Thankful Thursday

Today I am thankful for simple. It is just one of those days when I can slow down. I wished they happend more often. A day when I remember to enjoy the simplest pleasures of life. There is beauty and grace in even these. I wish to share a bit from an author that I enjoy reading from time to time.

Life Itself Is Grace

I discovered that if you really keep your eye peeled to it and your ears open, if you really pay attention to it, even such a limited and limiting life as the one I was living on Rupert Mountain opened up onto extraordinary vistas. Taking your children to school and kissing your wife goodbye. Eating lunch with a friend. Trying to do a decent day's work. Hearing the rain patter against the window. There is no event so commonplace but that God is present within it, always hiddenly, always leaving you room to recognize him or not to recognize him, but all the more fascinatingly because of that, all the more compellingly and hauntingly......If I were called upon to state in a few words the essence of everything I was trying to say both as a novelist and as a preacher, it would be something like this: Listen to your life. See it for the fathomless mystery that it is. In the boredom and pain of it no less than in the excitement and gladness: touch, taste, smell your way to the holy and hidden heart of it because in the last analysis all moments are key moments, and life itself is grace.

From Frederick Buechner's 'Listening to Your Life' and 'Now and Then'

I couldn't have said it any better myself.

Friday Funnies

In honor of Friday funnies I am giving a shout out to a blog that I enjoy visiting whenever I get the chance. This weekend while baby and I were on our own (dada had drill), I had made my bed and was working on something in the kitchen. He decided to drag all his stuff into my room and pile it on the bed. He's been doing that a lot lately. ALL blankets and animals MUST leave the crib and wander around the house with kiddo!!:) He has learned how to climb up on our bed by himself, and although he has never slept in our bed, he enjoys "paying" there. Precious! I have learned that when things get quiet, I need to go and check on him pronto!! This is what I found this weekend when I rounded the corner. I grabbed my camera and tried my best to catch the hilarity of the moment, but I missed the really good shot!

Recognize that book?? That is Lynnette's book. He had it open and was pretending to read it like such a big boy!! I couldn't help but laugh, it was such a genuine moment. I encourage you to visit Lynnette Kraft at her blog. The desire to enjoy the richness and beauty of life in ALL ,and I do mean all:), matters is expressed daily here. Lynnette is no stranger to pain and loss. I am reading her book because not only has she been faithful to write it, but also because I am finding myself surrounded by people who have and still are experiencing loss. You can read about them here, and here and then there is my coworker who's husband committed suicide a year ago who I blogged about very briefly. I am good at praying for these people, but often find myself unable to find words when speaking to these folks. These friends understand this I know, and sometimes would just prefer my silent hugs, but sometimes I would much rather just cook an asparagus casserole. I'm sure you can relate.

When big boy and I are BOTH finished reading this book heehee, I plan on passing it along to our friend who lost their child from SMA (mentioned in the link above). I think about her on just about every page and I have cried on just about every page so far. I am just that way and No I don't think it's pms:). But first I have to figure out where the bookmark was before kiddo threw it across the room!!

ok, so laugh at the pics and the sheep feet!! Visit Lynnette and buy a book if you can!! Enoy your Friday and Have a great weekend! And if by chance I made you cry, I didn't mean to. Just scroll back up to the sheep feet and that infectious grin and that ought to cure you right up!! :)

Meredith

......Please Stand By........

My husband is taking the computer with him when he goes out of town. :( I will miss it. I will miss you. I have a post scheduled for Friday but I will be unable to visit around and comment so please excuse me while I am absent. So, enjoy Tuesday's post and stop back by on Funny Friday if you are so inclined!! Hope you are having a fabulous week and I'll be back after the 24th to try and catch up with you all!!

Meredith

Tuesdays Together

A few weeks ago, I experienced a week of work that really tested my limits. I wound up working 5 days in a row! Now before you say "huh??" keep in mind that nurses do not generally work 5 days in a row, unless you work the 7 on 7 off kind of schedule, but those are usually 8 hour shifts. I should clarify, nurses who work the floor or 12 hour shifts in recovery do not usually work 5 days in a row. Well, I did. I found myself signed up for 2 days on the floor and 3 days on the outpatient surgical unit. These are the two units I work, but I usually do not work more than 3 days a week, and occasionally four. Not including the driving in and out, I worked 4 ten hour, and 1 nine hour shift. The week was sandwiched between two weekends packed full of activities. I was tired, I was weary weary weary!! I felt discouraged about half way through, thinking that I had lost my edge, feeling very old and wondering "why did I sign up for this again?". My housework suffered, my connections with my husband and child suffered. But I knew it was temporary and did my best to plow on through.

Getting up pretty early is part of this working routine. In order to be clocked in by 6,7, or 7:30 I often leave the house before any one else is up. I must hit hwy 280 before a certain time in order to catch the best traffic window. This sometimes puts me at work early. I have started bringing my bible with me in my car, so that I can have my quiet time in the parking deck. I like to read at night, but sometimes when you are soooo tired, it just doesn't happen. Anyway, during my week of 5's I found the Lord especially sweet to me. It put a little pep back into my spirit and my step. I happened to be reading in Thessalonians 1 and 2. I won't rewrite the whole 2 books but if you go there and read, you will most likely see what I saw--or maybe something entirely different--that IS the beauty of the Living Word of God. It was certainly timely.

Lord's words to me:

Hard work pays off.

Be gentle.

Be a model so that others might believe.

Thank God continually.

Endure, inspire hope.

Encourage one another, build up.

Respect those over you.

Live in peace with each other.

Be patient, joyful and thankful.

Pray continually.

Hold onto the good, avoid evil.

Relief is coming.

Do not be deceived.

Do not be a busybody.

Never tire of doing what is right.

May our Lord Jesus Christ himself and God our father, who loved us and by His grace gave us eternal encouragement and good hope, encourage your hearts and strengthen you in every good deed and word. 2 Thess. 2:16

I am called to be a nurse, and also a wife and mother. My callings affects lives. I work hard at these callings. Balancing those takes diligence. My husband and I have also felt led to become debt free. We are working diligently to accomplish this goal and have been for some time. For a time, I could pick up zero shifts, this really slowed us down. Now that I am being offered more than I can handle, we are finding our way to progress. Our Lord has always been faithful to us in dry and plentiful times, this does not change. He is faithful. He is always on time. His Sweet words do not change. His strength does not change. My parking deck time with the Lord was precious............ and did I mention timely? :)

May YOU find encouragement from the Lord's words today. Blessings!!

Thankful Thursday

Kiddo is very excited about "Bifday cake"

Today was Thursday. It was also my Husband's birthday. I had the day off. I was very thankful to actually get up and NOT leave the house for work while everyone was still asleep. I was thankful for the opportunity to make pancakes for my child and my spouse. I was thankful for the opportunity to catch up on this very dirty house. I took our dog for a walk/run. Very simple pleasures, but ones that I really enjoy and have missed with all the working I've had to do lately.

I am especially thankful today for my husband. I know I've blogged about him before, but I can't say enough great things about him. He is a very busy man, but somehow manages to effectively work two jobs and make it look easy. It's really 3 jobs if you count the online course work he must complete for the Corps. He gets phone calls at all hours. Without knowing him personally, there is no real satisfactory way to convey to you what his job/life entails. My sister once laughed at him for reading the "7 habits" book by Covey. I'm sure you know the one. She thinks he should write it, not read it.

Besides being organized, he is kind, loves his family, and loves the Lord. He is funny. He loves Baseball and enjoys taking me to games when we get the chance. After he returned from his first deployment, I took him to Chicago to see the Cubs at Wrigley Field. That was before we had a child, we could do such things.:) It was one great vacation! I think I got the best present of the century award!! (family joke)

Anyway, Despite my ramblings I really do have a point. Birthdays are important. They are for celebrating. We are never promised another one. I am thankful for today, the man, and all his birthday represents. Happy Birthday my Love! I hope you had a very good day!

Oh and by the way, chocolate pound cake from the Piggly Wiggly totally rocks!!