Works for me Wendesday- Thankfulness

Nothing combats a bad attitude like thankfulness! I have discovered that the more thankful I am, the more joyful I am. In fact, the more thankful I am, the more happy my husband and others around me are as well! Thankfulness WORKS FOR ME! Sometimes, finding things to be thankful for is very easy, but during trying times, it is just as easy to forget to be thankful for all you have been given because the trial is in the forefront of your mind. This is when being thankful is a bit more difficult to say the least.

I once read in a great book that you can either practice bitterness and negativity, or grace and thankfulness. Many people (trust me, I could have been one of "these people" very easily), practice bitterness and discontent for years (often times towards the people they love the most- their spouses, children, and family) until it is their first response. Others carefully practice grace and thankfulness for years and the more they practice it (sometimes it takes WORK), the more natural it becomes for them to automatically give themselves and others grace and remain thankful to God and to others. It is important for me to look at the thoughts and actions that I am practicing on a daily basis (I know there are many that I need to discover and work on) because out of my heart, my mouth speaks and I act (seriously!). If you find yourself hitting the keys of bitterness and unthankfulness today, start a new habit- give thanks, give grace! It WORKS FOR ME!

Practice with me this week:
- Say or write one thankful comment to your spouse, significant other, kids, or friend each day. Appreciation is powerful!
- Put the things you are thankful for in writing. Having these things in writing is extremely helpful when you are having a "tough time" being positive.
- Look for things to be thankful for throughout the day, when you discover them, give thanks to God!

Learning...
"I thank my God every time I remember you. In all my prayers for all of you, I always pray with joy because of your partnership in the gospel from the first day until now,..." (Phil 1:3-5)

"Devote yourselves to prayer, keeping alert in it with an attitude of thanksgiving;..." (Col. 4:2)

"Wherefore we receiving a kingdom which cannot be moved, let us have grace, whereby we may serve God acceptably with reverence and godly fear: For our God is a consuming fire." (Heb. 12:28-29)

"From the overflow of the heart the mouth speaks." (Matthew 12:34)

Updates: Wrestling, Baby Showers, and Playing Cards

My title says it all. This is what we have been up to for the past month. Wrestling tournaments with the boys, baby showers for lovely ladies, and playing cards with dear friends. I even managed to take a few pictures of these fun times. Nathan and I have spent the past 3 weekends supporting the boys at community wrestling tournaments with a few of our friends! It has been so much fun! Wresting is such a great outlet not only for our younger boys from the Linc, but also our older boys from the inner city who are not involved in the Linc. Our boys naturally love to wrestle! Nathan is always wrestling with them on the living room floor. Due to the environments the boys are growing up in, they are naturally very aggressive, but wrestling teaches them to control their aggression and respect their competitors. Several of our boys are learning not to "give-up" when circumstances are tough, as well as how to be a "good sport". They have also hopefully felt loved and supported by people who have cheered them on during their matches, and also comforted and encouraged them when they have lost. There are many benefits to getting them involved in community sports, but the best part in my opinion is simply spending quality time with them. The boys and other adults that support them are truly a blessing to us.

I had to give him a little love while he was waiting for his next match :).

I usually help with two things at the tournaments: writing numbers on the boys' hands so they know when they wrestle and making sure they are fed and hydrated. We usually have close to 15 kids there, so we make a lot of sandwiches and Gatorade.

Natan, Jason, and our tough wrestlers!

Go Harvelle!

Keekee showing off for the camera.

Quante going for the pin!

As I mentioned, I have also been helping with baby showers for expecting friends. The babies are multiplying rapidly at church, so it seems like we've had a lot of celebration showers/dinners lately. It's so fun to celebrate with them! Our friend Cani is next! We can hardly believe she is due in July! This picture is from our dear friend Dasha's baby shower. It was so great having her visit from Iceland for awhile. We miss her so so much!

Lastly, I mentioned that we have been playing cards (sorry no pictures of this). We have started to play cards with friends every other weekend. We've been able to play twice thus far and it's been a blast! Hopefully we can continue to play despite all of our busy schedules.

Hope you all have a great week!

Works for Me Wednesday- "If you don't look, you don't buy"

A good policy that works for me is "If you don't look, you don't buy". I have used this policy many times when Nathan and I are wanting to save up for something special or simply want to practice being content with what we have. If I don't go into stores like Hobby Lobby, TJ Max, Marshalls, Kirklands, or browse the clothing, craft, and home decor sections in any of my favorite stores, I don't spend money on things that I don't need. I have found that when I frequent these stores or any other place that is fun to shop, I can ALWAYS find something that I really want. The more I stay out of stores, the less likely I am to want or think that I need something.

Have you ever noticed how if you browse a store, you suddenly feel like you don't have much or really want this or that? You magically forget about all of the things that await you at home and suit you just fine. I know that I am blessed with the financial means to purchase far more than I need and I am thankful for being able to enjoy decorating, crafting, and fun new clothes. I just don't want to fall prey to this constant cycle of wanting.

I am not saying that it isn't okay to treat yourself or want something new. What I am speaking of is the way browsing suddenly makes us want. The problem is the motivation for wanting. So, if you find yourself in the same position (some of you may not ever have this problem), try out this policy for a week, a month, or maybe even a couple of months. It WORKS FOR ME.

On a side note, I have found that it also helps me to allow myself to want something, but to have to wait for it. If after a period of time (I often try to wait at least a month), I still really want the same items, I will make a plan to purchase just these items, not to browse the entire store.

Learning...

"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. I can do everything through him who gives me strength. " (Philippians 4:12-13)


Not to fear.

To Pray.

To Trust.

To Have Peace.

Updates...
COMING SOON!

Works for me Wednesday

I came across this fun blogging idea on another blog that I enjoy reading and I thought I would share some of the things that work for me with my family and friends. Feel free to join me!

Meal planning works for me! The thing most of you already know about me is that I am a planner. I love to plan because for me personally it makes my day to day life more enjoyable by eliminating stressful situations. I usually start planning next week's meals by around Wednesday or Thursday because I go grocery shopping on Friday for all the food we need for Saturday through Thursday of the next week. I also keep a running grocery list on a chalkboard hanging in my pantry. Once I have my meals planned out for the following week, I complete my grocery list and ensure I have all of the ingredients for my planned meals.

Some of you may be wondering what we do for breakfast and lunch. Well, for now, I am able to simply cook enough dinner for us both to have left-overs for lunch. So, whatever we eat for dinner, we also eat for lunch the next day. I am very thankful that Nathan enjoys left overs as much as I do. Sometimes I will mix it up by making simple sandwiches for us like tuna or turkey and cheese. As for breakfast, Nathan loves eating one egg, one peice of toast, and two peices of turkey bacon almost every morning. On Saturday, I cook pancakes instead of toast :). I often eat peanut butter toast, raisin bran/fiber one, or Nathan's special. As you can see, we I try to keep our meals pretty simple!

There are several benefits to meal planning. One, I have found that meal planning and sticking to my grocery list saves me time and money at the grocery store. Two, it also allows me to plan meals where I can use fresh ingredients for several meals, which eliminates waste. For example, this week, I made fajitas Monday and homeade pizza Tuesday. I purchased three peppers (they can be expensive) and a bag of shredded cheese to be used for both meals. I used half Monday and I used the other half Tuesday. Third, I am able to plan our meals according to sales, which again SAVES US MONEY (are you seeing a pattern here?). Lastly, we eat out less because we know we have "healthy" meals prepped for the evening.

So, are you convinced yet? If you aren't a natural planner, it may seem a bit odd, but just try it out. IT WORKS FOR ME!

Some of our close friends gave Nathan and I this chalkboard as a wedding gift. I keep it on the kitchen counter so Nathan always knows what to expect for dinner :).

This large chalkboard hangs on the wall of our pantry. I keep our grocery list, my to-do list, workout progress, and other fun lists on it without having to display it to everyone.

My meal plan for this week:

Friday-Dinner Party for Dasha: Hamburgers and Hotdogs

Saturday-Date Night: Using Gift Cards from our sister for a night out

Sunday-Chicken Salad Sandwiches

Monday- Fajitas

Tuesday- Homeade Wheat Pizza

Wendesday-Chicken Alfredo Pasta

Thursday- Talapia and Rice

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Learning...

"She sets about her work vigorously; her arms are strong for her tasks. She sees that her trading is profitable, and her lamp does not go out at night." (Prov. 31:17-18)

This week, I really enjoyed listening to this podcast regarding marriage and our call from the King to serve our husbands and families! To listen, click on the following link-http://www.goodshepherdcc.org/ministries/women/momtomom.htm, then scroll down to the little audio box on the bottom and click on the message from Alan Hlavka.

My Love

I must admit that I am not too big on "Valentines Day", but I do like to take the day to think of how blessed I am to have my best friend, my leader, and my love. I know that most of you know Nathan because the majority of my blog readers are close family and friends, but I feel the need to tell you all about how wonderful my partner for life truly is and how grateful I am to have him. I have been blessed beyond measure with a man who I trust to lead me and our future children throughout life. To some he may look like the ordinary man, but to me he is extraordinary. It is funny how whenever I explain Nathan to people, I always leave the conversation feeling so proud of how God created Nathan. In his very nature, he builds me up.

Nathan is my Mr. Steady! For the most part, he does not worry, stress, or carry guilt. I am so thankful for these qualities because I have the tendency to do all three of those things and he often reminds me that there is no place in our lives for those things. Nathan also has a great job that he absolutely loves. I have the pleasure of being supported by a man who has an incredible work ethic. He works hard, he is a man of integrity, and he pours into a business that he truly believes in. Even when times are tough at work, he is diligent and thankful for his position. He is also honest and tells it like it is, which is why I trust his guidance. In addition, Nathan has always shown me love that is not dependent on my behavior or role. His grace towards me has taught me so much about forgiveness. He believes that it is his role to support me and and our future family physically, emotionally, and spiritually. I am excited that it is my role to be his "help meet" for life through thick and thin.

I feel like we can't be thankful enough for the ones we love. So if you read this and felt a bit bored, know that I was completely jazzed (Isn't this a great word?) to write it!

Updates:

We took a couple of pictures last weekend so I thought I would include them in this post. We really need a recent picture of us together, but this is the best we could do for now.

Our valentines day was a lot of fun! As soon as we woke up, we made a big breakfast together. Nathan gave me a sweet card and informed me that I had a couple gifts on the way. I was shocked when he said that one of them was a camera (we have been looking for a replacement camera since I broke mine on our honeymoon and Nathan finally found a good deal on one) and a dress that you can wear several different ways. I can't wait until they arrive. After breakfast, we went to watch our kids from "The Linc" compete in a local wrestling tournament. This turned into an all day (and night) event, but we thoroughly enjoyed it. We were so proud of the kids! They are new to the wrestling scene, but they did great. It was so fun to cheer them on. After the meet, we planned on getting some take out Chinese food and playing monopoly, but we ended up joining Nathan's sisters and his brother-in-law for dinner. It was a great end to our evening.

Have a great week!

Learning...

In the past year, I have constantly been reminded that I have so much to learn. I thought I would share some of the verses and resources I have been learning from lately.

And the LORD God said, It is not good that the man should be alone; I will make him an help meet for him. (Genesis 2:18)


For God hath not given us the spirit of fear; but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind."
(2 Timothy 1:7)


And 'whoever will be the greatest among you, will be the servant of all.' (Mark 10:44)


"Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit, but in humility consider others better than yourselves." (Philippians 2:3)


"It is good to sing praises to Your name, O Most High; To declare Your loving kindness in the morning And your faithfulness by night" (Psalm 92:1-2)


I cannot say enough about this book. I highly recommend it!
http://www.createdtobehishelpmeet.org/



OTHER UPDATES:
I have really been slacking with giving my family and friends updates on all of the exciting things we have been experiencing lately. I guess I will just try to give you all some highlights. I wish I had pictures to match the highlights, but we haven't even picked up a camera for months. We took two pictures before church this Sunday, but I haven't uploaded them to my computer. We will try to do better in the future.

* Nathan traveled with work for a good portion of the month of January. I spent a lot of time with Natalie and other friends. I decided that I was going to have a good attitude about him having to be out of town a lot during the month. I just kept telling myself how thankful I am that my husband has a good job that he loves, especially in this economy. This certainly paid off and it was over before I knew it. Now he is back home for months and I am enjoying every moment of him being beside me in the evening.

* Natalie, Brent, and I hiked to three caves which is only about 20 minutes away. We were not able to enter the caves, but we had a great time.

* We had a girls night at my house while Nathan was out of town. We watched a cheesy movie, ate popcorn, and discussed home schooling until for a good hour, so of course it was a lot of fun.

* My friend Melinda had a cookie exchange at her house. I made 80 cookies, one dessert, and an enormous pot of soup on a Saturday morning, but I really enjoyed getting together with friends. I left the exchange with 70 great tasting cookies!

* I waited for weeks to find out if I would get into a class that I had to have in order to start my clinicals in the fall and on the last day of registration, I was able to get into the class I needed! Praise God! I have been advised that I will be able to finish my clinicals and thus my entire masters this summer. The only catch is that I will need to work an absurd number of hours in order to do so. If I am able to do my hours at the Linc this won't be a problem, but if I get sent to one of the local hospitals, I will not be able to complete the hours and keep my position at the University. Nate and I are praying about this often.

* Nathan and I have started to play monopoly on occasion. Board games are so much fun. I am on the hunt for another fun game for two.

* We are in the middle of "health week" at the Linc. We are teaching the kids about good hygiene practices, their bodies, nutrition, and exercise. On Monday, I had the kids trace their entire bodies and we discussed the many functions of our amazing bodies. They had several questions and we were able to discuss some important issues that our kids are facing.

I know I left a lot of things out, but this is the best update I can give you at this time.

Decor on a budget, gotta love it!

Nate has done a lot of work on the outside as well.


Those two sitting chairs were a great find at $15 each. I used my left over drape fabric to recover them and now they look great!

The Kitchen nook. This is a good picture of the drapes. With the help of Wanda, I sewed all six 11 ft drapes for this room. I think they look great!

The Kitchen. Thanks to Dasha, the decor above my cabinets looks great!

I have to use that small step stool to reach my top shelves. Just in case you were wondering.
I couldn't leave these out. I made these hanging plates out of old silver trays that I found at the Thrift Store.

This is not a great picture of the dining room, but you get the picture.

This is the enormous entertainment center our good friend Brent built us as a wedding gift. We came home from Jamaica to find this in our living room. I think it is incredible that Brent built this and put it up in our house by himself. We love it!

This is a wall collage in the making. Don't be too tough on me Dasha. Everything but 2 items on this wall came from a thrift store and I love that about it:)! Besides, isn't a collage supposed to represent the people who live in the house? If that is the case then thrift store finds are perfect.

Sorry to say, but Nate and I are horrible at taking pictures. I wish I had fun pictures of Christmas, our trip to the beach, Tess's birthday party, or even our short trip to Atlanta this weekend, which were all WONDERFUL, but we didn't think to take even a single shot. Just know that I had a fabulous Christmas break with family and friends, full of fun and relaxing moments. I am truly grateful for each and every day of the break! It was simply perfect!

My mom and Dasha have asked me several times to send/post some new pics of the house, so I thought I would post a few for their viewing pleasure (and maybe yours). As most of you know, I love to decorate, but I don't like to spend money! It has been so much fun looking for good deals, doing DIY crafts, and rummaging through thrift stores to make our house a home.

I always have a project in the works. Speaking of, my front bathroom should be finished soon. I love the wall color and am so excited to see how my cabinet glaze turns out. I will have to post pictures of the finished product and the rest of the house at some point. Don't hold your breathe, it might be awhile :).