In the Middle of Tigger and Eeyore

I've been feeling pretty sorry for myself lately. It's easy for me to do. If you've ever taken a personality test, you might know what I mean when I say I'm sanguine/melancholy. I pretty much am way up...or way down. Either Tigger or Eeyore. Basically I see life this way...when it's good, it's great. But when it's bad...it's really, reeeeeally bad. I've been in the reeeeeeally bad stage for a while, and I'm so thankful for One Thousand Gifts to remind me of God's gracious gifts to me.*

When I concentrate on what I don't have, I block out gratefulness for what I do have. Just a minute ago I let Jonathan outside. As he was walking around looking for a good spot (ahem), the thought came to me that we don't have to deal with fleas and ticks in our yard. My friend Lisa lives next door to a family who has a bunch of dogs and won't treat their yard for fleas, therefore Lisa's dogs get covered with them, no matter what they do to get rid of them.

If we had to deal with the same things her family is, it would be one more thing to be unhappy about. So why not turn it around and be grateful that I DON'T have to deal with it at the moment?

Hmmm...what other things that I have complained about lately can I turn around into gratefulness? In her post today, Ann Voskamp shares, "For those who can see, the world’s beauty outweighs its burdens, its grace greater than its grime."

Oh, for eyes to see!

31. A good flyswatter (I'm not kidding!)

32. Vehicles that have great air conditioning

33. Kiddo having fun serving as a team leader to Kindergarteners during their camp this week (LOVE that!)

34. Movies coming in the mail

35. Our small group

36. Getting my hair cut - and I do mean CUT (pictures to come later)

37. Blog friends, old and new

38. In real life friends, old and new

39. Magazines with pictures that inspire me to make my home beautiful

I end my list this week with the biggest thing I'm grateful for this week...I'm sure I'll post about it soon, but for now just to suffice it to say...

40. My new vacuum cleaner!

*(As usual, I have to disclose that if you click the One Thousand Gifts link over on my sidebar and make a purchase, I get a small commission. The opinion of this book is completely mine and not influenced whatsoever by my affiliation with Dayspring.)

On Being Grateful

There are times when I struggle to be grateful. I look around me and see my less than perfect house, or get my feelings hurt when I'm not asked to sing, or focus too much on a relationship that isn't going the way I want it to. But in reading Ann Voskamp's book, One Thousand Gifts (if you decide to buy the book and click the link on my right sidebar, I get a small commission...but even if you don't click the link, just BUY THE BOOK!), I realize that I'm to be grateful, even when I don't feel like it (like right this minute).

How ironic it was yesterday when our pastor preached about fear, specifically worry, and how to combat it by expressing gratitude. I almost came out of my seat wanting to tell everyone that this book was about exactly that! So, in light of the fact that my heart is hurting, I give my list, slowly on its way to one thousand.

21. moonlight on bedcovers

22. Zephaniah 3:17

23. Kiddo getting his Awana Timothy Award (more on that later)

24. sweet, soulful canine eyes

25. listening to my husband breathe in restful sleep

26. air conditioning

27. four pillows

28. happy memories that cause laughter

29. late afternoon golden light

30. seeing the first lightning bugs of the year


And even as I sit here after I've typed these, my heart is lifted. Oh, the power of eucharisteo!

Where God Leads

My bff, Kat, texted me a few days ago letting me know that not only had Ann Voskamp commented on our One Thousand Gifts picture, but that we also were in the new slideshow on her posts at A Holy Experience and Bloom (in)courage. I was almost giddy when I saw that she had written on a picture I had loaded on Facebook. Still more so when I saw mine and Kat's faces drift by on the slideshow. And as I sit here still excited, I start to wonder...why?

Why did I get so excited that a woman, a mother like me who homeschools her children and loves her husband and worships her God, commented on a picture? Well, it's hard to get past the fact that it IS Ann Voskamp. Even before the book, her blog has blessed me so many times. I told her at Relevant '10 that I had stopped reading her blog because it brought me to tears each time I read it. Do you know what she did when I said that? She apologized. For making me cry. I'm telling you, this woman exudes grace.

Ann patiently listening to me

But looking past that, what she is is a woman who simply listened to what God told her to do. From beginning her beautiful blog, to writing the book, she listened to His nudging. Is still listening as the popularity of her book grows. If I were to do the same thing, where would God take me?

No, I don't expect to write a best selling book. Nor do I expect to be a speaker at a blog conference. I don't expect to sing concerts the world over, either. But what joy and happiness would be mine if I just listened to Him...and did what He asked?

I have to admit that I let my life be guided by fear more often than I let it be guided by God. Fear of the future, fear of people not liking me, fear of people not liking my child, fear of not parenting my child well, fear of getting bitten by a brown recluse (yes, I'm serious...I'm deathly afraid of spiders).

Why do I live like that? I haven't read One Thousand Gifts completely...since I'm reading the Bible in 90 days, I haven't had time to read it the way I really want to, but I've read far enough into it to know that if I let go of my fear and grab hold of Eucharisteo...giving thanks in EVERYTHING...that my life will be changed.

I can't wait to read it. To sit with it and hear Ann's voice as I read the words. In case you haven't purchased it yet, you can get it by clicking the link above. It's on sale for $12.99. You can also get a "DayBrightener" and the book in a set...what a beautiful gift that would be!

Ann Voskamp - DayBrightener and Book Set - God in the Moment and One Thousand Gifts

If you just gave the DayBrightener and kept the book for yourself I wouldn't tell! Right now is a GREAT time to purchase the set...it's on sale for $16.98, normally $26.98.

While I do get a small percentage from any sale generated from clicking my Dayspring ads (like the one above as well as the ones on my sidebar), I was not compensated in the least to talk about Ann's book. I just can't wait to read it.

And I can't wait to read it after I've finished THE ENTIRE BIBLE THIS THURSDAY!!! I'm just a little excited.

Oh, How Thankful!

Over the past six months, we've had a lot to worry about. So much has happened that we have hurt over, that we have lost, that has been taken from us.

But even in all of that, there have been things to be thankful for. I started my list last week, and have much to add to it. Even on nights my mind won't stop long enough for me to sleep, I am still thankful for things. Sometimes it takes me sitting down and actually working my brain to think of them, but when I do, my mood is instantly changed.

So...to continue...

11. Getting to eat lunch with my best friend and her kiddos.

12. Haircuts for both my guys...they were getting a bit shaggy...okay, a lot shaggy. : )

13. Warm enough days to open the windows and fill the house with the smells of spring...if only for a couple of days.

14. A church that has a vision to reach our entire county for Christ.

15. Frozen fruit.

16. Doggy kisses.

17. Food in the pantry...organized and everything. : )

18. Ceiling fans.

19. A husband who knows that one way to bless his wife is to take over kitchen duty every once in a while.

And

20. Through many hours of sweat and grease and friends who volunteer their time and expertise, a truck that is fixed after being off the road for a month (and therefore leaving me without wheels on a regular basis).

Yes, for these I am thankful. : )

The Beginning of My List

I have read the first two chapters of Ann Voskamp's book, One Thousand Gifts. If you haven't bought it, go now. Drop whatever you are doing and go get it. And that's just after the first two chapters. Just as a side note, you can purchase One Thousand Gifts by clicking the Dayspring button on my right sidebar. See my disclosure at the bottom of this post.

One thing I have learned is to be thankful. No matter my circumstances. So, even though we are going through a very rough time financially, Kiddo has had strep AND the flu at the same time, and we are down to one car, I will be thankful.

I've wanted to start my own 1000 list for a while. And today is a good day. Just because it's another day I'm alive. So, here goes. I am thankful for...

1. A husband who loves me much more than I deserve.

2. My Kiddo, who loves his momma.

3. An extended family, without whom I wouldn't have been able to survive the days right before and right after Mom's death.

4. The pups.. cute old one and sweet young one. They both make me smile. Even if they do need baths.

5. My church...where I learn to worship every time I step through the doors...where I learn to grow in ministry and stretch beyond what I ever thought I could do.

6. Home...a sanctuary for my family and me when life is too much.

7. Friends, good and best, who love me even when I'm unlovable. And that's a lot.

8. Having the freedom to homeschool my son. Some days it's easier to be thankful for that than others. Heh.

9. This blog, where I can write whatever crazy things come to my mind. And they come fairly often.

10. And I probably should have listed Him first, but I guess it's just a given...how can I express my thankfulness for my beautiful Jesus? Without Him, none of the above would be in existence.

So many times I write what I think YOU want to read. But today, I'm writing for me...a visual reminder of why, even in the hard times, I must be thankful.

You can click the Dayspring link on my right sidebar to purchase One Thousand Gifts. I do get paid a little bit for each sale of the book, but any opinions expressed here have nothing to do with that. I would recommend the book even if I had to pay YOU to buy it.