Don't ask if that's a work, because the answer's yes. It is now.
Guess what.
I DID IT!!! I met my own gratitude challenge! I challenged myself to find 10 things every day that I was grateful for, and I made it. I missed a few days, but I've made them all up! I finished the race! Just a note: it's not too late for you fellow bloggers to join...you can do this too!
And now for my final list.
*An easy test. It was a career, vocation, aptitude testy thingy. I didn't want to take it, but I am glad for two things. 1) it was easy. 2) it doesn't matter. The scores won't count for anything, so no biggy.
*Spaghetti with no sauce, just tons of Parmesan cheese.
*Playing Baloney with my sisters, brother and friend.
*Winning Baloney.
*Being cold. Makes you appreciate the warmth more.
*Hot chocolate. It took a bit of improvisation, but it was good!
*Puppies. The same puppies that I blogged about a week or so ago are now over a week old, and I haven't had to stay up one night with them!
*Watching funny videos on youtube.
*Enjoying the whole afternoon with my bestie (blog) who's finally back from the Land of Scarce Internet.
*Flying kites.
*Getting references sent in for college applications.
*Being accepted to the first school! At least, it is to be hoped it is the first. It's not the school I think I want to go to, so hopefully it's not the only school I'm accepted to...
*Seeing a new blog, designed by a good friend of mine. I respect her, and I wish her well in her sojourning!
*Relaxing in a cozy room in front of a cheerfully comforting fire. And feeling like going to sleep.
Wednesday
Gratitude Challenge: Day 20
I am nearly wordless with gratitude right now. Today was vastly blessed.
*There were 49 pageviews. It may be vain to count them and to rejoice over them, but it's an all time high and I'm feeling celebratory!
*I got a complement. Somebody liked my humor. It is always so encouraging to receive a simple, spontaneous complement. Thank you, um...Complementer! You are appreciated.
*I saw my senior pictures! Gah! I have a wonderful photographer. She managed to make me look good, I think! Some of you commented on my photos - Thanks! My daddy was greatly encouraging and loving. These next sentences are exact quotes. "You sure look beautiful. But then, you always look beautiful." "You just can't take a bad picture." Daddy, I love you so, so much. It's not even funny. *Giggle* (I'll choke up about this later.)
*Seeing my precious 3-5th graders in AWANA. Those girls are wonderful. Eating ice-cream with them is about tops. Except, of course, seeing them learn about Christ and grasp His truth.
*Getting to go to a free, choir concert. It's coming up on Saturday. Been a while since I've been on the audience side of a choir concert. :D
*Mailing in my...second?...college application. Only three to go!
*Finishing a reading assignment and some writing requirements.
*Petting my dog.
*Making $33. Always a good feelin'.
*Having the courage to talk in youth group tonight. I asked our leader/coordinater if I could have a minute to challenge everyone to do the Operation Christmas Child boxes - she said yes - and I just spoke about how easy it was and how I wanted our youth group to step up and fill the boxes we had on hand.
Only one day left of my Gratitude Challenge. It's not too late to join, if you were wondering, friends. Don't be shy! Leave a comment if you can and share something you've been grateful for lately.
*There were 49 pageviews. It may be vain to count them and to rejoice over them, but it's an all time high and I'm feeling celebratory!
*I got a complement. Somebody liked my humor. It is always so encouraging to receive a simple, spontaneous complement. Thank you, um...Complementer! You are appreciated.
*I saw my senior pictures! Gah! I have a wonderful photographer. She managed to make me look good, I think! Some of you commented on my photos - Thanks! My daddy was greatly encouraging and loving. These next sentences are exact quotes. "You sure look beautiful. But then, you always look beautiful." "You just can't take a bad picture." Daddy, I love you so, so much. It's not even funny. *Giggle* (I'll choke up about this later.)
*Seeing my precious 3-5th graders in AWANA. Those girls are wonderful. Eating ice-cream with them is about tops. Except, of course, seeing them learn about Christ and grasp His truth.
*Getting to go to a free, choir concert. It's coming up on Saturday. Been a while since I've been on the audience side of a choir concert. :D
*Mailing in my...second?...college application. Only three to go!
*Finishing a reading assignment and some writing requirements.
*Petting my dog.
*Making $33. Always a good feelin'.
*Having the courage to talk in youth group tonight. I asked our leader/coordinater if I could have a minute to challenge everyone to do the Operation Christmas Child boxes - she said yes - and I just spoke about how easy it was and how I wanted our youth group to step up and fill the boxes we had on hand.
Only one day left of my Gratitude Challenge. It's not too late to join, if you were wondering, friends. Don't be shy! Leave a comment if you can and share something you've been grateful for lately.
Tuesday
Sweet Surrender
I prayed today. I needed to. I am stuck in the throws of applying to colleges and it's beginning to rattle me a little. I don't know for sure where I want to go to school, how I'm going to pay for it, where I'm going to stay, what my major will be, or how I'm going to handle leaving home.
My biggest...for lack of a better word - issue...is all of it. In a nutshell, I am worried, because I want to love my major, I want as little debt as possible, I don't want to break my heart and leave all my friends, and I long to glorify God. This is what I prayed.
"God, thank you for my future. Thank you for the time I have now, and for the time I will have later. You have given me college life so that I may glorify you. God, you have given me a mind, finances, time, a life, so that I may glorify you. I thank you that you know my life, that you have a plan to use my life for your glory. God, let me give it all to you. It is only what you have given me first, but I want to give you my time, my money, my mind, and my life; let them serve your purpose.
Take all that I have and use it, Father."
It was such a relief to let go and let my Father remind me that he has it all under control. He has a plan for my life, all I need to do is trust him and follow his Spirit.
Can I get an amen?
My biggest...for lack of a better word - issue...is all of it. In a nutshell, I am worried, because I want to love my major, I want as little debt as possible, I don't want to break my heart and leave all my friends, and I long to glorify God. This is what I prayed.
"God, thank you for my future. Thank you for the time I have now, and for the time I will have later. You have given me college life so that I may glorify you. God, you have given me a mind, finances, time, a life, so that I may glorify you. I thank you that you know my life, that you have a plan to use my life for your glory. God, let me give it all to you. It is only what you have given me first, but I want to give you my time, my money, my mind, and my life; let them serve your purpose.
Take all that I have and use it, Father."
It was such a relief to let go and let my Father remind me that he has it all under control. He has a plan for my life, all I need to do is trust him and follow his Spirit.
Can I get an amen?
Gratitude Challenge: Day 19
Today was good. Really good. I think I still have permafrost in my backside from the bleachers at the football game though. :-\
*Hearing about renowned "DNA" bobby pins. They are reputed to equal roughly 80 regular pins, which is wonderful given my thick hair.
*Eating chili with crackers for lunch. And enjoying my sister's company simultaneous.
*My sister will be in advanced skating with my other sister! She just got an email saying they think she's good enough to skip the last to basic levels and move up to advanced! Woot! Go Little Sister!
*Finishing several assignments.
*Playing Music Box Dancer - again and again and again.
*Trying to overcome writers block.
*Looking at other people's blogs.
*When really amazing gentlemen bring silly girls coats at football games because the silly girls were to silly to bring their own. (Erm...Ahem. Thank you Sir!)
*Knowing that somebody prays for you.
*Having quiet time to just talk to God.
*Hearing about renowned "DNA" bobby pins. They are reputed to equal roughly 80 regular pins, which is wonderful given my thick hair.
*Eating chili with crackers for lunch. And enjoying my sister's company simultaneous.
*My sister will be in advanced skating with my other sister! She just got an email saying they think she's good enough to skip the last to basic levels and move up to advanced! Woot! Go Little Sister!
*Finishing several assignments.
*Playing Music Box Dancer - again and again and again.
*Trying to overcome writers block.
*Looking at other people's blogs.
*When really amazing gentlemen bring silly girls coats at football games because the silly girls were to silly to bring their own. (Erm...Ahem. Thank you Sir!)
*Knowing that somebody prays for you.
*Having quiet time to just talk to God.
Monday
Gratitude Challenge: Day 18
Oh dear. I only have three days left and I shall be done. What shall I blog about then?! P'raps I can find something. I'll be starting a creative writing class (as a student) next semester. That may provide some amusement for ya'll.
Oh right. I'm blogging about today. Right-o.
*Chile. It's the soup kind.
*Watching my sisters ice-skate. They are so graceful! Way to go girls!
*Being told "Come back!" because somebody is excited to see me, rather than being in trouble. (Not like I'm in trouble a lot, you know, but it's just nice.)
*Random crazy people who hide behind banana stands in grocery stores because they are weird like me.
*Hanging with friends.
*Watching puppies sleep.
*Watching a volleyball game. Parts of it were really intense - the ball went back and forth so quickly and the teams played so flawlessly sometimes!
*Tapping the glass screen of my old computer monitor..."Tic tic tic tic tic tic...tic tic. 7 down, three to go!" I'm easily amused.
*Singing about wanting things in Choir. The song was Wanna Baraka. It's beautiful, and you need to come to our choir concert. Period. (Ahem. This only pertains to some of you. You know who you are.)
*Goofing off.
*And going to bed.
Oh right. I'm blogging about today. Right-o.
*Chile. It's the soup kind.
*Watching my sisters ice-skate. They are so graceful! Way to go girls!
*Being told "Come back!" because somebody is excited to see me, rather than being in trouble. (Not like I'm in trouble a lot, you know, but it's just nice.)
*Random crazy people who hide behind banana stands in grocery stores because they are weird like me.
*Hanging with friends.
*Watching puppies sleep.
*Watching a volleyball game. Parts of it were really intense - the ball went back and forth so quickly and the teams played so flawlessly sometimes!
*Tapping the glass screen of my old computer monitor..."Tic tic tic tic tic tic...tic tic. 7 down, three to go!" I'm easily amused.
*Singing about wanting things in Choir. The song was Wanna Baraka. It's beautiful, and you need to come to our choir concert. Period. (Ahem. This only pertains to some of you. You know who you are.)
*Goofing off.
*And going to bed.
Sunday
Gratitude Challenge: Day Next.
A.K.A. I can't remember which day I'm on and I don't really feel like checking.
It's late, so ya'll just get the basics.
*Frolfing. (Is that how you spell it?)
*Getting some time with my wonderful Heavenly Father during church today.
*Eating chocolate ice cream.
*Squishing five teens (arrrgh, fine. 4 teens and one 20-year-old) into a tiny Chevvy Cavalier. It. Was. Squished. A little.
*Listening to Owl City while cleaning my room.
*Enjoying my room after cleaning and vacuuming all the flies out.
*Standing on the brick ring around a bonfire late at night with my friends.
*Eating (most of) the most ginormous burrito I've ever had in my life! I saved half of it for tomorrow.
*Looking at the stars.
*Seeing one of the proofs for my senior pics.
*Sleep.
G'night!
It's late, so ya'll just get the basics.
*Frolfing. (Is that how you spell it?)
*Getting some time with my wonderful Heavenly Father during church today.
*Eating chocolate ice cream.
*Squishing five teens (arrrgh, fine. 4 teens and one 20-year-old) into a tiny Chevvy Cavalier. It. Was. Squished. A little.
*Listening to Owl City while cleaning my room.
*Enjoying my room after cleaning and vacuuming all the flies out.
*Standing on the brick ring around a bonfire late at night with my friends.
*Eating (most of) the most ginormous burrito I've ever had in my life! I saved half of it for tomorrow.
*Looking at the stars.
*Seeing one of the proofs for my senior pics.
*Sleep.
G'night!
Friday
Gratitude Challenge: Day 16
I knew it was going to happen.
Today was a challenge. I'm feeling a bit discouraged right now. *Sigh* Literally. And I can't think of any reason to be discouraged either. That's the worst part. Agreed? But I am still grateful for some of the things that happened today.
*I wrote an essay and turned it in - within an hour. That is always a good feeling.
*I got some time with Mom.
*My cleaning job went quickly.
*It wasn't cold outside.
*The puppies are beautiful and I haven't had to bottle feed them yet.
*Mom and I laughed hysterically about Hoover. Story: One gloomy midnight last winter, Older Brother and Younger Sister got up to bottle feed puppies. One puppy gulped so much milk that he was 3 OUNCES heaver after the feeding than before! The poor pup was so chubby and full we thought he just might burst, so we didn't dare put him back on the heating pad. We left him on the cement floor for a few minutes to help him in his agony. Mom and I were weighing pups tonight and one of them gained a whole 2.3 ounces, which reminded us of the story from last year. It felt good to laugh so hard again!
*I played a game of Blockus with my sisters and mother.
*I can play Away in a Manger on the hammer dulcimer.
*I only need to think of one more thing.
*Tonight is family night.
Today was a challenge. I'm feeling a bit discouraged right now. *Sigh* Literally. And I can't think of any reason to be discouraged either. That's the worst part. Agreed? But I am still grateful for some of the things that happened today.
*I wrote an essay and turned it in - within an hour. That is always a good feeling.
*I got some time with Mom.
*My cleaning job went quickly.
*It wasn't cold outside.
*The puppies are beautiful and I haven't had to bottle feed them yet.
*Mom and I laughed hysterically about Hoover. Story: One gloomy midnight last winter, Older Brother and Younger Sister got up to bottle feed puppies. One puppy gulped so much milk that he was 3 OUNCES heaver after the feeding than before! The poor pup was so chubby and full we thought he just might burst, so we didn't dare put him back on the heating pad. We left him on the cement floor for a few minutes to help him in his agony. Mom and I were weighing pups tonight and one of them gained a whole 2.3 ounces, which reminded us of the story from last year. It felt good to laugh so hard again!
*I played a game of Blockus with my sisters and mother.
*I can play Away in a Manger on the hammer dulcimer.
*I only need to think of one more thing.
*Tonight is family night.
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