Day 3

día tres: Today I am thankful for Great Bridge United Methodist Church, the pastors and families of which have lifted me up to Christ and supported me in so many ways.

Lord, I come to You today in awe of the difference one body of believers can make. I praise You today especially for GBUMC and all the work You do through the people in that church. God, ever since I first set foot in that church in March 2007, people welcomed me in & You blessed me with an incredible extended family. Thank You so much for working in each family's heart to give them such a welcoming nature in any situation. Through mission trips, youth groups, weekends at the Lake, and even my internship this past summer, I have been able to grow so much closer to then and so much closer to You. In saying all of this, I also praise You greatly for my friendship with Haley. You have used her a lot to help shape who I am today, and I know I am a better person because of our friendship. God, not only has she welcomed me as family in going to church with her every Sunday at the beginning & opened my eyes to Invisible Children... she's also given me another sister I never had. Her family is such a dear part of GBUMC, & I praise You for using them to show me so many aspects of Yourself - Your love, Your providence, Your comforting nature, & Your promise to always be here with me & help me. Everyone at GBUMC has shown me these truths about You, & I am so grateful. I praise You also specifically for Jeff and all the guidance You provided through him this summer. Thank You for working through him to show me how to form relationships with the youth & lead effective youth groups. He is such an inspiration to me. Thank You for placing him in that position at our church. I pray for his interactions with the youth and impact he has in their lives. Lord, keep working through him and keep supplying that energy & passion. Help him also in his marriage to Jen & in their parenthood to adorable Colten. Bring so much joy and love to that family. It is so hard/crazy to think that I was a newbie at youth group in 2007 then three years later I was the summer youth intern. God, if that's not a testament of the way You work through people to life an individual up, I don't know what is. The past three years have been anything but easy with my parents' separation, a rough divorce, my mom's diagnosis & battle of cancer, my dad's remarriage, and Mom's passing away. But through all of that, I can be thankful. YOU are the only way that I can have hope and faith amidst all these trials. You have used the faith community of GBUMC to support me incredibly through every step I've taken. Something that can absolutely not be overlooked is my joining the church Nov. 2009... significant to me because Mom joined with me. Thank You for extending welcome through that church to not only me, but also to my mom and my brother. The members of GBUMC play a huge role in the reason why Mom is with You right now. It was no coincidence or accident that she started coming with me every Sunday and even going the Sundays I was gone. Thank You so much for providing such a caring group of believers to my family when we've all needed it the most. Thank You for bringing me so much closer to You through GBUMC at the most perfect time, Lord. Bless all of them. Amen.