Imperfect Moments

This Easter had some imperfect moments that made me laugh.

Like going to church on Easter Sunday and half way there I realize that we didn't do my son's hair - my son's chia pet, thick brisolly hair which requires a good amount of gel to control it!  

Or the Easter decorations never made it up this year 

(but St. Patrick's Day decor remained through March 31st!)  

Or family photos that just can't get to the print-worthy stage!

And those imperfect moments also made me cry.

Cry with gratitude that I'm not who I used to be.

***

I sat on the toilet in the guest bathroom, large solid wood door closed in front of me.  Just in there to do normal "bathroom" things and I saw a dark knot in the wood of the door and I was immediately overcome with a flood of memories.

"Thank you Jesus for saving me."

"Thank you Jesus for rescuing me."

The words came out of my mouth, through tears, before I could even complete or process the memories that surrounded me as I sat in that bathroom.

I walked into that bathroom on Christmas day, 2011, and begged to be taken to the hospital.  I was in the throws of a severe panic attack and literally felt like I was moments away from going blank.  One more breath and I'd just stop, fade away, blankly stare for the rest of my life.  I didn't fear dying, but rather feared loosing control of my mind and my ability to process and function.  The fear was real as the reality of loosing control was already in full throws.  

I couldn't stop the nightmare.  

No words could comfort or make sense. 

I had no control of what was happening to me.

I felt like I was chasing myself down a never ending hallway, screaming, "STOP STOP STOP."

But I didn't stop.

I couldn't stop.

***

Now 5 years later, and a different holiday of celebrating, I sat and cried as the dark knots in the wood of the door told me stories that I thought would be the final chapters of my life.

But just as death was not the final word in Jesus' life, anxiety was not the final word in mine!

The same power that rose Jesus from the dead, set me free and changed my life.

"Thank you Jesus for saving me."

"Thank you Jesus for rescuing me."

Those words were so appropriate for this Easter Sunday, for not only did Jesus rescue me from hell when I die, and save me from my past sin, but He rescues me everyday from the hell we all live in and saves me time and again from the mistakes I daily make.

I'm so grateful for imperfect moments as they kindly remind me that perfectionism is a disease of self destruction.  And they also remind me that I've been set free and am grateful for a God who is not shaken nor defeated by ANYTHING.

Grateful Heart Friday

A few years back I did a little something on my blog called "Grateful Heart Friday."

I still hold to the truth that we're not born with grateful hearts, we need to cultivate them!

Which means we need to practice gratitude everyday until it becomes like breathing - it just happens naturally on it's own without trying!

 

Last year I did an amazing study with some friends on the beloved book

 "1000 Gifts" by Ann Voskamp. 

It was incredible to say the least. 

Haven't read it?  Do it!

 

A huge part of being content (*my word for 2015),

 is to recognize and receive the gifts that are all around us, everyday. 

If we are always looking for something other than what we've been give,

we miss out on the gift that is right now.

 

When I say, "thank you," I am receiving what is being offered in the moment and I am filled.

I am content.

 

With that, let's stop and say thanks for all the gifts we received this week as

 Grateful Heart Friday commences!

 

I'm grateful for a dear friend who took my 3 children for the evening so that I could bless another friend with a ride to the airport.  I'm grateful for a soft-start to our homeschool week.  I'm grateful that my children love to learn and are eager to work! (at least this week they were!!)  I'm grateful for Downton Abby starting!!!  I'm also super grateful for American Idol starting!!  It's those simple pleasures!!  I'm grateful for a new lamp.  I'm grateful for an awesome hike in our town with beautiful views and mountains.  I'm grateful for fabulous friends that live across the street.  I'm grateful for a husband that took off work to get our plumbing issues fixed so I didn't have to.  I'm grateful for the Cooking Club.  I'm grateful for fun kiddo activities starting up.  I'm grateful for the start of award season!  I'm grateful for cloudy days and sunny days at the beach.

I'm grateful for hot cocoa with my hubby and his willingness to step out.

I'm grateful for a God who never ceases to extend great gifts to His kids!

 

What are you grateful for?

Make it known!

 

"Give thanks to the Lord, call on his name; make known among the nations what he has done."

Psalm 105:1

Yummy Summer - Hide It In Your Heart

Last week my children were in Vacation Bible School at our church and it was the first year in a long time that I didn't volunteer!  Praise Jesus!
So I took the week off blogging and enjoyed mornings without children.
It was glorious!
So today I'm making up for it with 2 Yummy Summer treats!
A few years back I chose a few verses to concentrate on for the Summer and have the children memorize.

I wanted to do the same this Summer and as I've been reading Ann Voskamp's blog, I saw that she has a scripture memory plan for the year!  Rather than reinvent the wheel, I'm using a selection of her verses to memorize this Summer.  She has adorable printables (I mean totally cute people!) so I printed them, cut them out, bought precious, tiny, wood clothespins and hung them up!

They are a lovely Summer decoration, and our tool to memorizing scripture this Summer.
You can check out the printable verses and bookmark that outlines the memorization plan here on Ann's blog, or simply click the photo above.
AND...
Another Yummy Summer treat - Ann is the famous author of 1000 Gifts (if you haven't read it, do!) where she stresses the importance of living a life of gratitude.  She talks about counting all the gifts that God gives and challenges us all to keep a gratitude journal and list at least 1000 gifts throughout the year.
Well, she has another adorable printable to help you start counting your blessings and I've been doing it on my own for sometime now, but for the summer, we're doing it as a family.
Each day, Ann suggests 3 different gifts to look for.  Kind of like a scavenger hunt of sorts.
For example, for June 30 it says, "3 gifts you gave today."
We read it in the morning and then at dinner, with my journal, I ask everyone to share a gift that they gave today and what it meant to them.  I write their answers in my gratitude journal.
Here is her printable guide of the 3 different gifts to look for each day. (Of course you can list any gift you received that day that you are thankful for, but her promptings are a fun way to get the children searching throughout the day for specific ways God shows His love for them and the gifts that He gives.

How are you hiding God's Word in your heart this Summer?