The List

New Year – New format for the blog!  

I'm going to keep a list.  A little bit of background...

December was quite a blur for me.  I loved, loved, loved my time with family – we had so many joy filled moments.   But I let projects and deadlines at work get the very best of me – said yes when I should have said no, worked crazy (uncompensated for) hours…and all of this left me tired, grumpy and not enjoying one of my most cherished times of the year.  Favorite Christmas activities turned into tasks, preoccupation took over during fun family/friend outings…I even ended up in urgent care Christmas morning for a diagnosis of strep throat, shot in the toosh and a week full of antibiotics/steroids (which probably was not related to work, but I’m blaming it anyways!).  Instead of focusing on the Joy of Christmas…I was obsessed with going the extra mile on the job.  I felt like I was in a constant state of emergency - and it was all my own doing. 

Insert two weeks of  “staycation” with my four favorite people, a supportive husband who loves me even when I’m off balance and who has a strength of bringing reality back into focus, more laziness than I am used to, no work and just being –I am feeling refreshed with a new outlook. 

Top it off with one of the most phenomenal books I have ever read – “One Thousand Gifts” by Ann Voskamp.   I have been reminded of how slowing down and finding God in moments throughout my day can help maintain my perspective – and joy.  I need to learn how to be more thankful.  Voskamp mentions Philippians 4: 11-12 where Paul says:

“I have learned how to be content with whatever I have.  I know how to live on almost nothing or with everything.  I have learned the secret of living in every situation, whether it is with a full stomach or empty, with plenty or with little.” 

Like Paul and Voskamp – I want to learn contentment.  


So…I’m challenging myself to write/document/take pictures of 1,000 things I am thankful for this coming year.  I’m going to keep a list. I want to be aware of God’s gifts and practice genuine thankfulness.  And not just broad sweeps of thankfulness over all that is good in my life – but purposeful thankfulness for even the most minuscule details of my day.  I know I will have many days where it’s harder to see what I have to be thankful for than others. This gift writing will not keep stress, weariness, strep throat, screaming kids or bumps in the road away.  But…I want to train my brain to fill my soul with thoughts of God’s goodness – the list – rather than thoughts of my inadequacies that so easily creep up when faced with the gravities of this world.  I want to soak more in the joy that surrounds me so when trials do pop up – my perspective can help me through.   I want to bring new meaning to this plate that has sat in my kitchen for the past 8 years!  

So in 2012 - my blog will be in list format.  I needed to spice up my printed blog yearbooks for the kids anyways!  And so with that, the list begins....

1. Family movie nights.

2. The warm, cozy, squishy Acorn slippers Doug gave to me for Christmas (love them - or anything that makes my big honking feet and bunions more comfortable!).  

3. BW3 takeout - and pigging out on chicken fingers and french fries with my hubby after the girls have gone to bed. Although it is January 1st - we never start our healthy eating until the 2nd - we considered this our "last holiday supper." And it was good.  Also brings back memories of when we were engaged...we would go to our Thursday night engagement classes at church and follow them up with a trip to BW's for fried food and beer:-)