happily random

Thankfulness

Being Thanksgiving Day, thankfulness for life's blessings are the first thing to come to mind. I take that back... really, the first thing that comes to mind is the upcoming feast of the day as the wonderful aromas of turkey and stuffing fill the house -- be honest! -- then right after that, all of life's blessings.

I must admit, I have all too easily lost sight of my blessings this past year. I know we are not the only ones to have struggled financially over the last few years with our floundering economy making owning our own business a daily challenge. Pile on the mortgage, bills and just keeping four children fed and clothed, it's been rough.

That said, we have so much to be thankful for. Most importantly, we have each other. I am married to a strong, hard-working, man after God's own heart. I thank God every moment of every day for delivering him into my life. I am the mother of four incredible, bright, sweet, thoughtful children. Each day they bring me joy and I am so proud to be their mother. I have a bounty of friendships that fill my life with laughter, support, fun and companionship. Of all the things to be thankful for in life, aren't these truly the most wonderful of blessings?

Oh, I am very happy to have a roof over my head, a vehicle to get me from here to there, and lots of technical gadgets -- TV, computer, iPhone -- to keep me entertained. Oh yes, I am very thankful for my iPhone. While it's all too easy to only see what I lack right now, I should instead see how God has continually provided for us, over and over and over again. More than provided, but richly blessed our lives. Today I put away my worries about how we don't have money for this and that, but instead trust that God will be faithful each day, just like he has always been.

"And my God will meet all your needs according to his glorious riches in Christ Jesus." Philippians 4:19

He has. He does. He will. I am so richly blessed.

What Do I Want To Be When I Grow Up?

In my head, I'm still a 17-year-old gal with wishes and dreams of things she'd like to be. My reality is somewhat shocking then when I look in the mirror to see someone 21 years older with a husband, four kids and a lot of responsibilty. Now that the kids are all in school though and I find myself with a little more time, I find myself taking another look at those dreams, thinking that maybe it's not too late for some of them.

I love to sing. I have loved to sing in front of people since I've had memories. I remember singing in front of my grandparents church when I was four years old. I love it so much that it's what I chose to study in college. I still love it now. I currently sing as a part of my church's worship team a couple times a month, but I would love to do more.

I love to create. On the computer, on paper, it doesn't matter. I enjoy making pretty things. I've worked as a graphic designer in the past and still share my abilities now and then. Scrapbooking has been a great outlet for that, although I enjoy all kinds of things that utilize that skill. Photography falls into that catagory as well, as I like to capture beautiful moments on film.

I love to read and write. I devour fiction books and would love to write and publish something that makes other people feel the way I do when I read a good book. I love emersing myself in other worlds, in other lives and in other possibilities.

I love being a wife and mom. With all those things that I enjoy doing, being there for my family has to take the first priority. Feeling out how to persue the things I would like to do with my life while still being a the best wife and mother I can be is a definitely a balancing act.

I'm sure I'm not alone in this aimlessness. Whether it comes as your children all head off to school or head out on their own, I think as a mother there is a bit of finding yourself again with every milestone. So the question I'm asking myself is, "What do I want to be now that I'm grown up?"

My Husband's First Published Book: Dead Men's Struggles

It's been too long in coming, but I'm happy to finally be able to announce that my husband, Joel, has published his first book, Dead Men's Struggles: Being a Man of God in a Fallen World. It's a book for any Christian man who knows that God has saved him from his sins but still struggles to be the Godly man that he should. Not only is it full of sound wisdom, but I also found it funny, entertaining reading as well (this coming from a woman who hates to read non-fiction). Joel is a talented writer and I have always enjoyed reading his works, but it's especially exciting to finally being able to see it in book form. I'm sure this is just the first of many to come, and I'm not just saying that because I'm his wife. If you would like a copy for you and or a special man in your life, you can now order it from Amazon on the left. Oh, and those of my female readers, I found it gave excellent insight into the mind of man.

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