for coffee in the morning and coffee in the evening                                                                                                       for gramma and her sass and the gift she has of bringing everyone together
for a sister who lets me borrow her sweater and lets me hold her hand in the car                                                  for a holiday that is dedicated to pausing to be thankful, and together
for fireplaces
for safety
for an aunt who bakes a pumpkin pie just because she knows i love them                                                               for pumpkin pie
for my grandpa and how much he loves my gramma
for allison, and that she is in my family and is also my friend
for sweet texts all day long from people who just mean the world to me
for an aunt who gives cheek kisses
for my dad, makin me laugh all day long
for extended time at the table to lounge and talk and be together
for a thanksgiving eve service at church that seriously moved my heart
for mr grow and mrs grow and spencer and j.p. and riley.. each one very special.. they're family to me
for times when i get to grocery shop in target with my dad                                                                                           for being known, and known so deeply
for familiar trails
for lauren draayer
for God giving himself, and everything that comes with that.. (joy, deep love, life, peace, fullness)



i find that today, especially, my heart is troubled at the extent to which i have been given gifts that are ridiculously undeserved.  it just doesn't seem okay to have been given so much, and sometimes it just kind of puts me in shock and overwhelms me, almost too much to handle, if i think long enough about the kindness and goodness that God has extended to me throughout my life.  so if God is willing to appreciate the measly thanks that comes out of my mouth, i think i will be expressing that thanks as long as i am able.  i don't always want to thank God.  i snap and disappoint and fall short.  i worry and hurt and doubt and i know i have grieved him.  but he still chooses every day to love me, and give himself and every one of my needs.  so i think i can choose every day to thank him.  he is worthy of my life.  he is worthy of so much more than my life.

friends,
it would mean the world if you would watch this video that i got to create with my dear, and very talented, friend, becca.  this was a JOY.  click here: [thankfulness]
we really hope it blesses you and that wherever you are, you are able to pause, take a deep breath, and embrace the Creator's goodness.

for towers and for this community and for each of these beautiful people ^^
for going around in a circle and each saying one thing we are thankful for
for mini pumpkin pies... that steph larson is gooood at making mini pumpkin pies, holy cow...
for a homemade sign made last minute with a deformed turkey hand (: (yep, that would be my work ;))
for getting to know sweet girls on my floor, emily and amber
for movies that are sold out
for eggnog from fancy gas stations
for drinking that eggnog in cherry cups and clinking glasses together
for games in a homey home with really wonderful people
for cinnamon gummy bears that taste like christmas
for really sweet notes
for austin and bryan and maija and katie
for steph and christine and two cassies
for harry potter with friends who love me and feel like my sisters
for angela
for sitting in sunshine
for cassie and for the ways she loves me... like sitting with me on my floor for a long time and laughing with me and putting up with my crazy weird antics such as looking up pictures of foot bunyons and disfigured feet on google and letting me show her hillsong videos (:
for meghan and her friendship and her cozy room with blankets
for devyn and her stories and her love
for sarah and her hugs
for lord huron, a band that austin showed me... guys, they are sooo good.. ya gotta give em a listen!
for diane comer and the wisdom on her blog that just gets me every time!

for early sun and frost on my window.  i think it's hard to express what that sun does in me, but i know God knows.  often, it communicates his love to me more than words ever could.
for my english professor makin me laugh every class... that guy just loves life, let me tell ya.. and it's so great!
for emily and her moose and rabid racoon drawing.  that girl, i tell ya... i love her really a lot.
for waking up this morning with the thought that i get to know and be with God, forever. woah.. forever!
for devyn and for becca and for meghan and afton
for holland sitting with me and that jeff pianki song, "this town" that makes me think of her
for this song that makes me want to go on an adventure in the woods.
for my camelback that my dear friend gave to me!
for morning time
for exodus 33
for austin and how much he loves people
for christmas music playing on barstow street!
for people who are really good at creating unique art... like painted santa claus gords and stuffed dragon animals with three heads! (:
for meeting two kind strangers who really take care of each other
for the girls on my floor
for anna and the notes that she leaves.
for becca's blog.
for ariel and mai lee, two beautiful women who mean the world to me, and for group hugs with them (:

for this little chili (: yep, I hear ya, little guy!  It's cold out there these days!
for just feeling God assuring me over & over that He will never leave me
for getting to learn more signs in my American Sign Language class
for breakfast sandwiches... those bad boys have been my new staple lunch these days, gosh, I love em!  Pair them with an apple and some coffee? mm! haha nom nom nom
for my sister, Paige.  She is a brave soul with a perseverance that I admire.
for Nic Ferch and Taylor
for Meghan and her realness
for a group of people I feel safe sharing my heart with.. one who I know loves me with a love not their own.
for God defining my worth and reminding me that He does that.
for my new sweet friend Ellie, from Oak Ridge.
for Jenna.  I just really like that she is in my life.
for hearing Christmas music in our bathroom for the first time of the season!  I think my heart stopped for a halfa second (:
for Christmas countdowns!
for Austin and that we're friends.
for Yui and how he is just a really good brother and friend.  He always points me to Christ and cares for people so, so well.
for Becca, and her talents and sass and immense JOY that she gives me.
for Rachel, and how she calls me Lex and that I get to see her for sure three times a week because of class!
for my bed
for really sweet notes on our whiteboard when we come back from class
for Isaac and his great care and deep love for people
for grandma socks with slippers

for today and for this dear red-headed sister of mine, a creative and adventurous soul who sure makes me feel loved.
for old cracked and chipped windows and doors
for rainy Saturdays
for gold-leafed Sundays
for the Clair de Lune and how it reminds me of a really special time I had with my sister this summer
for letters from Sidney that have verses at the end of them
for Michael Scott's relationship with Toby on the Office
for Anna Mateffy and for the way God is growing her heart
for the Brink family... just the fact that that family exists makes me happy.
for gospel music, and definitely for this song... my favorite these days.
for Holland being my Christmas date, and just being in my life and caring about all of my silly little stories about people at home that she doesn't know
for Sean and Jim and TJ and Isaac
for Cory and Matt, my two favorite caf workers (besides Cassie & Dayna) serving me my dinner with warm smiles! (:
for the girls on my floor
for my sister Paige and her beautiful, beautiful heart
for God being a holy God, and not a flimsy comfortable God that we can fit into our lives where it's convenient, as appetizing as that usually sounds, I'm glad that's not who He is.  Because then God wouldn't be God... we would be.  And I don't want to be God... I wouldn't be a good one.
for the big windows in our room that let in a lot of light when it's sunny
for Sarah.
for having the opportunity to learn something new every day.

this song makes me happy to be alive.
i think it's because it reminds me of IVLI this summer, and it particularly reminds me of this really wonderful moment when my dear friend, Manny, pulled out his phone while we were walking through the woods one day and played this song.  You guys, songs sound different when they're played in the woods.  Seriously. 
I'm convinced they're meant to be played in the woods.

Happy Friday, friends!
Enjoy that GLORIOUS sunshine.
I know I sure will!

for capturing Devyn looking at the sun in the car (:
for any time that I run into Devyn and Adam.  Or when Devyn literally runs out of a realty building just to say hi to me because she saw me (:
for the way Adam and Devyn love each other.
for friends who love Jesus entering relationships with other friends who love Jesus, to grow closer to Jesus together.
for breakfasts with Angela, every Wednesday morning
for the color yellow
for my name
for inexpensive opportunities to see art and dance, right here at school
for Austin and for Emily
for Cory saying, "I think God calls Himself the Comforter because we aren't supposed to live comfortably."
for friends who affirm how God made me.  Seriously, what??  Are ya kiddin me?  Oh, these friends of mine!
for the lady who works in The Marketplace and hands me my breakfast sandwiches and says, "Have a good day, honey" every time ...that is the sweetest thing.
for Ariel, reminding me of how intentionally God created us, and how much love He has for His creation.
for Holland and Rachel and Taylor and Trent and Sean... each one just really wonderful human beings.
for random meaningful & thoughtful texts from friends at home
for Yui, the joy that he brings to my life, and how he says my name, "Ah-lexi" (:
for Paige and Sidney, my two sisters, and the way they are living life.  I'm so proud of who they are.
for Anna, and her deep deep heart and deep deep love
for the song, "We Don't Eat" by James Vincent McMorrow, and how it reminds me of Coral
for my great aunt Shirley and her constant love, even from far away
for that Mr. Golden Sun (:

for these seven souls and the love and light that they carry.
for long car rides with dear friends
for morning time alone, to read and reflect, with coffee, in my bed. (:
for Christmas. music.
for bran muffins from the caf
for Veterans who have given their lives and speak of a love like Jesus'
for a happy English professor who sincerely loves his job
for a dad who I know I can trust with texts about my questions about the Bible
for a place to sit by myself after I had been looking for one for a long time
for my aunt Wendy and just everything about who she is.
for my mama.  always for my mama..
for Will Reagan's music.. mmh!
for a safe place to seek Jesus and ask questions about who He is and always know I have people who love me to pray with
for a God who is so patient with me.  One who loves me even though I don't deserve it.
for Holland.  That beautiful person makes me happy to be alive.
for the fact that it's the season of Thanksgiving and Christmas!!!!
for singing. and for a growing courage to sing in the shower.
for the book, One Thousand Gifts, that is shaping and changing my life
for the sunshine and the way it made Hibbard the most beautiful gold color against the blue sky today
for Trent and Anna and Rachel and Sam and Mai Lee and Lynita and Rebekah
for a beautiful Grandma who loves Jesus and sends me cards with verses on them. (:
for cantaloupe. (: I LOVE cantaloupe.
for All the Poor and Powerless, by All Sons & Daughters... I am convinced it is one of my heart songs!
for Ariel.  She's like sunshine.
for Becca.  Always for that girl.  Her beautiful life is ridiculously dear to me.
for a God I can trust to hold my whole heart.
and for this picture, that means really a lot to me: