9/1/2014 0 Comments Challenge Accepted.I was challenged on facebook to do the "7 days of grattitude" challenge...and well, while I am uber thankful for lots, it's quite time consuming to post or remember to post, everyday to facebook about it.
So I thought I would knock out all seven days in one post, and I'll tag the lovely people who need to do the same, in the post, on facebook, once I've shared this blog. Here it goes! 1.) Jesus Christ and His redemtive rescue that happened for me on the cross. I am living proof that God can take a broken and filthy mess of a person, and make them into something of beauty. He not only redeems his bride to Himself, but restores what the enemy steals, kills, and destroys, into better, more beautiful, and more valuable thanbefore. 2.) My lovely husband. He relieves me when I'm loosing my mind, he helps was the big dishes by hand, that don't fit in the dishwasher (which I hate doing!) He cleans all puke in our house (another task I just hate and cannot do). He also deals with the garbage, the garage, car maintanence, and other "manly" tasks that I will never have a desire for. He's faithful to Jesus and me, and his kids. He makes cute babies...and he's everything I ever prayed for or imagined in a husband: tall, dark, and handsome. And he's also pretty good in bed, so I can't really complain. (That may or may not explain why we have 4 kids under 5.) 3.) I'm thankful for Starbucks. I know I know, they use products that aren't "crunchy" but I DON'T care. All that processed deliciousness and super concentrated caffiene is not only declicious, it's also been my lifeline for the last five years as I've faced sleep-deprivation on a new level. God gave someone the idea to invent the Caramel Machhiato, and also the Pumpkin Spice Latte, and for that I am ever so grateful. 4.)Our home. Regardless of where it is, or the physical address, God has blessed our family with a "home". That is the community within our four walls. Given the current time, I am also thankful for the residence we currently own. At 25, and 29, my husband and I became home-owners, and I love our house. It has a beautiful kitchen, a guest bath (because the condition of the kids or ours can be hazardous at any given time), and a lovely giant tub for long days when I need to sit and soak away the cares of life. 5.) Song. Yes, I sing and sing well, but this can be a gift to the musically challenged as well. I am thankful for new songs that my kids or myself make up during the day, songs of sadness when life is hard, and melodies that carry our thoughts to the heavens. I am thankful that we are able to lift our voices to join creation in praising our Father, Maker, King, Savior, Redeemer, Restorer, Rebuilder, Rewarder....Only a God like Him is worthy of Praise. 6.)I am thankful for bleach, lysol, windex, or anything heavenly scented for cleaning purposes. I live in a house with four kids and one adult that smear germs, dirt, boogers, filth EVERYWHERE. To have an array of cleansers that kill and destroy dirt is a godsend, and I will never underestimate the power of a clean home. 7.)I am thankful for our health. Our whole family has been blessed with good health. No one has a severe illness, dibilitating disease, life long sentence of poor mental, physical, or emotional well-being. We all have had nothing more than common colds, or the occasional virus. No one has severe allergies, or reactions. No one is on medication or suffers from recurring problems. None of us has had bad backs, legs, brains, or bodily functions. Even my pregnancies went better than average. And that has been not just a blessing for our bodies, but also for our pocketbooks, because we have no large medical bills. 8.) McKenna Naomi. She is the true embodiment of a "first-born" child. She leads, and concerns for everyone and anything around her. She is smart and witty, and full of life. She is obedient, and thrives on affirmation from everyone of value to her. She is a problem-solver, and a calculated risk-taker, much like me. She is outgoing like her dad, and has the potential to surpass us both. She loves Jesus, and tells the world about him at every chance she gets. She teaches me more about God and how to evangelize that I could ever learn from a book or how-to video. She is my real-life picture of grace, as she made me a mom, and was also my gift amidst sin. She is not a product of my short-comings, rather a product of mercy, which I do not deserve. 9.) Teaghan Aracelli. This girl is my life-size baby doll. She is a diva to say it lightly. She has passion for fashion, and doesn't care about anyone else's opinion. She sets her mind to something and won't rest until it's accomplished. She would rather wear a tutu, than anything else. She loves to sing and shout, and isn't afraid to be loud. She is funny and a joke-ster. She likes to make jokes and joke on people. She is a drama queen, and has helped me to relate to other girls who possess emotional landscapes I know nothing of. She has a wide ray of emotions herself, and swings heavily from one extreme to another. She's my little brown-skinned beauty, with light eyes, just like I had prayed for. She is a longing fufilled, as she is the only baby we prayed for, and planned to get pregnant with. 10.) Wesley Pax. This kid came into the world to keep me prayed up. He's our only son, and he has shown me the love of God in that way. He is tough, he is strong, strong willed, and fearless. He is brave, and won't be told 'No", which is hard now at two, but will pay large dividends later, when the world tells him to live contrary to the Word of God. He is full of life, and plays hard, and then sleeps hard. He's anti-social like me, and freaks out in large groups of people he doesn't know, which helps me grow, as I teach him to love others. He keeps me on my toes, and has helped me to grow my "mom eyes" in the back of my head, because with a little boy, you cannot be naiive. but rather always on guard, and ready for anything. He's also an answer to prayer, because in a boy, I wanted a blonde haired, blue eyed surfer baby- and that is exactly what he is! 11.) Adalynn Mei. She is teaching me what rest, and sweetness, and love look like. She is the most calm and easy-tempered child I have ever seen. I actually google her quietness, because I didn't even know a baby could behave so well. She is my constant reminder than I should not take my children for granted, and the embodiment of the Lord knowing better than I. She also is the only baby to have been birthed in the comfort of our home. Which gave me a new awareness of myself as a woman, and as a mother. She is the only brown-eyed baby we have, and looks just like her daddy, and I love it! 12.) Cable TV. Lord knows I would not be able to shower, pee, or have five seconds to myself each day if it weren't for the networks of television that entertain my kids for certain times each day. When the cable is out, I am reminded how grateful I am for this luxury. 13.)Batteries...They power remotes, toys, swings, bouncers, cars, phones, and the list goes on. I am very thankful for this simply advance. Try living without them....you'll be thankful too. 14.)I am thankful for my bed. It is a safe place when the day has overwhelemed me. A place to rest when I am tired. A place of retreat when I am sad. It's comfy and warm, and it exhudes sleep from my being. I was pregnant with Teaghan, and we didn't yet have a bed (we had lived with my parents until McKenna was born), and we had an air matress. About 7 months into my pregnancy, the air matress began to leak slowly. So every night before bed, we woulf refill it, and then again around 4am. I remember waking up on the floor of our apartment, fully pregnant, with a sore back, longing for a regular bed. The day we got one, as a gift from my parents, I nearly cried. I layed in the bed with McKenna (who was only just 12 months old), for about 2 weeks, because it was so comfortable. We watched movied in bed, played on the bed, watched movies on the bed, ate snacks on the bed.... It was glorious! And I will never complain about my bed, so long as I have one! 15.) Photos. I love being able to look back at moments frozen in time, and rememeber the time, place, celebration, so clearly. Pictures are now everywhere, and stored forever, through the internet. And I am grateful! I am also grateul for the many photos that have been taken of our family...whether from family, or photographers, but they have captured these moments I'll treasure forever! 16.) Garbage disposals. This sounds silly, but in the first two houses we lived in, we didn't have one. And digging out pieces of food, debri, and junk is no fun. I hated cleaning out the little mesh metal basket that was the "catch all", especially when it was plastered with cheese than had melted, or noodles that had mushed into its small crevaces. I am so thankful that our house now, has a disposal, and that food bits can be rinsed down and ground up, never to be seen again! 17.) Food network. I know I already mentioned cable, but this network is much more than a few tv shows. Their magazines, the website, the shows, the stars, provide not only CLEAN entertainment in an increasingly disgusting media form, but they have silently, and probably unknowingly mentored me to be quite the home-chef. I love baking, cooking, creating with food. And I've learned things only taught in culinary school because of the training I've seen on this network, and through this brand. Things like how to tell what a good bread is, or when meat is cooked through without cutting into it. Things like how to properly dice an onion, or julienne carrots. Things like how to combine flavors, sear fish without it sticking to the pan, and what braising can do for roast. My family is probably also thankful, because it immediately affects them in a positive way, when I cook well. If we haven't had you over for dinner, we will! And if we have, you know exactly what I'm talking about here! 18.)I am thankful for the invention and availability of formula for infants. I know- this could be controversial- so brace yourselves. I have tried to nurse all of my kids. Let me start with- It is HARD. so kudos to all the moms who do it well! I'm not against nursing, but it's not for me. Due to various reasons (of which I will write about in another post because there's a lot!!!), I formula fed my babies! And I love it! They sleep in longer intervals, their poop is more predictable, the flexibility of people able to feed the baby is endless, and mom (ie me) is able to sleep or get a break! I relate formula to cars. Because people often argue that women's bodies are MADE for breasfeeding. And to that, I say, yes. Just like walking was the ideal way to travel back in the day, and it got people from one place to another, and was useful, and healthy....we now have cars. Is walking better for you? Probably. But in life and society today, I am retarded to walk to every location. And That's my reasoning for nursing...its it best? Maybe so. But in my life, and society and what I have to do today, and every day, it just isn't as practical. And I am not ashamed! So thank you similac, for your quality, and thank you Target, for your brand that is comparable, and very cheap! 19.) Concealer. Concealer covers all the things coffee can't fix. It brightens eyes, reduces redness, and covers blemishes. Whoever invented that junk is amazing. And there isn't a day - or at least they are very few- when I don't use it! 20.) Target. Or stores like it, with just about everything. The person who decided to put groceries, and supplies in the same store was a genius. When I have to get a watermelon and a pillow case on the same day, I really appreciate these places, especially when I have all the kids. Because unloading everyone for multiple stores is insane. so thank you to whomever decided hammers and hamburgers belong in the same store. 21.) Wisdom. She whispers reason when I want to loose it, or act irresponsibly. She beckons when I've grown lazy or tired. She has made a way in the form of others older and wiser, with life experience, who tell me what's best, so I can avoid pitfalls and mistakes. It's usually the holy spirit, but can be found in the Word, or in people. And I am very grateful that I don't have to learn by "trial and error" on everything! Wisdom has gone before, and I can learn sometimes by failure, but usually, if I'm willing and patient, through another, or the Bible, what is best. So that sums it up! Of course there are PLENTY of other things...but this covers the 3 things a day for 7 days bit. I hope we all learn to have an attitude of grattitude in all things. Because we enter His gates with tha
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AuthorBri is the mom to four little people, the wife to a gentle giant, and a lover of Jesus. She's figuring out the best ways to parent by trial and error, and sharing her struggles, successes, and stories with you! Archives
June 2018
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