Gratitude (From Saturday, Sunday, and Monday)

These are some things from my gratitude journal. I hope that they are encouraging in some way.

Mark, Sean, Zach Aument...we'd love to have you guys post some stuff ;) 

• Handels Messiah, full of friends voices, singing praises in 1st UMC, sharing smiles with Kayla, Matt, Jordan, and Zach
• Matt, Denny, Chris, and I, even for a moment, share a quick communion; Matt and I are proud, Denny and Chris are filled up; four months apart becomes nothing
• Early morning rising (Saturday), McNutts, coffee, milk, and gifts. There is nothing quite like early morning conversation with the Zach's.
•  A beautiful father-daughter dynamic in McNutts; his jokes and twinkling eyes, her laughter and joy.
• Bethany's half awake "thank you's" 
• Bethany bringing me food at the Writing Center and joining me for dinner
• Bacon with brown sugar/ eggs/ pancakes/ Home Alone 1 w/ Harrison and Zach
• Harrison reminding me so much of good friends from home; 
• Zach's brokenness, honesty, and hope scrawled on mirrors, leaking out of eyes, hanging in his words.
• Dave Ward's sermon "Practicing Christians," and glimpses of the practicing Christian in our lives
• A couple honest questions about the spiritual life from Kayla in the past few days. She wants my advice. She values my input. Yea!
• The hokey-pokey in the middle of the Student Center
• Seeing Katie at Baldwin. She brings so much to small group. I value her.
• Anne hugged me, told me I was appreciated. Such hope in her.
• David Riggs and his scholarship. He is doing work that will change people's lives. We live in a grace relationship with God. So much fruit will come from this.
• A beautiful Prose Essay and so much affirmation towards it.
• A silent Lodge, time to just lay on the couch and read a book.
• When Brian Bernius's voice cracks; his laugh.