"I will praise the one who's chosen me, to carry you"
-Selah: I will carry you

Sunday 2 March 2014

Lenten joys and thankful things

This year, for lent, I am giving up Facebook. Many of my nearest and dearest are fairly skeptical (read:cynical) about my ability to do this...and I have to admit, I am inclined to feel the same! But, I am determined, I am on a mission of sheer will power, I will do this. (or, I will have {easter} egg on my face).

Why? Several reasons:

-Because I use it too much
-Because I have realised I check it more out of habit than enjoyment
-Because more often than not something I see there upsets me
-Because I put so much on my facebook page I have nothing to say whan I actually SEE people
-Because it's lent, and I want to give up something. And chocolate was not an option.

Instead I want to use this space to speak happiness, to focus on the good things in life, things I am grateful for and things that I am mindful that I have and others' do not. Or, if I'm honest, it's a way to update my status every day, without actually updating my status!

So stand by for the gradual unfurling of 46 days of lenten joy!

1. Today I am grateful to live in a democratic country, not under threat of war. Praying for peaceful resolution in Ukraine.
2. For answered prayers in the form of our buyers agreeing to wait until the end of the month to complete-so we don't have to find temporary accommodation!
3. I'm very glad for randomly booked days off, that turn out to be perfect timing for loads of things
that suddenly need to be done!
4. I am grateful for the kindness and help of very good friends today, and for the opportunity to share a meal with them as thanks.
5. Delighted to come across this blog post. Lovely to read your own feelings put into words so well by somebody else.  A good reminder not to be so hard on myself for my "jealous" feelings, which in
reality are something much more complex.  Also loving her comments on "infertility and stress" and the far more helpful things people could say instead.
6. Needing to wear my sunglasses for the drive to AND from work today! :)
7. Last night when I was using a second pair of glasses to try and magnify the tiny, poor contrast print I was trying to read (and getting extremely frustrated about it) I was reminded of the many patients I see every day for whom reading and seeing is like this all the time. So today I am grateful for my good eyesight, and will see my low vision patients with a fresh understanding and sympathy.
8. So grateful today for the HUGE weight that has been lifted from my shoulders.
9. We are seeing the first signs of spring, my favourite time of year :)
10. HURRAH for onesies!
11. Huge gratitude for family friends, hospital staff, careers and strangers all caring for and about my health and well being.
12. Pleased to be healing well and back on my feet quickly :)
13. Life is finally turning a huge corner and I feel HAPPY and HOPEFUL! HURRAH!
14. Glad to have made it through two weeks of no facebook, not missing it, and people are still keeping in touch :)
15. The book group I started is proving to be a success! Love books :)
16. Last night as I lay awake worrying about our impending flat sale and the fact we haven't
exchanged yet, I was reminded of how lucky I am to have a roof over my head at all. So today I will be thinking of and praying for all those people in the world who are not so lucky.
17. Parents.
18. Huge gratitude for all the people who have offered to help us today!
19. Waking up in our new (temporary) home having successfully moved in
20. The bravery of Amanda Holden and all the bereaved parents on tonights dispatches and renewed gratitude for the care we received after Bertie died.
21. Finally, nearly two years to the day since we put it on the market, we have completed on the sale of our flat!
22. For the hug and "you've changed my life" from a patient yesterday that makes my job worthwhile :)
23. There have been so many answers to prayer for myself and people in my life this week, it's very encouraging.
24. The repairs to our new house are complete and we are on track to move in at Easter!
25. The couple selling us their house have told us they are leaving the curtains and wardrobes, really helping us out financially.
26. Waking up on this third Mothers' day without my son with more hope in my heart than in pprevious years. Despite the pain I feel hope that maybe this will be my last with only a child in heaven to love.
27. My lovely cat Pippa. Because she has to feature in here somewhere!
28. It's April! This month we finally get to
move into the home we hope to fill with tiny feet. New beginnings :)
29. Grateful for my thicker skin and it not hurting *quite* so much when people ask me if I have any children, or tell me they are pregnant with their second baby since mine died, both of which happened today.
30. My mothers' day daffodils are so bittersweet, but remind me of the beauty of spring. So today I am thankful for Spring, my favourite season.
31. Feeling glad I started this project and realising again how I have so much to be thankful for
32. Lovely walks appreciating tbe beauty of the world around me.
33. Today I saw my first clutch of ducklings for the year! For some reason ducklings make me happy. I adore them! So they are my thankful thing for today.
34. Ten days and counting eep!
35. Today I saw a rainbow. They make me smile almost as much as ducklings :)
36. The hope and encouragement found in John chaptets 14-17. Particularly ch16 v33 "in this world you will have trouble, but take heart, I have overcome the world"
37. My heart is opening to the possability of adoption. I will be a mummy, somehow, someday.
37. We have exchanged contracts on our new house!! Moce in next week :) what a joy, what a blessing! woohooooo!
38. Given all the expenses we have right now, today's joy was going to buy our white goods and finding they were all in the Easter sale so we came in under budget hurrah!
39. I woke up this morning with it on my heart to make a blanket for my nephew, due in June. Choosing a gift for him is something I've been alternately worrying about and refusing to think about, so to feel with clarity and certainty that I can, and actually want to make it is wonderful, a huge step forwards for me.
40. Less than a week to go and despite daily emails from Facebook telling me I have notifications pending, I have resisted the urge to cheat! Proud of my willpower! Now if only I could do the same with sweets....!
41. Packing to move again- and this time it's permanent!! :D
42. What a beautiful day! Also, one more sleep! :)
43. Joy is found in the first cup of tea in our new home!
44. I believe and trust in a God who knows what it is to suffer. Christ died. Horrifically. For me.
45. We have lovely new neighbours! 1st day here and we have two welcome cards and a bottle of wine!
46. HE IS RISEN!!