Count Your Blessings

Are you ever burdened with a load of care?
Does the cross seem heavy you are called to bear?
Count your many blessings, every doubt will fly,
And you will keep singing as the days go by.

Count your blessings, name them one by one,
Count your blessings, see what God hath done!
Count your blessings, name them one by one,
Count your many blessings, see what God hath done!

"Count Your Blessings" by Johnson Oatman

1. Relationship with the Lord
2. My wonderful husband
3. Andy
4. Ava
5. Christian parents who raised me in a godly family
6. 3 beautiful sisters
7. Church family
8. My home
9. Health in my family
10. Teaching Sunday school
11. The ability to play the piano
12. A voice to sing
13. Laughter
14. Food to cook
15. Clothes to wash
16. A bed to make
17. Toys to pick up
18. Diapers to put on my babies
19. Andy's kisses
20. Ava's toothless smiles
21. Naps
22. Conversations with Brandon
23. Quietness
24. Chocolate
25. Long, hot showers

I could go on and on. I needed to put this day in perspective.

Off Days

Do you ever have days that just seem to be "off"? Today is already one of those days for me. I have a ton to do today! (And yet here I am.) I was making my grocery list and planning my menu for the week this morning when my baby boy decided he wanted to use the potty. He doesn't do that much! So, I took him. After that was unsuccessful, we went to his room to get him dressed. He got dressed, and we turned on his Bible story songs CD. He wanted to get in his bed. He got in and laid down. I told him I was going to go work on the grocery list and asked if he wanted to go with me or stay in his room. He said he wanted to stay. I left and went to finish the list. A few minutes later I noticed he was being really quiet (had the baby monitor on). I went back to his room, and he was laying in the bed asleep! Before 11:00 this morning! I couldn't believe it. Naptime here is 1:00 pm. So, needless to say, we're a little "off" today! My whole day seems weird now. I'm a little hooked into a schedule when it comes to my babies' routines. We'll see how the rest of the day goes.

Being Still

Never in my life have I valued quietness like I do now. By nature, I'm an extrovert. I thrive on being around other people. Yet now that I'm a mother I cherish quiet, still moments. I love my family. I love the sound of Andy galloping down the hallway. I love the sound of his laugh when his daddy tackles him and tickles him. I love the sound of him singing "Jesus Loves Me." I love to hear my sweet Ava "talking" to me with her coos and sighs. But, I also love the still moments when they are tucked in bed and I'm alone. It's really the first time in my life that I've craved time alone. Psalm 46:10 says, "Be still and know that I am God." Way too many times I've just been still. Period. The other day the Lord reminded me during one of my precious quiet moments that there is a second part to that verse: "Know that I am God." I pray that the Lord would continue to remind me of that until I get it. I pray that I would use my quiet moments wisely to remember that He is God, and He deserves my complete devotion in the quiet moments as well as the chaotic ones.

Grocery Day!

So, today was supposed to be grocery day. We're out of just about everything. But instead I took Andy and Ava and went to my Memaw and Papaw's house. We spent the day there with my sister and her husband and little girl. Andy had so much fun outside playing on the swing set. It finally feels nice enough to be outside! Now I'm back home and we're going to have to ration milk for breakfast in the morning. I've been working on my list all night. I thought I had it finished last night, but I discovered more deals and coupons so I've tweaked it. We'll see how successful I am tomorrow. I love to find a good deal! I'm a little obsessed with coupons. I go through phases. I haven't done it for a while (had my hands full being pregnant and having an infant!), but I'm gradually easing back into it. I found some good deals at www.coupons.com and www2.kelloggs.com. Kroger also has coupons to download to your Kroger card at www.kroger.com. Maybe these will help you in your grocery endeavors this week!
P.S. Kroger doesn't double coupons that are downloaded onto your card.

Starting Over

It seems that I'm about as consistent with this online journal as I am with a real one. Recently, Brandon and I cleaned out our "junk" room to make room for our sweet baby girl. As I went through things I found at least five incomplete journals. Never in my life have I filled one. Each of them had a few entries and would then trail off into nowhere. I seem to have been equally successful blogging. However, I've decided to start fresh! I want to somehow log my journey as a woman in training--training to be the Godly wife and mother I've been called to be. So, I know it will be encouraging to me just to write. Hopefully, it will be encouraging for you to read.