So here are some of the things that I have realized I can be thankful for instead of grumbling about:
1) Having to choose what to make for dinner, because I have choices and I won't be hungry
2) Boys who are healthy enough to fight over every little thing
3) Boys who express their creativity no matter how big of a mess it makes
4) A husband who doesn't watch sports on TV
5) Clothes to wear, clean water and a washing machine and dryer to make it easy to clean them
6) A house to clean because it provides shelter and a safe place for my family
7) A growing body and all the aches and pains that come with it because of the blessing that will arrive in four months
8) A growing body and the indulgences of chocolate, cookies and sweet tea that have contributed their part to the growth
Tuesday, November 24, 2009
Monday, November 23, 2009
An extended Thanksgiving
I'm stealing this idea from my friend's blog, who stole it from her friend's blog, who stole it from his friend's blog, and you are welcome to steal it for your own blog as well. And due to the abundance of blessings (clothes and toys scattered throughout my house and dirty dishes clogging the sink food and a kid in preschool for the next 2 hours) that I am thankful for, I don't actually have time to write my own blog, so I'm pretty much just copying and pasting from her blog and modifying some of the examples.
The Thanksgiving holiday is one of my favorites... gatherings of family and friends; the cool, fall air; and, of course, the food... especially the food. But, originally, it was meant to be a day to pause and give authentic thanks to God. Unfortunately, for many, including myself, thanksgiving is more of a one-day holiday than a way of life. I don't know about you, but I've been blessed beyond comprehension, and even in the unwelcome moments of life, I have so much to be thankful for.
What would it look like if I ONLY spoke words of gratitude the entire week of Thanksgiving? If I went so far as to look at a pile of laundered clothes that awaits my folding and putting up, a task I normally quite dislike, and instead think and speak out loud, “God, thank you for these clothes, for providing covering.” Or when my boys voice their grumpiness, say, “God, thank you that they have a voice, and thank you for shaping their own unique personalities.”
So, starting this Monday morning and going through this Sunday evening, I'm challenging myself to live an entire week full of thanksgiving.
Let there be no filthiness nor foolish talk nor crude joking, which are out of place, but instead let there be thanksgiving.
(Ephesians 5:4 ESV)
Anytime I'm tempted to think/say/do something negative (filthy, foolish, crude, or otherwise un-thankful), I will instead choose, in that very moment, to give thanks to God for His blessing in my life.
If you'd like to join me, please leave a comment saying so AND repost this (in our own words, if you'd like... no need to link me) on your blog, twitter, facebook, etc., and challenge your friends to do the same. Even if you're not reading this until after Monday morning, it's never too late to take up a good challenge. And, keep in mind that nobody who takes this challenge is going to make it an entire week without missing the mark, so when that happens to you, just pick yourself back up and start again!
The Thanksgiving holiday is one of my favorites... gatherings of family and friends; the cool, fall air; and, of course, the food... especially the food. But, originally, it was meant to be a day to pause and give authentic thanks to God. Unfortunately, for many, including myself, thanksgiving is more of a one-day holiday than a way of life. I don't know about you, but I've been blessed beyond comprehension, and even in the unwelcome moments of life, I have so much to be thankful for.
What would it look like if I ONLY spoke words of gratitude the entire week of Thanksgiving? If I went so far as to look at a pile of laundered clothes that awaits my folding and putting up, a task I normally quite dislike, and instead think and speak out loud, “God, thank you for these clothes, for providing covering.” Or when my boys voice their grumpiness, say, “God, thank you that they have a voice, and thank you for shaping their own unique personalities.”
So, starting this Monday morning and going through this Sunday evening, I'm challenging myself to live an entire week full of thanksgiving.
Let there be no filthiness nor foolish talk nor crude joking, which are out of place, but instead let there be thanksgiving.
(Ephesians 5:4 ESV)
Anytime I'm tempted to think/say/do something negative (filthy, foolish, crude, or otherwise un-thankful), I will instead choose, in that very moment, to give thanks to God for His blessing in my life.
If you'd like to join me, please leave a comment saying so AND repost this (in our own words, if you'd like... no need to link me) on your blog, twitter, facebook, etc., and challenge your friends to do the same. Even if you're not reading this until after Monday morning, it's never too late to take up a good challenge. And, keep in mind that nobody who takes this challenge is going to make it an entire week without missing the mark, so when that happens to you, just pick yourself back up and start again!
Tuesday, November 17, 2009
A shameful "been there, done that" confession...
**I have removed the automatic links in this post because one of my readers has reported acquiring an ugly virus from the website after following my link. I have left the web addresses if you want to go ahead and look up the website anyway**
So a few weeks ago Casey introduced me to the blog www.peopleofwalmart.com and I've been wanting to share this gem with my readers. It's basically a website that posts pictures of people at Wal-mart wearing the craziest outfits or doing the strangest things. The pictures come from all over, submitted by regular people who witness these horrendous acts against humanity. If you haven't been to this website yet, take some time to go through the pictures (actually the pictures that are on the front page currently as I am blogging this aren't the best examples, but go back a few pages to get the whole idea; or maybe by the time you're reading this there will be some new ones up...)
I simply cannot get over how bizarre the outfits are! If the pictures didn't so obviously look like people quickly snapped them with their camera phones, I would think that they were staged. But they are real people. And what really has my head spinning is the massive number of submissions - the website has multiple pictures each day! Where do these people come from???? I totally need to shop at Wal-mart more often just for sheer entertainment!
Well, I've been wanting to blog about this site for a while, but what was the impetus that made me actually write the post today? Here's my shameful confession: I connected with a picture that I saw today because I could say "been there, done that." And I was wondering where these people came from! Anyway, check out this photo -
http://www.peopleofwalmart.com/?p=6600
It Feels Like a Midget Hanging From My Necklace
Although in my defense my situation was a bit different in that:
So a few weeks ago Casey introduced me to the blog www.peopleofwalmart.com and I've been wanting to share this gem with my readers. It's basically a website that posts pictures of people at Wal-mart wearing the craziest outfits or doing the strangest things. The pictures come from all over, submitted by regular people who witness these horrendous acts against humanity. If you haven't been to this website yet, take some time to go through the pictures (actually the pictures that are on the front page currently as I am blogging this aren't the best examples, but go back a few pages to get the whole idea; or maybe by the time you're reading this there will be some new ones up...)
I simply cannot get over how bizarre the outfits are! If the pictures didn't so obviously look like people quickly snapped them with their camera phones, I would think that they were staged. But they are real people. And what really has my head spinning is the massive number of submissions - the website has multiple pictures each day! Where do these people come from???? I totally need to shop at Wal-mart more often just for sheer entertainment!
Well, I've been wanting to blog about this site for a while, but what was the impetus that made me actually write the post today? Here's my shameful confession: I connected with a picture that I saw today because I could say "been there, done that." And I was wondering where these people came from! Anyway, check out this photo -
http://www.peopleofwalmart.com/?p=6600
It Feels Like a Midget Hanging From My Necklace
Although in my defense my situation was a bit different in that:
- I was holding my baby properly and not trying to push a cart
- I was wearing a shirt that covered all of my skin
- I wasn't at a Wal-mart, I was at an Ollies (slogan "good stuff cheap") which is kinda like a lower class Big Lots. And I've probably done it at other stores too, I just don't remember them as well - although when I did it at Barnes & Nobles and Michaels I found a nice quiet aisle where I could sit down...
Wednesday, November 11, 2009
Wecome to our world, Little One!
Baby James is here, finally! His mother, Kate, was my best friend in high school and I'm so blessed that we have been able to stay close. James, I'm so happy you are part of this world and you are in good hands. Kate and Tim will be fabulous parents and I think they're ready for an adventure!
Monday, November 09, 2009
The Cardboard Box
Not only can the cardboard box surpass all other toys for hours of fun and creativity, but apparently it can also replace the standard bed.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)