Thankful Thursday

"Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, since as members of one body you were called to peace. And be thankful." Colossians 3:15

Here's what I'm thankful for this week:

1. Prayer warriors. I have some wonderful people in my life that I know I can totally rely on to pray, whether I have a request for myself or an urgent prayer need for someone else. I was reminded of how awesome these people are this week. I'm so thankful for them.
2. Family ties. Without going into detail, I will share with you that there has been some dramatic upheaval in my family recently, and everyone involved could really use prayer. I am thankful that I have so much family that lives nearby, and that we would do pretty much anything for each other. Though we may not always agree with everything, we are very closely knit together. 
3. Old friends. Last weekend I got to spend time with some of my oldest friends when they came over for my birthday. I have known Kelli and Sarah since 8th grade, when I started a new school, and I have known Lauren since before kindergarten- we went to the same church for a long time, and we went to the same schools off and on, too. We all get together twice a year: once for my birthday and once for Christmas. It was good seeing everyone again, and getting to spend time with them. Also, tonight my dear friend Kelli came back over and we had dinner together and watched DVD extras for "The Office" before watching the finale together.  We had a most excellent time, and of course we cried. I am very, very thankful that we got to share that memory together.
4. Reading time. My church read through "The Story" recently (we finished at Easter), and while I really enjoyed the book, my favorite part was reading the Bible (all four versions of "The Story") with my husband throughout the week. I have been bugging him lately about wanting to read more together, and we finally started a few nights ago! We are reading Francis Chan's "Crazy Love", and at the same time, a children's devotional book about animals (we both love animals and it's nice to have a light-hearted break from the grown-up books I have planned for us to read. ^_^) I'm thankful that we are spending time together, and that he is open to listening to me read out loud from some books that could potentially bring about big changes. 
5. Day off. This is my first Friday off since I returned from my medical leave. My schedule hasn't really meshed so well with Brandon's since I went back to work, so this is one of those rare days when we both have the whole day off. We'll be running errands in the morning, but we are also going to go see the new Star Trek movie tomorrow morning, as well. I'm looking forward to it- it's nice to get out and enjoy a movie once in a while, and I'm glad I get to spend some time with my husband.