complaining, blessings, wants and needs, the bigger picture

So I was thinking on the way home about how much complaining i do. its ridiculous really.
I was thinking about how i need to change my view point on things from complaining, to praise. like my car-i complain all the time that my exhaust is falling off, that its gonna cost 300$ blah blah blah. really i should be praising God that I have a car that runs, that I have the money to buy a new exhaust, and that I have a dad who is a mechanic and saves me a ton of money everytime my car breaks. Or my job, I complain about the hours, and sometimes other aspects of it too, when i should be praising God that I have a job that provides me enough money to live on, and that I work for people who appreciate the work I do. My family, at times I'll complain about my parents-in all honesty, what teenager hasnt at one point or another? but my parents are amazing. I really have nothing to complain about when it comes to that. I am incredibly blessed by all the things God has given me in this life, and I so often take them for granted.

I think its human nature to not be happy when we dont get out way..but lets face it, like my older siblings had told me many many times as we were growing up "you dont always get what you want". It's so true. Something I've learned a lot about over the years is the difference between want and need. and sometimes even the difference between what we think we need and what God knows we need. for example, I was convinced that I needed a second job when i found out i needed all of that dental work back at the beginning of the year. I got a second job, but it wasnt really necessary. despite everything coming at me at once bill wise (new tires, losing dental insurance and other expenses) God kept providing. to this day I dont really know where the money came from. I dont keep the best track of my finances. but over and over again this year I've been learning to trust God more. He has provided for every single tight situation I have gotten myself into and I have come out growing in my relationship with Him because of it.

Which brings me to another point...situations God puts me in and the outcome of them. I've been learning lately that I need to just trust God when I am going through trials in my life. Trust Him with every part of my life. He knows what hes doing. clearly, I do not. after we left out old church I found myself getting bitter and often asking God why he had allowed this to happen to us. But now I've finally seen...through the situation our family has grown closer and stronger. we've all grown immensly in our relationships with christ. and now, I'm at bethel, with amazing friends who have already taught me a lot about Christ just by how they live their everyday lives. Plus, Im in the college age group there, and have been learning a lot of things. but its crazy how God puts everything together. Ive been going to bethel for 2 years but I was never really involved. God led me, allen, and angela to conservative cafe right around the same time. we've all worked together a lot and allen convinced me to come try out trademark. after being at bethel for 2 years, i finally got involved in things. had i not met allen and angela i probably never would have tried trademark, and i would still be struggling with the pain from the situation with our old church. plus, through going to trademark, God has provided me a place to meet christian friends to spend time with, since most of my friends from high school have gone away to college now.

basically, bottom line, God has been teaching me insane amounts of stuff lately, and Im just trying to process it all and apply it to my life. But one of my biggest things right now that im trying to apply, is to appreciate the things God has given me, and to praise him constantly.