Assume goodness in people

I haven't posted in quite sometime but working on myself has continued. For those of you who know me well, you know that I can be one of the most giving yet judgemental people around. I have the ability to give everything I have (love, possessions, time) and then at other times be very negative about those around me. One of my goals has been to be less judgemental, more loving and more positive. Slowly but surely this is happening. I have been doing a Bible study and many of the studies bring me to scripture on loving others and God's love. One of them was specifically on loving instead of judging. AWESOME!!! I have also tried to start understanding why people do what they do. What happened in their world that made them angry, cynical? Being a counselor, I know things that are occuring that others do not, and it has opened my eyes to trials that others are going through. So, I have started trying to take a step back and find something good within everyone around me. Seeing through eyes of compassion and love instead of critical eyes. It is a very freeing way to see.

Standing in front of a mirror

Stand in front of the mirror for five minutes and focus on at least five things that you love about yourself. Write them down in your journal.

So, even though I HATE looking in the mirror, I did this challenge. I've never really liked my looks. But this is about love, not hate, and after about a minute of getting past what I don't like, I started focusing on what I do like.

~I love the freckle in the middle of my nose.

~I love the fact that my butt is getting smaller and my waist is getting bigger. Never thought I'd say that.

~I love the color of my hair.

~Since I haven't been wearing make-up lately (it just comes off when I'm having my all-the-time-not-just-morning sickness) my skin is clear. I like that.

~I love my small forehead. It doesn't wrinkle, even when I frown.

My Emily

We just spent 5 days at the dude ranch in Bandera for Spring Break. We had an awesome time riding horses all day long. My little girl Emily is almost 6. Most of the time she is a pure joy to be around. I smiled the whole trip just watching her and how she interacted with people. Everybody loved her and begged us to stay longer. Even the cowboys who are normally quiet and distant would get excited when Emily walked up. Emily just has a spark that makes everyone happy and a sparkle in her eye that makes even the toughest of cowboys melt. She is so sweet and I love watching how she is growing up. Don't get me wrong, she can be a huge toot often enough. But I cherish these magical moments like the week at the dude ranch.

Behind

I am a little behind on posting, but I figure that is okay. I have been working really hard at trying to be grateful and/or positive for that which I have and the world around me. My birthday was this past Monday, and I had figured it would go by unnoticed. I was wrong. The weekend consisted of many fun events starting with bowling where everyone dressed up. I was on the granny rollers team, and we dressed up as grannies and bowled with the granny roll. On Saturday, I had people over to the house for a celebration. I figured around six people would show up but planned for all that had been invited. Around twenty-five friends showed up at my house ready to celebrate and have a good time. I was given homemade cards, a balloon, wine, book and cake. The night consisted of laughter and food which make a fabulous mix. Sunday, I ended up at the pool for around four hours with some friends I don't see often. Monday, my students brought chocolate cake and a movie, so we laughed and enjoyed for two class periods. I had asked God to help me not feel so lonely, and he surrounded me the entire weekend. I also received more messages than I can count in my inbox reminding me that people back home love me, and I was on their minds which is HUGE!! My prayer was answered and the loneliness disappeared to be replaced with notes, hugs, and laughter. My cup overflows.....

Confession

I have a confession to make. I told a little, little fib on our Gratitude Challenge. The truth is that I do not, nor have I ever, had a stomach bug. Sort of. I have been sick, because I have the kind of bug you give a name to after 9 months!


I'M PREGNANT!! I've been keeping it quiet, but we went to the doctor today, and the doctor said everything looks really good, so we decided to let the cat out of the bag. We are both so very excited (we've been trying for a baby for about a year now). Right now, my due date is around October 22nd.

So guess what I'm grateful for today??

Happy Birthday, Jen!

Today I am very grateful for Ms. Janice and Mr. Paul (Mom and Dad) for having Jennifer!! Happy Birthday Jenn!!!!

From Tara...not sure what to title it..lol

Today, make the effort to live life with a positive outlook. Restrain from criticizing the people around you. Dare to see the glass half full. Listen more than you speak. Give freely of yourself. Practice kindness at every opportunity.

Wow. That's a lot. In the last couple of years, I truly have begun to live life with a more positive outlook, and it has freed me from stress I didn't know I was carrying. Criticizing people...well, that is a weakness with me sometimes. Never my friends, but I do sometimes snap to judgement with strangers. Sooo.....in this challenge, I have begun to befriend a lady that lives next door to me.

She is older than I am but very sweet and somewhat ill (she fell this winter and hurt herself pretty badly, and also has another chronic ailment). She is also beginning to recover from a lifetime of suppressed emotions due to a series of very tragic events. And I get the feeling she is very, very lonely. Her husband is a doctor at the local hospital and works long hours. Even though she is not someone I would choose to befriend, I have "given freely of myself" and truly tried to practice kindness. And I find myself enjoy each visit more and more. It is hard to listen to her stories sometimes, because I hate to see people hurting, but I know it helps. Sometimes we just drink tea and watch our dogs play, sometimes we actually go places. It is a bit straining sometimes, because she calls quite often, but I just remind myself that it makes her so happy when we "hang out". I do sometimes ignore her calls, but I'm trying to be more patient. Which has never been one of my qualities.

And listening more than I speak is something I've been trying to do for a while. It's a long journey. I remember that I received an evaluation at work once that said I talk more than I listened, and I was furious about that! I thought it was completely untrue and totally made up until I came home and started complaining about it to Brandon. And he shocked me by saying, "Well, I'm not trying to make you angry, but you do that to me sometimes. When I'm talking to you, I don't think you're listening. You just seem to be thinking of what you'll say next." It was an eye opener. So ever since then, I've been much more aware of trying to listen. It's a true talent, those natural listeners. I sometimes have to literally tell myself, "Don't speak. Listen. Just listen."

This is a long post, sorry. And I know I'm not quite on schedule, but I've missed a few days being ill. I hope it's okay if I just post the ones I think I'm on? If not, lol, someone tell me what day we're on!

Enjoy the people around you

This past weekend I had the priviledge of going home. In Honduras, feelings of isolation can sometimes creep in and take over my mood, so going home was a welcome time of being surrounded by people. I was able to enjoy both family and friends. I was surrounded by the best girlfriends a gal can have (a few were missing) and family the entire time. There was no time for isolation to creep in and they pushed it off a cliff. We laughed, cried, and just sat by each other with never a silent moment. I had more hugs than I can count and felt love and acceptance all around. I cherished each moment with these special people. Being away has made me realize how many special people are in my world.

the 2 week mark

Tara, so sorry to hear you have been ill. I hope the stomach bug has moved one and you are all better.
In the two weeks of the challenge it has become obvious we share gratitude for: our families, our pets (yes, I know they are family, but they deserve special recognition), travel, apples, and the ability to blog knowing someone cares what you think. I am grateful for the great stories from each of you and I hope everyone is having a great weekend.

Touch

Sorry I've been tardy, but I haven't quite been feeling good lately. Stomach bugs are mean!! I've been stymied by the senses challenge, but finally had a breakthrough. I can think of so many gifts that I've been given from touching.

Those of you that know me know I am a toucher. I always have to feel things, fabrics, carpets, I'm always touching it. And hugs! I love hugs!! Giving and receiving. But to feel something, to touch it, is to be a part of it. One of my favorite building in Chicago is the Tribune building, because they have pieces from famous landmarks from all over the world, and you can touch the pieces.

But my favorite gift has been my grandmother's thimble. When I use it to sew on buttons and such, I feel a connection to her. I can just imagine her finger in the same spot as mine, doing the same thing I'm doing. It's such a wonderful gift. So I'm very grateful for the sense of touch.

think positive

I must admit that making an effort to take everyone's actions and comments in only a positive mode made me laugh a lot more today. The one place I did have a hard time with positive thinking was while driving - Baton Rouge traffic is an experience like no other. I will try again tomorrow to think positive as I drive beautiful oak-lined Highland Road to LSU. See, that sounds better already.

Senses....

I have been thinking about which sense I want to focus on for this blog and have found it to be hard because so many times all fives senses are used at the same time. I will settle on smell for now. Many family gatherings during my life have revolved around food. I remember arriving in Shreveport to my Memaw's to the smell of red beans and rice. I always knew we were in for a treat when the steaming bowls were placed in front of us. On Christmas Eve, I would arrive at my Mama Lou's to the smell of seafood gumbo cooking. I now associate Christmas with the smell of gumbo. When I go home to my parent's house, there is usually some new recipe being tried and the smell takes over the entire house and lets me know I have arrived home. In Baton Rouge, we always wake up at least one morning to coffee(every morning), fresh cooked pancakes or biscuits, eggs, bacon, and sausage. These smells I associate with being surrounded by love. I love the smell of fresh bread, pie, gumbo and fried shrimp. I love the smell of food because it usually means good conversation is on the way with lots of laughter and hugs, and I am surrounded by family.

Five senses

The sense of smell has always fascinated me. No two people smell the same odor the same way. Your nose can smell directionally, telling you where an odor originates. A woman’s sense of smell is keener than a man’s. People recall smells longer and with greater accuracy than visual pictures. I really want to share just one “smell experience” with all of you. My dad was an auto mechanic and the aroma of varsol solvent is all it takes to make me feel loved from head to toe. As a child, I would smell that scent and know to run to the back door for a welcome hug that made the world perfect. My dad died in 1990, but twenty years later I can still feel like the most special person in the world by just walking through the repair area of any auto shop.

The last few days-

I called my uncle, of my mom's six brothers he is the only one living. When we last talked he was planning to move near his wife's oldest son. I went about my life knowing he was secure, loved, and well cared for living near his extended family. Well, the move did not occur, I believe, for finanical reasons, he did want to discuss it. While, he and his wife are fine, there is a void in their life of living apart from all their family. I hope to help fill that need. I wonder how many other people I have so easily placed in their "box" knowing all is well for them and moved on in my "busy" life. Self evaluation is never easy - but, I am grateful for the simple task, "call someone you have not talked to in a while."
The text picture Janice send me in front of her new SUV was the best. She has not only deserved a new car, but needed one for so long - think of me when you sit on that heated seat. Also, John did not teach me how to post pictures, which may be a good thing.
When the challenge said "five people," I immediately thought of my two sons, two nieces, and my nephew. But, all five have no doubt I love them, admire them, and support all their enterprises. So, I send notes or emails to two of my former professors (I have not seen since they retired), two high school friends (I have not seen in 15 years), and a church friend. All are well, and the first to respond was my church friend, who I lost touch with when she changed to First Church to allow her parent to continue attending "their" church, while she cared for them. We had spend, so many years, co-teaching Sunday school, helping in children's choir, planning fund raising, and a month each summer at Church camp. How could I have lost touch? We will be meeting for soup and salad lunch every other week for the foreseeable future.
I hope everyone has had the same positive outcome from these challenging gratitude tasks.

Thank you notes

So I sent out my thank you notes to my five people who deserved recognition. And I also want to share that a friend of mine from college, Jinger, was so inspired by the things she is reading that she has started doing the gratitude challenge on her blog as well! Here is her site if anyone is interested, and feel free to leave comments.

http://jinjer-spice.blogspot.com/

I also made my calls to a person I haven't spoken to in a while, and have to admit that it was the first challenge that I've been a little nervous about. And I love this person dearly, but we just don't talk like we used to, and I was a little nervous about the call. Strange, isn't it? But all went well.

So here is my sixth note of recognition, because I would like to thank Jennifer for inviting me to do this challenge with her. Thanks girl!! I'm loving it. Hmmm...now I'm hungry for McDonalds.

I would add a picture if I could figure out how. I am very grateful for many moments in my life. The best moments were shared with my family. When my children graduated from college I wanted to take a special family vacation, because I knew that the dynamics of my family would soon change. I am so thankful for the time that we spent together in New York City. This is a place that I thought I would never enjoy going to because I thought that it would be difficult to get around. I was right. It is a huge city. However, I was wrong as far as it being difficult to get around it. My family would point me in the right direction and we were off to explore the treasures of New York City. I loved it!!! Jennifer is right about the Ellen Star Dust Cafe. They sang all of the Oldies But Goodies. The girls wore poodle skirts and bobby socks. We got the old time ice cream sundaes. They were so good. We ate in a French restaurant and sat by doors that opened up like windows so that you felt like you were sitting on the street. Seeing the Statue of Liberty was a WOW moment. Wicket was a fabulous play as was Phantom of the Opera. I loved riding the bus with my family and touring the city. The Yankee game and the surroundings of the Yankee Stadium was like going back in time. The vendors selling peanuts, cokes, and beer was like seeing the past. People passed the food and drinks up several rows and across 25 to 30 people before it got to the person who bought it. We ate hot dogs and peanuts. Paul was like a little kid at Christmas. He reminisced about sitting on his grandfather's lap and watching the Yankees play on TV. We met some very friendly and kind locals who helped us get on the right subways so that we ended up where we were supposed to. Time Square was bigger than life. Walking through the financial district and seeing Wall Street and the Bull was an eye opener in itself. The church that was next to the Twin Towers where presidents had sat and worshipped and the rescuers would take a break was another WOW moment. Our family time and the fun we had exploring New York City together was one of my favorite memories. What an awesome family I have. God is wonderful.

Family

The following pictures are a few from my grateful moment. When I look through the New York pictures, my mood automatically rises, I have a grin that hurts and I sometimes cry for joy. We went to a restaurant where the waiters danced and sang, and my mom would smile the entire time. We went back a few times because she loved it so much. My dad had a hotdog at Yankee stadium with me which was a dream come true. I saw the cafe from You've Got Mail. I had more fun in New York with my family that week than at any other moment. I know there were times we argued just because we are family, but I don't remember that part. I remember the part where we experienced an adventure as adults. We laughed until at least I cried and stayed up late talking. I will treasure those moments forever and hope to make more in the future, but with an added bonus. Jackie will be with us next time.

From Tara: Grateful picture

Take a picture of one thing, person, place or specific moment that makes you feel grateful. Share it with your social network.

My picture is of a specific moment. Saturday mornings Brandon usually sleeps in till 11am, but somehow Bruno (our Cavalier King Charles Spaniel) always knows when it is time for Brandon to wake up. And so every Saturday morning he jumps into the bed, and snuggles next to Brandon, rolling over and making noises of pure joy until Brandon starts playing with him. They snuggle and play for about 10-15 minutes, then both are up and in a happy mood. I am always so grateful for the these moments, because it is just so cute and sweet. The smile on both their faces (yes, Bruno smiles!!) gives me such a feeling of joy and gratefullness every week.

When I went away for a week this past summer, Brandon called me when they were snuggling and put me on speakerphone, so I wouldn't miss it. He knows just how much I love it. So these are a couple of pictures from this mornings snuggle session.

Call....

Today's post is to call someone you haven't talked to in awhile. I will have to think on this one because I try to talk with everyone. I think I will call Bo or Rachel. Bo is my great aunt whom I rarely see or speak to, but I hope that changes when I return. Rachel is one of my closest friends, and I miss her. Being in Honduras I don't call many people, so I guess my list could be very long of people to call.

Yesterday, we didn't have students and only had to work part of the day. Today, we are not working at all. Why? Because we had a wind storm that took out trees, power, roofs, and more. I have power now, but the school does not. I think this gives teachers and students a much needed break from each other. I sat with friends last night talking and laughing well past my normal bedtime and was grateful for their open door policy and laughter. We shared a glass of wine and chocolate cookies while laughing until some of us cried.
I know this isn't part of today's challenge, but I am grateful for all of you posting because I smile and think of more to be grateful for as I read your posts. I also am starting to recognize more when I am being negative or those around me are being negative and never realized before how much I skip over looking for beauty in my day. Love you all and will let you know who I call later.

God has blessed my life in many ways. Family (including some that have adopted us as parents and we have adopted as our own which I love, friends, jobs, wonderful neighbors, and a Cowboy Church where we have made more new friends. For these things I am very thankful. You see one of the definitions of God is,"God is love." The more unconditional love that I have around me the happier and more content I am. Love feels like a big hug from God. God has blessed Paul and me with steady jobs while living in a time where that is not the norm. The teachers that I taught with for many years got together the other night and had so much fun it was hard to any of us to leave. Laughter and Chatter for hours. Heaven on earth. My children are so thoughtful and caring. It amazes me the friendship that has formed between us as they are now adults. I love getting together with them. Now I have one more precious child. My son is getting married to a thoughtful, caring, and loving cowgirl. She is delight to be around. One of my prayers is that my children marry into a family that loves them and is kind to them. He as answered that prayer for my son. I am bless that my daughter, who lives in Honduras, set me up on Skype and taught me how to use it before she left so that we could talk and see one another on a daily basis. We have had so much fun. I even got to visit her and see where is lives. Honduras is a beautiful country. She has gotten to travel and see places that she would not of seen had she not gone there. I am looking forward to seeing all three of my children next weekend. My children are a gift from God. After writing this blog today I can see that I am truly blessed. God's riches are in his name,"Love." He has showed me with his love and I plan to remain under this shower as it feels so good.

I am grateful-

Why did Deb post 5 days of challenge material at one time? See Day 4 and have a good laugh.

Day 5:
I have a wonderful family, a great stable career, a large orange cat, good health (my blood pressure is normal again), and no money to worry about losing. I am truly blessed! and I do not think about it often enough. I have no need for a bigger TV, bigger house, bigger car. I have all the clothes and jewelry I can wear and more food than I can or should eat. I have the blessing of time to think, read, and worry about my family because I do not have to fight for survival each day, the way so many people do. The slogan is true: "Life is good."

Day 4:
We all call stress a "negative." but stress makes me a more productive person. It causes me anxiety and worry, but I also try to achieve more because of it The stress of learning to use a blog site and being so far behind was pure stress. I had to reach out to my oldest son for help and that was positive stress. Opposite attracts - so, maybe it's the negatives that make the positives so good.

Day 3:
I am grateful for daffodils. I start the winter months thinking of warm fires and reading good books, but soon the cold, gray days take their toll. Two of Steve's yellow daffodils bloomed today, so spring is coming soon. Birds, baby squirrels, outdoor music events, and warm afternoons will make life easy living.

Day 2:
A apples
B Bo and books
C cartoons
D Dancing (slow dancing)
E Elves
F fried food (I'm Southern)
G gin
H historical anthropology
I interstate highways
J John, Jennifer, Jenni, Janice, Jonathan
K Kisses
L Ludo (our cat)
M Matthew, Michael, Mareike, Melissa
N nighttime
O onions
P Paul and pumpkins
Q quiet
R rabbits (I was born in the year of the rabbit)
S Steve and Stephanie
T travel
U universities
V Valentines
W wine
X X-chromosomes
Y ying and yang
Z zebras

Day 1:
I accepted the challenge because Jennifer thought enough of me to ask me to join. I was delighted she thought I would have something of importance to contribute. It is exciting to believe people she knows can learn from each other and about it each at the same time.

Blessings......

The challenge for today is to write a list of all the blessings I currently have. Since starting the project, I have discovered this might be a never ending list, so here is an incomplete list. Here goes…..

Janice and Stephanie Kelly – two people who know me better than I know myself
Family – all of them
Yogi
Friends – Honduran, Canadian and American – some who know me as well as Mom and Steph and call me on my craziness (Tara, Megan, Laura)
Rain
Butterflies, birds
Exterminators and bug spray
Electricity
No electricity
Laughter
Food
Clothes
Computer
Music
DVDs – Movies and TV series
Neighbors
Enough money to pay bills and have food
Backyard with plants
Health
Clean water
Rain jacket
Books, Literacy
Literacy
Common Sense
People in my life who keep things in perspective and have a sense of humor who have taught me to laugh instead of crying.
Professional coworkers who are willing to share resources
Prayer warriors
A wonderful job
A roof over my head that doesn’t leave during a wind storm
Traveling
Support for my endeavors and crazy adventures even when they fail
Warm showers
Flashlights, candles and matches
Guacamole and chips – my dinner when the electricity went out
Internet to talk with family and friends
Hugs
Beaches
Going home to Texas to people who love me
Coming back to Honduras to people who miss me


I know my list is full of randomness. People, materials, knowledge. Since being in Honduras, I have discovered that the greatest blessings are not bought. They are experienced with the people in our lives. I don’t know if this is the right kind of list, but they are things I am grateful for today.

"All things work together for good for them that know God and are called according to his purpose." This is one of my favorite verses in the Bible. Let's face it. A lot of life stinks. This is a verse that is a constant reminder that when life gives us lemon we need to make lemonade. In other words we need to look for God in all things and know that he is working in all situations. He is the silversmith who is refining us for greater things. It is during our trials that God proves how faithful he is. As a mother it has been an extremely difficult struggle to let my children fly solo. To let go of the control and the influence that I had as they were growing up was very difficult. It was one of my greatest struggles in life. My children had filled my heart and my time. To let them fall on their faces and watch them struggle to pick themselves up was hard and it hurt. But oh what a blessing when I would see them get up and soar like an eagle. I am so proud of the individuals that they have become. They love the Lord and each other. They value family and friends. Now instead of me leading them to new adventures in life and guiding them they are reaching out to me and we are working together to share life's new experiences. Lemonade is refreshing.

From Tara: Negatives to be grateful for...

I once heard someone say "If you want to make God laugh, make a plan," and I never forgot it.

Because I always plan, and have always had a plan since graduating high school. I still remember my Mom calling my Dad because she was not particularly thrilled with my "plan" to be a theater major, and my Dad just laughed, and said "Give her a break. What was our plan when we were her age?"

After college, my life plan was to go to graduate school and become a theater professor. But that did not happen. My next plan was to go to Lamar and become a high school teacher. But because of certain family obligations, that did not happen either. So then I'd focus on trying to be a novelist, because writing had always been a hobby, and why not do something that I love. But my novel never got published, and all I received were rejections. For everything, even short stories. All the while, I'm working at several different casinos and feeling pretty low about myself because I'm not accomplishing any of my plans, which must make me a loser.

But I'm gaining all this experience at the casinos, and then suddenly one day, I find myself as an HR Trainer at a casino, and sitting next to an adorably nerdy IT guy. Now I realize that if my greatest negatives had not occurred, my greatest positive would not have occurred either. It doesn't change the fact that I still wish I could have and be all those things listed above. But I am very grateful that they didn't happen, because I wouldn't have the lovely life I have now.

Flowers in the desert...

I am grateful for quite a few negative events in my life.

I am grateful for Hurricane Ike because it brought my family closer together and has taught us to let go of material items and focus on the people around us. It gave me the opportunity to help my family and friends and give back to my community. After the initial shock of losing everything, friends, neighbors and family started checking on each other and helping rebuild. We talked with neighbors we hadn't talked to in months. I was reminded of the power of love and how important people are because they can not be replaced.

I am grateful for my divorce because it has made me stronger. It has made me depend on family and friends to heal, laugh and love. It has made me depend on God for direction. I have become a stronger individual and have quit waiting for someone else to make things happen for me. I feel like I have truly started to live by making decisions based on what I desire in life. I am living in Honduras for a year, I travel, and I have become content with being single. Life is finally a beautiful, wonderful journey.

I miss my grandmother, but positive has come as a result of her passing. I am now closer with my dad's family than before. I met and reconnected with many family members who have become an important part of my life. I have also become closer with my aunt. I am thankful for my new relatioinship with Aunt Debbie because it is closer and full of love.

At the time of these events, I was not grateful. The thought did not cross my mind until much later that positive was blossoming in the midst of tragedy. I am grateful that God knows what we need and can make a flower bloom in the middle of sorrow.

I am excited about the gratitude challenge. I am looking forward to focusing on the blessing God has for me everyday. I have a wonderful Christian husband and 3 fabulous Christian children. I want to see the good in each situation. I worship and awesome God who is by my side through the good and the bad. I want to delight in Him during the ups and downs so that I grow closer to Him. A positive, Pollyanna attitude will be a gift that will be worth work for. Thanks Jen for encouraging me to join your group.

one thing i'm grateful for-dianne

Today I must think of one thing I am thankful for in my life. Today I am going to say I am truly thankful for my dogs. To a lot of people dogs are just pets but to me my dogs are my family. So, "thank you" Doc and Izie for all the love and happiness you bring to my life!

Grateful

I am thinking this is going to be a wonderful project for me because each day I am having to think about the many events and people I am thankful for. I keep thinking what a long day I have had then sit down to do this challenge and have to change my attitude.

Today, I am thankful for Tara who is consistent to post because her posts put a smile on my face.
I am thankful for a mom and sister who realize when I need to talk just because and make time for me because it means I am loved.
I am thankful for friends who leave me messages just to say they miss and love me because it means I am remembered.
I am thankful for Tonia bringing me squash soup because it means I have a friend.
I am thankful that I am able to watch the Olympics it means I am alive.
I am thankful that I have the option to go home because it means I am free.
I am thankful that I can be a teacher and counselor even on the hard days because it means I can make a difference.
I am thankful for old friends and new pen pals just because.
I am thankful for the picture my sister sent me of snow because she thought about me.
I am thankful for Mom showing me Yogi on skype because he makes me smile.
Today, I am thankful for little things I used to take for granted.

Love you

From Tara--Today I am grateful for....

Write about something you feel grateful for in your life today.

When I really stop to think about it, I'm very grateful for many things in my life. Indoor plumbing. The ability to earn a living. Geniune people to love who love me back. But today I am very grateful for warmth.

It's snowing again. Not a big surprise in Northern Indiana/Southern Michigan, but the snow today is big, fat flakes falling slowly. It's like being in the middle of a snow globe that someone has just shaken, and now the flakes are softly floating back to the the bottom. It snowed most of last night too, so we have a good bit of accumulation on the ground. And on days like today, I am so grateful that I have warm coats, and wool socks, and a nice warm comfortable home. The snow is so beautiful, but only if you are inside and warm. As soon as I let the dog out, that beautiful snow hits you in the face, and it is blistering and miserable in a very short amount of time.

So today I am grateful for warmth, because "there, but for the grace of God, go I."

ABC's of Gratitude Dianne Style

Today's assignment of the Gratitude Challenge was to make a list of things A-Z that I am thankful for. My list is below...



A - Apple's iphone


B - Bible


C - Chapstick


D - Doc. Doc is my oldest dog and has been there for me through so much. I am thankful for what he has done for my life. Yes, I reallize he's just a dog but to me he's more!


E - Equal Rights


F - Friends and Family. They are both amazing and mean the world to me.
G - God and Grapes
H - Hugs. Especially the hugs on those bad days when that's just what you need!
I - Izabelle aka Izie my adorable, sweet Scottie dog. She's the best cuddle partner.
J - Jana Ja and Jennifer Aniston(aka Melissa i'm her courtney cox) the best bestfriend's a girl could ask for!
K - Kisses! Izie gives some good ones too!
L - Lake Tahoe

M - Music
N - Niece, Adrianne and Nephews, Jacob and Franklin Riley
O - Open minds
P - Power of Prayer
Q - Queso....I love me some queso!
R - Roses. Sometimes you gotta just stop and take a smell!
S - Siblings. All 5 of them: Tamara, Jaclyn, Ashley, Jacob and Hannah
T - Technology. Like Kip sang, "I love technology!"
U - Umbrellas
V- Vacations
W - Wine
X - X-Ray machines
Y - Yogurt
Z - Zac. Zac has taught me a lot about love, life and happiness.
This isn't an "all inclusive" list but just a few A-Z things I am sincerly grateful for!

ABC's of gratitude

A - Amazing sunsets and sunrises
B - Books that take me to new worlds, baseball, blankets
C - Coffee because it makes me smile, camping on a sandbar
D - Dancing under the stars
E - Eating seafood
F - Family and friends who remind me what love truly is, fishing
G - God
H - Hope, Hard work that leaves me exhausted and feeling like I accomplished something
I - Ice Cream
J - Janice, my mom who is always available to listen and talk and Jackie my brother's fiance
K - Kids laughter, kayak
L - Listening to the rain on a tin roof
M - Michael, my brother, mountains, MASH
N - Never ending conversations
O - Opportunities
P - Paul, my dad who drinks coffee with me
Q - Quiche, Questions that make me think
R - Riding a bike
S - Stephanie, my amazing sister, spring days
T - Traveling with family and friends
U - Unconditional love
V - Voting, it was a long hard battle for women to be able to vote
W - Watermelon, waterfalls and wine
X - x-tra time on the phone with my family
Y - Yogi, my cuddly dog who always makes me smile
Z - Zany friends and family who make me laugh

Jump in with both feet!

With a hopeful outlook, I,Lori Sops, promise to fulfill the terms
of The Gratitude Challenge. Over the next 21 days, I pledge to complete the
activities on my gratitude calendar, including writing journal entries, taking
photos and connecting with friends. I promise to take note of life’s little blessings
and to give thanks for the relationships, experiences and opportunities that make
my life unique. From this day forward, I commit to living on the brighter side of life.
Signature: Lori Sops Date: February 22nd, 2010

Jennifer, thanks for taking the lead on this inspiring idea!
Here are my ABC's of things I'm grateful for! (this is a wonderful idea/ way to kick start the blog)

A - adversity in my life, that has taught me a lot about myself and made me appreciate what I have
B - Bachelor, The (Cause it's really important!)
C - coffee (I love it so!)
D - dancing
E - EIS and the job/opportunities it has provided me with
F - friends and family around the world
G - guitar, a fun new project in my life
H - hope
I - ice cubes
J - Janis, mi hermana
K - karma
L - Lucy, my sister's pug that makes me giggle!
M - Mom, the greatest one there ever was
N - new house (new start)
O - Oscar's (a favourite place to hang out with friends in Honduras)
P - patience
Q - (the)quirky qualities all my students have
R - roller blades and a good run
S - singing and stars in the sky
T - travel opportunities
U - unopened mail and the anticipation that goes along with it
V - Val, my friend/roomie who puts up with me
W - weather channels/websites (I love to know what is supposed to be coming!)
X - x-tra sleep in time on the weekends
Y - yawns and the laughs that come when they are contagious
Z - zebras (I just think they are cool)

Courtney's ABC's of Gratitude

With a hopeful outlook, I, Courtney Cullum, promise to fulfill the terms



of The Gratitude Challenge. Over the next 21 days, I pledge to complete the


activities on my gratitude calendar, including writing journal entries, taking


photos and connecting with friends. I promise to take note of life’s little blessings


and to give thanks for the relationships, experiences and opportunities that make


my life unique. From this day forward, I commit to living on the brighter side of life.


Signature: Courtney Cullum  Date: February 22, 2010
 
 
Alli and the impact she had on my life
Baby Raelyn and how she has made my family come together
Celebrations
Dad
Everyone who supports me in my overseas journey
Fish Camp Friends
God's grace
Honduras and my life here
International Christian Fellowship Church
Jokes to lighten my mood
Kelly, a wonderful roommate!
Love: It makes the world go round
My Mama
Nailpolish- I love having my nails done and being girly!
One Tree Hill (it is my favorite show)
Parks and pools
Quiet afternoons with a book or a movie
Reading (news, books, funny stuff... just being able to read)
Skype
Taylor
Understanding friends.  They get me and all my quirks and still love me inspite of them.
Vacations and the ability to travel cheaply here
Weekends.  Everybody is working for the weekend!
XXIV- 24 years of healthy life
Youthful energy
Z-packs for when I get my annual sinus infections

Alphabet soup :-)

From Tara:

Okay, so this is my alphabet things I am grateful for, some of which need a little explaining. It might seem weird to some people, but I have gotten very used to being called "weird" over the years. So here we go....

Applesauce (it always calms my stomach when it's upset)

Brandon

Crayons (I'm just a big kid, after all)

Dogs

Eric

Friends

Good parents (and I don't just mean mine. I'm grateful for ALL good parents)

Heros (not the food or the TV show...just the people)

Ice cream

Just because flowers (I love getting flowers for no reason, so Brandon and I call them "Just because" flowers)

Katie

Love

Moms

Nose touching (When something is funny, I automatically touch my nose and cover my mouth! I don't know why, but I'm grateful for all the laughs this involuntary reaction has caused throught the years!)

old stories

Philip

Quiet time

Reading

Spring

Traveling

Unquestionable faith

Very hot chocolate

Walking Bruno

X-box (for keeping the hubby out of my hair and watching instant movies from Netflix)

Yams from my grandmother (Okay, during the Y2K scare back in 1999, my grandmother, Grana, was so concerned that I wasn't stockpiling food for the possible breakdown of society that she forced me to take this gigantic can of yams from her so I would at least have some little thing to eat until I could get back to her. It was so sweet and funny that I kept the yams until 2007.)

Zorro (I just finished reading Isabelle Allende's book Zorro. It's a great read and I highly reccomend it.)

I, Dianne Michelle Ford...

THE GRATITUDE PLEDGE

With a hopeful outlook, I, DIANNE MICHELLE FORD, promise to fulfill the terms


of The Gratitude Challenge. Over the next 21 days, I pledge to complete the


activities on my gratitude calendar, including writing journal entries, taking


photos and connecting with friends. I promise to take note of life’s little blessings


and to give thanks for the relationships, experiences and opportunities that make


my life unique. From this day forward, I commit to living on the brighter side of life.



Signature: Dianne M. Ford                      Date: Feburary 21, 2010

I will also be using the pledge as topics for discussion on my blog: www.keepingupwithdianne.blogspot.com.

Thanks for including me!

From Tara

THE GRATITUDE PLEDGE

With a hopeful outlook, I, ____Tara Kelley Landry______, promise to fulfill the terms
of The Gratitude Challenge. Over the next 21 days, I pledge to complete the
activities on my gratitude calendar, including writing journal entries, taking
photos and connecting with friends. I promise to take note of life’s little blessings
and to give thanks for the relationships, experiences and opportunities that make
my life unique. From this day forward, I commit to living on the brighter side of life.

Signature: ______Tara Landry_____________ Date: _____2/21/2010_____

As an added note, I'm also looking forward to reading everyone elses postings. And right off the bat, I want to express my gratitude to Jennifer for asking me to do this with her! Thanks Jen!

Students, Olympics, Mom

Today, I am going to celebrate talking to my mom, having wonderful students and the USA winning another gold. I missed work yesterday. When I returned today, my students wanted to make sure I would still be their teacher (one of their other teachers is changing). I asked if they wanted me to stay their teacher and there was an overwhelming yes. It made me feel glad about being a teacher. Sometimes it can be stressful or tiring, but today was a day of smiles.

I am currently watching athletes from all over the world compete, cheer and congratulate each other. Even if they don't speak the same language, they speak a common language of victory and disappointment. It is a reminder that even though governments are at war, the citizens are necessarily at war. We can still support and treat each other as human beings.

Tonight just like every other night, I talked with my mom. Over the years, my mom and I have had our ups and downs just like every mother/daughter relationship. The best thing about now is that we worked through the downs, and she became my best friend. She is always there for me and knows me better than I know myself. A few years ago, I wouldn't have dreamed of this close relationship.

My gratitude for today consists of the small blessings God gave me today that put a huge smile on my face.

Olympics and Mom

I am currently trying my hand at setting up this blog so that others can post on the page. A blogger I have never been, so this is a new adventure. While traveling through this adventure, I am sitting in Honduras, watching the Olympics and trying to help Mom set up her username so that she can post. In the past, this would have frustrated my selfish self. Now, I thank God that He has given me another day to talk with my mom and have been given the opportunity to help her. I look forward to this amazing journey of gratitude and a new appreciation of those around me. Let the journey begin!