Quiet in His Love

How would your life look if you spent a few minutes each day pondering what you are thankful for?  Little things, big things, medium things, doesn't matter...  Instead of concentrating on the things that cause you angst and stress, take time to truly consider the amazing things that are worthy of your gratitude.  When you woke up this morning, you could thank God right then for another day to enjoy, to be with those you love, to share God's goodness with others.  Gratitude produces a response in us...joy, excitement, happiness.  The response that is created when we consider the things that stress us out is not one that we want to encounter repeatedly, but who doesn't want to be filled with joy when considering all the things they are grateful for? I want to challenge each of you to take some time over the next five weeks leading up to Thanksgiving to contemplate the joys of gratitude.  Get a piece of paper or a little notebook and take time each day or onc...

Today, we went on our annual family pumpkin hunt.  This tradition started when our firstborn was less than a year old, I believe.  A tradition that has continued now for 9 years.  My husband and I enjoy the time with our kids searching for the right pumpkin for each family member, including our 2 miscarried children.  This year we also got a pumpkin for my husband and me and for my parents.  Eight pumpkins are now lined up by our front door...representing ten lives.  Some lives lasting over 60 years, others lasting less than 9 weeks in the womb.  Lives that matter, lives that we have been woven together with.  To say that our family pumpkin hunt is just that would be an understatement.  It really is a time to bond, to enjoy the beauty of God's creation, to remember those precious to us, to create memories that will (hopefully) last a lifetime.  Family time is not something to be lost in the shuffle of too much activity, too little intere...

Have you ever found yourself in one of those seasons that begs you to stay at home and not venture out to try again at relationships and life?  Have you wanted to just throw the towel in, call it a day, and find the perfect cave for the hermit life you're longing for?  I am guessing that if you're honest with yourself you've had those seasons and moments in life not just once but two, three, five times...  Many of us want everyone to think our life is picture perfect.  "All the pieces fit in my puzzle...what's wrong with yours?"  Yet, in the real world, behind closed doors your "picture perfect" is far from being perfect.  In fact, if anyone asked to take a picture, you would find a nice, sweet, hopefully calm way to tell them that your world wasn't the right one for their picture. I have been the one recently to not want to be vulnerable with those around me.  I have been through many acquaintances and even some friendships that have burned to ...

Life is a series of moments…   They vary from day to day, week to week, year to year.   There are the moments that take your breath away, the moments that fill your eyes with tears, the moments that draw you closer to your Father, the moments that make you want to stay in bed forever, the moments that bring a smile to your face…   Each of these little bits of time weave together into an amazing tapestry that makes up who we are.   A smell can bring us back to that day we first had fresh baked cookies at Grandma’s house, a song can bring us back to the time he asked for a date, a sound can remind us of little feet running through the house.   These moments, these glimpses of life that happen in a flash are part of an ever growing mosaic that is your life.   They fit together into the perfect puzzle of you.   Some moments you want to wish away, you want them to always remain boxed up never to be looked at or touched again.   You struggle to...

Here's another quick update.  I've exercised 20 days in a row now!  I have ridden over 72 miles in less than 5.5 hours.  My husband is still joining me every night for our ride time.  It's not my favorite thing in the world, but I am now in the habit of doing this exercise and look forward to adding walking or some other activity to my exercise plan.  Now to strike some foods from my eating habits and replace them with healthier alternatives.  God is at work in me, even through the exercise!  Keep checking back, friends!  :)

Just a quick note to say that I have now exercised 11 days in a row!  Yay!  So excited!  I rode nearly 3 3/4 miles in 16.5 minutes today.  I am looking forward to seeing where God is taking me through all of this!  He is so good!  Blessings, friends!

I have now exercised 7 days in a row.  To some what I'm about to say may seem unimpressive, but for me, this is a big step in the right direction.  I have ridden my recumbent bike a total of 13.76 miles in a little over 65 minutes.  I know it's a sad place to be when it takes over an hour to go 13.5 miles, but I am thankful for the routine of regular exercise and the discipline of it too.  What a joy it is to know that I am taking steps in the direction of better health and physical fitness!  I'm working toward taking better care of the physical body God blessed me with/entrusted to me. I have started reading Every Body Matters by Gary Thomas to go along with my exercise/physical fitness month.  I am very intrigued by what he is discussing in this book and find it to be an easy read.  I now strongly desire to find an activity that I can do to increase my physical fitness!  I knew before that I wanted to improve my eating habits and those of my ...