30 Days of Thankful -- Day 14

Personal

School/Work

Church

Family


Notice it's blank?  That's right.  I was so busy yesterday and didn't make the time to fill out my thankfulness chart.  No excuses -- I CHOSE NOT TO MAKE THE TIME.  And boy did I feel it!  Not only did I feel guilty for not doing it, but my day was also long, tiring and stressful.  I didn't enjoy it, and this is truly the first time since I've started this challenge that I've felt like that.  One positive that has come from missing a day is that I've realized that this is making a difference in my life.  Some days I spend more time than others focusing on my blessings, but taking that time each day to list things I'm thankful for is really affecting my life -- in a major way!  So I won't be skipping another day.  The cost is just too great!

Stayed tuned later today for Day 15!  We're halfway there!

~Heather~

30 Days of Thankful -- Day 13

We're getting there...almost halfway there!  And if you're like me, you are being stretched.  It's getting harder to think of things to be thankful for!  That's embarrassing to admit because I am so blessed.  But I know the more I put into this challenge, the more I'll get out of it.  It'll be easier to remind myself of my blessings.

Personal
I'm thankful for curly hair.  On days when I don't want to fuss with it, but don't want to pull it into a ponytail, I'm thankful I can put a little gel in it, pull it back out of my face and go!  It'll usually curl nicely.


Work/School
I'm thankful that I am home on days when my kids don't have school.  They are off Monday too, and they really are cool kids.  We have movie nights, jammie days, we play games and eat snacks.  I'm so thankful to be able to be home with them.

Church
So thankful for my children's church budget.  If would be so hard to plan and implement an effective ministry without money for supplies.  So while I will always wish it were a larger number, I am thankful for that money and for the fact that God provides for our needs.

Family
I'm so thankful for a healthy baby girl who is becoming a little less of a baby every day.  I am thankful for those little hands that keep pushing buttons on the keyboard of my laptop.  I'm thankful for her ready smile every time I talk to her.  I'm thankful for her laugh and her inquisitive personality. 


I AM BLESSED.

30 Days of Thankful -- Day 12

My kids are home from school today....apparently, it's a holiday weekend.  Sigh.  I'm kidding, it hasn't been that bad.  But if you really want to wish it were spring, or at least wish it was nice enough (dry enough) outside to go out and play, get stuck inside the house with 2 whiny kids and a baby for a day!  Thank goodness there is a children's fair at the mall tomorrow and we can get out of the house! 

Personal
My husband is on call this weekend.  I'm thankful that I thought ahead this week and bought enough food to cook tonight.  It sounds funny, but we do usually eat out on Friday nights.  But when he's on call, you just never know if he'll be busy, or get no calls at all.  It's stressful for me because when we're out and he gets paged, I have to keep the kids quiet while he talks to a patient.  And you know how kids are...the minute you get on the phone, all heck breaks loose!  I'm thankful for homemade fried chicken tonight!

Work/School
I am thankful that I don't really 'have' to go anywhere on days when it's impossible to get a shower....like today.

Church
I'm thankful for....Amazon and Oriental Trading Company, and all the other businesses I order children's church craft supplies from.  Just got a huge delivery of construction paper in the mail this week!  No more digging around, praying you can find 7 pieces of green construction paper for your class...ha ha

Family
I know I already said I'm thankful for him, but I am choosing my hubby again.  He puts up with a lot from me.  I'm kind of high maintenance....I can be moody, selfish, mean, cranky, exhausted, whiny...and he still loves me!  Oh and if I wouldn't have married him, I'd never have learned about my love of Korean food....

30 Days of Thankful -- Day 11

I'm working on plans for a new blog series this morning.  I'm pretty excited about it, but I don't want to rush into anything.  I've been reading some very interesting, and challenging, books lately and they've given me an idea.  I'm going to keep praying about it to see if God wants me to write about it.  But in the mean time, I've got some things to be thankful for!

1. Personal
God gave me the ability to write, and I think I'm pretty good at it.  It's something that has always come easily to me.  I never struggled with comma rules and I love grammar.  I even have a bachelor's degree in English.  But to be honest, I haven't written anything except a school excuse or a grocery list in almost 10 years.  I was really focused on my marriage and my kids, for good reason.  But now it seems like God is calling me back to writing.  Don't get me wrong, I am still focused on my family, but God is putting ideas in my head; these are ideas I believe He wants me to write about.  I'm not out for recognition, or anything like that, I just want to be obedient.  But I am extremely thankful that I feel God calling me to use this gift.

2.  School/Work
Yesterday I took my kids to a play area at our local mall, where I met with a friend.  We sat and talked and had a nice time.  I'm thankful that I my schedule is flexible enough to allow for visits with friends during the day.

3. Church
This Sunday is the 3rd Sunday of the month!  That means the kids in children's church will be singing in front of the congregation.  This month, they are singing You Are My King and I'm so thankful for this ministry!

4. Family
Today I am thankful for Sabrina, who is a dear friend, someone I consider family.  She lives in NC now, and we don't get to talk as often, but she is such a wonderful person.  She helped me so much through some really hard times.  I miss her dearly and wish she and her beautiful family could move back.  She's like a sister to me and I love her!

30 Days of Thankful -- Day 10

Well today I'm going to try something new.  Since the purpose of this challenge is to be "thankful in all circumstances" (1 Thessalonians 5:18), today I'm going to be thankful for things that I might have a tendency to complain about.  Maybe if I make myself focus on them, and find the good in them, I will find myself complaining less.  Here's hoping, anyway :)

Have a great day!
~Heather~

1. Personal
I'm going to be thankful for all the gray hairs I have.  I looked in the mirror today and was amazed!  But so what!  I have gray hair.  I'm in my 30s.  I'm not a teenager anymore.  I have a husband, and I take care of 3 little kids.  I clean my home, I cook meals, I do our laundry, I lead our church's children's ministry, I lead a bible study, I take kids to school, I take my daughter to ballet and my son to tae kwon do.  I'm a wife, mother, daughter, and friend.  I'm busy!  And sometimes stressed!  But if these gray hairs are a sign that I have a full life, then bring 'em!  I wouldn't change my life for the world.  It doesn't mean that I won't go to the salon and have them dyed, but I refuse to stress over them anymore!

2. Work/School
I thankful for my washing machine.  I've often been heard complaining about doing laundry, or even about the machine itself.  I am not a fan of front-loading washers.  But  this morning, as I was taking yet another load of clothes out of the washer, God reminded me that this would have been a whole lot longer, and more difficult, process 150-200+ years ago.  Laundry was back-breaking work.  Bending over a wash tub full of steaming hot water, scrubbing clothes on a washboard sounds like a nightmare!  I'm thankful I can do my laundry indoors....and I don't have to do the actual washing.

3.  Church
Alright, so I'm veering away from my original intention of being thankful for things I'm not always thankful for.  I am definitely thankful for the people in this category today.  I'm thankful for each and every children's ministry volunteer at my church.  It wouldn't be possible to minister each week to the almost 30 kids in the program.  I can't, and don't, do it alone.  I may not say thank you often as I should -- in fact, I know I don't -- but I appreciate the hard work each and every one of you do to teach these kids the importance of a relationship with Jesus.

4.  Family
Once again, straying from my original intentions.  I am always thankful for this next person!  My Mom is my biggest fan, my best friend, my fiercest advocate.  I don't know what I'd do without her, and I hope I never find out.  She has always been there for me.  When I was little, she made sure we had what we needed.  She helped us however she could.  As an adult, she still does the same thing.  She watches the kids if we ask.  She's even taken vacation time from work so my husband and I could go away for my birthday, or for our anniversary.  She's kind and unselfish.  She makes me laugh, and never just tells me I'm right when I'm not.  I respect her opinion.  I am thankful for my Mom today.  I love you, Mom!

30 Days of Thankful -- Day 9

I've already been able to sit down this morning and blog about what's on my heart today, so I just want to encourage you with something I learned last night at Bible study.  There are different seasons of life.  A single person's life looks different than a newly married person's life.  Everyone is in a particular season, and even if someone is in the same season as you, it won't look the same.  So don't look around at other people and feel bad that you can't do the same things they can.  Try not to judge people for making life decisions that you wouldn't.  Don't get discouraged because it feels like life is passing you by.  Make decisions according to the season of life you are in, and according to God's plan for your life.  And try to enjoy your days, because we aren't promised a tomorrow.

~Heather~

1.  Personal
I am so thankful that God chooses to use music to work in my life.  I am not a musician, but God speaks to me through music.  He places a song in my heart that can bring wisdom or encouragement to whatever situation I'm in.

2.  Work/School
I'm so grateful that I can drive my kids to school everyday.  My son is in Kindergarten and I just couldn't picture putting him on a bus at that age.  I rode the bus everyday, so maybe I'm just being overprotective, but it's been 28 years since I was in Kindergarten....times have changed!

3.  Church
There is a woman on the worship team who has an amazing voice.  It's absolutely beautiful.  I am also blessed to be in the same Bible study as her, so I know what a sweet, kind, loving, gracious sister in Christ she is.  I'm so thankful that she allows the Holy Spirit to move through her.  She sang a medley of songs last week that changed the entire mood of the worship service.  You could feel a difference the minute she sang the first note.  It was an amazing time of worship for everyone in attendance.

4.  Family
I am so thankful for my Aunt Diana.  I had the chance to have a conversation with her this morning, and I love that we have the kind of relationship where we can be honest.  She was really sad this morning, and while I didn't have any grand words of advice, and didn't say anything to make her feel better, I'm glad I was available.  She's always been a great role model to me, like a second mother growing up -- that's how often I saw her!  And I really admire her as a person, as a woman, and as a woman of God.  She's been through some hard times, and her class, faith, perseverance and honesty have really shown through.  I love her very much!

Because He Lives

I'm totally digging the old hymns lately.  This morning I started singing the chorus to this one.

Because He lives, I can face tomorrow.
Because He lives, All fear is gone.
Because I know He holds the future,
And life is worth the living just because He lives.

I know God must have put it in my head, because it was a hectic morning, trying to get the kids ready and to school on time.  Oh, and we had to make sure to bring their treats and valentines too, so I wasn't exactly in a music mindset.  I find that God puts songs in my head alot, especially when I'm going through something, so I've learned to just go with it!   My only question now is, "what so You want me to learn from this song, God?"

......And I just realized why this song is in my head.  Today is Valentine's Day.  My baby would have been 2 years old today.  I miscarried in 2009.  It was a surprise pregnancy, and from the beginning something just wasn't right.  I normally get sick, but I was so sick.  Then they couldn't find a heartbeat, or even a baby inside the sac, during the first ultrasound.  Then I had to have blood test after blood test to see if my hormone levels were increasing, which they were.  I was told everything seemed good, the first ultrasound had probably just been too early.  Finally, nine horendous, tortuous days after the first ultrasound, the miscarriage was confirmed.  It was something called a blighted ovum - I had no idea what this was, so the doctor explained it like this.  There was something chromosomally wrong with my baby, and my body knew it would either not survive birth or have so many birth defects, that it spontaneouly aborted it.  Naturally I was devastated.  I have very little memories from the rest of that year.  I have a hard time describing that time in my life, and not just because of the fog I was in.   It was so hard on my mind and body, but the hardest part was that I didn't really have closure.  Most times, when a person passes away, there is a funeral, a chance to say goodbye.  I didn't get that -- but I felt a bond with this baby that I didn't even know.  It was a part of me.  And I've always wished I could have put up a memorial, or done something to help me feel some closure.  I miss this baby that I never got the opportunity to know.  I love this baby that I never held in my arms.  I used to dream about him (I feel like it was a boy), about being able to rock him.  In my mind, and heart, I have 4 kids, not 3.

I know that God put this song in my head for a reason this morning.  It was to give me comfort and reassurance that this life isn't all there is.  I heard Francis Chan give a sermon one time about how very short our time on Earth really is.  To illustrate his point, he carried a long rope across the stage. The very tip was red, the rest was white. His point? The red tip is like our time on Earth -- short, especially in comparion to the white rope, eternity. And I know where I'm going to spend eternity.  That really puts this into perspective, doesn't it?  But what if Jesus, or God, didn't exist?  Can you imagine that?  When we died, that's all there is.  We would never see our loved ones again.  We would just be....gone.  How sad is that?  How final is that?  There would be no hope, nothing to look forward to.  Thank goodness that isn't the case!  My God is alive and well; my Jesus didn't stay dead, but rose again three days after being crucified.  He died on that cross so we can live forever with Him in Heaven.  Because He lives, I can face whatever tomorrow brings, and I can face the sadness from yesterday's memories -- Because He lives. 

So today I am sad.  Part of me will probably always be a little sad.  And that's ok.  In a way, being sad is a reminder that I haven't forgotten this baby.  I can, and do, take comfort in the chorus of this song, in knowing the because He lives, I can go on another day.  Most importantly, because He lives, my baby lives!  My baby is alive and well in Heaven.  I will meet him one day!  Until then, I like to imagine that my Mimi, my grandmother who passed away when I was 20, is taking care of him until I get there.  My Mimi has finally met one of her great grandchildren!  I can't be sad about that.  How many times have I wished she could know my kids, and see the Mom I've become?  So today I'll let myself be sad; I'll let myself think about what might have been.  But I'm going to stop thinking about my baby as not being alive.  Because it isn't true.  My baby is alive with Jesus.  And "an empty grave is there to prove my Savior lives."

~In loving memory of my sweet baby Bang.  Mommy loves you and can't wait to meet you one day.~