Ever received a communication (email, text, phone call, handwritten note, etc) from someone for no reason at all except they just wanted you to know they were thinking of you?  How did it make you feel?  When I get those "out of the blue" communications from people I feel embraced.  It feels nice that someone somewhere is thinking about me in a nice way - haha!  I'm sure people think about me, I'm not sure it's always in positive ways.  (Just being real people, I am NOT easy to live with.)  A while back I was studying in the book of Philippians and in chapter one, verse three I paused.  It says, "Whenever you cross my mind, I thank my God for you and for the gift of knowing you."  And I got to thinking that my relationships might change, for the better, when I am intentional in reaching out and just saying "hey" when someone crosses my mind. Just to let them know I thought of them, maybe prayed for them, etc.  I know how grateful I feel when I

Today my counselor and I talked about ways I nurture myself.  And as we discussed the variety of ways I realized how grateful I am for the things I do that nurture me.  They will be different than what nurtures you. We have a few of the same but overall what we do to take care of ourselves and who we are will differ because we are all so unique.  For example, as we discussed I realized that something I do that actually nurtures me is doing my job well.  When I can knock out a bunch of tasks and relieve my boss of some things on his plate then I feel like I have done something to take care of myself.  That may sound crazy to you but to this chick who is Type A, wired for admin, and is task-oriented it is a form of nurturing to be able to do that.  Other things that nurture me are my slippers, jasmine green tea, reading, watching Friends.  And I'm grateful for the ways in which I am able to take care of myself so that I can take care of others.  How about you?  What nurturing do you

I woke up this morning and heard rain on the roof. I love the sound of rain.  I also like rain, a lot.  I like it partly because it isn't snow and I feel like we get more of our needed moisture from rain than snow.  I also just like the sound of it, the smell of it, the feel of the air during and after a rainstorm.  Rain makes me feel like everything is getting a refresh.  It makes me feel like breathing deep and slowing down.  I know there are times when rain causes a lot of problems but overall I am grateful for rain.

I am grateful for the dictionary!  Really!  I know, it's kinda geeky but I love the dictionary.  I love discovering what words mean and new words.  I even get sent to me the word of the day from Webster's website.  I had learned about some very interesting words.  Back in the day when I was in elementary and we would do dictionary drills, I had so much fun.  I love the dictionary.  I'm not the only one in my family who does either. My youngest brother used to read it for fun (he also read Encyclopedias for fun too)!  And I am grateful for the dictionary because it helps to shed light on the actual meaning of words not to mention these days the online dictionary gives you examples and all sorts of other things related to the word looked up.  It's fascinating!  Btw, YES.  I love the National Spelling Bee.  LOVE IT.  Let's face it, if you hadn't already figured it out, I love words!

Tonight the hub and I watched a movie that was "inspired by true events in the life of..."  I realized we watch a lot of these kinds of movies.  Ones that have been inspired by or based on the events of someones life. And it occurred to me that I am grateful for people who live lives of inspiration and someone hears about it and uses that to inspire others.  I need to be reminded of life lived with a purpose.  I need the reminder to not give up on my own dreams or ideas to better the lives of those around me.  I need to be reminded that sometimes wild dreams do come true.  I need to be challenged to step outside of myself and do something that betters the life of others.  I've watched so many of these kinds of movies I'm not sure if I have a favorite but do you?  Do these kinds of movies inspire and challenge you as well?

Don’t you know? Haven’t you heard?     The Eternal, the Everlasting God, The Creator of the whole world, never gets tired or weary.     His wisdom is beyond understanding. God strengthens the weary     and gives vitality to those worn down by age and care. Young people will get tired;     strapping young men will stumble and fall. But those who trust in the Eternal One will regain their strength.     They will soar on wings as eagles. They will run—never winded, never weary.     They will walk—never tired, never faint. ( Isaiah 40:28-31 ) Today I am grateful for the strength of God when I am weary.  It's been a weary kind of week. Parenting this week has been especially taxing and I feel worn down. But I know that there is strength available to me through the Creator of strength.  And what's lucky for me is he never wears out or gets worn down!  So when I do and am I need only to invite him in.  There's no way I can parent, be a wife, be a friend, be an employ

Thanks to a co-worker's devotional at today's staff meeting I have my Gratitude Attitude for the day. He just sparked the idea, the Attitude is all mine. :)   For everything that happens in life—there is a season, a right time for everything under heaven: A time to be born, a time to die; a time to plant, a time to collect the harvest; A time to kill, a time to heal; a time to tear down, a time to build up; A time to cry, a time to laugh; a time to mourn, a time to dance; A time to scatter stones, a time to pile them up; a time for a warm embrace, a time for keeping your distance; A time to search, a time to give up as lost; a time to keep, a time to throw out; A time to tear apart, a time to bind together; a time to be quiet, a time to speak up; A time to love, a time to hate; a time to go to war, a time to make peace. Ecclesiastes 3: 1-8 If you read those verses carefully you may notice, as I did, that they pretty much cover every aspect of life. They detail anyth

I was reminded today of the big picture. It's so easy to forget about it and lose sight of it.  And sometimes it is only through life experience that we remember to take into account the big picture.  I'm grateful there is a bigger picture. I'm grateful for the hope that the bigger picture can provide. It gives hope because it reminds us that the place where we feel stuck is only a small, perhaps minute, part of the picture that is our life. As I learn to remember the bigger picture of life I have a responsibility to remind others to look for it in their own lives as well and be a messenger of hope.

I looked in the mirror today at my hair free of product as the wind was picking it up, rather unattractively I must say, and saw threads of silver.  I know most people try to cover up their threads of silver but I am proud of them...and yes, grateful for them. Hey I've worked hard for these threads that are a symbol of life experience, parenting, marriage, relationships, settling into my own skin, etc. I'm a firm believer in what Proverbs says about these threads of silver . I'm grateful for all of the life that has brought me these threads of silver and I wear them proudly.

A couple of years ago I offered to be the one in the family to organize and digitize my paternal grandparents old photos and slides.  Today I finally pulled them out of the box and started sorting through. I was motivated by a Groupon I bought for scanning AND a co-worker whose parents had a house fire last month and lost most everything.  But as I started sifting through and identifying people, some of whom I have never met in person but know from stories and pictures, I became grateful - again - for family history.  For the roots I come from. To look at people and see similar features or to interact with them and have similar characteristics speak of a history. To share a look or an inside joke is a shared history.  All of these things I had renewed gratitude for as I looked at these people who I share a lifeline with.

Today he asked her to marry him and she said yes.  We gathered and yelled "surprise" when they walked through the door and raised our glasses in celebration to this exciting step my friends have taken. I'm grateful for the promise of the "yes". It's a yes to commitment, a yes to the thick and thin, a yes to growing as an individual and a couple, a yes to the possibilities of family, a yes to being a covenant relationship, a yes that is bursting with the easy and the hard and the in between of life, a yes to living that life together.  I'm grateful for the promise of yes and the example it can and does set for others.

As a believer in God there are certain days that have been chosen to recognize significant occurrences in the Christian faith. Today happens to be one of them. It's Good Friday. I've moved away from celebrating in the traditional ways but that doesn't mean that I am not grateful for what Good Friday means.  It means death, eternal death, was conquered through the sacrificial death of Jesus.  And I'm grateful because the death (and subsequent resurrection) of Christ brought about the death of an eternity separated from him and that births hope for me.  Death conquering death is good news and cause for deep gratitude.

I'm stalled out.  I've had a string of days where nothing particularly good, bad, or even in between happened that I haven't already mentioned in the previous 234 days.  I feel like I am scraping the bottom of the barrel and nothing is coming up.  How SAD is this?  How SAD is it that I can't come up with something, not previously mentioned, to be grateful for?  I'm behind four days at this point and I sit here thinking and drawing a total blank.  Even leaning upon Ann Voscamp's Love Dares has me high and dry.  Truth be told some of them require a little deeper thinking than I really want to do right now and some just don't...work for me.  Has the well of gratefulness run dry?  I certainly hope not.  I can't imagine that it has.  If it has then that is more SAD than being stalled out for a few days!  This is the challenge of a 365, and for me in particular this theme of 365.  The moments of having nothing to put out there, of not being inspired one iota,

No I haven't turned into a sadistic psycho.  *wink* Here's what I mean by being grateful for pain.  I'm grateful for it because it means I am still feeling, I'm not numbed.  Whether it is physical pain or emotional pain I am feeling I am grateful for it (usually after the fact but still...) because it means things are working and aren't numbed.  For example, the disease CIPA.  It blocks the body from feeling extreme temperatures, like hot or cold.  So someone with CIPA could be burning themselves and not know it.  It's very dangerous.  It means something isn't working right.  Pain is actually good because it tells us something is wrong, to slow down, to stop, etc.  Same thing with the emotional pain we feel.  If we don't feel it then we have become numbed to it and that is dangerous to our emotional health and relationships.  So while pain is, well, a pain it is something I am grateful for because it forces me to stop and address it to get to a healthy

No not *that* kind of passion, I keep it clean on this blog! :) I'm talking about the kind of passion that gives purpose to life.  I'm grateful for the varied passions that people possess.  I see such diversity in the passions that reach out to help others in such a myriad of ways. What's your passion?  How are you using it to reach out to others?  How have you been impacted by someone living out their passion?  

Yep, I'm super grateful for deodorant and you should be too - if you hang around me that is!  I'm really sensitive about cleanliness and body smells so it's really important to me to make sure that as much as it is possible with me I smell okay for others, and for myself as well.  I know some people who don't wear deodorant, good for them.  I know some people who sort of do with those crystal rock applications, good for them.  I can't.  My body chemistry requires I have something more effective than nothing or the rock.  I did make a switch several years ago from the really chemical, aluminum filled brands to a more natural and safe brand and it does the job for the most part.  But I also have in my drawer a deodorant that promises to work especially well when your emotions are running high and your sweat glands respond to those emotions. Sometimes I have to wear that, especially if I know I'm going to be in a potentially high emotional situation that day.  Rega

I've talked about biblical festivals before .  And here I am bringing them up again.  ;) Tonight we observe and celebrate Passover.  The short story is that this observance, commanded by God , is to remember the deliverance from slavery/bondage.  He delivered the Israelites from their slavery to Egypt and he has delivered us from our slavery to the flesh.  I'm grateful for the command to observe, celebrate, and reflect on Passover and how I have seen God pass over me with his grace, love, and mercy.  How he has passed over my sin and forgiven my transgressions. It's an important time to me as I want to dwell on the greatness of God in my life.

I drink my coffee with regular half & half.  But sometimes a girl just needs a little special flavor, you know? Today I was at the store and my eye caught the french vanilla creamer.  And I decided to splurge and get myself a little flavor for my coffee.  Why am I grateful for this?  One, because I have the option of it.  Two, because my taste buds like it.  And three, because it is an affordable way to get a little special flavor every now and then. And like I said at the beginning, sometimes you just need a little something extra. :)

I have talked a fair amount about my youngest redhead but not about the oldest one!  Yes, there is an oldest and she is also a redhead! We seriously won the lottery with these two girls. Today is MRP's (the oldest redhead) SIXTEENTH BIRTHDAY!  Oh my gosh this Mama is having a few minor panic attacks thinking about how I just had her yesterday but then again it seems like so long ago! And then to think about what 16 means, what's coming up in the future.  Oh be still my fast beating, racing heart. I'm so grateful for this girl.  You would think, "Well duh Beth of course you are since you birthed her," but my Gratitude Attitude for her goes beyond the normal Mama love.  People say we are just alike but I disagree.  She is better than me now at 16 than I am at 40.  She is version 2.0 if people are going to insist on comparing us.  She is wise beyond her years, compassionate, creative, loyal, confident, and more.  She is who I want to be when I finally grow up.  So t

I know, it seems weird.  BUT I am grateful for sponges, they are part of what keeps me sane while cleaning. My family insists I have a slight problem with hoarding them but I disagree, if I hoarded them I would never use them!  And I use them...a lot.  And no, I do not run them through the dishwasher to "sanitize" them. I don't believe that works.  :)  I use a new one for each task.  I don't want to hear about it, you've got your own thing that you use that way I know you do!  So I love sponges and I am grateful for them because they make me feel like I am cleaning whatever it is really well AND they help me keep sanity, which is very important.  Here's my sponge of choice: How about you?  What item makes you feel sane and accomplished?  

I'm grateful for instructions because without them I would be at a loss about a whole bunch of things! Instructions have been a lifesaver when assembling furniture, neither the hub or I have the instincts to put things together without some instructions.  Instructions have been super helpful when installing electronic things.  Recipes are instructions and I'm not creative enough to just cook, I need a recipe and then can rock it.  Pretty much my life is surrounded by instructions and I'm so grateful!  The most important instructions in my life, however, are those of God's word.  Without his instructions I am at a complete loss.  Floundering is an understatement if his instructions weren't part of my life and available to give me direction and foundation. His instructions in the Old Testament that shaped the further instructions in the New Testament give me abundant life.  (Btw, did you know that the word "law" for the Torah and OT passages is a bad transla

In one sense today's Gratitude Attitude is super obvious.  :) As in, of course I am grateful for breathing since that is how I know I am still alive.  But, if you know me at all you know I like to go a little deeper.  I'm also grateful for the moments of soul breathing.  You know what I mean?  All of us need our souls to breathe in today's hustle and bustle.    So when my soul is presented with an opportunity to breathe I am grateful.  I embrace the chance to breathe deep and let my soul rest from the noise of life. How about you? Do you appreciate soul rest or do you ignore the need for it?

I'm still thinking about forgiveness from yesterday and an important part of forgiveness is reconciliation.  And that will look different depending on the people involved and the depth of hurt caused.  What got me thinking about reconciliation and forgiveness was this extremely moving piece from the New York Times . I'm grateful for reconciliation and I've experienced many different kinds of it in my years thus far.  Sometimes the reconciliation has been resolving the conflict and then parting ways amicably.  Sometimes it has been reestablishing relationship with different boundaries. Other times it has been continuing in relationship but closer than before.  In fact, in the past year I have experienced all three types of the reconciliation I have just listed.  And I sit here today with no regrets about any of them, I am grateful for the resolution and the chance to move forward, alone or together. What about you?  How have you viewed reconciliation before?  In what ways d

Today I read a story of forgiveness. It was powerful and such a strong reminder to me of what forgiveness can do, does do, and will do.  It was such an important reminder to me of the necessity of the practice of forgiveness that I knew it would be my number one Gratitude Attitude for today. I am grateful for forgiveness.  Grateful for when it is extended to me and for when I get over myself and extend it to others. We all need forgiveness practiced with us because we all mess up, we all hurt others - intentionally or unintentionally, we all commit acts of transgression.  How have you been grateful for forgiveness recently?

This morning I hear the birds chirping and singing their songs.  I smiled.  And I felt grateful for their songs, the lightness of their chirps and the trill of their songs introduces lightness to my own heart.  They signify that perhaps the season is changing (despite the many inches of snow we got a few days ago) and new growth is on its way.  Something about the songs of birds speaks of hope to me.  And anytime hope presents itself I feel grateful.  How about you?  Does the chirping of birds annoy you or make you smile?  What speaks of hope to you?

Today I was grateful for humble pie.  I had to eat some and in all honesty it's good for the soul to eat a little humble pie every now and then.  I'm grateful for it because it keeps any inflated ego I have in check.  It keeps me from thinking I have "arrived" or that I am so spectacular that others are beneath me in some way. It's even better when I can laugh while partaking of the humble pie.  And the things that bring us humility don't have to be big, they can be as small and seemingly insignificant as totally destroying a cake, when normally baking is something that *you* rock at!  Have you eaten any humble pie lately?  Did it occur to you to be grateful for it?   Here's the visual of my humble pie:  

I woke up today weary.  I was glad that it was Friday, although I admit I would have been even happier had it been Saturday.  Here's the deal, I like my job, I like my boss but this working full time while trying to keep a home together and a family organized is exhausting.  And some weeks I wear it better than others.  I can't think of the last time I wasn't grateful for Friday finally coming around. By Friday morning I am dragging, by Friday afternoon I sometimes feel concerned for my safety and others as I drive home. ;)  Just kidding...maybe.  Fridays nights I am the very definition of a couch potato .  I can't move, my brain has shut down, I don't even have the energy to...read!  *GASP*  So to say I am grateful for Fridays, and perhaps more specifically Friday nights, is an understatement.  So as I am grateful for Mondays , I am also just as grateful for Fridays.

I hate snow. I mean I hate it. BUT . But today I am grateful for it today.  I don't mind the wet, heavy spring snows that we get. I'm grateful for them because they give us desperately needed moisture, it isn't usually that cold when we get snows like this one, and the roads are usually okay. So today when I woke up and saw the spring snow this morning I was grateful. This is Colorado Spring :)   (Photo by Allan Spiers - April 3, 2014)

You've got the song on the repeat loop in your head now don't you?  Sorry about that.  Today's Gratitude Attitude isn't about the song but it is kind of about the message of the song. Darn it, it's stuck in my head...again. I'm grateful for the principle of learning to let go.  And I believe, at least in my life, it is a learning curve.  I found it incredibly difficult to let go of certain situations, people, habits in my life. But I'm  learning.  I'm learning how to draw healthy boundaries, how to say "no", how to not be obligated, how to find closure on my own when it isn't possible to do so collectively, etc.  I'm learning how to let go and still maintain civility, courtesy, and even surface relationship.  I'm learning how to let go so that the healthier and better options have freedom to enter into my life. Since the learning curve for me is probably lifelong and I love quotes because they serve as reminders and inspiration I

Have you ever thought about foundations? I was just thinking today about how grateful I am for the foundations set up in my life. Obviously one of them is the literal foundation our home sits on.  It's kinda, well, necessary!  But what I was really thinking about were the other kind of foundations in my life.  Like the one of faith. It's important to know that I was birthed straight into the church nursery and through the years the Church and I have had our ups and downs but God and I haven't, he is truly my firm foundation. Another foundation in my life is that of having an education and a big part of that is being literate. Literacy affects all areas of education, even mathematics since you need to know how to read in order to complete certain kinds of math! A foundation in my life has been that of my parents staying married through the rocky times - their willingness to work through issues, stay together, and provide a model of " marathon marriage " for their c

Not the kind of fighting, necessarily, that is divisive, damaging, and/or detrimental but the kind of fighting that each of us needs to stay in our relationships - be it the marriage one, the parenting one, or the friendships. We all need to have the fighting spirit in us to make sure our relationships stay current, that complacency doesn't infect them, that they remain healthy and maintained.  I'm grateful for the fighting spirit that resides within me.  Sometimes it is deeeeeep down and I have to really dig to find it but I always do and I'm grateful for the gift of the fighter in me because I want my relationships to thrive not just survive.