The past month has been very, very crazy at work and I see no end in sight. It is a stressful time, but I am coping okay...some days more than others, admittedly, but overall I am doing fine. But everyone needs a break! Today I took a day to rest, breathe, and enjoy some relaxation. I am treating myself to a massage, some retail therapy, and a flexible schedule. I am so thankful for this time to chill out!
It is so easy to focus on the crazy world around us: the pressure to succeed, the endless desire for more, more, more stuff. On days like today, it is so healing for me to take a moment to look inside my life, look up to God, and really think about what is truly important. At the end of it all, I think that God will care much more about my attitude while facing a long to-do list rather than if my list was completed.
It is very hard to keep a cool head under pressure. I have always had some trouble with that. I hope that I can get better at coping and overcoming challenges...maybe that is why I always seem to have one in my life. Practice makes perfect.
Friday, March 16, 2012
Monday, March 12, 2012
Today's Bliss: Forgiveness
My blog today is a confession. Remember back on Ash Wednesday when I was so excited to start my Lent calendar? Yeah, well, I am not following it at all! As you can imagine, I have a long list of excuses for not sticking to my calendar plan, but none of them truly excuse me. I am definitely not proud of my effort.
Forgiveness is a huge, wonderful part of my relationship with God, my relationship with my family and coworkers, my relationship with friends. I am so, so far from perfection, as we all are, that I am in need of forgiveness every day! I am slowly learning that being hard on myself and beating myself up for not doing something (or for doing something I shouldn't) is a waste of time. Things happen...all we can do is ask for forgiveness, forgive ourselves, and try to do better the next time. After all, we are all human and we all have to be forgiven sometimes, right?
I praise God for His blessing of forgiveness. Praise to Jesus for dying for me so that I can live a redeemed life, whether I deserve it or not. That is a deep blessing that I will probably never really grasp. Knowing about Divine mysteries like this is why I count my life as blissful.
And, who knows...maybe I'll stick to my Lent calendar tomorrow? :-/
Forgiveness is a huge, wonderful part of my relationship with God, my relationship with my family and coworkers, my relationship with friends. I am so, so far from perfection, as we all are, that I am in need of forgiveness every day! I am slowly learning that being hard on myself and beating myself up for not doing something (or for doing something I shouldn't) is a waste of time. Things happen...all we can do is ask for forgiveness, forgive ourselves, and try to do better the next time. After all, we are all human and we all have to be forgiven sometimes, right?
I praise God for His blessing of forgiveness. Praise to Jesus for dying for me so that I can live a redeemed life, whether I deserve it or not. That is a deep blessing that I will probably never really grasp. Knowing about Divine mysteries like this is why I count my life as blissful.
And, who knows...maybe I'll stick to my Lent calendar tomorrow? :-/
Saturday, March 10, 2012
Today's Bliss: Wandering
N and I did not have anything on our calendar today so we wandered around. We took a walk, went to see a dog show, went shopping, ate a nice lunch, saw friends, shopped some more, ate gelato, bought groceries...we really enjoyed our sunshiny, laid-back day!
I know you look at the above list and say: "dog show?" It was actually a really neat part of our day today. We saw hundreds of dogs; just about every breed was represented. We toured grooming areas and watched several breeds as they were circling their judge in a ring. There were even kids and teenagers doing some of the showing. Very impressive! (And free!) If you have not been to a dog show before and you love the little K9s, you should definitely check one out sometime.
Experiencing something new with someone you love is always fun. Being with them to share joy and a sense of adventure is a great bonding time. I am so grateful for N and his spirit of adventure - he is always ready to try something new.
I hope you have the chance to break out of your routine and wander around your city. You will probably discover something great that you didn't know was even there. That is bliss!
I know you look at the above list and say: "dog show?" It was actually a really neat part of our day today. We saw hundreds of dogs; just about every breed was represented. We toured grooming areas and watched several breeds as they were circling their judge in a ring. There were even kids and teenagers doing some of the showing. Very impressive! (And free!) If you have not been to a dog show before and you love the little K9s, you should definitely check one out sometime.
Experiencing something new with someone you love is always fun. Being with them to share joy and a sense of adventure is a great bonding time. I am so grateful for N and his spirit of adventure - he is always ready to try something new.
I hope you have the chance to break out of your routine and wander around your city. You will probably discover something great that you didn't know was even there. That is bliss!
Saturday, March 3, 2012
Today's Bliss: Peace
Yesterday, storms swept through the eastern half of the nation. Many people were injured, killed, and displaced. Today, the sun is shining, birds are chirping, and there is a peace out in nature. N and I have been very blessed to avoid direct impact of strong storms, tornadoes, flooding, and other natural disasters. As I think back to all of the weather-related disasters that I have witnessed in my lifetime, whether on television or in person, I realize how many disasters have not hit me or my family. Praise God for his goodness and protective angels around us.
Peace is something that I yearn for in the midst of a busy day, in the midst of a chaotic schedule, in the midst of conflicts, in the midst of literal or metaphorical storms. This makes me so, so thankful for a quiet evening spent with my family, a Saturday that has unscheduled hours to watch Downton Abbey and read a book on my Kindle, a Sunday afternoon when I can play a game of Sorry with my husband (even though he beats me 99% of the time). :-)
Praise be to God for his faithfulness and his patience. Praise him for peace, love, and mercy. Praise him for the bliss that we can all have if we just bow our heads, ask for forgiveness, and focus on living the way He wants us to live.
Peace is something that I yearn for in the midst of a busy day, in the midst of a chaotic schedule, in the midst of conflicts, in the midst of literal or metaphorical storms. This makes me so, so thankful for a quiet evening spent with my family, a Saturday that has unscheduled hours to watch Downton Abbey and read a book on my Kindle, a Sunday afternoon when I can play a game of Sorry with my husband (even though he beats me 99% of the time). :-)
Praise be to God for his faithfulness and his patience. Praise him for peace, love, and mercy. Praise him for the bliss that we can all have if we just bow our heads, ask for forgiveness, and focus on living the way He wants us to live.
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