Ten things we are thankful for 2010

You can treat this post as our Christmas update letter :)  Brittany and I both compiled "Top Ten Lists" of the things that we are thankful for this past year.  We thought it would be fun to do them separately and see how the match up.  So the lists are completely unedited by the other person and are our own thoughts :)


Mark-
10.Little Joys- Like the all state insurance mayhem commercials, silly little remote control helicopters, burning leaves, that first cup of coffee in the morning, and chocolate chip waffles!

9. World Cup- I love the world cup, and get really into it.  I think it stinks it only comes every four years.  At least it makes up for the winter Olympics...

8.BSF- For some reason I'm reallllllllly picky about the bible studies that I want to join, but BSF (Bible Study Fellowship) has been everything I look for in a bible study (they actually study the bible in depth and have good theology, but I think you can't get one without the other....).  Such a blessing!  And listening to great lectures by a old guy with an English accent is a bonus!
 
7.Traveling opportunities- Brittany and I have been so blessed to be able to a lot of the world in first year of marriage, and are so incredibly blessed to be able to do travel a little bit.  We went to Mexico, lived in Texas (so got to see a lot of Texas, including beautiful Abilene, Sweetwater, and Dallas.  I got to see more of Texas than Brittany because I was down there longer, so I got to go to San Antonio to see a high school state football championship game, Austin and San Marcos.  Also, I was able to stop in Tulsa and experience the best of Oklahoma with my awesome sister-in-law Wendy.), Chicago, Jacksonville, Hogwarts (in Orlando, Anna Maria Island (at the end of this year), beautiful Detroit (I'm running out of places to list), and the worst place on earth, Ann Arbor (mostly because of all the filthy rodents that live there).

6.A great football season- Go Spartans!  11-1, and they still get a terrible bowl game, at least they are playing on New Years day though!  Hopefully they win this year...  Mark Dantonio is so great and such a great compliment to Tom Izzo (PS- I'm ready for a great basketball season now, Tom :).  A special shout out to my friend, Eric Swanson, who is a manager on the team and a complete stud!  I love my Alma mater!

5.Harry Potter- I know, I should be pretending to be a grown man, but I love Harry Potter!  I have read all seven books this year, watched all seven movies (anxiously waiting for the finale in the spring), and had the incredible opportunity to visit the Wizarding World of Harry Potter in Universal Studios Orlando.  So amazing!  The only way I can describe it is, "A world of whimsy and fantasy!"

4.Youth Ministries/Jobs- Some times it is easy for me to become frustrated and upset about jobs, but when I take a step back and reflect on what God has given me in the area of employment, I am truly blessed and can't wait to see where God places me in the future.  This year I bounced around A LOT!  Had a great Director of Youth Ministries position in Texas that I learned lessons there that will shape the way I do ministry forever.  I was hired at Big Beaver UMC in Detroit for two weeks, after which I resigned from because it wasn't going to be a good fit for me and Brittany (both theologically and for our stage of life).  I then took an internship at gracespring Bible Church (and yes gracespring is supposed to be lowercase.  The church also underwent a name change, so it's the same church as RBC) and have learned sooo much there and I'm getting great experience!  Also, because it's part time at gracespring, God has blessed me with another job, delivering pizzas for Pizza Hut!  Which I love!  It's not a career choice, but it's a really great way to earn some more income and share my faith outside of church :)  Anddddd, I just picked up another job working a couple of hours at the Doster Store (a small country convenience store).  I am just so blessed to have three jobs in an economy that is so depressed!

3.Great friends and family- I'm not going to list many people here (for fear of accidentally leaving someone out), but know if you are reading this, you have probably impacted my life in the psst year in a way that I would only do justice by thanking you in person.  It's been a weird year, no doubt.  But the truth is, Brittany and I wouldn't have been able to make it through if it weren't for two things: our relationship with God and our family and friends.  So Thank You!!!

2.Great doctors- I like to joke with Brittany that she is really great at spending our money on fun things for herself, like PA school and cancer treatment!  I know it's kinda a morbid joke, but I wouldn't want to spend our money any other way.  I wanted to make this one my number one (spoiler alert), because it's such an incomprehensible blessing to have Brittany healthy.  Thank you God for the incredible doctors that He used to help make this happen.  I'm tearing up right now as I'm typing this because we have seen God's sovereign hand move in our lives.  I know this will affect us for the rest of our lives, but I'm not concerned about that, because we have the rest of our lives to enjoy God and his blessings.  In a way, I'm glad that God blessed us with cancer, because of the glimpse of his mercy we were able to see due to this trial, the way that it has brought us closer to Him through it, and the platform it gave us to share our struggles candidly and how our relationship with Jesus has meant everything to us.

1.A wonderful wife!- It's soooo awesome being married!  I'm not going to apologize for being corny or whatever, but it's so great being married to my best friend.  Being able to spend our time together(this includes not having to go home at night ;), and sharing my entire life and heart with Brittany is the best thing I could imagine :)

Brittany -

10. My iphone - It came to me through a series of unfortunate events with my sister, and I am obsessed with it. I looooooooove it and am so thankful for it. I don't NEED it and it is just a little extra blessing (with lots of fun games). Oh yes and my Nintendo DS, which I have mentioned before how amazing that little guy is :) I love texting and it really makes my days great!

9. Books on CD - I drive a lot. Like 45 min a day, and 3 hours Friday home, and 3 hours Sunday back to Detroit. I love books on CD. I had this wonderful intention of listening to lectures while I drive, but I can hardly pay attention in class so its just not happening when I am driving. I really enjoy car time now.

8. Babysitting - Anna and Amy. LOVE THEM. I literally can hardly wait for the my time with them on the weekend. I love snuggling with precious Amy and hearing Anna talk (and talk and talk). I will stop myself there....

7. Blogs - I love reading blogs. I have to limit myself, because I'm pretty sure I could do it all day. Some of my favs are the ones about: large families, adoptions, homeschooling, solid Christians, crafty people, and photography. I follow some families and totally am obsessed with them and know lots about them but they live across the US and would prob be totally weirded out if they know I read so much. But I am learning a lot. Actually it didn't hit me until I was reading a blog at lunch the other day and a girl who sits by me in school asked who the pictures of the kids were and I was like ....ummm.... haha and I explained to her about the blog and hopefully she understands. Anyway, I am thankful for blogs.

6. My school friends that I have made this year, have been so great, and helpful, and wonderful. And of course my other friends who have consistently been awesome.

5. Free heat in my apartment. Love cranking that up to 85 :)

4. Texas - Living in Texas for the first half of the year. Awesome. Here are some of my fav things from it - hanging out with Mark each night, making dinners all the time, doing everything with Mark, Rosa's, mountain biking, the Borcherts, violin lessons with Lex, Jason's Deli, being involved with Mark's youth ministry, being cancer free and school free :)

3. Having a family that loves me well. And is by no means perfect, but forgives me and gives me lots of grace and opportunity to grow. I love hanging out with my sisters on the weekends (which mostly consists of sitting at the dining room table studying), but they are both so wonderful and I enjoy them so much. And my mom is so great too, she is so loving and patient with me, and gives the best back rubs in the entire world!

2. Being cancer freeeee - and having a God that heals. Just thinking back to July and getting diagnosed and the shock and whirl wind of events that followed, and how faithful God is.

1. Being married to the most amazing man in the world. I know blah blah blah. But I swear he is, and I am am pretty sure I could not have made it this year with out him. Point and case. Him driving to Detroit to be with my school fundraiser and encourage me for a few hours last night (its 6 hours round trip)!!

Here are some pictures of things we are thankful for!!

Mark and Lex with their Butterbeer from Harry Potter world...its something Harry and his friends drink in Hogsmeed, and they were just in heaven.

Anna and Amy, loooove themmmmm