Top 2 Tuesday- Thankful

I am linking up with The Undomestic Momma for Top 2 Tuesday: Top 2 Things I'm Thankful for. Yes, I know it's still technically Monday, but we have a busy day ahead of us and I have so much to be thankful for that I wanted to join in. So here we go:



Top 2 Things I'm Thankful For:

1. My family. As I have said many, many times I would not trade my family for anything. I have been truly blessed to have such a wonderful husband and son. They are my everything. And I would certainly not be who I am without my parents and siblings. Not to mention the wonderful family I married into (no bad in laws here!) I am thankful for each and every one of them- and also those friends who have become an extended part of my family.

2. God. Perhaps this should be #1, but I intend to say a little more on this one so I wanted to save it for last. I was shown a video today that was basically denying the existence of God and perhaps it was just me being emotional because of this deployment, but it really got to me. I cannot even begin to imagine what it is like to go through life never knowing that God is real. To feel his presence so strongly. It is mind boggling to me and truly makes me sad for those that do not have this experience.
I have always believed that God was real, but when I was younger I did not have much of a relationship with him. Then one day my friend Tiffany invited my younger sister to go to a wonderful place called Camp Illiana- a church camp. Now, me not being an outdoorsy/adventurous person and not a regular church goer either, there should have been nothing that would really make me want to be there where we would go to church every day- multiple times. And yet, I could not shake the feeling that I NEEDED to be there, and so I went. Words cannot begin to describe my experience there, it is something that can only be felt and it changed me. It was after this first year that I made the decision to develop a relationship with Christ. I became very involved with my church and at the age of 17 I made the decision to be baptized. But these are not the only great things that came from this one random decision. In the following years, I met some wonderful people who have made a huge impact in my life- including one of my very best friends Erica, who understand me and the things I have gone through in my life like no one else can. She was sent to me just when I needed her and I know that she was meant to be in my life. It brought me closer to friends I already had, including Tiffany of course! As I said, I got more involved in the church which led to more relationships being formed, and while not all were positive they shaped me into who I am today. It was also at church where I met another one of my best friends Bethany who later introduced me to her brother, whom I'm now happily married to and with whom I have the most amazing child. And all of this I can pinpoint back to that one feeling. How can that all be a coincidence? I believe with everything that's in me that that feeling was God speaking to me and that all of these people and these events happened for a reason, to bring me to this point. And for that, I am forever thankful.