Tag: gratitude

Project Week

It's been a week of projects around our house. Tween has been working on a science project. Teen completed a career project. Tween had a music lesson in preparation for his first big concert. Teen and I both finished reading books; Tween has almost finished the book he's reading. And of course Guy and I both … Continue reading Project Week

Uncluttering Our Lives: Simplicity

Oh, the irony of the day set aside to consider simplicity being more complicated than any typical day! Between church, sports, and school commitments, this family set off running in multiple directions. Some of us said goodbye more than twelve hours ago and haven't been face-to-face since. And before bedtime one kid suddenly started puking. Nope, … Continue reading Uncluttering Our Lives: Simplicity

Thankful Thursday = Happiness!

I asked myself this morning whether I would write a Thankful Thursday post. Answer? Not sure. Then I went to my women's group at church and one of the topics was "Happy people are grateful." So here we go. *I am grateful that I am developing new rhythms and taking time to write regularly. It's … Continue reading Thankful Thursday = Happiness!

Spelling Bee

Tween participated in the school-wide spelling bee. Placing in the top two in his classroom bee, he joined seventeen other 3rd through 5th graders. All winners before they hit the stage, Tween made it to 4th place. Miraculous, as years ago experts predicted that given his particular set of learning (dis)abilities, his spelling level wouldn't exceed third grade. … Continue reading Spelling Bee

Go

The Friday night DVD over, Tween got ready for bed while Guy channel surfed. He landed on a food show just as they began a profile on a restaurant in the town where we attended college. The owner couple looked round-about our age, like ordinary, friendly people with whom we - and you - would like to … Continue reading Go

Thankful Thursday

A leaky faucet has replaced my nose. I have tried cranking the spiggot tight with extra fluids, quality nutrition, sleep, and meds. To no avail. Two nights ago I took one big green liquigel tablet from a two-pack, because one usually knocks me out for a solid eight hours, and it did; last night I took … Continue reading Thankful Thursday

Hope of the World

Have you felt it, too, that rapid, sometimes painful limping toward this day? It's Christmas Eve. In my world that means Christmas has arrived. Traditionally, today we rest and enjoy togetherness. We make pine cone-peanut butter-birdseed ornaments; we take them to the local reservoir, where we walk the dogs, the kids, ourselves, for an hour, … Continue reading Hope of the World

Where do we place our hope?

I had a surprising and completely lovely conversation with Tween after Sunday school this morning. I asked him about the lesson, and he told me the story commonly called The Rich Young Ruler (found in Matthew 19:16-22 and Mark 10:17-27): a man who has kept all the commandments asks Jesus what else he must do, … Continue reading Where do we place our hope?

Thankful Thursday

"Gratitude unlocks the fullness of life. It turns what we have into enough, and more. It turns denial into acceptance, chaos to order, confusion to clarity." --Melody Beattie, The Language of Letting Go, quoted in Real Simple magazine, Nov. 2014 This month I took on a gratitude challenge, three thanksgiving's each day for the month. … Continue reading Thankful Thursday

Life Follows

Last week the kids had an unusual two weekdays in a row off school. And it was my birthday. Gracious friends loaned us their mountain vacation house for a couple of nights and I couldn't wait. This fall has been rough - too full, too emotional - and contrary to my typical MO I didn't … Continue reading Life Follows