A former therapist caught me every time I used the word, “try” in our sessions. By her measure, I wasn’t allowed to say “try”, “can’t”, “why”, or “fair”. While this was a healthy practice to some degree, and it helped me become more aware of my defeatist vocabulary, I came to my own conclusion that these words are neither bad nor should they be forbidden. They are honest words that represent honest feelings.
Today is my 51st birthday. Happy? Some of it has been. It’s been a weird one. A reflective one. And even a bit of a sad one. 51 greets me with a measure of pain and an unknown future like I never could have imagined. But it also ushers in great joy from the good parts.
“Nous prenons le mal pour le bien.” or “We take the bad for the good.” I learned that in Paris earlier this year and I’ve taken it to heart. The bad things that come can be overpowered by the good in my life. Honestly, some of that is the power of positive thinking but mostly, I really do believe it to be true.
There is so much wonder in our world. We just need to open the eyes of our hearts to see it.
I’ve experienced so many amazing wonders in my almost 50 years of life. Wonders right in my backyard and around the globe that I could never have dreamed of. I often think of what undiscovered wonders await me.
Most of us love a good birth story, especially those who have given birth. We moms could go on and on and on and on about our pregnancies and labor and delivery stories. Today is our son’s 23rd birthday. His birth story is one of top three favorites. (I have three kids.) His birth story was quite eventful and unique – as they all are. I’d like to tell you about it and I’m also going to include a few of my favorite birth stories from the Bible. Join me as I link up with Mrs. Disciple and other bloggers who are recounting their favorite bible stories.
I’m at a retreat this weekend so this one will be short but still very much worth sharing. When I typed the date in the title, I automatically typed the year that our youngest daughter was born because TODAY IS HER BIRTHDAY!
You’re going to love this one! I sure do. The wisdom I have acquired in my almost 50 years has nothing on the wisdom my friend, Jessica VanSumeren, has on her 29th. Please help me welcome Jessica to EPFH as our guest poster today. Today is her actual birthday! I’d love nothing more than to see an overflow of love for her on her birthday and gratitude for her sharing the things she learned with us over her 29 years of life. Please share your love and thoughts in the comments. Jessica, aka Mama Bear, writes great stuff over at The Mama Revival Series. Go take a look! After you read this, of course. Happy birthday to you, Jessica!!
This quote is written on the front of the journal from which this entry comes. Six days before my 44th birthday and I am asking myself just what is the life I imagine? Do I even imagine? I’m sure I do! There are times when I feel great discontentment and times when I’m filled with tremendous gratitude.
From my almost 44 years, what I know is this:
1. Investing emotionally in people is exhausting but it brings richness into my life.
2. Very few people reach out to me as far as initiating or maintain relationship, however, the few that do I treasure deeply and I feel it is of great importance to me to continue to reach out even if there is not reaching back. I’ll do this for a long time because I actually do care but then I will stop because apparently they really don’t.
3. The time I have spent investing in my children has been so precious and I wouldn’t change it, not even the hard times as they have lead to growth.
4. I am a people pleaser but have found great freedom in acting from my heart motives and then not taking personally or caring if they choose to act in a negative way. That’s their problem.
5. I have little tolerance for negativity if your glass is always empty you need to fill it up and quit dumping it out on everyone, no one and nothing is perfect, get over it.
6. The grass can be greener on the other side of the fence, but the green in my grass is mine to nurture, appreciate, and share.
7. Share! I love to share…. myself, my time, my knowledge, and my possessions.
8. I really like it when you share with me.
9. Flawed~ That’s how I describe myself, flawed.
10. There is no shame in being flawed the shame is in trying to cover it up.
11. My relationship with Jesus is the most important thing in my life, it becomes more so every day.
12. I desire to be disciplined and consistent.
13. I love new ideas, things, projects.
14. The road to simplicity is long, slow and hard for me because I love new.
15. I tend to be able to read people well
16. I tend to be judgmental because I read people.
17. I self-protect and eventually will put up a wall that you will not get through
18. Taking time for myself is hard, I would much rather be serving you.
19. I know that in order to stay healthy I must have alone time.
20. I have the most amazing husband! Go ahead and be jealous.
21. Knowing, understanding and talking about ideas is much easier than applying them.
22. Babies are fascinating.
23. I can not spell and I’m terrible at grammar, but I love to write.
24. I’m drawn to a well made, cute pair of shoes and have a few too many in my closet.
25. I like things to be clean and organized, but my drawers, pantry, closets and fridge are messy.
26. I wonder what that says about me.
27. Home schooling my boys has been a joy and privilege I will treasure forever.
28. Kids can be trained and molded to a certain point then it’s best to allow them to be who they are.
29. There is no box that fits me, I refuse to get in.
30. I will vote based on my knowledge and how I feel. If you don’t like it then don’t vote that way.
31. Food! Food is very important to me, I love to prepare it and share it.
32. Good friends, family and conversation around a table of food is one of my favorite things.
33. A lot of people appear to be boring until you take the time to get to know them.
34. Most people ARE better than me. I love to be inspired by them.
35. Babies almost never sleep when you want them to.
36. Teenagers know everything so just ask them.
37. Kids have amazing ideas – take the time to listen.
38. Most of our problems are self-created. Making different decisions and changing self-talk is life changing.
39. Money DOES NOT buy happiness or contentment – that comes from within.
40. Everyone has an opinion I love to surround myself with differing opinions = self-growth.
41. The Bible is truth I stand on. If the idea or concept or opinion goes against Gods Word you have no chance of convincing me.
42. I am the biggest, ugliest sinner in the room, I do strive to be better.
43. A life focused on self is depressing.
44. As Thoreau says, living the life I’ve imagined can be good but only if my motives are pure.
Empty Plate . Full Heart 