Thanksgiving 2012...

This year I chose to head to DC for Thanksgiving. I had lots of reasons, but a few big ones were knowing that I had several days off of work, I have friends I miss terribly, and I have no idea when the next time I will be able to make it out there will be.

I took the pups with me, and thankfully he is a fantastic traveler.

Overall it was a pretty low-key weekend, but it felt like home, and it felt normal which was nice. I got lots of hugs, laughed a lot, watched lots of football with one of my bests, hung out with a couple friends, and had another love of mine make the trek up to DC to see Twilight with us! (don't judge) Plus, she got to meet Vormund (Vor - rhymes with Thor, mund - as in mundane) and love on him!

On our trek home it snowed.. a lot.. I was more than a little tickled that Vormund was uninterested in the snow, and not happy about how cold it was!.. He was totally meant to be my dog haha

It is interesting to me how feelings such as the feeling of "home" are cultivated slowly... and also let go of slowly. In my head I know DC is no longer home, but it still feels like it. When I got there Wednesday night, it did not feel like it had been seven weeks since I had driven the roads or navigated through traffic, it felt natural and normal.

There is a part of me that feels like seven weeks here in MI mean that it should now feel like home... I mean after all, I like it here, but it does not feel like home. In my head I should be attached to here already, and while I certainly love aspects of here, it is not "home"... yet. I have full confidence that my heart will catch up to my head and it will not only feel like home, but I will create forever friendships, and I will never want to leave.. And, knowing how the last few moves have gone, right about the time I never want to leave will be exactly when the Lord moves me haha

I Am So Thankful...

Thought I would post a bit about the things I am thankful for since it's Thanksgiving.

I am pretty sure I say this every year, and I plan on saying it every year until I am no more, I am so thankful for my family. My parents are amazing people, my brothers are the absolute best (sorry to everyone with brothers), my sister and sister in law are hands down two of the most amazing girls I know, my nephews and niece are hands down the cutest kids ever (again sorry to everyone who has kids in their life). I am so thankful for each one of them, for how close we are, and that we all serve our Savior passionately. I am thankful that I do not have to worry or stress about their salvation. What a blessing.

I am thankful for the lack of health issues I have had this year, especially since last year I struggled with a lot of back pain, this year it has been almost a non-issue. So grateful!

I am very thankful for my job, and the ability to pay bills, pay off debt, and help others.. As stressful and full of tension the last year has been at my job, I know that I am fortunate to not just have a job, but have a well paying one that allows me to take care of myself and others.

I am thankful for being in school again, as much as I am not a fan of school at all, and as much frustration as I have been through trying to understand accounting, finance, economics etc.. I am thankful for the opportunities that I am getting educated to take on later.

I am thankful for my friends, the ones I have had struggles with, the ones I have grown close to, and the ones I have grown apart from. I am so thankful for the things my friends have taught me, the ways they have helped me grow, and I am so thankful for all the ridiculousness they put up with to be my friend!

I am so thankful for the way God has provided in the lives of those around me.. For the faithfulness He has shown to my friends that got married, had babies, adopted, or found jobs. My God is amazing and through good times and bad He has proven Himself faithful time and time again.

I am so thankful for my church, for their humility, their passion, their love, and how passionately they seek after Christ.

I am thankful for the struggles I have been through in the last year.. that seems counter intuitive, and I certainly was not thankful for them as I was going through them, but I also knew at the time one day I would be thankful. I am so thankful that I am beginning to see the whys behind the struggles and all of the things it has begun to cultivate in me.

I. Am. So. Thankful.

Thanksgiving...

So, my family was scheduled to come down and arrive at some point Wednesday evening.. In reality, at some point Wednesday afternoon I got a phone call stating that my brother and sister in law's van died... and would forever remain dead... They were 5 hours out... Dang.

So, what did I do? Sat there for 10 minutes brainstorming with one of the worlds best friends trying to figure out how to fix this problem. See, my family was several hours closer to me than to home, and why would I want them to go home since they were coming to spend Thanksgiving with me?!... Neither one of us could think of a single person that had a minivan... Dang this stage of soccerless-non-mom's group of friends we have :) I ended up renting a minivan (which was WAY cooler than my car or my other friend who volunteered to come with me's car!), and my friend and I commenced to driving to Northern WV to go rescue my family that had themselves trapped at a Burger King... that at the least had a play place for the little kids!

Thank you soo much to my friend who so lovingly gave up and entire evening, and way late into the night to keep me company. We had a blast talking the whole way and keeping each other laughing with our stories. :)

I am also so incredibly thankful for each of my friends who kept checking in on me, and the ones who went out of their way to make sure I wasn't going to travel alone (haha... even if they were volunteering a cousin or themselves even though their family was in town. :) And.. my phone was on the way to being dead... Awesome... So, I turned it off and only turned it on every so often to get the various messages.. And, most of which were very funny and thoughtful... or funny thoughtful. It reminded me why I love my friends so much :)

After 11 hours of driving I was able to go get my family, and bring them back. The friends house that most of them are staying at.. was perfect and so inviting. Which, lets be honest at 3:30am... That's so nice!

Thanksgiving day wasn't full of much sleep.. but it was full of my family, great food, and wonderful friends.

Africa for Thanksgiving!

This Thanksgiving I have the chance to love people for Jesus in a practical way in a place far away. I love when I have opportunities to serve Jesus in unique ways, and I often seek out various methods in which I can express with my actions the love and gratitude I feel towards Jesus. This Thanksgiving I have the chance to go to Ghana Africa to serve on a short term Medical mission trip!

I know that there are things that can be done to serve Jesus here locally, and because of that I regularly participate in my local church, and serve in our community. Serving locally is one of the main reasons I chose to work at Patrick Henry; however, on occasion God provides the amazing opportunity to serve Him overseas.

This Thanksgiving holiday, from November 21 – 28, 2008, I am excited to be working in Ghana, Africa with W.M. Lord Led Missions. Our small team will be helping to plant churches in tribal villages, providing free medical assistance to nationals (the last trip cared for over 300 children and had 1,000 left in line when they ran out of supplies!), planning the addition of a desperately-needed Christian orphanage, and serving in any other area needed.

This trip clearly is a last minute whirlwind of planning and preparation, which is why I desperately need your help both in prayer and financially!

“Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God.” – Philippians 4:6 Please pray faithfully for physical and spiritual safety, as well as stamina for the packed week of work; for health and healing of those in Ghana; and for lives to be eternally changed.

I need to raise $2,000 for myself, while the team needs a total of $8,000 by November 15^th! Please consider supporting us financially with whatever you can contribute for this mission. Please address checks to WM Lord Led Missions and note that all donations are tax-deductible.

Thank you in advance for your partnership in prayer and support of this ministry. It is truly a blessing to go to experience missions such as these, to share the message that has consumed my life, and to watch as the Holy Spirit use the same truth to radically change the people of Ghana for eternity.

"Righteous Father, though the world does not know you, I know you, and they know that you have sent me. 26I have made you known to them, and will continue to make you known in order that the love you have for me may be in them and that I myself may be in them."- John 17:25-26

Blessings,

Krista