A grateful heart

This is an excerpt that I took from passionatehomemaking.com. It really hit me right in the gut, I can't wait to get started on this book....

This has hit home to me as I have recently read it retold in Choosing Gratitude: Your Journey to Joy by Nancy Leigh Demoss. Through my recent struggles with insomnia, God has been teaching me many lessons. This has been one of them. I confess…I am a whiner. I complain when I am tired, when the children don’t behave, when my husband doesn’t arrive on time from work and dinner gets cold. It is so easy to focus on the problems, the struggles, the challenges in our lives, rather than actively striving to choose gratitude. It does not happen by chance. It is not acquired in a moment. It is the fruit of a thousand choices.

Things to Be Thankful For
(Originally published at Revive Our Hearts)

-Be thankful for the clothes that fit a little too snug, because it means you have enough to eat.
-Be thankful for the mess you clean up after a party, because it means you have been surrounded by friends.
-Be thankful for the taxes you pay, because it means you’re employed.
-Be thankful that your lawn needs mowing and your windows need fixing, because it means you have a home.
-Be thankful for your heating bill, because it means you are warm.
-Be thankful for the laundry, because it means you have clothes to wear.
-Be thankful for the space you find at the far end of the parking lot, because it means you can walk.
-Be thankful for the lady who sings off-key behind you in church, because it means you can hear.
-Be thankful when people complain about the government, because it means we have freedom of speech.
-Be thankful for the alarm that goes off in the early morning hours, because it means you’re alive.

FEAR NOT

I feel as though God's teaching me more these days then ever before. It's a good thing, I suppose. It's just not easy. I just like they say most good things don't come to easily.

I'm slowing finding out more about myself and about how God wants to use these lessons for His glory. Fear....ah fear...being my biggest stumbling block. Fear of all kinds of things, crippling fear. But what does God have to say about it.

FEAR NOT.

God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble. Therefore we will not fear though the earth be removed, and though the mountains be carried into the midst of the sea. (Psalm 46:1-2)

Fear not, for I am with you. Be not dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you; I will help you; I will uphold you with the right hand of my righteousness. (Isaiah 41:10)

But now says the LORD who created you, O Jacob, and who formed you, O Israel: "Fear not, for I have redeemed you. I have called you by your name; you are mine." (Isaiah 43:1)

Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil: for you are with me; your rod and your staff, they comfort me. (Psalm 23:4)

The LORD is my light and my salvation; whom shall I fear? The LORD is the strength of my life; of whom shall I be afraid? (Psalm 27:1)

The LORD is on my side. I will not fear. What can man do to me? (Psalm 118:6)

You drew near in the day that I called on you: you said, "Fear not." (Lamentations 3:57)

Didn't God tell Abraham, "Fear not, for I am your shield and your very great reward"? (Genesis 15:1) Didn't God tell Hagar, "Fear not; for God has heard the voice of the lad where he is"? (Genesis 21:17) Didn't God tell Isaac, "Fear not, for I am with you and will bless you, and multiply your seed for my servant Abraham's sake"? (Genesis 26:24) Didn't God tell Jacob, "Fear not to go down into Egypt, for there I will make of you a great nation"? (Genesis 46:3) Didn't he tell us to fear only God? Christ did not promise that we should have no trouble. Instead, he promised that in this world we would have trouble, but that he had overcome the world.

God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble. Therefore we will not fear though the earth be removed, and though the mountains be carried into the midst of the sea. (Psalm 46:1-2)

Constant running blog..

It's funny that I go through most of my day thinking of it in "blog terms". I think about all the things I'd write about myself, the kids..mostly nonsense but I'd still write it. Then I set down to write something and my mind goes blank. Go figure.

What's in my head right now..

- I love to vacuum. I think I want a Dyson for our 5 yr anniversary. Yeah, that might be wierd..I guess diamonds would be nice. But a vacuum..man the things that I could clean with that baby.

-If I'm somewhere that hasn't been vacuumed in a longtime. I go a little crazy. Yes, maybe it's your house. I just am a little OCD about vacuuming. So for probably the first hour at your house I'm thinking I really would love to vacuum.

-Have you ever vacuumed and cleaned the filter out right after one use? it's disgusting. Always, so full. Have no idea where it all comes from since I vacuum everyday.

-Don't know what I'm going to do with my hair.

-love that Townes tells me "I missed you , momma"! When he wakes up from his naps.

-I'm super proud of Townes he is changing and growing so much. He's really such a kind, lovely little man.

- I've lost 12 lbs

- Need to lose another 30-40lbs.

-Trying to figure out when it's time for another baby, but need to lose weight first. argh!

-Can't wait to go see some sunshine.

-Somedays I HATE iowa

-would really love a van.

- Sometimes feel like i have no friends.

- Love how God always provides in really cool ways.

- Just got a "new to us" beautiful dining room table.

- don't like video games

Ok, I'll stop. Why did all those random things just come to my head. So weird. Sometimes the blogging world can be a little pretentious , I guess I'm just putting it out there that my crap isn't all together :)