When I look back at 2015, I see so many things.

I see highs and lows. I see battles that raged in my soul, and victories. I see laughter and tears. Memories. Fears. Doubts. Faith that overcame. I see ways my heart changed, and ways it didn’t. I see lessons I learned, and lessons I’m still learning.

I see how gracious my Savior has been to me each step along the way, and my heart is overcome with thankfulness.

I’m thankful for family.

There’s truly no place like home. No one like family. I’m thankful for my family’s’ passion for Yahweh–their devotion to living out His Words, even when it’s counter-culture. I’m thankful for their jokes that make life fun, and the memories that only we share.

I’m thankful for friends.

They become family. They encourage me when I’m down. They point me back to Yeshua. They inspire me. They bless my heart more than they’ll ever know. Each one is special to me.

I’m thankful for Israel.

For the opportunity to visit the Promise Land once again. To walk where Yeshua walked. To smell the spices in the market. To hear the wailing at the Wall. To listen to music on the streets of Jerusalem. To hear what used to be a dead language–Hebrew–being spoken once again by its people. To see the sun peaking through the clouds over Jerusalem, and to remember that one day those clouds will break, and Messiah will return to Mount Zion, the city where Yahweh placed His name forever. To be able to pray for the peace of that city, of that nation, of the people I love.

I’m thankful for words.

Short ones. Long ones. Crazy ones. Simple ones. I love how they string together to form lyrics or poems or sentences or 1,000 page novels. I love how they carry meaning. How they paint pictures in our minds. How they transfer thoughts and feeling so well, and yet how much they don’t. I love how they’re powerful. How they’re life-giving. How they fill my heart with joy.

I’m thankful for Creation.

The world outside my window. That world where I should spend more time, because it’s not artificial. It’s not man-made. It’s Yahweh-made. It was spoken into existence by His Words. The place where I’m surrounded by the simple things like birds and trees and rocks and flowers. The things that Yeshua used in His parables, because they’re the basic components of life.

I’m thankful for music.

For the way that my heart soars with the drama of a heartfelt song, and the way it’s calmed by a peaceful hymn. The way that voices blend together in praise. The way that music carries me to a deeper understanding of life and faith and how they connect together.

I’m thankful for art.

Not so much the painting on the wall, but the little things that inspire me–the beautiful things in life. A burst of sunshine through the window on a rainy day. The baby that gently falls asleep in my arms. The laughter that makes me feel better. The moments when I’m overcome by the presence of my Savior.

Which leads me to what I’m thankful for most of all.

I’m thankful for Yeshua.

I’m thankful for my precious Messiah, who is the reason I’m alive. The reason that I can enjoy any of these things. He’s my life. My hope. My best friend.

I don’t know where He’ll take me this year.

But I do know that He’ll lead me by His hand.

Day by day.

Through every season.

I’m thankful for 2015.

When you look back at 2015…what do you see? What are you thankful for?