Count Your Blessings

As Thanksgiving arrives, so many of us feel the need to say thank you and verbalize appreciation for people that we don’t normally say them too… even if we see these people everyday. All of a sudden, “thank you” and “I am thankful for…” become the most spoken word of the day. So in light of this wonderful and thankful session, I will muster up the courage to write a long-winded thank you blog! Ready? Set? Go!

Family: my bro bro, my sister, my parents

Saying I love you in this family means… FOOD! The cherry on top of my Freshman 15 will be Thanksgiving weekend back home.

More family: Aunties and Uncles, cousins, and grandparents

Such a selfless bunch of people. From helping me on college apps, to giving me advice for college, making the best Zong (粽) in the world (grandma’s cooking trumps any restaurant any day), random phone calls and texts just to say hi, being too cute and scrumptious for their own good (I think chubby cheeks run in the family), and teaching me that being dysfunctional is part of the package but being dysfunctional together is a recipe for laughter and growth.  

Church: Golden Gate

For giving me a place to struggle and grow in my faith.  For a community of people who supported me and challenged me to deepen my relationship with God. For people who taught and mentored me. For people who I could share my joys and sorrow with. For people who taught me what it means to be one body in Christ.

CTI: Team Guat 2014! And DAVID!

I am pretty sure I have abandonment issues because you guys. There is not a day that goes by where I don’t think about you guys.  It was a once in a lifetime experience and I am so grateful to have gone through it with you guys. I miss you and love you all sooo much!!! *single tear drop

Crossroads

AHHH too many thoughts… so little time. You guys are a prayer answered on so many levels. For the upperclassmen who have selflessly shared their time, energy, and wisdom with the freshmen class. For the freshmen class who have taught me so much about love and fellowship. (This post isn’t sufficient for how truly grateful I am for every one of you guys. My hope and prayer is that God will continue to work and mold this fellowship into greater maturity as we share in each other’s struggles and praises. I love you guys all so much! Thank you!!!)

Berkeley

For not being the place where I wanted to go, but the place where I needed to be.

JROTC: Past and present

For teaching me how to be a leader. For giving me a place to make mistakes. For teaching me how to love and sacrifice. Squad Drill, 1SG, CG, DP…

CKAMPS

For never being too far away. =)

FatFive

For being oh so weird and crazy. For times of endless laughter and stories. For our shared love for music and food!

So that is the end of the post. As we all enter a time of thanksgiving and stuffing our faces, don’t forget to say thank you. Thanksgiving should not be a reminder to say thank you, as we should always be giving thanks and encouragement regardless. Thanksgiving, as I see it, is one of those rare times when friends and family come back from their busy, or not so busy lives and just share one meal together without the distractions of the world. It is a time to talk and to encourage, a time to share and be encouraged. It is a time of remembrance, not a time of remembering to say thank you, but a time to remember to slow down and count your blessings.

For those who are not with family or who do not see Thanksgiving in this Hollywood way, rest assured that most people don’t either. Without or without turkey, take time to stop, lay down your worries, and reflect. Whether it is the big things or the small things, there are blessings everywhere…

Charlie