They Lifted Me Up

Hello Everyone!

Remember in my last post this week, I talked about trying to find the positives in all things, and being thankful for all things?  I also mentioned how I have been trying to be more thankful, and to find the positives everyday; and that I have been going for a new mind set for several months now.  Do you also remember how I had mentioned that some days I did better than other days?

Whelp... yesterday was surely my off day...

It began with little sleep that was met head on with a small fear and dilemma, which eventually became the catalyst for a bad day.  I had negative feelings rushing in, but I made some frail attempts to find the positives, and to thank God for His blessings.  By the afternoon, I even had told myself that I didn't care to find the positives anymore today.  Pathetic I know...

With out going into the nitty gritty of it all right now (though I may share some more about it soon), I basically had a mental, and spiritual collapse yesterday.  Hit another one of those mental brick walls and it hurt!  I think I got tired of trying to not only boost myself up, but trying to help others see the positives in life that I got exhausted so to speak--burnt out.

As the afternoon spiraled into a negative pit for me, by evening I was in near tears.  I was low... real low, and kind of really feeling sorry for myself instead of looking around at my blessings.

We all sat down at the table for dinner, when Sky Baby blurted out (I almost want to cry just thinking about it), "What are we all thankful for today?"

Unfortunately, my response was very unbecoming, "Not much for me today, I am afraid. But if you would like to share, you may."

She looked at me dumb founded, but she continued on.

She shared what she was thankful for and then Paiz did too.  There was a few minutes of nothing, and me just staring blankly at my plate of tacos, when Little Man chimed in and said, "Daddy, what are you thankful for?"

Expecting Scot to kind of react the way he had been reacting to my new family meal time of sharing thankful thoughts, I wasn't expecting much out of him.  At first, on Monday, he didn't seem to like my idea and conversation piece.  He seemed to question it a little bit too, though he still participated with us.  However, on Tuesday, he had a bad day at work, and he was at the table a bit glum as I was last night.  When the kids asked him what he was thankful for, he pretty much muttered something to the affect of nothing, when I said to him, "Well, you need to find it."

He replied after a quick pause, "My job, because of how I am able to provide for my family."

Which in turn, changed our dinner conversation in a positive light that night!

My husband, knowing some of what caused my mental state yesterday; and I think grasping what I have been wanting to instill upon the hearts of our children, decided to respond to Little Man's question last night with such a positive up beat tone and smile, "This delicious dinner!"

Realizing that my family was trying to carrying on what I had started, lifted me up! And slowly my sadness melted away!  They lifted me up! 

I am thankful for each and everyone of them!

The Throne of Thankfulness

So I have learned with in the last few years how to be thankful in everything; and how to find the positives, which leads to thankfulness.  Some days I do better at it than other days, but the main point is that I try, and that I know that I am trying.  Living life in thankfulness, in turns points you to God, and the Cross.  It brings you to the Throne, and a better understanding of life, and God's blessings upon you.  It provides you a perspective of hope and joy that simply nothing else can bring.

This past summer, I started to come to the throne of thankfulness in more ways than one.  I started seeking it in even the most unusual places.  For instance, I found thankfulness at the throne of a different kind!  Yep, I found a thankful heart at the foot of the porcelain throne--the toilet.

As a busy mom and housewife, there are days that so many of the tasks and chores that I do seem so minor, and very mundane.  I feel like cleaning the toilet constantly is just a disgusting, boring, and a must-do chore that someone like myself just has to do.  However, this past summer I started to grasp this chore!  I started using the time of cleaning my two toilets as a way of praying, and thanking God for His goodness!  Can you believe that?!

As I clean my toilets, I am able to take the time and redirect my heart by thanking the Lord for such things as our house (shelter), the blessings of having two toilets for a large family such as mine, for each member of my family who uses it, or will be using it, such as Big Mac.  I thank the Lord for each bum bum that sits upon my toilets.  I am thankful for the fact that I have a husband, and four beautiful children; and I have started to take the time to pray for each one as I clean.

I pray and thank the Lord in so many chores now as washing dishes, packing lunches, vacuuming, and more!  I thank the Lord for the water we have to clean with, the electricity we have to power my vacuum.  I thank the Lord for each member of my family that I either clean-up after, or provide a meal for, because they are blessings to me.  I pray for safety and more specific prayers where applicable as I thank the Lord for them.  This has provided joy and a different perspective on things than just simply grudgingly doing a hated chore.

This summer, I have also wanted to instill a grateful heart, as well as a good perspective, for my kids.  So at lunch, we would all go around the table, and each one of us would state what we were thankful for, as well as why.  The kids loved it!  It even got to the point that the kids would remind me, or jump in with their thankful thoughts before I could even sit down!  This brought joy to my heart as well as theirs!

As school has started up though, our lunchtime practice has gone by the way side; HOWEVER, I have decided to start initiating it at dinnertime with Scot.  We are going to include Scot on our thankfulness!  It can be Thanksgiving everyday!  Not just once a year!  And doing this at dinner will provide good, positive family conversation and time, in such a crazy and busy world.

I challenge you all to start making Thanksgiving a day to be had every day!  Your outlook on life will change!  In EVERYTHING that you do--whether it is scrubbing the toilet, or pulling weeds in the garden--find something to be thankful for as you go!  However, mundane or minor, the things you do feel, find that grateful spirit. 

If you have kids, try to lead them into having a heart of thankfulness.  Help direct them to the Throne of God!  Take the time to find a way for you to find a grateful heart and share!

New Adventure for Little Man! (Update)

Hello Everyone!  I hope all is well!

I thought that I would just give you a quick follow-up on a post that I had posted a couple of weeks ago about Little Man and his speech.

Yesterday, he had his initial preschool assessment with the county public schools.  His motor skills and knowledge are right on, but like we had been wondering about, his speech is not quite up to par.  He has problems with his R's, W's, and then S blends; however, that is very common for his age group.  The problem is when he tries to formulate phrases and sentences.

He does very well when he states just one or two words at a time; however, when he goes to formulate larger statements and phrases, his words get mumbled and slurred together leaving one to only understand one or two words out of several words.  It is almost like his tongue can't formulate the words quick enough as he makes a statement.  It's like his tongue can't keep up.

So we have to get some paperwork going and then we are off for two more screenings/tests.  In a few weeks he will have a hearing test performed (state required); however, we are almost fairly certain that he doesn't have a hearing problem.  We believe that this all stems to how he learned how to swallow incorrectly as a baby due to painful acid reflux.  He was unable to use his tongue laterally for a bit; and once in a while when he eats, he still chokes occasionally when he chews his food and swallows incorrectly.  In any regards though, a hearing test will be performed regardless.  He will then have a full on speech evaluation with an actual speech therapist, who will formulate a plan of action.

It will most likely be that he will meet with the speech therapist once a week and will have exercises to perform at home for the rest of the week.  This will add another whole element to our schedules, and places to be, and things to do.  Please pray for us as we adjust. 

We are very thankful, however, to have caught this now.  We are blessed to be able to address it while he is young and in his formative years.  This will be a benefit for him!