get to know you this summer was such a blessing and one of my favorite things about our trip. And I love our phone calls while you drive like a mad woman and make me nervous, and how you aren't afraid to put your phone in a plastic bag and talk to me while you shower. You are something special.
h. Emily Stoker - I know this is incredibly ironic, but you're a BIG person. You are another one with big things ahead of them. You never let discomfort stop you and you are so quick to serve, even when it isn't your first choice of ways to spend time. When ANYONE sees you, it is so obvious how much you love Christ and are ready to embrace His plans for you. Anyone can see that you are hungry for His word and ready to just run head long after Him. You're a beaming light amidst the darkness, and you are going to rock the world far beyond what anyone could ever expect. You're going places, Stoker, and those places are going to be blessed beyond belief by the impact you will have on them.
i. Sarah West - My walk with God and way of approaching situations isn't the only thing you influenced this summer; my vocabulary seems to have increased as well. Sarah, you are just COOL. Not only are you a strong woman of God and a role model to so many, but you are such an awesome person. I love your dancing and your crazy phrases like "barf in my pants" and how you have a song for every occasion. I love how you are ready to challenge everyone and keep them moving forward, but you do so with love. I'm so thankful for all you've done for me, for keeping me uncomfortable and for always pushing me to strive for more, even when I don't want to hear it.
j. Jessie Miller - I just love you, SMJ. I love how real you are. You don't hide who you are or try to cover up anything, you are just you. I love your honesty and how completely open you are, and how ready you are to teach and see growth. You go out of your way to do for people and you always give your all to anything and everything you do. I love your maternal spirit and how you bring life to those around you. You never give up or leave anything incomplete, and I love how you are so faithful. You can see it in all aspects of your life, especially in your relationship with Christ. You are always striving to know Him more and more and to truly embrace the love He has for you and the world around you. You are a healer and you bring life to the places you go and the people you encounter.
k. Bryan Marsh - I don't even know where to start with you, friend. When I tell people stories about you or have to explain you to anyone, I always just immediately say, "It's Bryan," and feel that should be enough. You are something else. I've never met anyone as unique as you or quite as lively. And man, the FIRE inside of you is captivating. I've never before in my life met someone who loves God the way you do. You're radical. You're serious business. You are the real deal. I get Holy Spirit chills just thinking about the way you love our God and how you are constantly in pursuit of Him and the love He has for you. You are the embodiment of a man of God and are an example to everyone around you. I still cannot believe how blessed I am to know you and to continue to see the ways God is using your life for His glory and how all the things you do are a testament to His greatness.
l. Daniel Arant - Hands down, I have the greatest younger brother in the entire universe. God obviously knew what He was doing when He decided to make us siblings. You are a mess, but that's what I love about you. I love your fun spirit and your wit, and I love how you are the first one to lift me up when I am down. Despite the fact that you crawl into my room and fart and seem to think it's funny to sit on me though you're twice my size, I wouldn't change anything about you or our relationship. I love how we've become so close and how instead of fighting like regular siblings, we shoot zombies and watch Jimmy Fallon and belt Taylor Swift songs in the car. But more seriously, I love the actual conversations we have. I love going to the gas station or just sitting in my room and talking about life together. I can't wait to see the places you're headed and all the things God has in store for your life, because I know they will be amazing.
m. Grant Matthews - I think you deserve a medal for sticking around for so long, friend. Not many people would have tolerated me for all these years. You are the brave (or insane) one. But I don't know where I'd be today without you in my life, McGee. You're the logical one who keeps me sane. We've been through a lot together, everything from learning to walk to my first car accident, and somehow we've only become closer. Heck, we survived PROM together and we've convinced an entire home school community that we are in love with each other. I mean, that only should show you how awesome we are. I'm so thankful for your friendship and the insight you provide on life. You are one of my most favorite people on the face of this planet, and I can't wait to see what other adventures we are headed for as the years go by.
n. Kelsey Barham - And last but most definitely NOT least, I could write ten million novels about how much I love you. Just covering all the things we've been through alone would take ten million novels, let alone how thankful I am to have you in my life. I wouldn't be where I am today without you. You have been my rock throughout middle school and high school and we've hit our best and worst moments together. We've gone from the goth girl with two toned hair and the Hermione-like brace faced loser to these college students with much better hair discovering where our lives are going. And yet we still giggle over farting and hold bamboo leg races. I adore so many things about you. I love your quirky personality and your absolutely bizarre sense of humor. I love your passion for the broken people of the world and how you will firmly stand for what you believe in. You are not an easy one to shake, and I love that about you. Thank you for all the laughs and the tears and the nights spend watching horror movies or choking on way-too-vanilla lattes.
YAY.
a. Charis Pope -When I see you, I see confidence. I see ambition. I see love. You inspire me to aim for excellence and you usually see to it that I'm on that path. You are so incredibly talented and you are using your gifts for the glory of Christ, and it is such a beautiful thing to watch and experience with you. I'm so thankful to have you in my life not only to experience your great ability to love, but to be silly with you. You are always there in a moments notice when I need anything from a verbal vomit time to just time to ride around in the car and belt Michael Buble. You have given me more than I could ask for and stuck with me through the recovery. I'm so thankful to call you my friend and sister and have you to be insane with.
b. Carrie Lee Arant - You are in Ireland, and though I joke about hating you for that, I am so proud of you. You are such a confident, beautiful woman of God. And you are so insightful and encouraging. When I see you, I see peace. I know very well that you have been stressed like everyone else and have your own confusions, but I genuinely never remember a time when you were visibly anxious. You have such a strong faith in the peace of Christ, and I love it. You are truly in love with our Creator and striving to be more like Him each day, and anyone who knows you can see that. You're an inspiration to many and I feel so BEYOND blessed to have you as my cousin and get to experience life with you first hand and process it over the same kind of coffee at the same table in Caribou while Trippy Barista sings out orders in the background.
c. Ashleigh Pirtle - Oh, Ash. How I love you. I love your spirit and your energy. I love your boldness to pursue the questions you have and get answers, even when it isn't comfortable. I love that you don't let hardships stop you and how you press forward through the dark to reach the light. We've been through so much together, and I wouldn't trade a moment of it. You fill my life with laughter and spontaneity; you keep things an adventure. You are so honest about what you are feeling and thinking, and I love that. From our videos to Bible study dates, I love everything about our friendship and the beautiful person you are.
d. Betsie MacLellan -Betsie Boo Boo, you are something special. You are genuinely passionate about everything you do and give all of yourself into the things you get involved with, even if you don't want to be where you (which you'll admit yourself). You have such a childlike faith and are so ready to trust God and completely let go. Watching you grow and learn and work is such a joy. You're one of those people that is a natural thermostat: you control the environment around you, not vice versa. You light up everywhere you go and fill those around you with such great joy. I love your heart. I love hearing your struggles and victories and getting to witness firsthand the results of you really pressing into God and His will for your life.
e. Ian Newman - Despite that I find malicious happiness in punching you in the stomach and calling you a Boy Scout, I think you are pretty great. I love how much you love Jesus, because you get so genuinely excited about Him and just who He is. It is obvious to everyone around you how on fire for Christ you are, and it's such an encouragement to see Him working in you. You truly have the spirit of David, and you are being made into a leader. I know I've said it before, but you have HUGE things coming for you. He has more in store for you than you can imagine, and I can't wait to see how that manifests in your life. I'm so thankful for your friendship and that I can call you my brother. I love just talking about the greatness of our Savior with you and hearing how He is working in you. Plus, having someone to drive off a mountain in a rock slide into a river and make up ridiculous hypothetical situations with just makes life most festive.
f. Haley Robertson - I wish I could type in your southern accent, but I immediately wanted to yell "HALEY!" in said accent when I got to your name. Haley Robertson, I love your gentle spirit. You are not always quick to speak, but when you do it is always worth hearing. I love your maturity and your ability to hold those around you accountable. I love how you look for the best in situations and are the first one to turn to Scripture in a time of frustration. I love how you attempt to be sassy and just make me laugh, and I love how you don't let other people influence who you are. And I love your pretty face. Seriously, you are gorgeous.
g. Kelsey Taylor -KELTHY. I'M THANKFUL FOR YOU. No really. I love your strength. I love that you know who you are and what you want out of life. You don't let people shake you. For someone who has seen so much pain, you love with all you have. I love how you are so loyal. You aren't one who takes relationships with people lightly, and you make such a fantastic friend because of it. I love how you are so real, and you tell it to people exactly how it is. Getting to talk with you and really get to know you this summer was such a blessing and one of my favorite things about our trip. And I love our phone calls while you drive like a mad woman and make me nervous, and how you aren't afraid to put your phone in a plastic bag and talk to me while you shower. You are something special.
h. Emily Stoker - I know this is incredibly ironic, but you're a BIG person. You are another one with big things ahead of them. You never let discomfort stop you and you are so quick to serve, even when it isn't your first choice of ways to spend time. When ANYONE sees you, it is so obvious how much you love Christ and are ready to embrace His plans for you. Anyone can see that you are hungry for His word and ready to just run head long after Him. You're a beaming light amidst the darkness, and you are going to rock the world far beyond what anyone could ever expect. You're going places, Stoker, and those places are going to be blessed beyond belief by the impact you will have on them.
i. Sarah West - My walk with God and way of approaching situations isn't the only thing you influenced this summer; my vocabulary seems to have increased as well. Sarah, you are just COOL. Not only are you a strong woman of God and a role model to so many, but you are such an awesome person. I love your dancing and your crazy phrases like "barf in my pants" and how you have a song for every occasion. I love how you are ready to challenge everyone and keep them moving forward, but you do so with love. I'm so thankful for all you've done for me, for keeping me uncomfortable and for always pushing me to strive for more, even when I don't want to hear it.
j. Jessie Miller - I just love you, SMJ. I love how real you are. You don't hide who you are or try to cover up anything, you are just you. I love your honesty and how completely open you are, and how ready you are to teach and see growth. You go out of your way to do for people and you always give your all to anything and everything you do. I love your maternal spirit and how you bring life to those around you. You never give up or leave anything incomplete, and I love how you are so faithful. You can see it in all aspects of your life, especially in your relationship with Christ. You are always striving to know Him more and more and to truly embrace the love He has for you and the world around you. You are a healer and you bring life to the places you go and the people you encounter.
k. Bryan Marsh - I don't even know where to start with you, friend. When I tell people stories about you or have to explain you to anyone, I always just immediately say, "It's Bryan," and feel that should be enough. You are something else. I've never met anyone as unique as you or quite as lively. And man, the FIRE inside of you is captivating. I've never before in my life met someone who loves God the way you do. You're radical. You're serious business. You are the real deal. I get Holy Spirit chills just thinking about the way you love our God and how you are constantly in pursuit of Him and the love He has for you. You are the embodiment of a man of God and are an example to everyone around you. I still cannot believe how blessed I am to know you and to continue to see the ways God is using your life for His glory and how all the things you do are a testament to His greatness.
l. Daniel Arant - Hands down, I have the greatest younger brother in the entire universe. God obviously knew what He was doing when He decided to make us siblings. You are a mess, but that's what I love about you. I love your fun spirit and your wit, and I love how you are the first one to lift me up when I am down. Despite the fact that you crawl into my room and fart and seem to think it's funny to sit on me though you're twice my size, I wouldn't change anything about you or our relationship. I love how we've become so close and how instead of fighting like regular siblings, we shoot zombies and watch Jimmy Fallon and belt Taylor Swift songs in the car. But more seriously, I love the actual conversations we have. I love going to the gas station or just sitting in my room and talking about life together. I can't wait to see the places you're headed and all the things God has in store for your life, because I know they will be amazing.
m. Grant Matthews - I think you deserve a medal for sticking around for so long, friend. Not many people would have tolerated me for all these years. You are the brave (or insane) one. But I don't know where I'd be today without you in my life, McGee. You're the logical one who keeps me sane. We've been through a lot together, everything from learning to walk to my first car accident, and somehow we've only become closer. Heck, we survived PROM together and we've convinced an entire home school community that we are in love with each other. I mean, that only should show you how awesome we are. I'm so thankful for your friendship and the insight you provide on life. You are one of my most favorite people on the face of this planet, and I can't wait to see what other adventures we are headed for as the years go by.
n. Kelsey Barham - And last but most definitely NOT least, I could write ten million novels about how much I love you. Just covering all the things we've been through alone would take ten million novels, let alone how thankful I am to have you in my life. I wouldn't be where I am today without you. You have been my rock throughout middle school and high school and we've hit our best and worst moments together. We've gone from the goth girl with two toned hair and the Hermione-like brace faced loser to these college students with much better hair discovering where our lives are going. And yet we still giggle over farting and hold bamboo leg races. I adore so many things about you. I love your quirky personality and your absolutely bizarre sense of humor. I love your passion for the broken people of the world and how you will firmly stand for what you believe in. You are not an easy one to shake, and I love that about you. Thank you for all the laughs and the tears and the nights spend watching horror movies or choking on way-too-vanilla lattes.
YAY.
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