Our gorgeous girl turned 5 last week. She was sick on her birthday so her party was today! A rainbow unicorn party for a gorgeous, kind, sweet little cherub. It was a lovely day to catch up with many people we don’t see a lot and a chance for our girly whirl to have the spotlight on her!
Here are just a few photos from today! I attempted and succeeded with Swiss Meringue Buttercream! Hooray!
It has been a while between posts.
And that is actually a great thing as I tend to blog more when I am anxious and in a bad head space but at the moment I am in a really good space. I am praying. A lot. I am focusing on others rather than myself. Which is great and I am busy which is sometimes not great!
So today I am thankful for not needing to blog because things have been so good.
Today is all about being thankful for the simple things.
Trail mix.
Swimming with my growing up gorgeous girl and seeing her happy shiny face while she learns new things.
Exercising until you feel good.
Relaxation.
Early morning cuddles.
Hot windy weather – perfect towel drying weather.
It’s Friday.
Planning. Dreaming. Hope.
You know, anxiety is such an insidious mental illness… it can creep up on you in an instant. You can be feeling fine (or think you are feeling fine) and then you read something or hear something that triggers that familiar but very unwelcome feeling in your stomach.
For this very reason, I find that counting my blessings is so important….. It keeps me grounded, it brings my focus back to now – instead of in the future predicting all the dire things that could, but most likely will never happen. It keeps me focused on the fact that life IS good. Life has it’s challenges, it’s pain, it’s frustration, but being continually thankful means that my focus in on what is good rather than what is not and makes each day that little bit easier and pushes that anxiety to the back of my thinking, rather it taking centre stage as it so often attempts.
And that is enough.
Peace Love and Light.
It’s amazing how as you get older you redefine and try and work out your own spirituality. Over the years I have struggled with so much guilt and unforgiveness that I have struggled to find a place where I sit comfortably with my God.
I stopped going to church for many years, purely because I felt judged, which in reality, I have realised in hindsight was coming from me not from anyone else but it kept me from going to church for nearly 10 years.
I recently found a beautiful, family orientated church that I feel really great about attending and it is somewhere that I know my children feel comfortable and will be able to grow up in and through.
The reason I am posting this today is that I spoke to a kinder mum and mentioned where I go to church. I hadn’t really spoken to her before and her response to knowing I go to this church was one of surprise and I wondered why? She was someone who is not unfamiliar with churches, but her response was a definite “Oh so YOU go there?” and it made me wonder at her reply.
What defines a Christian? What makes people think other people are Christians or believers? What was it about me, who she had only spoken to once before, that made her feel surprise at the thought that I would attend church?
Maybe it was the fact that you don’t often come across people in daily life who do attend church? Sadly, I don’t anyway.
Maybe it was the way I looked? Acted? Not really sure but I know my definition of what a Christian is has been redefined and shaped over recent years to this……
A person who believes in a magnificent God. A person who believes in the bible. A person who believes in Jesus – the loving, compassionate , forgiving Jesus quoted here by John Cusack….
Let’s go with Jesus. Not the gay-hating, war-making political tool of the right, but the outcast, subversive, supreme adept who preferred the freaks and lepers and despised and doomed the rich and powerful.
He loved the unloveable, he forgave the unforgivable, he washed the feet of his disciples and wasn’t afraid to mix with the prostitutes, lepers and tax collectors.
If we strip away everything from religion today, particularly the parts that turn so many people away from the church and simply look to Christ, that is what we are left with. Christ.
Pure simple Christianity, followers and believers in Christ who try each day to live life in a better way, to glorify him, and in small and sometimes large ways, show some compassion, love and humanity to those around us. Regardless of how often we attend church, tithe, or talk about it to others. Living this life is more than talking about it.
That is what Christianity means to me and I am proud to call myself one. Would love to hear thoughts from others!
All parents need it.
Raising these kids is tiring and at times soul exhausting work and we need the time to recharge, reenergise and to just stop.
We all need time to be a couple, time to be ourselves and time out.
I know I am ever so blessed that my kids love going to my parents house and that my parents love having them. For “two” sleeps this weekend.
Such a blessing, so fun being able to have a “date day” with my husband and so important to be able to have little break from the 2 squids who are my life.
Just simply thankful for that.
Near or far.
Long time or newly made.
I am thankful for all of the friendships in my life.
My lifelong friends who have seen me at my best and been there through the worst and are still my friends.
My newly made friendships with some gorgeous wonderful people.
Friends who are sharing this crazy parenting journey.
Friends who share my passion for children and teaching.
Friends who love to laugh and love life.
Friends who hold me while I cry. Who let me talk and vent and doubt and debrief.
As I have gotten older, I have come to appreciate my friendships even more. I have cherished the friendships revived after years of drifting apart, I have come to realise the preciousness of true friendship, and to not waste my time on the fickleness of false friendship.
Friends - My life is infinitely sweeter, calmer and full of joy because of you.
Friends. I am thankful for you.
”"Our worlds reel unless we rejoice. A song of thanks steadies everything. The answer to anxiety is the exaltation of Christ.”
Giving thanks is so far reaching, has made such an impact in my life that I want to share this journey with others. By forming habits my life will change. I will change who I am as a woman, a wife and a mother. This year I will show gratitude. I will immerse myself in thankfulness even when I don’t feel like it. I will look to Christ to help me when I am anxious. I will take my focus off myself and onto others.
This is my aim for 2012. I will not set myself a pledge to post each day, or week, but I will pledge that I will regularly post on my blog to keep myself accountable for what I am doing. I will photograph my thankfulness, and link in at times with the Joy Dare as the book One Thousand Gifts is where this all began for that, I really am truly thankful.
Peace, love and light.
