A Late Thanksgiving Post #R2BC

I've wanted to write a blog post for a few days but it's been a weird week and I can't seem to get myself motivated. I keep procrastinating and doing other tasks but today is Thanksgiving in the USA and all week I've been bombarded with emails, devotionals and social media posts about the importance of gratitude and changing your attitude to being grateful for what you have.

I've loved seeing all these things as gratitude is a massive part of my life as a Christian. Most mornings I write a gratitude journal and give thanks for the things that are going well in my life. It's so important to adopt a positive approach to life and to acknowledge all the blessings you have, even when you're in your darkest moments. Sometimes it can be really tricky and you might be digging deep for even one reason to be thankful, but think on it hard enough and that reason will come. 

It was for this reason that back in 2011 I started the Reasons to be Cheerful linky and I still know many people who use this practice in their everyday life. Looking for the silver linings and the little moments of grace that you spot in the everyday. When you start to look for the good stuff, you'll find you spot it much more easily. It's like any habit, keep practising and it will become second nature. Of course, at times you'll get distracted and forget but thankfully I find that God prompts me to look once again for the good moments when I am drowning in my problems. 

October was an awfully hard month for me, I had parenting challenges that I never thought I'd have to face but I kept trying to dig deep and look for the blessings. They were there, some of them hiding behind black clouds and it took me days to write even one thing in my journal at times, but I'm coming through it, I look at November and there are days with a list of 20 reasons that I am feeling grateful. 

Summertime Reasons to be Cheerful #R2BC

Time just seems to have been escaping me recently. The easing of lockdown has meant that the centre where I live is slowly re-opening and this means I've been busy helping my husband get things ready and also doing the social media. Add that to my regular work, looking after the house and trying to keep the kids interested in their education and I've been a busy girl. Here is my home looking really beautiful as I drove back in at sunset the other day -

I've had some great walks out in our grounds with my kids over the last few months. Sunset is a popular time, once dinner and tidying up is done, we head off and wander. The girls go on the swing, they teach me tik tok dances and they laugh at me, it's bliss!

Another dose of Thankfulness

I feel like I have had the most amazing week. Some of that is because there have been some great times, but I think the rest is just that I am grateful for my life. I don't really share any of the tough times on here anymore, some of them are not just mine to share and others are just too private. As the children grow older and near adults, I can't share their stuff, it's not mine.

Does that mean I am not being authentic on my blog anymore? I do worry about that, but it is what it is. I can't and won't share parts of my life, they're private, but what I do still share is the overall feeling of my life and that is that I am grateful and so fortunate to have good people around me.

So no, I don't feel like I am faking it, or being overly positive as a mask for the less good things that happen, or the ongoing situations that make me sad.  I am sharing everything I feel I can share, those things that are mine alone. Maybe one day, when I write my book, I'll be able to share some of the others.

This week a few of the things that have made me really happy are attending a conference at my home this weekend and having a great session about serving in your community and not continually seeking the next move.