Counting Blessings 06.19.11

Thankful for...

• Extra time.  Got to spend a little extra time with my man today before he headed off for duty.  He's on duty for a while and will be unavailable - made even more bittersweet with it being Father's Day.
• Good friends.  Spent the afternoon with another family whose Dad is away for Father's Day.  I told her kids to ask their Dad what he got them for Father's Day - new tradition!  
• A new book.  I bought each of my kids a new book to kick off summertime reading and they are all upstairs reading quietly before bed.  Bliss.
• Chocolate.  And not just any chocolate.  But double chocolate fudge brownies - oh my goodness are they delicious.  I'll save some for the Colonel.
• Fireflies.  Nothing can bring back the simplicity of childhood like catching fireflies at dusk.  We ran through the yard and down the pipe-stem.  Put a few in a jar to watch them light up, up close.  We laid on our back and waited for the first star to come out.  That's the stuff blessings are made of!

It was especially hard to count my blessings today.  I'm feeling a little overlooked.  However, that statement is "me focused;" and counting blessings is anything but self-centered.  Tonight I'm working hard to dwell in the riches of God's blessing in my life.

Looking now for a scripture on chocolate ... I'm sure it's heaven sent!

Counting Blessings 06.12.11

Thankful for ...

• shelter from the storm - it rained buckets today!  Fierce lightning, rock the house thunder.  We were driving to church, visibility was low and lightning was severe.  The church was restoring electricity.
• friends to celebrate with - new friends have a son who's graduating from high school.  He also got a clean bill of health from the ER last night after the Lacrosse State Championship game.
• our pool - to run out the last bit of energy from the kids.  Great guards who actually build relationships with the kids.
• my husband - who snuggles with me, makes me coffee every morning, and continues to rock my world.

Take some time today to count your blessings!

Give thanks in all circumstances. 1 Thes. 5:18

Be content for what you have for the Lord has said, "Never will I leave you; never will I forsake you."

Hebrews 13:5

Laundry, HGTV, and Blessings

Washer fills, drier spins, and I sit folding clothes on my bed watching Lisa LaPorta renovate and redecorate. With the never-ending job of laundry, a healthy dose of HGTV makes the chore more bearable. Don't get me wrong, there is great reward in folding and putting away laundry - a place for everything and everything in its place. But then, on days like today when I put things away instead of having the kids do it - I wind up cleaning out drawers and closets and the task looms larger than usual.

These are the times I see big differences between how men and women tackle projects. Men are so focused (which has pros and cons); and women interrelate emotions, feelings, situations (which also has pros and cons). If I had asked my husband to put the laundry away (and yes, he would do it for me), it would get put away. Check. When I do it, I wind up with a pile of clothes to donate, reorganized drawers and closets, etc. Not to mention, a day with pretty much, nothing else done. I get the same results with my kids. My boys put their clothes away, my daughter arranges her clothes into outfits. Funny, huh?

I will often lament the amount of laundry I have to do. I'm confident I'm not alone. I try to think about the fact that all that laundry represents the blessings in our lives. We have enough money, space, etc. to have too many clothes. I try to give thanks for the healthy children that wear all those clothes - and wear OUT all those clothes. I pray over my husband as I fold undershirts and dress socks and thank God for the prosperity He's gifted us with.

Life is good. Laundry and all ... especially with a little HGTV.