gratia.

i feel slightly benedict arnoldian being in london for thanksgiving, but i don't feel strongly enough to change it.  benedict arnold or not, i share just a few of the things for which i am grateful on this day of thanks.

i think we feel a greater sense of gratitude for certain things during certain times of our lives.  today, at this moment, i am particularly grateful for the chance i have to see new places in this wonderful world and to experience it all in safety.  anna and i drove around wales and england for a couple of days and there were certainly a few times where-- because we were driving on the opposite side of the road through narrow streets, hurtling towards oncoming semis who couldn't give a damn about whether or not we were american drivers-- the possibility for injury increased.  but we remained safe, certainly due to a power greater than our own.

i am grateful for family and the chance i have to be with anna today.  i would be a liar if i said my family was without struggle and dysfunction, but if given the opportunity, i wouldn't choose to be a part of any other.  it seems that the people we love most bring the most heartache, but also the most joy. i look forward to the day when we can all be in each other's company once again.

i am grateful for those people i've been able to meet through what some may call chance, but i call fate, or destiny, or the direction of the higher power.  if you look at the facts, there is no doubt that there is someone else who is in control-- there are far too many stars that aligned to argue otherwise.  at every turn, my choices (going to BYU, choosing to play rugby, study abroad, moving to texas, etc.) are blessed with people who continually enrich my experience on this earth.  

i am grateful for meaningful employment.  i love the students and i love those with whom i work.  the feeling of being self-sufficient in a job that has the potential to make a difference in the lives of others is irreplaceable.

lastly, i am grateful for the peace, comfort, and happiness that comes from my faith.  i am grateful for the kind of person it pushes me to be, for its emphasis on serving others, and the change that happens when living by its principles.  i am grateful that it requires everything of you.  and i am grateful that it blesses me with more than everything in return.