the greatest of these is love

wanna know why? because it's Shana's birthday. and i'm thankful for her.

so happy birthday Shana Stine! i love you...almost the most!


i'm thankful for more than that. i'm thankful for the class i have on Monday and Wednesday mornings and thankful that i have three friends i can sit with, and then walk out with, still talking about the class. because it's interesting. and it's exciting, and i'm a dork for liking it probably.

i'm thankful that i live in a place and a time where all of you are. i couldn't have planned it. but i'm thankful that God knew what He was doing.

i'm thankful for the TEP program at UIS. that's a hard one to say. but i really am getting excited about being in a classroom, and the projects we have assigned so far are not that bad. i did the reading for my class, and it's interesting and i learned. YAY!

i'm thankful that i grew up on a farm. i learned the values of hard work, discipline, and entertaining myself (i was little, and five miles away from all of my friends...). i even learned the value of hog manure (it doesn't smell very good, but it makes a good fertilizer). i'm thankful that God has put situations in my life that have broadened that perspective. i'm thankful that my parents are supportive of whatever decisions i make (unless they're really stupid), no matter how crazy my ideas seem to them.

i'm thankful for community and vision beyond what we can think or imagine. for unity within a Body and a common goal to look past what we think are our limits and try to let God break down the boxes that we continually put around Him.

most of all, i'm thankful for a God who loves me, even though He sees everything. He continually pursues me, fervently cares for me and always provides for my needs, whether i saw them as needs or not. He loved us so much that He left Heaven and the perfect unity and community He shared and took on the form of a human. He came, He taught, He supped with sinners, His love was (and is) radical.

peace