Happy Thanksgiving Again!

I used to hate cold rainy days. A lot. Lindsey has always loved them, and I never really understood why. A couple years ago Linds pointed out that she loves them so much because it feels like there has been a big blanket pulled over the sky, and so we have to stay indoors and stay wrapped up in blankets too. This made a lot of sense to me, and since then I have also grown to look forward to soggy grey days.

This morning as we were rolling out of bed, looking out the window it was all grey, there was a slow drizzle, and we knew that there was nowhere we had to go until the late afternoon, and even then our only responsibility would be to eat copious amounts of delectable food. Dare I say it? Yes, this is the perfect fall day, and it is only right that it should be an official day of intentionally thanking God for all the things he has given us. A few items from my list, in no particular order:

1. Pies. All of them.

2. My bride, with whom I continue to learn more about the depths of friendship and the blessings it brings than I have ever thought imagined. Our friendship stands as the solid base out of which our love grows, and the longer we are together, the more I look forward to being around her. Her passion for adventure, delight in creation, and excellence in learning and live are inspiring and humbling to me. I only grow more intrigued by of her thoughts, smile, and voice!

3. The beauty of creation around us, and how even a frigidly soaked tree trunk, darkened by the slow fall of the morning rain, can detail the attention and intention with which God designed this world for us.

4. My cat, Mia, who has more personality than I ever would have expected.

5. The healthy relationships that working with the Global Youth and Family Ministry has brought me with friends, family, students, and even those in authority over me. I have learned so much from these, and I am excited to see how God will keep growing me in these.

6. The privilege of living far away, and the joy of hosting friends and family when they visit and enter into the life we've built.

7. The opportunity to learn what it means counsel others well, as well as to be counseled myself. Learning these skills in relationships has been like seeing a new color, or discovering a new flavor to me! They not only open to me their own new aspects of life, but the skills learned there are bountifully enriching all the other aspects as well.

-Drew