Life lessons from children!

Despite having one of those thumping headaches, you know, the sort that won't shift despite medicinal and therapeutic efforts.  Yet it's been a day of great joy.  My God daughter and her brothers are sleeping over and there has been raucous endless laughter.  In addition my younger son's good mate has joined us for dinner and spent the evening with us.  Watching them thoroughly enjoying each others company and finding laughter in just about everything is a source of great joy to me.

We can learn so much from these fine people called children and today (day 12) I am grateful to be a mother to three!

Blog your blessings!

The first week-end of the new year, what a blessing!  I so look forward to my Saturday morning lie-in with my daughter.  We snuggle and cuddle, rub noses and giggle.  It is priceless.  My boy also returns to uni this wk-end so although there will be tears when we drop him at the station I am so thankful for the month he has spent at home.  Although a fine young man of 19 he is still my baby boy.

My wk-end of excitement continued with an email from my friend, who despite being quite poorly recently, found so much to be thankful for, especially the gift of her friends and family at this time.  In addition she has decided to blog her daily blessings too.  I am sooooooooooo excited and thank God for her and pray a most speedy and full recovery for her.

Today (day 11) I am thankful for the blessing of my family and friends.

Lift your soul with some 'music'

I don't know if like me you love music.  Having just watched an audience with the lady herself, Diana Ross, I'm reminded of how good God's gifts are, especially the gift of singing / song writing.  My music taste is varied, the Bee Gees, Dolly Parton, Michael Jackson, Tina Turner, The Bay City Rollers (yes), Bob Marley, Ladysmith Black Mambazo Bruce Springsteen, Brian Adams, Phil Collin, UB40 and so many more!  Our home is always buzzing with some fine tunes and we can all often be found on you tube belting it out with one legend or the other.

Even before I take off my coat at school the first thing I do is to put a CD on.  This week it's Ladysmith and I always spend a few minutes giving the children a short biography about each artist.

Today (day 10) I am grateful for the amazing gift that is 'music', it's therapeutic, often healing but certainly uplifting power!

Give thanks

School prep done, check; kids ready, check.  So it should have been plain sailing.  Today was the first day of the new term and it was a pretty busy, full on day.  At the end of the day we were all exhausted and wondering if we had a break at all!  My car, also feeling the pain from this cold winter weather was now resting, not in its usual place on the drive, but where it had decided to sleep for a while!  My husband too had a somewhat fraught day at the office where nothing seemed to go the way he wanted........................

A documentary I later watched about a man who had lost his face to a life threatening tumour but had it restored by a doctor when others had said it was not possible made me thankful for our day, grateful that we had been given today (day 9) with all its frustrations and by His grace tomorrow as well.

What are you grateful for Today?

January!

You know what it's like after Christmas and the euphoria of a new year has quickly faded and January has arrived.  It's interesting to glimpse the faces that were once so full of cheer and warm greetings as they now scurry quickly past.  Perhaps it's the bitterness of the harsh winter weather that brings about this change of spirit.  Or is it that the cup of commercialism that over flows during this particular festive season now leaves only a bad taste in ones mouth and also pay day seems far far away.

I love January, the cold winter evenings provide an opportunity to cosy up with my daughter under the electric blanket reading her favourite books.  At school I look forward with great anticipation, to watching children spring to life in their learning.  Most of all I love it because it is my birthday month.

This January there is and extra special milestone to celebrate; my mother and father in-law will celebrate 50years of marital bliss and for that I am humbled, inspired and grateful (day 8).

Love (1)

Certain things in life warm your heart and lift your spirit; a special phone call for instance.  That's what I received today and it left me smiling and smiling.  Words of encouragement can go a long way, reminding someone of how much they are loved and how proud you are of them.  I had the oppotunity to do that today..............................................

Today (day7) Iam grateful for that special bond that ties us together in a way that cannot be broken.  That bond is ......................love.

I am blessed!

I can't think of a better way to start the year than to be surrounded by your loved ones.  Today I got a double whammy!  My sister and my nieces came over to spend a truly wonderful day creating memories that will be revisited over and over again. The sound of belly splitting laughter as we (more senior participants) struggled in the 'cereal game', our joy as we answered a trivia question correctly.  This is what life is about, blessing and being blessed by each other in fellowship.  My sister was so overwhelmed with emotion when they arrived.........................................., warm hugs at the ready!

Today (day 6) I am grateful to have my sister with whom I can reminisce about the past, find joy in the present and prayerfully look to the future.