Tuesday, November 30, 2010

Lovely Photo Wednesday - Thanksgiving Photos!

Lovely Photo - Wordless or Not-So-Wordless Wednesday at Aspire
Who's ready for another Lovely Photo Wednesday? Did you all have a wonderful Thanksgiving? Get some good photos? Eat a lot of good food? I would have to say yes to all of the questions I asked! I thought to share one of my favorite (food) shots from the day -- some of the sparkling juice. It was tasty, and definitely bubbly! What was your favorite dish from the day? I know that mine was the combination of the turkey, mashed potatoes, and stuffing. :)
Speaking of stuffing, I'll have you know that I was thoroughly stuffed by the end of the day! We go to my dad's parent's for a wonderful (and definitely large) lunch, and then later on, leave to go to my mom's parent's for another super delicious (and most certainly not small) dinner! It's my favorite meal of the year, but it's a good thing that we only have it once a year! ;)
sparklingjuice
If you haven't played along before, link up your lovely photo and tell us a bit about it, or nothing at all. Write what you want or don't say anything, but share a picture and link it up below. Then, remember to bloghop around a bit and comment on at least three other entries. Ready? Go! :) (also, stay tuned...
a new Aspire photo challenge coming on Friday!
)

Today...


Today I am grateful for...
Smiles and laughter
that it's snowing outside
our Christmas chain counting down till Christmas Eve
Nutcracker music playing in the background as I'm typing this
Little brothers who play pirates and soldiers
forgiveness
my Jesus
a laptop to use
my camera
photoshop
sunrises & sunsets
healing
love
family
colorful scarves
Christmas lights outside
and...
you!
It's wintry and wonderful outside with the snow blowing and the weather up into the 20's! I'm feeling grateful today for many tings, and wanted to share a couple with you.

Christmas time is undoubtably my favorite time of the year. Remember those posts about fall being my favorite season? I'm just now realizing that that's not true. While I love autumn, winter has replaced it. It's always been that way -- I say that I love fall, when really, I love winter. While some people hate this time because of the cold and snow (and I'll admit, I have been known to grumble when it's in the negative 20's) there's something refreshing about this time.

I love winter.

Isn't our Savior wonderful? Think of all the beautiful seasons that we've been blessed with; unique and wonderful in all of their differences and the changes that they bring. I'm so grateful!

Part of the reason why I may love winter so much is because Christmas is coming up. November through January 1st rank as some of my favorite months of the year. (And I just realized how many times I've said, "favorite" in this post.) I love June and July, but there is something magical about the Christmas season.

In the midst of it all, I don't want to lose the true meaning of Christmas. Jesus. I'm so excited to celebrate His birth again -- and it's my prayer that I would celebrate it every day. Not just at Christmas time. But how wonderful that we have a whole season dedicated to it!

I love the Christmas cookies, carols, Christmas-decorating, tree-trimming, visits down-town (a family tradition), reading the Nutcracker (another tradition), family get-together and visits, gingerbread house & cookie making, wintry days, snowball fights (along with snow angels and snow forts), holiday foods, Christmas lights, holiday photos, and thousands of other blessings and wonderful things that if I tried to write out, I would take up pages and pages. I love this time of year.

Jesus is the center. Or to put it into Christmas terms, He is the star atop the tree. The other ornaments are hung on the tree in different layers, farther and farther down due to importance. (or in the case of our family, due to who's hanging them). But always, the star is atop. The head. The crowning glory. JESUS is and needs to be the center.

Always.


hope that you all have a beautiful, blessed day, sweet friends! Enjoying the wintry weather up here in MN -- how's the weather where you live? and more importantly...what are you grateful for?

Monday, November 29, 2010

Drops of Light


I've been talking about gratefulness lately
Talking about how I struggle with being grateful everyday because of entitlement and simply wanting more. (which is why the OCC was such a blessing to me -- more on that later)
That's why I'm excited to share my new blog with you
(don't worry -- this is in addition to Aspire)
called Drops of Light
You can read about the name on the blog
A visual journal of gratefulness.
Go check it out (and maybe follow, if you like)
My cup is overflowing.
drops of light { a visual journal of gratefulness }

Friday, November 26, 2010

Attitude of Gratitude

I've found that it's easier to write something than to live it. If I say that I'm grateful, does that make me grateful? Or if I proclaim my joy, what happens if only seconds later I'm met with some discouraging news that dampens my spirit?

Living out what we say is a harder practice than writing it. And in the example of gratefulness, it means to be content in whatever circumstance.
"I know what it is to be in need, and I know what it is to have plenty. I have learned the secret of being content in any and every situation, whether well fed or hungry, whether living in plenty or in want." - Phillipians 4:12
Just days ago, I wrote about being grateful for waiting. And I am. But saying that you're grateful means nothing if you don't live that way.

A feeling of entitlement permeated through my best attempts at appearing grateful; the joy and peace I had professed only days earlier fell to the way side by Black Friday ads and an overwhelming sense of, "I deserve this." Where did my acceptance and gratefulness go? Somewhere among the countless piles of food, the attitude of gratitude slipped away and was overtaken by the venomous poison of entitlement.

Feeling like we deserve something is a common attitude in America. But when the entitlement adds itself to our heart and starts clogging up our contentment with ungratefulness and irritation, then we lose our joy. I want to root out the bitter seed of discontent before it blooms into a full-blown attitude of ungratefulness.

So today, I'm changing my mindset. I'm going out to help package shoeboxes with Operation Christmas Child with my friend Allison today and I'm praying that it'll humble me and give me a spirit of gratefulness for all the numerous blessings I do have. Lately, I've been praying that the Lord would change my heart and would give me an attitude of gratitude. I want to live out my life grateful for what the Lord has given me; compared to some, I may have little, but compared to others, I have much.

I don't want to compared myself to those who have more than I do; rather, I want myself to look at what I have (and maybe what I don't) and say, "Thank you, Lord.
I am grateful.
"

Today is the day where I will live that out. I will live grateful. I am grateful. And sometimes, I have to pause, look and see where my heart is at and if it's sitting in a sense of discontent, I need to change my attitude to that of an attitude of gratitude.

Because really, I have so much to be grateful for. I don't need the best or the most to be happy; nor do I really need it at all. I am blessed. And I don't want to forget what is the greatest gift that I, and everyone in this world, has been given.

Eternal life in Christ Jesus by His sacrifice. Our Savior's love.


When I reflect on his mercies and His love is when I feel the most grateful. When I feel joy. The sense of more, more, more is replaced with, thank you, thank you, thank you. That's how I want to live my life everyday -- praising my Savior for who He is, what He's done, and never forgetting how truly blessed I am.

Thank you, Jesus.

Blessings on your day today, friends! Praying that you would all have a beautiful, blessed weekend! :-)

Tuesday, November 23, 2010

Lovely Photo Wednesday is back! And the ABC's of Thanks -- Link up!

Lovely Photo - Wordless or Not-So-Wordless Wednesday at Aspire
Finding Joy | The ABC's of ThanksFirst let me give a big thanks to everyone who linked up to Lovely Photo while hosted at my momma's blog, Finding Joy -- you're all the best! And a big hug to my mom (who's sitting about four feet away from me, using the regular computer) for hosting it while I was on my blog. It's safe to say that I'm so glad to be back! For this week, I'm joining up with my mom and linking up to her once-a-year-meme (can you call it that if it's only yearly? oh, well.) called The ABC's of Thanks. So make sure to stop by my mom's blog and link up with your list of thanks (all through the alphabet) after linking up your Lovely Photo! :-)
lovelyphotowednesday-snow
So what am I thankful for? Read on, dear readers...
abcsofthanks
Remember, link up your lovely photo below and bloghop around a bit! Make sure to visit at least three other entries and after you're done...head over to Finding Joy and link up with the ABC's of Thanks! Have a beautiful & blessed Thanksgiving, friends! :-)

A fan of Spaghetti.

Yesterday I talked about how God told me to wait for my camera, and how I'm starting to find JOY in the waiting. I talked about how there will always be more memories. And I talked about being grateful for the memories I do have because of the camera I have now.

Today, I'm grateful for this.

samuel
On Sunday, we had our typical Sunday lunch, Spaghetti. Don't confuse typical with boring, bland, or average. Spaghetti at our house is a feast; we fix up the sauce and add our own ingredients, putting in healthy amounts of sausage, olives, spices, and Parmesan, along with numerous other items that vary each time we make the sauce.
spaghettisamuel
Everyone at our house is as my brother Caleb would say, 'A fan of Spaghetti." That's our staple food and we're sure to have it several times a month. But no gets tired of it; that's one of the best parts. Somehow or another, we always have what we need to make it.

And Samuel? He's definitely a fan too.
samuelisafanofspaghetti
He takes after Caleb, who somehow manages to get spaghetti sauce on the back of his head. We still haven't figured that out. And Caleb takes after my sister Chloe who was a messy spaghetti eater as well.

(If you're wondering, I was a neat eater. I should dig out the photos from when I was little and put them up here -- I was completely clean and Chloe was a mess. Of course, I only had the smallest dollop of spaghetti sauce, and her plate was covered in it.)

That's just us.
samuelsamuelsamuel
I'm so glad that I have the photos of Samuel eating his spaghetti -- even if they're blurry. If I had my dslr, I wouldn't have these photos (I maybe wouldn't have even taken any pictures of him eating his lunch) If I didn't have my point and shoot, then I wouldn't have any photos at all.

And for that, I'm grateful.

I'm also grateful that we had spaghetti on Sunday and not today. Cleaning that baby up is a hard task. All of you with little kiddos are sure to relate. And even those without them. I mean, look at that kid! ;-)

You talkin' to me?
youtalkingtome-samuel

Monday, November 22, 2010

JOY in waiting.

If you've been following me for a bit, you'll probably remember the post I wrote back in the end of July, Packing them away until later (if not, I would encourage you to read it -- gives a glimpse into what I'm talking about here.)

In the post, I wrote about how I was ready to buy my DSLR, my beautiful someday-to-be camera. But to quote directly, I said,
And then God told me no.

It was in the finalization stages, contacting the amazon seller and seeing what he was bundling with the camera. And I felt that nudge. A prickle that I couldn't shake. Something on my shoulder that just stuck. I ended up not going with that camera, and started looking at craigslist...but then...

...I still couldn't get rid of that feeling that this wasn't the way to go. I knew that I was being told to wait. That it wasn't the right time. That I had to put aside my timing and instead go by His. But I didn't want to. I fought against it--oh, did I fight. I struggled with it and argued and tried to justify buying it.

But in the end, I just couldn't go with it. I know that I'm not supposed to buy my camera right now, even though I could. It's frustrating but I have to trust that His timing is better than mine.

Because ultimately, it is.
In the post, I said that I would wait another month, another six months, another year -- as long as He wanted me to wait to get the camera. Since then, I've been waiting four months, something that in June, if I knew I'd still be waiting come November, I'd be pretty upset and definitely confused.

Don't you want me to have the camera? I might have asked. Lord, why do I still have to wait? I don't want to wait any longer.

But right now, I'm glad that I'm still waiting.


Yes, you read that right. I'm glad that I'm waiting. God's teaching me patience, and He's teaching me to stay
joyful
in the midst of waiting. He's preparing me for someday, and He's giving me hope for today. I might not always feel glad that I'm waiting, but as the days pass, I'm starting to feel this peace and acceptance from Christ.

It's hard, and sometimes, I want to grumble. Sometimes I get stuck wanting to complain and wanting to ask why I have to wait. Sometimes I have trouble being grateful for the camera I do have, and for all the numerous blessings that I have been given. But I'm working on that. My Savior's working on my heart, and I'm praying that He'll give me a spirit of gratefulness and joy.

Jesus, thank you for my camera! is a prayer that I pray. I'm thanking Him for the camera I have now...and the one I'll have someday.

It's hard waiting. I'm blessed that I have a camera to take photos with, but I do feel sad when I can't take a photo of something because my point and shoot simply can't do it. When I want to take a photo of my siblings playing, but can't because the shutter speed is too slow. Or when I want to take a close up photo (or I guess I should say, macro) but the lighting is too poor. I could point out numerous examples when I've complained and felt bad because I can't save a memory.

But my dad pointed something out to me.
"There will always be more memories."
Sure, I may not have got the perfect photo during Brennan's birthday, but I did get a couple good shots...even if they are blurry. Maybe my picture won't be celebrated for having the best colors, tones, crispness, sharpness, focus, quality, bokeh...but I still have the photo.

Even when I'm sad about losing a moment I wanted to keep, I can think back to what my dad said.
There will always be more memories.
I can allow myself to feel like upset about not being able to take the photo...and then let that go. I can be upset but I will turn that into GRATEFULNESS for what I do have now.

For now, I'm going to celebrate the memories that I've taken in the past and that I have today. They may not be perfect, but they're mine, and somehow, I have them. Because of being there, ready to take the photo.

Which brings me to something else...it sounds funny, but I'm so glad that instead of receiving a DSLR, I first was blessed with a point and shoot. It's something that only lately I've come to realize, but the truth of it is beginning to permeate through my mind when I start feeling ungrateful.

If I hadn't first been blessed with a point and shoot, then I wouldn't have some of the photos that I've taken that I love.
Sure, I might have better photos, but I wouldn't have the ones I have now. And to look back at my albums and go, "I love that one." or, "oh!" makes me feel so grateful.

Something that truly blessed me is that I've learned so much about photography with my point and shoot! In fact, I've even learned about DSLR's...even though I don't have one. I still have so much to learn, but my photography would not be where it is right now if I hadn't been originally blessed with a point and shoot.

And for that, I'm grateful.

I'm hoping to have my dslr by Christmas, but if not, that's okay. I'll keep on waiting till God says, "Go." His timing is so much better than mine and He still has so much to teach me. I'm excited to see His plan for me unfold moment by moment, day by day, month by month, year by year. I'm starting to feel that the Lord is getting ready to say, "go!" and to surprise me. But until then, I'll wait.

And I'll stay grateful for today and what I have been blessed with.


My Jesus is so good. Grateful for all of you today -- praying that you would all have a beautiful, blessed week. Have a wonderful Thanksgiving! Ending on a final note; if you ever check out Bible Gateway then you'll know that they have a verse of the day. I went there to find a scripture to end with and saw that this was the verse they put up for today...
Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, since as members of one body you were called to peace. And be thankful.”- Colossians 3:15
I feel like yelling, "Amen!" Is it a coincidence? I don't think so. Our God is so good and so big and so powerful. He's telling me exactly what I need to hear and surprising me. I am grateful. I'm now realizing that that's my new phrase for this season of life. I'm known to say, life is sweet but right now, I'll proclaim what my mom is known to write often.

I'm grateful.

Sunday, November 21, 2010

Free to soar.

I'm typing this up with a bit of apprehension. It's been about three weeks since I said that I was taking a break. I've been praying about it quite a bit and feel it's time for me to come back.

During my break, I've noticed some things that are so refreshing -- life is bigger and fuller when I'm not concerned about numbers or followers or comments, or what to post. I feel like a bird that's been trying to fly while carrying bags upon my back and now they've been pulled off and I'm free to soar.

God has really given me a new outlook on life; He's changed my heart and changed me. I've surrendered to Him and in that surrendering there is so much joy. He's lifted so many burdens of my back and held me in His loving arms. I feel so alive lately; so full of His spirit and power. I am surrounded and overwhelmed by His love.

I'm excited to go back to blogging, yet somewhat apprehensive, as I said. I don't want to get pulled back into the popularity game or trapped by an almost addictive spirit of having to post everyday, having to have the best blog, having to be the best. I am made perfect in my weakness; the size of any problem is nothing compared to my God.

With my Savior's help, I hope to start Aspire again -- as a new blog with a new purpose. I want my blog to be celebrating life -- abundant life in Christ. All the little joys that come and go and we can lose in the monotony that can encompass our daily doings. If we seek first to follow Him and surrender to Him, then there are so many gifts that we can find in the present. There are so many things that He can -- and will -- reveal to us.

That doesn't mean that I won't be my same quirky, goofy, and, I'll admit it, dorky self. You can still expect some randomnesss and definitely a little silliness at times! But I don't want to be worried about sharing my faith for fear that I'll lose a follower, and I don't want to post just to post. I want all of my posts to glorify my Savior; silly or serious.

An overwhelming sense of, "How great is my God!" has filled me lately. When I reflect on His mercies and His love, I am filled with awe and love for my Savior. I want my life to be a reflection of Him and that in everything my Jesus would be glorified. My blog and my life is nothing without my Savior. Without Him, I was trapped in the pit, but my Savior grasped my hands and helped me out; he lifted the burdens from my back and helped me to lift off -- to soar.

I am grateful.

So very grateful. And it's all because of my Jesus. My God is so big, and so powerful, and so overwhelmingly good. I am so in love with my Savior. And I want my love to be a verb -- active, present-participle. (if you've read Believing God by Beth Moore, you'll know what I'm talking about.)

Soli Deo Gloria. Blessings on your Sunday, friends.


_______________
Aspire has also been given a new look, along with its new outlook. My design before was influenced by too many other influential bloggers and while I liked it, it wasn't me. This is. I'm excited. Life is sweet. And my God is good. Praising Him today and everyday.

Jesus, I am so in love with you.