1000 Thanks

I was still struggling last week with figuring out who I am now and being content with it. I want to be the person people call for help and an active part of our friends and families life. Due to appointments and sickness and Jeff's crazy travelling, I feel more and more isolated and less and less able to do the things that I think are important. I lost sight of the value of being at home with my kids and found myself spending more time wandering around the house, uninspired, waiting for time to pass and something exciting to happen. Then I stumbled upon a link to a blog written by an author of a book entitled, "1000 Gifts". I read a few of her posting and some brief summaries of her book and already felt inspired. It seems that she was writing on my exact issue...in that she was encouraging people to see the gifts in the moment they are living in...the here and now. The next morning, at a mom's group we watched a video on the importance of raising God honouring children and living that example for them. It hit me as I listened that I've switched focus to the laundry and dishes and diapers and forgot why I was really home. I began to feel like it wasn't enough and was desperately looking for something that would be. Well, it is enough. In fact, it's more than enough. Being a mom that is involved with her children and is trying to raise them to love Christ is not always an easy or rewarding task, but it is an extremely important one. Although, I don't know what the book "1000 Gifts" is really about, I guessed it was looking for the gifts in each day, so I started to do that as well. I started my day making a sticker story with Hudson. Thank you God for stickers and the little boys who are facinated with them. Thank you for time spent together. Thank you for snow and the sun glistening off of it and the small footprints treking through it. Thank you for laughter and bread and happy times at the kitchen table. As I walked through my day, I tried to see it with new eyes. I had a good day. Thank you God for your gentle reminders and a refreshed perspective.