Thanksgiving

We attended a new Church last Sunday, and I thought I would share what I took from it.

Luke 17:11-19 shines light on how amazing God's power is, and also how important it is to be thankful for the many blessings we are given.  In case you aren't aware of this story, here it is:

¹¹ Now on his way to Jerusalem, Jesus traveled along the border between Samaria and Galilee. ¹² As he was going into a village, ten men who had leprosy met him. They stood at a distance ¹³ and called out in a loud voice, “Jesus, Master, have pity on us!”

¹⁴ When he saw them, he said, “Go, show yourselves to the priests.” And as they went, they were cleansed.

¹⁵ One of them, when he saw he was healed, came back, praising God in a loud voice. ¹⁶ He threw himself at Jesus’ feet and thanked him—and he was a Samaritan.

¹⁷ Jesus asked, “Were not all ten cleansed? Where are the other nine? ¹⁸ Has no one returned to give praise to God except this foreigner?” ¹⁹ Then he said to him, “Rise and go; your faith has made you well.”

When we say the words "thank you" it gives God glory.  It also grows your heart and deepens your relationships.  Saying thank you isn't enough, however; you have to mean it.  How do you show you mean it?  Be specific and genuine, go out of your way to say it, and say it in a way that each specific person will understand.  Gratefulness is contagious, as is ungratefulness.  I promise you that if you go out of your way to tell a family member, friend, co-worker, or whomever it may be that you are thankful for them and why, they will appreciate you so much more and will often times express their gratitude back towards you.  And trust me, it feels good to say it and hear it.  It's human nature to want to be appreciated.  And it's great character to express it.

I have learned that what you appreciate tends to get better, and what you depreciate tends to get worse.  We all need to work on this in ways, myself included.  I know I take my health and beauty for granted, but I am working on being thankful for what I have.  Truth is, I am so blessed.  My late friend Hillary has had a very big role in helping my self-acceptance.  She always saw so much beauty in me and I (very often) sub-consciously hear her telling me how beautiful I am when times get tough.  She really is my Angel.  My recent discoveries have really taught me that a powerful testimony of God is thankfulness among people facing adversity.  I am so glad that during my times of struggle, I am able to turn to God and I know that he is listening.  And despite how it may seem at times, I really am thankful for all he has given me and I do thank him every single day in prayer.

So please, express your gratitude to those around you.  Take a few minutes out of your day to send a card to loved ones, to make a couple phones calls, send a text, say a prayer - however it is that you feel comfortable.  We only have one life to live, and if we trust in God and live our life to the fullest, we will continue to be blessed with the many joys that life brings forth.  

Remember, the men with leprosy trusted in God when he told them to go show themselves to the Priest.  And before they even arrived, they were healed.  They didn't question the Lord and in return, the Lord blessed them.  Sometimes we have to believe and trust, even when it seems impossible. The Lord is there, and will always be there.  Just love him and live your life to make him proud.

Boredom!

This boy is the only thing that keeps me sane while I'm not working.

I always pictured that staying at home and not having the responsibility of going to work would be easy. Given, it's not exactly difficult. But I am no stay-at-home type. I go crazy without someone to talk to, or something to do. I keep myself occupied with cleaning (sometimes), cooking, grocery shopping, and going on jogs here and there... But I miss having a place I had to be at a certain time. Not to mention I miss the extra money! This will be much better someday when I have a baby to look after, but until then, this furry four-legged cutie will definitely do! I am seriously so lucky to have him. He brings me so much happiness just by looking at his cute face.

Hopefully soon I will be well and I can work again!

Happy Birthday, Dan!

Today is Dan's 24th Birthday!

I am so lucky to be in love with my best friend.

I really couldn't ask for a better husband.  

I am so blessed and in love.

Moments

"Did you ever look at a picture of yourself and see a stranger in the background? It makes you wonder how many people have pictures of you, how many moments of other people's lives we've been in. Were we part of someone's life when their dream came true, or were we there when their dreams died? Did we keep trying to get in, as if we were somehow destined to be there? Or did the shot take us by surprise? Just think, you could be a big part of someone else's life, and not even know it..."


Pretty crazy to think about, huh? I watch old episodes of "One Tree Hill" almost every morning, and I find so many of the things said so interesting and inspiring. I thought I would share this one for the day :)

My daily lesson.

A little catch up...

Well, needless to say it has been a while.  I'll try to do a quick catch-up so that if I do decide to continue blogging, it all might make a little sense.

Dan and I have been living in a rental house in Port Orchard, WA, since last March.  It's been a great change for us, and Charlie is loving it. He has a big front and back yard that he can run around in, and a beach just down the street that he loves to swim in.  Being in a house is really nice.  It's much more spacious than the apartment, and it makes me feel a bit more grown up!  Port Orchard is a beautiful city, as we are surrounded by water almost every where we turn.  It is a little further away from our friends, but that hasn't really stopped us from seeing them just as often.

2012 has been an amazing year. But, just like any other year, it always has its ups and downs.  Friendships have come and gone, and my trust levels with people has been tested.  But no matter what happens with life, all I know is that I am incredibly blessed to be surrounded with the people that I am.  Dan is an amazing best friend, and I honestly couldn't ask for anyone better.  My family is also my rock, and I know that I can count on them for anything. And of course, Charlie :)  That little fur-ball is so much more than a pet to me.

One thing I have found myself struggling with is my ability to accept my problems and to look beyond them.  I'm not going to go into too much detail, at least not yet.  It's been an ongoing battle to accept things about myself, and to stay strong for the sake of my family, and myself.  One of the hardest things for me has been my inability to count my blessings and to look beyond my problems and insecurities, but they are like an anchor that keeps holding me down.  I am hopeful that someday I will be able to live 100% happily and content with myself, but I've got a long ways to go.  It's not fun having to accept that you have problems, and even worse to admit that you won't be able to conquer them alone.  But until I find the strength within myself to really get the help I need, I will keep fighting this on my own. 

With Thanksgiving coming up, my goal is to start and end each day thanking God for the amazing people he has brought into my life, and all of the blessings he has stowed upon me. This really is a beautiful life, and I couldn't ask for more than what I have.  Except maybe a healthy wrist so I could get my broke butt back to work!