Thankful Thursday Week of October 6 - 12, 2011

Thursday, October 6, 2011:  I'm thankful for the gift and blessing of being able to serve a Sister in my Ward who is bound to bed and stillness which is difficult for her.  I'm grateful for her willingness to allow us to help.  I'm grateful for a quiet afternoon at home during which I was able to workout with Denise Austin doing some Yoga.

Friday, October 7, 2011:  I'm thankful for a quiet day at home.  I should've gone somewhere in the afternoon, but I was feeling really bummed, so stayed home and got a few things done that have been waiting too long.  I worked out with Kathy Smith in Project YOU and did the next step up from what I was doing.  Didn't do it the way THEY do, but did it anyway.  Felt good.  :)  I'm just happy to get one day closer to finishing this week with six days of exercise in it!

Saturday, October 8, 2011:  I'm thankful for the blessing and opportunity of preparing for and attending a dear friend's wedding.  It was a lovely evening service and our Stake President did a WONDERFUL job with it.  I'm so grateful that she welcomed my little ones, which enabled me to attend.  She KNOWS me by so doing!  ^_^

I'm grateful for the time I was able to spend working out with Susan Powter.  I was able to focus, which is what I really need to do to get the rivers of sweat runnin!  It was a good workout.

Sunday, October 9, 2011:  I'm thankful for an amazing a wonderful day!  Today was Kat's FIFTH birthday!  I can hardly believe it!  My Kitty Kat is now 5.  And, man was she testin her limits a few times today.  She feels SO big.  She told me she had a WONDERFUL birthday day.  I'm so very glad!  Even without a special cake made just for her, she LOVED the day.  We'll do a special birthday meal (pizza, her choice) and ice cream tomorrow or another day during the week.  Spread out the birthday-girl love.  ^_^

I'm especially thankful to our God for preparing an amazing Fast and Testimony meeting for today.  I'm grateful He made sure I was in Sunday School (studying the New Testament there this year! ^_^) so I could hear the one specific phrase I needed to hear and then for His inspiration to our Relief Society teacher to conduct the lesson she taught in just the way she did so that I was able to more profoundly understand the changes I needed to make in MY heart so that I may experience I positive change in a situation that I cannot actually change (in the world).  By changing me (my perspective, reaction(s), and feelings), I change how it affects me and completely alter my experience(s) of/with it.

The testimonies, in particular, today were amazing, inspiring, and VERY touching!  I am deeply grateful for the young man who exposed his heart to the core (I cried with him MUCH), for the older man who helped his daughter share, "Jesus is a good Jesus," and then continued on to talk about Jesus Christ's Love and healing Atonement.  I'm grateful for the Sister who shared of her experience with the missionaries teaching an invesitgator in their home and how that investigator has helped her see how she (I) as a long-time member need to desire the Gospel of Christ in the same way that King Lamoni's Father (in the Book of Mormon) and the investigator desire(d) it: with a willingness to give up all for it.  ThSuch desire is a full recognition of the Pearl of Great Price that we have in the Gospel of Christ which we ALL need to attain and then maintian!  (I certainly need to maintain more than I have!!!)  I encourage you to read the link to the verse (and Chapter) I've referenced above.  It's awesome!

Monday, October 10, 2011:  I'm thankful for family.  My own little one and my extended one.  I'm thankful for my brothers and sisters, neices and nephews, Mom and Dad... oh... and on the subject of nephews... I had one little guy who turned THREE today!!!  My second brother's second son... turned a BIG THREE!  He's a gift and blessing to his little and our larger family!  HAPPY BIRTHDAY Petey!!!!

I'm grateful my Kat who told me her birthday was a wonderful day yesterday.  What a soothing balm to a worry-wart Mama.

I'm grateful for the ability to workout to Yoga Booty Ballet.  It was good.  Got the rivers flowin and excited to workout this week to complete (since today started, I think), my 7th week of exercising SIX days each week!!  And it so TOTALLY does NOT feel that it's been six weeks already!  I haven't checked again lately, but  the last time I had, I'd shed 11 pounds.  That's pretty darn hope inspiring!  ^_^

I'm grateful to have learned more specifically where I may go to purchase REALLY inexpensive flats of water for our home water storage.  It's been depleated over the last 6 months and I feel anxious to refill it.  I'm hopeful that we'll also be able to get our barrell system up and in place much sooner than later.  It's already been much longer to get it going than I hoped.  But I'm sure the Lord has a reason for the wait.  He's blessed me with this anxiety to action... but I MUST remember to wait for His timing in ALL things!  ^-^

Tuesday, October 11, 2011:  I'm thankful for the exercise time with Susan Powter first thing in the morning.  I'm grateful for the visit from one of my Visiting Teachers.  It was really helpful and relieved me of some of the burden I'd felt on my heart.  She's definitely a wise woman and I'm grateful for her friendship!  I'm grateful for the really good behavior of my children as we went to the Library so I could Fax something to ICES, then to a friend's house to drop a few things and let her know I love her, then to the grocery store, then to another friend's house to drop something off and meet her in person.  My kiddos were just WONDERFUL!  And Jimmy didn't cry a bit until we were basically in our own neighborhood.  What a bunch of troopers!!!  ^_^

I'm grateful for the tremendous bag of persimmons my newest friend gave me when I went by to bring her a copy of the new Relief Society Manual.  I go to try to bless her life and she blesses mine way more!  I feel like this is a perfect example of God's Love and how He works....  What a GIFT!

Wednesday, October 12, 2011:  I'm thankful my Kat told me again today she had a wonderful birthday.  Had to be if she's still enjoying it a few days later!  What a gift!!!!

I'm grateful for the exercise time I was able to do with Denise Austin and a quick Yoga workout.  I'm grateful for Jessie's willing ness to support me in my practice of my religion and developing my relationship with Jesus Christ and God, the Father through temple attendance.  It was a LOVELY day!  It seems like most of the women with whom I've been becoming friends at the temple were ALL there this morning!  It's amazing how, even going only once a month, you can get to love people so much!  And what a gift to get so many hugs from such sweet and loving ladies!!  It was a joy!  I'm grateful for the quiet afternoon we enjoyed at home.  Got the kiddos to bed later than I would've liked (this keeps happening!), but all was well otherwise.  (I prefer an 8pm IN BED time, but it's been more like 830pm or so... so not ridiculous, but still.)

JUST IN CASE YOU WONDER

Things are not perfect and blissful all the time around here.  We have problems.  Lots of them.  And most of the time they come in groups!  Some of them are severe and cause, what I imagine to be, great ripples in "the force" because of the wrongness and pain resulting.

Because there is truth in the saying: What we Focus on reveals who we are... I'm trying to CHANGE my focus and have been, largely, successful!  ^_^

This special post each Thursday is one I have grown to LOVE and feel a need for... it helps me to see and focus on the good that there IS to be thankful for.  It is helping me to change... to make one LEAP at a time in the development I need to experience to become the woman the Lord would have me be.

I'm SO grateful to have SUCH an amazing sister who has started this whole thing!!!  Evelyn is truly gifted in MANY ways.  If you haven't read her thoughts at Educating Evelyn... I encourage you to do so!

I hope others may join in posting Thankful thoughts each Thursday and that this effort may grow into a movement so that others may experience the light, happiness, and even JOY that comes from feeling grateful consistently... and over time the feeling just seems to grow!  At least, this is my truth.  I pray it for you, should you choose to join in giving Thanks each Thursday!  :)