On Giving Thanks in the Lenten Season

For the last few years I have been a faithful reader of Ann at A Holy Experience, taking solace in her failures, triumphs, and attitude towards her walk with the Lord.

While I have never read her actual book One Thousand Gifts, I have read enough of her to understand her ideas and concept behind it. And because she is generous in creating her Joy Dare and challenge of finding the gifts of the every day, I am finally actually utilizing what she has offered.

Really it started as I prayed for a way to bring a change of thought and attitude to some of our "other children." All too often in this line of work--at least here in American it seems--a pervasive attitude of entitlement creeps into the thought patterns of these children. Ironically because there are so many incredibly generous people pouring into their lives, they begin to lose the sense of thankfulness and instead begin to expect the generosity.

In the last few weeks in particular, I really heard a negative spirit of "me" creeping into some voices in the cottage, and as we were moving into the Lent season, I felt God prompting me to put the challenge to them to start looking for all the things to be thankful for in their lives.

Loath to ask them to do something I do not do myself, I will be posting my own Thanksgivings. Probably in chunks because while searching them out in my life is not so hard, sitting down and stealing enough time every day to write about them doesn't always happen (enter realism).

Daybook - March 8, 2014

Outside my window...the weather has been its usual crazy self this week. We went from 60s and 70s to rainy and slight ice of the 30s/40s, and back up to nearly 70 today with blazing sunshine. I have an atmospheric headache.

I am thinking..of turning 33 this year. And other slight depressed thoughts.

I am thankful for...lemon meringue pie for my birthday. Even if I did have to make it myself.

From the learning rooms...[or in our case--the learning brain]...
Baby Q is finally using sign language. More and Food and an argument could be made for diaper, but we'll see. He's also been making a distinct effort at stating "thank you."

Blueberry and I have been making a concerted effort at learning a bunch of nursery rhymes. Nana gave her a fantastic sticker/activity book with beautiful illustrations quite awhile ago. We've been deliberately working through the book, one page at a time, learning the rhymes as we go along. Many of them are ones we've sung before, but there's been quite a few in there that were new to her and even a few I've had to look up to remember how they go!

From the kitchen...came Blueberry Cinnamon French Toast. This is a variation of my mother's recipe, Apple Cinnamon French Toast--which is a great favorite of the cottage girls. My rather brilliant husband brought home blueberry's the other day and suggested I make a blueberry version of it (was already going to make the apple version for the girl's). Um, amazing. Need to try it with strawberries sometimes because I think that'll be even better.

I am creating...plans for some intentional learning on my Blueberry's part. After some thinking and reading and idea seeking, I've finally settled on starting to do something called Before Five in a Row. Essentially it's a program in which you read through a book five times, combined with activities to enhance learning etc.

Why am I doing this? Well, a large part of it is that, as we already plan on homeschooling our children, I want to start intentionally building into our schedule and lives "schooling" time while it isn't as important. Get into the habit now, so that it is easier later kind of idea. That and it gives me some focused time with our kid(s). Any ways, more about this at a later point, but I'm excited to get into this in the near future.

I am going...to the consignment store sometime in the next few weeks.

In my mailbox today.. .I have absolutely no idea because we failed to pick up the post on Friday and now I have to wait until Monday. Sigh. I should have a few packages though!

I am reading.. .Ender's Game. Because I went to go see the new movie a few months ago, and it had been so long since I read the book, that it's been bugging me ever since. So reading i am.

I am hoping...that this stomach ache/body ache will stop soon. Tried out a new restaurant this week with a supposed GF menu. But as I've been sick feeling ever since, not as GF as I was hoping. Sigh.

I am hearing...the delightful tunes of Pentatonix. My birthday present from my husband because I truly love their sound.

Around the house...I did a bit of rearranging while we were off. Contents of one cupboard got shifted to another place and those contents got shifted to a third place while the contents of the third place went to the first place kind of business. We'll see if it was worth it in the end. 900 square feet is surprisingly tricky to organize!

One of my favorite things...Lemon Meringue pie. Don't even need the pie crust. Just the custard and the meringue will do it.

A few plans for the rest of the week: Go to Hobby Lobby. Finish the craft/toy room we're working on for the cottage. Deep clean my carpet.

Here is picture (or more) for thought I am sharing...

Baby Q eyeing his big sister to see what he should be doing next. Because he adores her. For more adorable pictures, see my other blogs: Blueberry Bits, All in the Z, and My Life in Scraps

Want to join in? Go check out The Simple Woman's Daybook.

On Turning 33

I turned 33 this week.

It's funny, birthdays never really emotionally bother me a whole lot. Turning 21--fun but no huge deal. Turning 30, I barely noticed. It's amusing to laugh about it, but really, they never impact me much. But for some reason, turning 33 this year has been a little rough on me.

Why is this, I wonder? Is it just the thought that I'm realistically moving into my mid-30s? Or is there some biological/emotional point people hit at this age?

I'm in a good place in my life, or so I feel. I mean, there are always areas that I'm striving to change and improve upon. But realistically, I have a loving husband, two beautiful, healthy children, a house full of other children to care for as well, stable work, food, shelter, a loving family, and experiences in my life that I know are more than some people have in their whole lifetimes.

I have everything to be grateful for. Little to complain about. 

And yet I feel this deep sadness this week for my birthday this year.

I turn to the Scriptures, as ever, for my comfort. And on a whim, I turned to the Psalms of the 3s. What I found was a good reminder of what to turn to:

Psalm 33:3
"Sing to him a new song; play skillfully, and shout for joy."

Psalm 3:33
"But you, Lord, are a shield around me, my glory, the One who lifts my head high."

And so I start my 33rd year seeking to give thanks to the Lord and to rest in the security of the Lord as my shield and the up-lifter of my life.