Listening to christmas music and shouting mahima

So lately I’ve been listening to alot of christmas music. I am like the biggest holiday cheese in the world. I love everything about christmas.. the family– the great memories.. my sister and my family and I have to go down as some of the cheesiest christmas people in the world. So I was really worried about what it would be like to be soooo far away from from my family my first holiday season. But I am determined to still get in the spirit. So I have been listening to my favorite holiday music… I am getting ready to decorate no matter what kind of ghetto decorations I have to get.. and michelle I found alabama christmas on i-tunes and I am making all of my friends listen to thistle hair the christmas bear!! 🙂
So God has been so good.. because although I miss my family more then i could ever express (did I mention that I have the most INCREDIBLE family in the whole world) … I am realizing that really this holiday season is about me just celebrating with God the amazing things he has given me.. first of all HIS son.. and then so many other things. James 1:17 says Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation or change. My life circumstances may have completely changed– yours also… but we are serving a God who DOES not change.. and every good and perfect gift comes down from him! MAHIMA! So my next few entries i want to just list a few things that I am thankful for.. i think this thanksgiving will be the most thankfilled thanksgiving I have ever had.. because God brought me all the way out here.. maybe not to use me… maybe even just to show me HIMSELF!

So just a few:
Going to the post office and always having a letter from my encourager Sandra or TJ.. or a package or something (thanks to all who send letters and packages.. it truly means the world.. you could send me a plastic bag and i would jump up and down:)
2) learning how to make homemade tortillas and figuring out how to make them look like a circle
3) my incredible incredible family.. my mom and dad taught me so much about the lord. In fact, I have found my ministry here to be very different then I thought– my ministry has been here in my home with people constantly flooding in and out for coffee, tea, conversation, discipleship, food– where did I learn that? My parents… my parents home was always like that.. dinner time was always a blast and my mom was always willing to set an extra plate at the table.
4) I have the most amazing twin sister in the whole world
5) The beautiful body of Christ that supports me so i can live here. Your support provides me everything from the food I eat to my kitchen pots and pans– without you i can’t imagine
6) for how cute my dog looks right now in her sweater
7) for wool socks to keep my feet warm and a hot water bottle to sleep with
8) for the warm purple blanket that shawna gave me last christmas and that i get to wrap up in and have a date wtih jesus with
9) for the random times when i get a hot shower.. mahima!
10) for the body of Christ God has given me here. On Sundays we have an incredible bideshee (foreigner) fellowship. The power found in fellowship is amazing!! 🙂

ok.. expect more throughout the week. And Sandra thank you soooo much for the letters today and the package with the Cd.. annette thank you for the pencils and card.. and tj thanks for the package with paper and coffee and such.