Slow Down and Take a Deep Breath...

[caption id="" align="alignright" width="300" caption="Image via Wikipedia"][/caption]

It's Monday and I already know it will be a very busy Monday. I have much to accomplish today, lots to check off my mental to do list. I can already feel my body tensing, and my mind racing at top speed. How can I be most efficient with my time? How will I get everything completed?

Not enough time! Not enough time!

Slow down. Take a breath.

Say thank you.

Breathe in the joy of the everyday.

Exhale... thanks.

A gift. I need to slow myself...and appreciate, be in awe of the fleeting moments.

I have a sign hanging in my kitchen, a sign my oldest son gave me as a Christmas gift a couple of years ago. I keep the sign up year round.

"It's a Wonderful Life" , beautifully matted and framed.

Yes, it is the title of a favorite holiday movie.....but, it could... and should be my motto.

Because thankfulness does bring joy--  And joy makes for a wonderful life.

A daily reminder.

* Emerald green, springtime grass

* Wet smell after the rain

* Eggs and toast for breakfast

* Long hugs from my child

* My husband laughing

* A good nights sleep

* Opportunity

* Friendship

* A floor that needs swept

* A bathroom that needs cleaned

* Errands to run

* Candles in the windows

* A full eucharisteo board

* Bare feet on concrete

* The smell of coffee

* Hands and fingers that type without pain

* A smile
I will praise the name of God with song, And shall magnify Him with thanksgiving.  Psalm 69:30 



Won't you take a moment and drop by? Visit with others who are sharing Multitudes On Mondays?

Related Articles

• Deep Breath In (changingshapes.wordpress.com)


• Breathe (feelipleephilip.wordpress.com)


• Mind Control: Coping with Chronic Pain (psychologytoday.com)


• Take a deep breath, let it out with a... (interplayfriday.wordpress.com)


• In which the boys learn about dog breath (katiefoutz.wordpress.com)


• Calm Your Nerves With Relaxation Exercises (everydayhealth.com)

Hard Thanks...

[caption id="" align="alignright" width="240" caption="Image by ViaMoi via Flickr"][/caption]

All the reasons to be thankful....Click on the Multitudes On Mondays graphic on my right sidebar to read more.

Dear Reader,

I'll be honest with you. I'm not feeling very thankful today.

Mondays are never my best day of the week, and today seems especially "not very thankful". I feel guilty. I struggle.

Right now I'm seeing all "the holes" in the canvas of my life.  When concentrating on the holes, the rips, the tears... I find it difficult to see the beauty. I know that is a poor attitude, you don't have to remind me. Believe me, I know.

All the things I wish were....and aren't.

All the things I want...and can't.

All the trying to measure up....and falling short.

All the dreams...dashed.

All the little things....that become BIG things.

All the words thought....but never said.

All the wishing....not coming true.

All the obstacles....not overcome.

All the life beautiful...is really broken.

We live in an imperfect world.

 

Life IS broken. Isn't that true for us all?

Aren't there days when we each wonder, the why?

When our vision is full of gray, and the colors seem dulled?

When we want so much more, but get so much less?

 

God knew we'd have days like this. Hard days. Painful days. Days of longing for something else. Something that is seemingly just out of reach. The frustration. The grieving. The seemingly unfairness of it all. He knew. He always knew.

Giving thanks through the difficult times. The broken times.  Ann Voskamp calls it the "hard eucharisteo". The giving of thanks when we are searching through the darkness. The saying "yes" to God, when we don't understand. The trusting that this hard place we are in, is not the final destination.

Ann goes on to say, "Grace + Thanks = Joy".  She's right, you know

Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God.  Philippians 4:6

Do not be anxious about anything. Not about life plans. Not the wondering. Not the worrying. But in everything That is a big, all encompassing word. By prayer and petition God hears us!  With thanksgiving Always thanksgiving...even when it is the hard eucharisteo. present your requests to God. He wants us to talk with Him. In the good times and the not so good times. He is there.

And on a day when it seems dark, not just because of the storm clouds, I can say thank you. I can give the thanksgiving to the One who hears me even when the words aren't spoken aloud. I am thankful.

 

Related Articles

• Philippians 4:6-7 - Peace (nicoleanncarr.wordpress.com)


• God only knows (wondersofhislove.com)


• When Life Is Hard (gibsongirl247.wordpress.com)


• Thankful Through the Good and Tough (lynhallewell.wordpress.com)


• re-membering (threadingsymphonies.wordpress.com)


• 1000 Gifts! Growing and Changing Myself (memawsstuff.wordpress.com)

Saturday Morning In My Kitchen

Candles and warm light in my favorite nook.



Hmmm...What to fix? The possibilities...

.

Writing down daily thanksgiving on the family Eucharisteo board.



It's all grace. Every bit of it.

Even this...



This is one of the first things I see....Lonnie refused to eat his nutritional bits.AGAIN.

Related Articles

• Eucharisteo (gibsongirl247.wordpress.com)


• Lonnie, The Wonder Dog (gibsongirl247.wordpress.com)


• eucharisteo... (beautyrescued.com)


• Time Change (gibsongirl247.wordpress.com)


• Experiments in the kitchen (inmygirlcave.wordpress.com)