Thankful Thursday

I saw this quote the other day and it caught my eye. God really has given me an awesome life and I take it for granted far too often. I'm so thankful for all God's given me. I need to show Him that a little more.

Dear God, this week I'm thankful for...

• my life. I'm thankful for all the ups, downs, and loops you've included in this roller coaster of a life you've had me on. I'm thankful that you haven't made me ride it alone though. You've been right there with me every step of the way. 
• my job. God, you've called me to something I've always dreamed of. I'm a missionary. I'm a teacher. I'm a missionary teacher. How cool is that?! :) I get to teach all the usual stuff. But I also get to teach about God. I get to spend 5 days a week with an awesome group of kids that challenge me and make me grow as a teacher. I believe that I often learn as much from them as they learn from me. 
• my homes - both here in Dakar and back in Alabama. I'm thankful that "home is where the heart is" and not just "an address." I'm thankful for the homes I've had, the places I've lived, the true friends I've made, and the people I've met along the way.
• my education. I'm thankful that I've received the training I have since that training has definitely paid off since starting my teaching career. Even when teaching general ed. classes I've been able to use the Special Ed. and ESL training I've received.

Sometimes it's the little things in life that I'm thankful for, like...

• a long conversation I had with a parent after school yesterday about the awesomeness of the Holy Spirit and the signs we see of things to come. 
• a video my brother sent me showing my niece trying her hardest to crawl, but ending up scooting on her belly across the floor. 
• a chat with my mom on an afternoon when I was feeling down and needing a pick-me-up.
• balloons and a word puzzle making learning this week's Bible verse so much more fun for my first graders. ...not to mention, the sweet giggles that came from doing this activity.
• the picture below that someone posted to Facebook earlier this week...

How can you not smile looking at this picture? :)