Friday...

As the snow blows across our lawn, I'm trying not to lose perspective. As all winters, this time is only a season... Even though spring brings me more joy than I could verbally express, I recognize that the joy over spring deepens because of winter's harsh backdrop. Without the contrast, we would take the beauty of life for granted.

During a morning conversation with a dear and wise woman (my mom) :) we reminded ourselves that all of life is about perspective--choosing to focus on the "have's" and not the "have-not's." Gratitude isn't about circumstances, but the position of our hearts.

I haven't seen my husband since Wednesday night, and there's a strong possibility, contingent on the weather, that I won't see him again tonight. But I'm focusing on the positive here. First, he has a job: many don't. He's a hard-worker and provider for his family: many aren't. The times apart are minimal, as he never has to travel for his job: many do. And thankfully, we have such a relationship between us that it matters whether he is gone or not: many don't share that depth.

Mom and I were discussing a story that exemplified this very issue. Of course, we couldn't remember the whole of the story, but the message was the same. A man had been robbed. After his money was taken, he deliberated about the event, choosing to focus on the positive aspects of the crime. First off, the only thing taken from him had been his wallet: he still had his life. And allow he had become the victim of crime, he was grateful that he was the one who had been robbed from and not the one doing the robbing.

So, yes, life can become overwhelmed with injustices, disappointments, and suffering, but we can't control those circumstances. What we can focus on changing is our perspective. In response, this Friday, I choose to celebrate.

Thankful Thursday

After the stunning silence upon opening a $350 electric bill, I have to just choose to say, "Thank you, God, for heat." Wow... but boy, do we pay for it. When your electric bill starts running next to your food bill, you just have to wonder.

Still, I'm choosing to focus on gratitude.
So, here's my list for today.

*health (so glad my family isn't dealing with the flu right now)
*overtime (your the man, babe)
*beautiful snow
*a job I don't have to trek outside for
*the promise of spring (it never fails to come)
*how the seasons remind me of God's faithfulness (He is always true to His word)
*friendships
*late-night talks with my husband (ones that aren't heavy)
*Blockus
*PureJoy event this coming Saturday (Branson HS 7-10 Women only)

a trip to the river

"Be like a tree planted by the waters, which spreads out its roots by the river and will not fear when the heat comes. Its leaves will be green, and it will not be anxious in the year of drought, nor will it cease from yielding fruit." Jer. 17:8

whew...

Well, two things happened yesterday that caused immense gratitude this morning. Sunday morning, I woke up with my right eye showing signs of irritation--bloodshot. As the day progressed, the situation there did not improve and it felt sore and itchy. Being a hyper-sensitive eye person (I got a hanger caught across my eye as a child), and having hypochondriac symptoms already, I feared the worst--pink-eye. Ugh, how the thought gives me shudders. I've had it and it isn't pleasant, but more over I didn't want my daughter to contract it. So, I added eye-drops, pressed tea bags to my eyes, and prayed. This morning, it feels fine. PRAISE God. It just takes a little something like that to remind you that your body's full functioning is not something to take for granted.

Last night, Aaron and I watched Bella for the first time. All I can say is it's a good thing I didn't watch that movie while I was pregnant; it was bad enough now. Yes, I wept. The pain was just too easy to relate to, and so I cried, and cried so more--the salt was probably good for my eye though. :) And after the movie, Aaron and I just went into Maddie's room and watched her sleep. Although the sleeping infant was snoring, she still looked like a cherub, and we were overcome with gratitude for the life God has given us.

So, today, I am thankful for healthy eyes that can see (at least with the aid of modern technology) and for a precious child that makes me laugh, cry, and burst with joy.

Thankful Thursday

...warm weather
...walks
...homework graded
...staying within a grocery budget (oh, yes I did)
...friends
...friends who have babies
...friends who have babies as an answer to many prayers
...my incredible dad who is celebrating a birthday this weekend
...a husband who kisses me goodbye and tells me I'm beautiful

Moment of Peace...Please, Lord.

Last night--as is typical of most nights--I had trouble going to sleep. Usually when I get my daughter to bed, I'll try to accomplish other tasks before I hit the hay myself. My husband is usually good about reining me in and making me relax for a little while. However, he fell asleep on the living room floor at 7:45 (no joke) and left me to my own devices. Trying to accomplish reading material for my short story course and finish up some books I'd been reading...as well as Internet work, my mind was still racing at 10:30 when I turned out the nightstand lamp. When I don't allow for some downtime before bed...to just be....to just rest, I find that my mind won't allow my body to sleep, as my thoughts are still playing catch-up. Failure to exercise the last three days also contributed to my restless state. As well as a neglect to spend time in God's presence and perspective.

As I was lying there, I felt an urging to get out of bed and get on my knees. Granted, I wasn't sleepy, but my body still bristled at the idea. Hardly praying on my knees anymore, I think I have often forgotten the humble submission it puts my spirit in while talking to God. So, knowing I really wouldn't rest until I obeyed, I slinked out of bed and knelt in the dark room, asking God to grant me His presence--or better understood, an awareness of his presence. Please get me back into the right proportions. Help me to rest in your perspective. To not think so seriously about myself and my obligations. Grant me your peace. Help me to sense your nearness. Thank you. The prayer was simple, brief, but God did calm my spirit. My pulse slowed, my thoughts felt less cluttered, and thankfully, I was soon able to go to sleep.

The Pursuit of Happiness

Of all the magazines I've ever read and all the subscriptions I've ordered, Reader's Digest is by far at the top of my list. In the latest issue, an article entitled "Joy" snagged my attention. Based on the research of Daniel Gilbert, a Harvard psychologist and researcher on happiness, five things topped the list of pursuits: commitment, little things, going to church, giving, and investing in experiences. He encouraged couples to marry--not just live together. Doing so will make them happier because they are more secure in the commitment of the relationship. (duh, right?) He also said that it's the little things--not the bigger aspirations--that really bring pleasure--that walk in the park with your spouse, not the major recognition at work. Going to church is really about living in community with others, knowing that someone cares. And investing in other's lives reaps more benefits in our spirits as the giver. Gilbert encourages people to choose the vacation over the car as "experience is almost always a greater determinant of happiness than things are. [...] if you are going on vacation, odds are somebody's going with you. And when we are connected well to others, we feel most happy." (I can personally attest to this benefit as growing up, family vacations were habitual and a foundation of many relational, bonding memories).

So ultimately, our happiness rests on how well we are connected to the people around us (not our jobs, our big toys, our house, or even our health). And deeper still, our happiness (and true inner joy) comes from our connection to God. How much of our thoughts, attitudes, and words are responsive to His spirit living within us? Are we listening as one in real community with God's spirit?

Tuesday Trips: the creative writer in you

As many of my readers know, I moonlight as a online professor. So, composition, essays, editing, and the like demand weekly attention. Being passionate about writing, especially the fictional variety, I thought it would be fun to post a little assignment (*gulp*--not a fan of that word) and see what fun you can have concocting a little story or poem. Ready?

1. Try to recall your vacation history (for some it is vast...others--kidda skimpy); make a list of four or five vacations that were the most memorable (recent or past).

2. For each one you listed, freewrite for a few minutes.
~Things I expected
~Things I got
~Things that cheered or bummed me

3. Choose the vacation that you believe holds the most creative promise, and work on a poem, story, or essay that focuses on the high and low points.

Friday Fun

"Cheese… milk's leap toward immortality." Short and funny quote by, Clifton Fadiman.


"You have a cough? Go home tonight, eat a whole box of Ex-Lax, tomorrow you'll be afraid to cough."- Short and funny quote by, Pearl Williams.

"Why does Sea World have a seafood restaurant?? I'm halfway through my fish burger and I realize, Oh man....I could be eating a slow learner."Short and funny quote by, Lyndon B. Johnson.

"When I die, I want to go peacefully like my Grandfather did, in his sleep -- not screaming, like the passengers in his car"Short funny quotes, Unknown.

"I like pigs. Dogs look up to us. Cats look down on us. Pigs treat us as equals."Short and funny quotes, Winston Churchill.

"A good essay is 10% inspiration, 15% perspiration, and 75% desperation"Short Funny Quote by, Unknown.

"It is not MY fault that I never learned to accept responsibility!"Short Funny Quote by, Unknown.

"A rich man's joke is always funny."Short and funny quotes, Proverb.

Thankful Thursday

Thanks, Lord, for...

...shelter from the cold
...food in my pantry
...a little girl that gives me love pats
...friends that truly care
...a husband scheduled to come home early
...ten hours of sleep last night (huzzah!)
...a job that keeps me inside
...parents who are dear friends
...clean closets
...folded laundry
...navel oranges
...vacuum cleaners
...sunshine
...music
...hearing Maddie sing
...dates

cabin fever

Not sure where your perch rests but as mine is in Missouri, we are snuggled in a fair dusting of snow. If you live further north, you probably are drenched in the frosty goodness. And although snow sparkles and purifies the winter landscape, I really, really detest cold weather and the shocking electric bills that accompany those months. My husband often has to work overnight, plowing the resort, and I feel bound to my house more than I truly like to be.

So, this Tuesday, if you can't take a little trip or it just feels too cold to make the traditional snowman or angel, try some of these fun indoor experiences.

1. Lay out a blanket on the carpet, make fried chicken (or other picnic fair) and roast marshmellows over candles (preferrably soy unscented ones) ;)
2. Try dancing to a new jazzy cd. Get your friends or kids involved. See if you can put together a short dance routine.
3. Go through old photo albums or clean out a closet and take a walk down memory lane.
4. Pick a favorite movie and make something feature in that movie. Eat it and watch the movie with a friend. *Chocolat* anyone? Mmmm...
5. Go bowling with plastic cups and a beachball. Use your hallway as the alley. Kids LOVE this one.

Any other tips for curing cabin fever?

Stepping into a New Year

This week I am back to running on the treadmill, and I must admit a less than enthusiastic spirit over the semester. This morning, I had to just say, "Okay, God, whatever gets done--or doesn't--it's all yours. Here I am." Again, I need to focus on who He is and what He is capable, not my meager strivings. This year, may your aspirations be to keep your gaze locked on Him and his mighty power.

Lamentations 3:
19 I remember my affliction and my wandering, the bitterness and the gall.
20 I well remember them, and my soul is downcast within me.
21 Yet this I call to mind and therefore I have hope:
22 Because of the LORD's great love we are not consumed, for his compassions never fail.
23 They are new every morning; great is your faithfulness.
24 I say to myself, "The LORD is my portion; therefore I will wait for him."
25 The LORD is good to those whose hope is in him, to the one who seeks him;
26 it is good to wait quietly for the salvation of the LORD.