Day 28

All my life I have wanted to find a guy who just completely "gets" me.  I know, I know... I'm sure that is the same for many girls out there who grew up dreaming of Prince Charming, and I am no different.  I bought into the lie for awhile that I needed that perfect guy to validate me and to make me feel loved.  I've dated around a little bit, and while each of these encounters had some good experiences, they all completely fell dramatically far below my dream.

I had prayed more about this area of my life than any other, and yet it seemed as if God was ignoring my plea.  I can't count the number of times that people said "Just stop looking for that person and you'll meet him!"  If it's been awhile since you have been single, let me remind you that it is one of the most annoying piece's of advice you can give a single girl.  If it were that easy, don't you think I would have done that already?!  Honestly, I was always appreciative of that helpful tip, but I just didn't know how to stop looking.

Finally after the last dating travesty, I had my fill.  I was tired of the emotional warfare that was taking place inside my heart.  I remember thinking that if this is what relationships were truly like, then I didn't want any part of one.  I deserved better, or I deserved nothing.  I was not one of those girls who would be a doormat for some guy.  I was tired of compromising what I truly wanted, and yes, I made a list of all those qualities to keep me from compromising.  After a heartfelt time of talking with God and listening, I presented him the list of my requests and asked that he would either a) bless me with a Godly man or b) make me completely content  in Him, that I wouldn't feel like I was missing out if God chose for me to be solely His forever.  And finally, I became content with God.  Not content in an "I'm settling so I'd better get used to this way", but in a completely confident manner that my God was going to take care of me regardless.  

Shortly thereafter, I "met" Alex.  I had signed up for a free-communication weekend on eHarmony (mainly because I was bored one day and thought "Hey, why not?").  I wasn't expecting anything would come of it, and I knew that I would be perfectly happy if nothing did.  And suddenly, some guy (a very cute guy with a fantastic smile) messaged me, and we quickly progressed through eHarmony's process of getting to know someone (which is a lengthy endeavor that really does help match you appropriately!), and he seemed just pretty darn swell!  The rest, they say, is history.

That all being said, today I am TRULY thankful for Alex Grayson.  He is such a wonderful, Godly man that the Lord has blessed me with.  Remember that list that I had made?  He not only meets each and every criteria on it, but he goes way beyond the bare essentials.  For example, I wanted someone who would worship God with me through music.  Well, not only can he sing, but he can play like 1,654 different instruments AND has the patience to teach me (which is quite a feat, I assure you).  And that's only one example!  

He is my perfect compliment.  When I am having a crazy emotional female breakdown that he doesn't even understand, he doesn't get mad or irritated that I am a complete wreck.  He talks me through it, supports me, and makes me laugh.  When I take on a crazy challenge that even I doubt myself in (like running a mini-marathon) he encourages me and is my own personal cheerleader!  When I have a question or want to discuss something in the bible or about God, he always provides me with fresh insight and a challenge to dig deeper into the Word and keep learning.  Plus, he totally looked at ALL of my Facebook pictures when we were first getting to know each other, saw what a weirdo I am, and STILL liked me.  Now that's saying something!

In the past few weeks, I've been reminded of some of those times when I was interested in someone or dating someone and all of the drama that went along with it.  The confusion, the disappointment, the heart shattering feelings are just fading memories now.  I can honestly say that I know I won't be experiencing those again, and what a great feeling that is!

Thank you, Lord, for hand picking this wonderful, funny, loving, spectacular, hunky, Godly man for me!  And thank you for allowing me to experience all those disappointing relationships so that I can truly appreciate the one you have graced me with.

Day 26

I am thankful for my dad!  He is a caring, considerate, helpful person who would do about anything for anyone.  We didn't talk for quite a few years, and though I regret that it went as long as it did, I think it helped to make our relationship stronger today, and for that I am truly thankful!

One of the things that I love most about my dad (which I mentioned in another post) is how he knows how to do EVERYTHING.  There seriously isn't anything he doesn't know how to fix, and that just impresses me beyond explanation.  It also baffles me.  Just HOW does he know how to fix SO MUCH?! I am thankful that when I have a problem, he can provide a solution.  He has helped me out of quite a few tough situations where I had no clue what to do.  I am thankful for his knowledge, experience, and willingness to help!

Also, I love when my dad laughs.  They are for real, genuine laughs that are contagious and he gets a giant smile when he laughs, and his cheeks get rosy, and I realize where I get it from. :)

Day 24

I'm backtracking, because I want to have enough days and I botched my first attempt.  There are just too many people/things that I am thankful for!

Today I am thankful for my brother.  We didn't always get along growing up, but as we have gotten older and stopped torturing each other, I've gotten to see what a decent, caring, hardworking guy he has become.  I love seeing how he is taking after my dad in that he-knows-how-to-fix-anything kind of way.  He is a a handy, knowledgable, Mr. Fix It type, and I am just super impressed with him!

I also love that although we don't live near each other, we get to bond while shooting people on call of duty, and it's just pretty cool.  And we had a heck of a lot of fun as kids, whether it was on our family snowmobile trips where we'd run between the hot tub and indoor pool and jump in, whether it was playing kick the can at grandma and grandpas, whether it was trying to knock each other off the jet skis, or whether it was him racking himself on a piece of playground equipment and blaming me for pulling him down (I have never heard someone scream so loudly in my LIFE!).  We had some good times.

I wish we could hang out more and get to know each other more as the people we are today, because I am excited about the person he is becoming!  I am thankful for who he is turning in to, and thankful for all the memories that I have from growing up with him.

Day 25

Okay, so I missed about 13 days blogging about thankfulness.  However, I specifically remember multiple things on each day that I am thankful for, and that's really the whole purpose of this little exercise.

That being said, today I am thankful for my mom.  She has selflessly given so much for me to have a happy life, and she puts everyone before herself.  You would be hard pressed to find many people with a heart as big as hers, and you could see part of that by counting the number of kids throughout the years that she has allowed to live under her roof when they didn't have many other options.

My mom still wants to take care of me when I get sick, and she has already brought me lunch today (a lucky chance that she had to stop by anyway).  When I was young and sick, I would stay home from school and we would watch The Price Is Right and she would fix me a turkey sandwich on a croissant. I am so thankful to have a mommy that took such good care of me, and still does.

I don't tell her often enough, and I always assume she knows, but I am so thankful that God has given her to me as a mother.  I know that He definitely didn't make a mistake where this is concerned (not that my God makes mistakes...that he does NOT do!).  I hope as I continue to grow older, that I will have a heart as big as hers, that I will always put others before myself, and I will be just as wonderful of a mother that she has been to me.

Day 12

Today I went to work, fully expecting there to be a freshman basketball game.  When I got there, I discovered it had been cancelled.  I am thankful for unexpected 'early' nights off from work!  Yeah!

Day 11

On Sunday, I had the opportunity to attend a banquet for the organization Hope 2 Liberia.  Hope 2 Liberia's vision is to provide safe and living water for the nation of Liberia, resulting in better health, available education and stronger leaders; all culminating in a renewed sense of hope.

I am thankful for the heart behind this organization.  Knowing a lot of the individuals involved with this ministry personally, I know that there is such a love for the country of Liberia and her people.  Having been there personally, I have seen the devastation and the need.  I have also seen the hope that Hope 2 has given through both safe and living water.  I am thankful for that hope, and for each and every heart affected by it.

Day 10

Yes, I am behind on my days, but i remember what I was thankful for each day, so I will play a little catch-up!

Saturday I went to help my dear old roommate, Kristen, at her new house.  She just became a first time homeowner (yayyy!!!) and she is SUPER excited!  The house is adorable, and once she gets the "old lady look out of it, it will be even more so!  She is remodeling every room in the house, most with a fresh coat of pain and new carpet.  A few other rooms will get some more detailed face-lifts.  I am excited to see it when it gets done!

All that being said, I am super thankful for Kristen.  She has been one of the best friends I could have ever asked for.  We lived together for 3 years and I can only remember one "fight" we got into, and it was me just being a grump.  

Kristen has helped guide me as a friend should.  So many times I would go to her for advice (though more times I was looking for approval and justification) and rather than go along with it, she would respond "Well, what do YOU think?"  I cannot express how absolutely FRUSTRATING that response was, but also how absolutely CRUCIAL it was for me in a time where I wanted to make bad decisions.  She knew exactly how to stir up my conscience and make me realize what truly was best for me.  Without that, I think I would have learned some lessons a lot harder (and I learned some pretty hard lessons the way it was!).

Living with Kristen was also hilarious 99% of the time (1% was when we were actually sleeping).  Whether we were playing videogames until 2am, making midnight trips to the VP for the best hot chocolate around, or stealthy creeping through our house with a baseball bat and butcher knife looking for intruders, there was never a dull moment.  I truly miss my friend and all of the fun times that we had, and I am so thankful that God blessed me with a random roommate that happened to become a best friend.  

Day 9

As an athletic trainer, I rarely get Friday nights off.  This week I have Friday night off.

And for THAT I am thankful!

Day 8

Last night I had a conversation on the phone with my bestest best friend forever (or BBFF to the unknowing).  It was a rare opportunity for at conversation between two people who have had completely different work and sleep schedules over the past 6 months!  That conversation led me to the thankfulness that I have for the one and only, Laurie Walls.

Neither of us are sure of the precise origins of our friendship, at least to the extent that it is today.  We met in middle school and had a close knit group of 5 who were obsessed with the Backstreet Boys and avidly against any other boy band. We became close friends, but as middle school ended and high school began our crowds changed a little.  We didn't hang out as much, though we were always friendly towards one another.  Somehow though, even after graduation, we picked back up with a friendship that was stronger than ever.  (We both think it had something to do with a mutual love of midnight harry potter book and movie releases that really propelled our friendship!)

Since then, I can say that there has been no one that I have shared in so many adventures with!  Our friendship has never been the typical "hang-out and chill at home" or "bar-hopping" type, though we are perfectly okay hanging at home and can have a blast just playing board game.  On occasion, we have tried the bar scene and promptly realized that we are not "those people" who enjoy "that".  Our friendship, our sistership, revolves around some form of travel.    If we are confined to hanging out in Fort Wayne for a night, you will most likely see us tooling around in a little bright blue Kia Spectra 5, with no particular destination in mind, making occasional stops for geocaches, sonic beverages (RIP Ft Wayne Sonic), and stopping for phantom raccoons and suicidal frogs.  If we are not in Fort Wayne you probably won't be able to find us, because we are on an epic adventure and are running on little sleep and moving at speeds near 150mph.  Our favorite destinations are St. Augustine, NYC, and the Wizarding World of Harry Potter though we will gladly go ANYWHERE (so long as there are no bedbugs)!

There are few people that you hardly have to say anything for them to understand what's going on, but Laurie is one of those people.  just last night, I think I said two words and was at a loss for how to explain what I was feeling, and she totally got it.  We have had our fare share of ups and downs, but it has only made us greater friends, and it will only continue to do grow stronger and stronger.  I am thankful that I have the bestest best friend in the entire universe!!!






For all of the plans we've made,
There isn't a flag I'd wave,
Don't care if we bend,
I'd sink us to swim,
We're marching on!

 

Day 7

Last night at work, I got the chance to talk to our team doc on the phone about an athlete.  I have to say that I am TRULY thankful that I get to have such a great working relationship with Dr. Hulett.  She was on the sidelines for all of our home football games, and just requested a schedule for our basketball games.  Having worked as the athletic trainer for Connersville for three years now, two of those years we were in between orthopedic doctors.  It was kind of confusing trying to schedule appointments for athletes and not knowing which doctor they were seeing, let alone having any sort of trust in them to feel confident referring my athletes to them.  

However, so much of that has changed this year!  Dr. Hulett is a great person, a caring doctor, and a sports enthusiast!  I have no fear referring any of my athletes to her, no problem communicating with her about an athlete, and no hesitation in calling her up to ask a question.  It makes me so grateful to have such an excellent working relationship with her and everyone at FRHS.  This year, more than ever before, I feel like I can really take pride in my workplace!

Day 6

Today I am thankful for my workout buddies!  I have made two new friends in the last week, and it is so motivating to have these ladies to work out with.

Working out is something that is going to be a part of my life forever, because I am determined to be healthy! Having encouraging people to workout alongside makes it much more bearable, especially when I can't find the motivation from within.

Plus, workout buddies help you find crazy fun races to run in.  Yep, I'm talking about you, Leslie Gettinger!  :D

Day 5 (Just One Day Late)

Yesterday, I was thankful for the acts of kindness from strangers.  

As I was approaching work yesterday, I saw a bunch of flashy red and blue lights.  As I got closer, I saw that there was a car accident, resulting in one car being flipped on its side.  Being curious, I wandered a little closer and realized that it was one of my youth kids and her mom that had been driving the car that was rolled.  Thankfully, they were uninjured except for some scrapes.  A man who saw the accident rushed forward to help pull my friends to safety, without hesitation.  

I am thankful for people who, out of the goodness of their heart, step beyond their comfort zone and provide assistance and show unexpected kindness when it is needed most.

Day 4

Today, I am thankful for my darling little pets, Finn and Penny.  They never fail to make me smile.  They are the most cuddly of animals I have ever seen.  When I don't feel well, they will lie beside me and just be with me.  They won't move until I do, which is saying something!  Let's move on with some specifics:

Penny is five years old.  She was a shelter kitten when I got her.  She is spunky, loving, spastic, and hilarious.  When I leave her alone for the weekend, she completely craves attention when I get back and is incredibly sweet and snuggly.  At night, she goes hunting for anything that might be a threat to our little home.  She always finds the same dog toy- a long blue stuffed animal that apparently is trying to bring our house down.  I'm thankful I have a cat willing to risk her life and hunt down threatening dog toys for my safety.   

Finn is four years old.  I met him when he was two, and we instantly fell in love.  He has been THE most perfect, loyal, faithful companion that I could have ever asked for.  I seriously think that with the way he understands me, he must be a human that has been transformed into a dog by an evil witch.  Well, thank you Evil Witch, because he rocks as a dog.  I will forever be spoiled with this sweet, loving puppy who snuggles with me at every possible moment, gives me kisses when I need them, and makes me laugh when I am down.  

Thank you, Lord, for giving me the best animals in the entire world to come home to each and every night!

Day 3

It's that time again, the time to reveal what I am thankful for today!  Are you ready?!

Today I am thankful for....drumroll please....Chick Flicks!  Well, movies in general, but specifically today I am thankful for a good 'ol chick flick.  Amidst my house cleaning, laundry folding, random errands I have been running today, I flipped on the tv to find "My Best Friend's Wedding" on ABC Family.  I love when I can sit down and become completely immersed in a movie. I love when I find myself smiling SO incredibly big because of the cute storyline.  I love the warm fuzzes.   I love the perfectly timed song played at the perfect moment of the perfectly told love story.  

I am sure that this probably sounds petty.  "She's thankful for chick flicks?" you ask.  "Wow, real deep."  Don't fret, I'll get to other important people and things that I am thankful for, but today it just so happens that I am thankful for a good movie with a great love story.  

With that being said, feel free to leave a comment of your favorite Chick Flick, RomCom, or whatever you like to call them! :D

Day 2

Today, as I was sitting at my desk dealing with a malfunctioning keyboard for the second day in a row, I realized what I am thankful for today: Technology.  When it doesn't work, we throw temper tantrums like hungry toddlers who missed their nap.  However, when it does work, we are happy as a kid with animal crackers watching cartoons.

Specifically, I am thankful for the communication aspect of technology.  I live in a small town and a good deal of my friends and family are an hour or more away.  Technology allows me to conveniently reach all of them with a few clicks or taps!  My iPhone allows me to talk to any of them at a moments notice.  Facebook allows me to contact family and friends in other countries within seconds.  I can keep in contact with my best friend through a secret blog where we post things that only we will understand.  By embracing my inner gamer, I can answer the Call of Duty and battle meanies alongside my friends (even if I look like a dork with my headset on).  By opening up my computer and making a few clicks, I can have a "face to face" conversation with my handsome fella who lives 2 hrs away.

Technology. Is. Awesome.

Except when it brings us things like Honey Boo Boo, Dance Moms, and the Kardashians.

So thank you, technology, and all of your wonderfulness (eh......minus those three things listed above)!

Day 1

I've always seen those statuses during November for the "30 Days of Thanks" that people post, yet I have never actually done it myself.  This is mostly due to the fact that I have never started it on November 1st and, somewhere in my unorganized mind, I like starting things on the day they should be started.  Well looksie!  Today just happens to be November 1!  So, for the next 30 days I will post something that I am thankful for, in no particular order.  

Today I am thankful for my jobs- past, present, and future.  I started working at the age of 15 and have had a job ever since, usually more than one at a time.  At each of these venues, I've learned some very important lessons, made friends that have practically turned into family, and have simply experienced life in a great way!  God has perfectly mapped out each and every one of these jobs for me, to grow me in ways I never thought needed growing, and He has poured out blessing upon blessing through these jobs!

So thank you to these fabulous workplaces and, more importantly, the individuals who took the time to employ and befriend me!

Shopoff's Steakhouse

Tropitana Tanning Salon

Lutheran Hospital

Cold Stone Creamery

The BSU Learning Center Study Strategies Desk

Grad Assistant Athletic Trainer at BSU

Cool Cayenne

Cambridge City Christian Church

Fayette Regional Health Systems

Your investment into my life has helped make me the gal I am today!