30 Days of Thanks- Day 18: My Mother-In-Law

"Everyone wants to be appreciated, so if you appreciate someone, don't keep it a secret."
~Mary Kay Ash

Welcome back my friends! As you can see I am playing catch-up, again. I fell behind over the weekend, so I will be posting three blog posts today.

On Day 18 of my 30 Days of Thanks, I am thankful for my Mother-In-Law. This woman is such a sweet lady. She has the gift of serving others and she does it well. What is so amazing to me is, I have never heard her complain, not one time, about what she does for others. I have been married to her son for over twenty-seven years now, and I am still blown away by the things she does, even at her age. Now, I am not saying she is old by any means, but she is in her seventies and she is still going strong. She puts a lot of these younger people to shame when it comes to what she does. Shucks, I wish I had half of her energy. She cooks lunch every Sunday for her family. On average, there are fifteen of us that come over for Sunday lunch, or dinner as some folks call it. She doesn't just cook a little something, she cooks a huge amount of food. Here is a list of food on a typical Sunday at my mother-in-laws: mashed potatoes, green beans, fried apples, cabbage, some type of salad greens, corn, roast beef, gravy, chicken fingers (for the kids) and homemade rolls, plus she always has at least two different desserts. Whew! It makes me tired just thinking of fixing all that food. I do enjoy eating it though.

I always make a point of thanking my mother-in-law and telling her how good everything was. We all need to hear that we are appreciated and loved. I know I do. Make a point to tell someone you love how much you appreciate them. I bet it will bless them so much.

Until next time my friends, be blessed!


"Make it a habit to tell people thank you. To express your appreciation, sincerely and without the expectation of anything in return. Truly appreciate those around you, and you'll soon find many others around you. Truly appreciate life, and you'll find that you have more of it." ~Ralph Marston


 

30 Days of Thanks- Day 17: Tea

Hello there my friends! It's Day 17 of my 30 Days of Thanks!

Today's post is plain and simple. Today, I am thankful for tea. I really enjoy drinking herbal tea. As I am sitting here playing catch-up on my posts, I am having a cup of decaffeinated Chai Tea.  This tea has some yummy ingredients in it. It's black tea with cinnamon, cardamom, clove and ginger. I usually mix a little honey and some almond milk in it. I also discovered that you can add some pumpkin spice creamer instead of the milk and honey, and it makes a delicious pumpkin spice chai. I also enjoy drinking ginger tea, especially when I have an upset stomach or just want something a little spicy. My cupboard is full of all kinda of herbal teas like raspberry, blueberry, orange cinnamon; just to name a few. 

Do you enjoy herbal teas or are you more of a coffee drinker? I love coffee, but can't have it because of homeopathic remedies I take. Coffee counteracts the effects of my remedies, so I have to say no to coffee. 

Until next time my friends, be blessed!


"Strange how a teapot can represent at the same time the comforts of solitude and the pleasures of company."  ~Author Unknown

" Tea to the English is really a picnic indoors."  ~Alice Walker
 

30 Days of Thanks- Day 16: Simple Things

Welcome back and Happy Friday to you my friends! Today is Day 16 of my 30 Days of Thanks. Today I am thankful for the simple things. The simple things mean much more to me than anything money can buy.  I truly enjoy spending time with the people I love and care about. The memories we make will last much longer than anything money can buy.

I've learned it's the simple things in life that make it worth living. Our lives are already filled to the max with busyness, and the world tries to tell us we need even more stuffed in there. I have never been one of those people who enjoys being busy all the time. Some people thrive on that, but it stresses me out. I need time alone to refresh after I've been in a situation where there are lots of people and lots of busyness going on.

I'd like to share some of those simple, yet priceless things, I love and am so thankful for:

*Taking a walk with my sweet hubby

*Wonderful smelling candles

*Long, relaxing bubble baths

*Reading a book 

*Our annual Christmas-light-seeing outing with my family, while we listen to Christmas music and drink hot cocoa

*Going to the movies with my girls

*Watching a favorite movie for the hundredth time

*Talking with a close friend on the phone, or in person over lunch

*Sitting on the back porch swing, listening to the frogs and bugs on a summer night

*Having late night talks with my girls

*Walking on the beach, feeling the salt air against my face

*Going on a date night with my hubby

*Taking pictures of the ones I love

*Going for a picnic lunch at the park with my girls

*Sitting around a campfire, roasting marshmallows with my family

What about you? What are some of the simple things you enjoy? Please feel free to share them with me in the comments sections. Until next time my friends, be blessed! Have a great weekend!

"But what is happiness except the simple harmony between a man and the life he leads." ~Albert Camus

"If you get simple beauty and naught else, you get about the best thing God invents." ~Robert Browning

"It is the sweet, simple things of life which are the real ones after all." ~Laura Ingalls Wilder

30 Days of Thanks- Day 15: My Bed

"May sleep envelop you as a bed sheet floating gently down, tickling your skin and removing every worry.  Reminding you to consider only this moment."  ~Jeb Dickerson

Welcome back my friends! Well, I'm at the half-way mark for the 30 Days of Thanks. I hope you've had a good week and that you will have a great Friday, and a fantastic weekend!

It's Day 15 of my 30 Days of Thanks and today I am thankful for my bed. Yep, that's right. My bed. I am writing this at 12 midnight, so my bed is definitely looking pretty good right about now. My bed is that place I go for some peace and quiet, especially when my body is overly tired and hurting, which is pretty much everyday. 

Once I go to sleep, I know I will be able to get relief from the chronic pain I feel everyday. It's finally quiet and not screaming at me. I enjoy this respite as long as possible because I know it will start again soon enough when the morning comes. I don't by any means sleep great, but when I do sleep, there's peace. I will take whatever I can get.

I know there are many people who suffer with sleep problems. If you don't sleep well it really makes you feel awful. It's hard to function when you are not getting the rest your body needs to restore itself. My daughter, Brittany, has had sleep problems for the last few years now. I have also had my own sleep issues off and on because of fibromyalgia. Not being able to sleep stinks! I believe it's God's desire for His children to rest and sleep peacefully. I would like to pray for all of you who have sleep problems.

Father God, I pray for all of those people who are having problems sleeping. No matter if it's problems falling asleep, staying asleep, or not being able to sleep at all, I ask that You would touch each one and bless them with sweet sleep. I ask that You would quiet their minds and their bodies when they lay down at night. I pray for Your peace to settle upon them like a warm blanket and that sleep would come easily and quickly. I pray that these sleep problems would come to an end now in Jesus' name.

I hope you all have a peaceful nights sleep tonight and a blessed day when you awake. Until next time my friends, be blessed!


 "O bed! O bed! delicious bed!
That heaven upon earth to the weary head." ~Thomas Hood

"In peace I will lie down and sleep, for you alone, O Lord, will keep me safe." ~Psalm 4:8 (NLT)

 "You can go to bed without fear; you will lie down and sleep soundly." ~Proverbs 3:24 (NLT)

30 Days of Thanks- Day 14: Thankful for Today

"The seasons are what a symphony ought to be; four perfect movements in harmony with each other." ~Arthur Rubinstein


Welcome back my bloggy friends! I hope your week is going good. I'm trying to play catch up today.  Thank you for your patience.

On Day 14 of my 30 Days of Thanks, I am thankful for today. Right here, right now. Many times I've gotten so caught up in either living in the past, or yearning for a future time when I hope things will be better, or different than they are now. We can neither go back in the past or go ahead to the future.

I know, from personal experience, how quickly things can change from one minute to the next. Some of those changes we welcome and others we feel like we will never recover from. As hard as it is sometimes, I am trying to learn to enjoy each day, each moment I have been given, regardless of what I'm going through at the time.

There is a season for everything we go through....joy, sorrow, life, death, weeping, laughter, dancing, mourning, war and peace. Growth happens in each of those seasons; yes, even in the midst of great pain and loss. Allow yourself to feel what you do in the season you're in right now. I believe there is a gift in every season we go through. God has not forgotten us when we are walking through the wilderness seasons. He is well able to take care of all that concerns us, no matter what the season.

Until next time my friends, be blessed!


“For everything there is a season, and a time for every matter under heaven:
a time to be born, and a time to die; 
a time to plant, and a time to pluck up what is planted;
a time to kill, and a time to heal; 
a time to break down, and a time to build up;
a time to weep, and a time to laugh;
a time to mourn, and a time to dance;
a time to throw away stones, and a time to gather stones together;
a time to embrace, and a time to refrain from embracing;
a time to seek, and a time to lose; 
a time to keep, and a time to throw away;
a time to tear, and a time to sew; 
a time to keep silence, and a time to speak;
a time to love, and a time to hate; 
a time for war, and a time for peace.” ~Ecclesiastes 3: 1-8

“I wonder if the snow loves the trees and fields, that it kisses them so gently? And then it covers them up snug, you know, with a white quilt; and perhaps it says "Go to sleep, darlings, till the summer comes again.”~Lewis Carroll
  
And let us not grow weary of doing good, for in due season we will reap, if we do not give up. ~Galatians 6:9

30 Days of Thanks- Day 13: My Home

"He is happiest, be he king or peasant, who finds peace in his home." ~Johann Wolfgang Von Goethe

Welcome back friends! I'm a little behind on my posts, so there will be two today. Let's get started!

For Day 13 of my 30 Days of Thanks, I am thankful for my home. As I was growing up, after my mom and step-father got divorced, we had to live in some really run down places because that's all my mom could afford on what she made as a waitress. Being a waitress was all she knew how to do, and she didn't have a high school diploma, so there weren't a lot of options available to her. My mom had to quit school and get a job when she was a junior in high school because my grandfather got hurt and wasn't able to work anymore. My mom and grandmother both had to go out and get jobs so they could support the family. My mom was a darn good waitress though. She worked hard everyday and put in a lot of hours for a little bit of pay.

I used to feel intimidated when I would go to other people's homes that were so much bigger and fancier than mine. I used to feel like I didn't measure up because my home wasn't as big. I know that sounds kinda silly to measure your worth based on something like that, but that's what I did. I thought I had to act a certain way or look a certain way to be acceptable and liked. I thought my house had to be perfect. I was so concerned over what others would think about me, or if they would approve of me. My self-worth was in the toilet, so to speak. I didn't realize back then that my worth and value was not based on anything this world has to offer, not in what I looked like or what I wore, or where I lived.  It is based solely on God's love for me; always has been and always will be.

Looking back at some of the places we had to live in, and how I grew up, makes me all the more thankful for my home. It's not anything fancy by any means, just your average three bedroom home, but what makes it so great is that it's filled with much love and joy. I didn't grow up in that kind of home. It was filled with arguing, yelling, screaming, crying, hitting, and fear. I am thankful that God brought me through all that to where I am today. I still have a long way to go, but I'm moving forward, even if it's sometimes baby steps at a time.

Until next time my friends, be blessed!

"Nothing can bring a real sense of security into the home except true love." ~Billy Graham

“A house is made of walls and beams; a home is built with love and dreams.” ~Unknown

30 Days of Thanks- Day 12: Music

"Music is the wine that fills the cup of silence." ~Robert Fripp

Happy Monday to you, my friends! I hope you all had a great weekend. My hubby has been working almost every Saturday for the last couple of months now, so the weekends just don't seem long enough for me. I am thankful he has a good job, but I really miss spending time with him on Saturdays. Hopefully, the Saturday work will be coming to an end soon and I will have him back around here on the weekends. Okay, on to Day 12!

It's Day 12 of my 30 Days of Thanks, and today I am thankful for music. I absolutely LOVE music! I always have and probably always will. Music has been a part of my life since I was a child. I remember when I was a teenager falling asleep with the radio on. The radio was on constantly.

My taste in music has changed over the years, but my love for it has not. When I was a teenager and young adult, I loved listening to Q-94, which played pop and rock music. After I became a Christian my taste in music changed more towards praise and worship, and Christian based songs. I don't think there's anything quite like singing a song to the Lord that says exactly what your heart is feeling.

I also enjoy listening to classical music at times. The beautiful sounds of the instruments is so soothing and peaceful, especially the piano, violin, and cello. The wind instruments are wonderful too. I have never been to a symphony concert before, but that is something I would love to do one day.

I still enjoy listening to those oldies but goodies too. Man, I feel old when I think that the music I used to listen to when I was a teenager is now considered classic rock, or oldies. Good grief, time flies!

Until next time my friends, be blessed!

"Sing a new song to the Lord! Everyone on this earth, sing praises to the Lord, sing and praise his name." ~Psalm 96: 1-2

"Music expresses that which cannot be said, and on which it is impossible to be silent." ~
Victor Hugo

"Music washes away from the soul the dust of everyday life." ~Berthold Auerbach

"When words leave off, music begins." ~Heinrich Heine


 photo credit: <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/melolou/443712547/">melolou</a> via <a href="http://photopin.com">photopin</a> <a href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/2.0/">cc</a>

30 Days of Thanks- Day 11: The Veterans

Hey there my friends! It's Day 11 of my 30 Days of Thanks. Today I am thankful for all the men and women who have given their lives to serve and protect this great country we live in. I know there are many who would argue that it's not a great country anymore, but I would have to disagree with you. It is still a great country, especially if you compare the freedoms we have here to many other countries. There have been many lives that have been given to protect those freedoms we enjoy here in America. No matter what some people think, freedom isn't free. It never has been. It costs a great deal, so I would urge you to stand up for your freedoms because many lives have been given to protect your right to do that. 

Thank you, to all the Veterans, including my dad, who so faithfully and boldly served and protected this country over the years. Thank you, to all who are currently serving and putting their lives on the line everyday for us. We honor you all.

Until next time my friends, be blessed.

"Courage is almost a contradiction in terms. It means a strong desire to live taking the form of readiness to die." -G.K. Chesterton

"This nation will remain the land of the free only so long as it is the home of the brave." -Elmer Davis

 "As we express our gratitude, we must never forget that the highest appreciation is not to utter words, but to live by them." -John Fitzgerald Kennedy


(The above picture was taken by my daughter, Brittany)

30 Days of Thanks- Day 10: Lessons Learned

 “We can throw stones, complain about them, stumble on them, climb over them, or build with them.”~ William Arthur Ward

Good-day my friends! I hope you are enjoying this beautiful day. It certainly is a gorgeous day here in Virginia.

Today is Day 10 of my 30 Days of Thanks. Today I am thankful for all the lessons learned throughout my life, even the hard ones. There have been many difficult things I've walked through in the forty-six years I've been on this earth, but as I've gotten older, I've tried to focus on the positive things that have come from those painful times. I've tried to focus on how much I've grown because of those painful situations. I spent many years going about it the wrong way by allowing my emotions and thoughts to control me. I spent many years believing lies from the enemy. I still find my thoughts going that way out of habit more times than I would like, which is why I have to work hard to make the effort to keep my thoughts focused on the positive. Old habits are hard to break, but they can be broken.

There were many times when I got so caught up in the pain and hurt of a situation that I failed to focus on the good I could take away from it. During those times, I would pull away from the Lord and sink down into a pit of worry and fear. I allowed the enemy to fill my mind with all the reasons why I was justified to feel that way. It's not a good place to be, which is why it's so important to keep our mind renewed, so we can be alert of the tactics the enemy uses and recognize the lies immediately.

Thinking positive takes a lot of effort, but it's so worth it.

Here is an example from my own life where I tried to focus on the positive aspects of what happened and allowed it to make me better instead of bitter.

My mom got pregnant with me out of wedlock. I was raised in an abusive, alcoholic family. My step-father had some very serious problems with alcohol and with his temper. I never knew my biological father until I was twenty-two years old. I missed out on many years of knowing him. I went through a lot of hurt and pain as a result of the choices other people made that I had no control over. I had many problems as a result of the environment I grew up in, and have spent many years healing from those things. However, I am so thankful that my mom chose to go through with the pregnancy and not have an abortion. That was never an issue for her, but it could have been. She could have decided this would complicate her life to have a child since she wasn't married, and the young man didn't want to get married. Abortion could have been an easy answer for her. I am thankful for her making the sacrifice to go ahead with the pregnancy and have me. No matter what difficulties I went through as I was growing up, I always knew my mom loved me. I am thankful for my mom and her love for me. I am also thankful that I've had a very good relationship with my biological father for the last twenty-four years. We don't get to see each other as often as I would like, but we do talk on the phone regularly. He loves me and is very supportive. I could have held a grudge and ended up bitter and resentful because he rejected me and left me before I was even born, or because he never tried to find me before I called him the first time, but I have chosen instead to be thankful he is in my life and that I have a relationship with him. I am thankful that he tells me he loves me each time I talk to him. He even calls me darling sometimes. I love that! My little girl heart will always yearn for what could have been, but I am truly thankful to have him in my life. I know one day those yearnings and desires will finally be fulfilled when I stand before my Heavenly Father.


If we allow the difficult things to make us better and not bitter, we will always take something good away that will help us grow and become all the Lord created us to be. We may even be able to use those lessons learned to help someone else along the way.

Until next time my friends, be blessed!

"Finally, my friends, keep your minds on whatever is true, pure, right, holy, friendly, and proper. Don’t ever stop thinking about what is truly worthwhile and worthy of praise." ~Philippians 4:8

“There is little difference in people, but that little difference makes a big difference. The little difference is attitude. The big difference is whether it is positive or negative.” ~W. Clement Stone

“The best thing to give to your enemy is forgiveness; to an opponent, tolerance; to a friend, your heart; to your child, a good example; to a father, deference; to your mother, conduct that will make her proud of you; to yourself, respect; to all men, charity.” ~Benjamin Franklin

“When you get into a tight place and everything goes against you, till it seems as though you could not hold on a minute longer, never give up then, for that is just the place and time that the tide will turn.” ~Harriet Beecher Stowe

30 Days of Thanks- Day 9: God's Word

 

"Your word is a lamp to guide my feet and a light for my path." ~Psalm 119:105

Happy Friday to you friends! I hope it's a good day for you and that you will have a very blessed weekend. Take some time this weekend to do something special for yourself.

Well, it's Day 9 of my 30 Days of Thanks. Today I am thankful for God's Word, the Bible. His Word is our instruction manual for living our life for His glory. He didn't leave us here with no way to know what we should do, or how we should live our lives. He loved us enough to make sure we had His Word and His instructions to use as a way to guide us and direct us. Not only is God's Word our instruction manual, it's a love story.  It reveals the great love God had for us by sending His Only Son to die for us. It's the greatest love story ever.

I've heard it said that Bible stands for Basic Instructions Before Leaving Earth. We are not here alone, even though there may be times when we feel alone. We are greatly loved and accepted, even though we may not feel that way some times. God's Truth and Love is not based on how we feel. It's based on what He has said and done.

If you need direction and wisdom, look to the Lord and His Word. He has promised to give wisdom if you ask for it, expecting to receive it. If you need comfort, look to the Lord and His Word. The Psalms are full of comfort and reassurance. David was a man after God's own heart and even he had many times where he messed up bad, yet God loved him and used him for great things because David had a repentant heart and sought God's will for his life. If you need help standing against the enemy, God's Word tells us how to do that, and using His Word is part of that. If you need help knowing how to love others, His Word covers that too. If you need help in your marriage, that's in there too. His Word is relevant for every part of our life. Between His Word, His love, and the Holy Spirit, which leads us into all truth, we are covered.

Do you need some guidance and help with some things you're walking through? I would urge you to turn to His Word. Ask Him to guide you in His Word to what He wants to speak to you. He will do it. He has promised when we seek Him with all of our heart we will find Him.

Until next time my friends, be blessed!


"All Scripture is inspired by God and is useful to teach us what is true and to make us realize what is wrong in our lives. It corrects us when we are wrong and teaches us to do what is right." ~2 Timothy 3:16 (NLT)





  "For everything that was written in the past was written to teach us, so that through endurance and the encouragement of the Scriptures we might have hope." ~Romans 15:4






"If any of you lacks wisdom, he should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to him. But when he asks, he must believe and not doubt, because he who doubts is like a wave of the sea, blown and tossed by the wind." ~James 1:5-6





"The Lord is a refuge for the oppressed a stronghold in times of trouble." Psalm 9:9

"God is our refuge and strength, and ever-present help in trouble.  Therefore we will not fear though the earth will give way and the mountains fall into the heart of the sea, though its waters roar and foam and the mountains quake with their surging." ~Psalm 46:1-3
 
"The unfolding of your words gives light; it gives understanding to the simple." ~Psalm 119:104

"You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart." ~Jeremiah 29:13