My religous freedom! The day before Thanksgiving break I had my students go around and share one thing they were thankful for, I started... "I'm thankful for my religous freedom" and I meant that with sincerity. In 5th grade Social Studies we talk about the founding of our country- I make sure to emphasize that one of the reasons why the pilgrims came to the new world was for freedom of religion. I also tell them about my trip to China and that the Chinese communist government has very strict policies against religious practices. I guess my trip to China opened my eyes to the precious freedom of religion we have here in the United States. I told a fellow China traveler yesterday- there hasn't been a Sunday since we returned that in a worship service of church and don't think of the worship experiences we shared with our Chinese brothers and sisters in Christ and the risks they take for something we in America take for granted. With the rapid pace of change we are experiencing in our government- I sometimes wonder how much longer until our religious freedoms are jeopardized. 
My heritage- I'm thankful for the Godly moral upbringing I have. My parents, grandparents and great grandparents set the standard high.
Lee University- the greatest four years o f my life. I made many life long friends (Meredith, Dana, Amy Beth, Omega, Starlite girls to name a few) and memories with those friends that I'll cherish forever. 
The Hardy family- I'm glad that our pa ths reconnected via facebook a little over a year ago. They made an impression on me as a young girl that has stayed with me long after they moved away. They are a model family and bring lots of laughter anytime we are together.
The Edwards family- another family that made an impression on me as a young girl. I'm glad our paths reconnected when I moved home from college. They have literally become my second family. Their boys really think I'm their sister. There is never a dull moment when we we are together.
My job- there are days I hate it but the good days always seem to outweigh the bad. I love the reward- though sometimes unseen for long periods of time, positively impacting a child's life... there's nothing better. Maybe one of my favorite things about my job is my teammate- Amy Shoe. God knew what he was doing when he place us together. Not only is she a great teacher- she's also an amazing Christian role model.
Material Things- with the economy like it is I realize how fortunate I am to have a roof over my head, a car to drive, a cell phone to communicate with... I could go on and on. I'm seeing first hand how blessed I really am.
My church family- how blessed I am to be a part of such a great body of believers. They are my encouragers and support through the good and the bad. I feel closer to some of my church family (the Karrikers, the Holders, the Edwards) than I do my biological family.
I could go on and on with things I am thankful for, these are just some of the ones that popped to mind first.
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