Well, today I turned THIRTY!  Where have the years gone?!  I never would have imagined myself where I am today, but I thank God for how He has shaped and molded me and my life! 

I never expected to be a missionary.  I wanted to be a veterinarian pretty much my whole life!  And then got a degree in Psychology/Sociology (it's fascinating how the mind works and socially how we interact)

I never expected that I would be planning to go back to Africa for a third time, and not my last either.  I'll be having another post on this soon, but in the meantime, I'm back to fundraising!  Venmo: @Kelly-Fahnestock  PayPal: PayPal.Me/kfahnestock

I never expected to have experienced some really hard losses by this age (Dad and Grandma specifically).

I never expected to have experienced the things I have-- to have traveled to 6 continents and about 15 countries! 

BUT, HEY!  Here I am, right where God placed me.  And I'm thankful. 

I'm thankful for the journey He's taken me on to get me prepared to be where I am today.  So, in honor of my 30th birthday, here are 30 things I'm thankful for, and 30 Bible passages that have meant a lot to me (there are SO many more, but I'm sticking with the theme of 30).

Let's start with the 30 Powerful Bible passages:

1. Romans 12:9-21
2. Philippians 4:8
3. 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18
4. Matthew 7:13-14
5. Hebrews 4:12-13
6. Colossians 3
7. Romans 8:18
8. James 1:2-4
9. 1 Peter 3:3-4
10. 1 Peter 5:8-9
11. Matthew 5:11-12
12. Matthew 16:24-26
13. Proverbs 27:19
14. Proverbs 3:5-6
15. Psalm 139:23-24
16. Psalm 125:1-2
17. Deuteronomy 5:32-33
18. Deuteronomy 6:4-9
19. Psalm 16
20. Psalm 23:1
21. Psalm 26:2-3
22. Jeremiah 29:11-13
23. 2 Corinthians 4:16-18
24. 2 Corinthians 5: 17-21
25. Ephesians 6:10-18
26. John 15:1-17
27. 2 Corinthians 12:7-10
28. 1 Corinthians 12 & 13
29. 1 Corinthians 16:13-14
30. 1 John 3:16-18

30 Things I’m Thankful for

1. God-I would be no where without Him
2. Family- supportive beyond belief
3. Friends around the world
4. Bible-speaks so much truth into me and my life.
5. Nature
6. Sunrises and Sunsets
7. Photography
8. Breath in my lungs
9. Animals
10. Technology
11. Health care
12. A home
13. Food
14. Clothing
15. Running water
16. Electricity
17. Books
18. My car
19. GAMES—cards, board, dice….you name it!
20. Heat (especially in the winter!)
21. A heart that loves beyond the surface (thank you God for this GIFT)
22. Journals and Journaling—I wouldn’t know how to process otherwise!
23. Sight-so I can see the beauty around me
24. Languages- frustrating but beautiful all at the same time
25. Fruit and vegetables (kind of food---but I literally love them!)
26. Footwear—my sneakers wore out after 11 months of wear and tear, but I couldn’t imagine life without them!
27. Clean water—to drink, bathe, and use to brush my teeth!
28. Culture—to learn and experience new things!
29. SUNSHINE—It brings life to my soul! (and color to my skin HAHA)
30. All of YOU who have come into my life, no matter how short or long. 

Thank you ALL for staying devoted to these blogs so you can see how God's working!