In the Storm

52 Gratitudes 2019 | 19

52 Gratitudes 2019 | 18

Healthier decisions. Doing the hard thing. That is pretty much life right now. Making healthier decisions means I will be doing the hard thing. Did I want that donut yesterday morning that was offered to me? Yes. Yes. Yes, I did! But, I politely declined. Even after an 'are you sure?' was expressed temptingly, I refused. I made the healthier decision but it was seriously hard because I so wanted a cinnamon wave-y donut. Or, the apple fritter. I did. I wanted a donut and it was hard to refuse. But, I refused and made a hard, yet healthy, decision.

And, that is where life is at for me. I am losing weight slowly because I have made a couple conscious decisions that allow me to do life - happy - rather than restrictive - like eating homemade tacos on Tuesday and eating dessert on date night if I want. But, even those are hard decisions. I had to weigh losing weight fast but living a very restrictive life or losing weight slowly and being considerably happier.

The other healthy decision is continuing physical therapy. Making it happen. It is hard pushing through my therapy sessions. It is even harder to continue those sessions on my off days at home. But, I must do the hard thing to continue to heal my body. And, I am healing. While I'm not there yet I am so far ahead of where I was 4 1/2 months ago I cannot even describe. Except to say I once was without hope but now I have hope.

52 Gratitudes 2019 | 17

I am thankful for the gift of laughter, because it is a gift. I believe there are those people who rarely laugh. Either they have no desire to laugh or they have no sense of humor. But, for me, laughter is what I do best. And, it is my most favorite thing to do. No kidding! I am thankful for my daughter Elizabeth's Mother's Day gift - a Rae Dunn LAUGH big mug - and I mean BIG - because she knew I would love the - laugh - mug.

Jeff, regularly, makes me laugh and I NEVER take this part of our marriage for granted. In fact, it is one of our plusses, probably at the top of the list for a good marriage. We laugh together. And, my kids, man, they make me laugh. Love them to pieces.

Life would be different without the gift of laughter. I'm so thankful I get to do life with laughter in mine. The Creator of laughter knew exactly what He was doing when he gifted us this ability. Can I just say? You Rock, God!

52 Gratitudes 2019 | 16

I am thankful for the group of guys Jeff has found through serving together at church. They have become each others confidant, accountability, and they are even like-minded in their activities and will hang together doing and cheering each other on. One thing they’ve found is pistol and rifle shooting. All the guys have guns and all of them enjoy shooting. They can spend hours shooting and sharing and comradarie. All the guys welcomed my sons into their fold as well and they all cheer each other on during successes and hold each other up in hardship and failures. Truly a blessing!

52 Gratitudes 2019 | 15

I am thankful for the simple act of going to the library. I am thankful for the amazing creation that is the library where I can check books out, borrow them for a season and return them without spending a dime. I am so very thankful for the PINES library system that offers me books from all over the state and the library takes care of shipping those books I select directly to my preferred library. It is such a wonderful, blessed, gift - the library. I have a stack of 18 books checked out presently and 7 more on hold and 1 waiting for me to pick it up. I am thankful libraries are not a lost endeavor. 

52 Gratitudes 2019 | 14

I am grateful for the simple. I am  grateful for the simple, yet beautiful. Maybe not simple to create - because while I have a certain level of creativity, things like making bouquets just do not come easily to me. But, a simple bouquet of flowers brings a lovely hominess to our living room and I love them. Now that the big ticket items are in our living room (ie. couch, chair, ottoman, rug, curtains) I am concentrating on the finishing touches in the room, and because as a family we spend so much time in this room. Lately, it's where we mostly eat, even, because our dining room chairs hurt my body, excruciatingly; and, dining room chairs have to be saved for. And, we gather here to fellowship with others, still opening our home to our small group.. Thus, it is about sharing touches of who we are and what we are becoming - beautiful. When we purchased our forever furniture (as I like to call our burnished saddle leather couch, big chair and ottoman), I knew the entire living room would need a makeover and it is coming along - swimmingly!

52 Gratitudes 2019 | 13

I try not to ever take anything for granted. Even the simplest of pleasures in this time I give thanks to God. Because, why not? He is Creator God. When he gives his Creation the gifts to create also and a beautiful magazine, simply for pleasure, be inspired, soak up goodness, I cannot help but give thanks.

There are so few physical magazines left in this world - literally - that offer goodness, when they aren't about advertisements but simply about grace and gratitude and kindness with high standards for excellence - I want to support them. I'm not about self promotion or new age, or enlightenment in the sense of the age of, but I'd rather be inspired to become a better human being and make an impact in my world in my time.

52 Gratitudes 2019 | 12

52 Gratitudes 2019 | 11

52 Gratitudes 2019 | 10