Category: Life

Thankful Thursday (episode 2)

Last week I began a habit that I wanted to continue: focusing on being grateful by recording three things that I’m thankful for each day. Well, I did okay with this, but not great. I tried using an app, the Five Minute Journal, to help me keep track of my gratitude list, but I would forget to write in it! Then a day would pass without my recording anything, and because of my memory loss from ECT (electro-convulsive therapy – it can help with depression), I would forget the things that I was thankful for. *sigh*

But not to fear! I am going to keep trying. The app has the option for sending you reminders, so I’m going to see if that helps me. And if it doesn’t, then maybe I could try keeping a physical journal. I just have to find what works for me. 🙂

Anyway, I WAS able to record a few things that I’m thankful for, so without further ado, here is my list:

  1. A fairly good appointment with my Psychiatrist
  2. Safety while traveling in the rain
  3. The opportunity to bring free drinks and a cookie from Chick-fil-a to Target for Roy’s (my Hubby’s) work break so we could enjoy them together
  4. A nice time at Barnes and Noble with the Hubby
  5. My Mom helped me with picking out a meal for Monday night (our good friends come over to share a meal before our handbell practice)
  6. We had a good time at dinner and handbells (the dinner turned out fine even though I was worried about making it, and we had a profitable rehearsal)
  7. Drinks at Dunkin’ Donuts…woo-hoo!
  8. Mild weather…I was able to take a nice walk with the dog
  9. A beautiful sunset
  10. That God helped me with work, as I wasn’t feeling very well

That’s it for this week! Hopefully I will do better next week with keeping my list. 😉 Thank you for reading! ❤

A Day in the Life

I felt a little down today. It started off with my sleeping through two alarms and not having enough time to make lunch for my Hubby to take to work with him. But he was gracious about it, and I did have enough time to jump in the shower and get ready to begin my work day.

Yes, I’m working now! 🙂 It’s only a few hours a day, but it’s still something. I grade student essays from my computer at home and give them a score based on certain criteria. It makes me think a lot and sometimes gives me a headache, but I’m grateful for the opportunity. I really struggle with working because of my depression, anxiety, and OCD…(with this job I’m having a difficult time with my perfectionism), but I’m trying my best. You can be praying, though, because the job only lasts a month or two…and then I’ll need a new one. Thank you!

The day got a little better after work: I took our dog, Daisy, for a nice walk…it was beautiful outside! I was also able to sit a talk for a few minutes with one of our neighbors. It’s amazing how much a little fresh air can help.

I did some laundry, washed some dishes, and job-searched until my Hubby got home from work. And now it’s time to make dinner and probably watch some TV. Not an overly exciting day, but at least I’m feeling a little better than I was this morning. I’m going to try to get to bed at a decent time so I can start fresh tomorrow morning.

How was YOUR day? Was it good, bad, or somewhere in between? I’d like to hear, so feel free to share in the comments!

Photo Credit: Rawpixel

What Do I Value?

What are the things that I value in life? I was prompted to ask myself this question by one of Janine Ripper’s 23 Insightful Journal Prompts for Self-Reflection.

There are many things that I value, many attributes that are at the core of who I am and who I want to be. But I have listed 5 of my most important values below. I hope that they can be an encouragement to you, and also a reminder to me of those things that truly matter to me in my life.

  1. Faith. I want to love and trust God with all of my heart. I feel like sometimes I do that, and other times I do not. I can let things get in between us – like excessive sleep, a worry that I obsess over, or not being obedient to something the Lord wants me to do. But overall I think I’m trying my best, and I know God sees that. He is gracious, and He will give me the strength to continue to walk with Him through the difficult (and the enjoyable) times.
  2. Empathy (this encompasses love and compassion). I feel that it is very important to try to understand what other people are going through. Sometimes they may be going through a situation that I have never experienced before – and that is difficult because it’s hard to put myself “in their shoes.” But I can listen, and I can be a support to them in their trial. Other times people may be going through a situation that I have also experienced (such as depression or anxiety). That is when I can share with them my sorrows and my joys and all that God is teaching me through them.
  3. Grace. This one I struggle with. I have a hard time being gracious with myself when I mess up (that is my perfectionism rearing it’s ugly head). Because of that, I also have a difficult time being gracious with other people when I feel that they have made a mistake. But here my first value (faith) can help, because I need to remind myself that God is forgiving and gracious towards me, and also rely on Him for the strength to be gracious towards those around me. I know that I can do this with His help!
  4. Honesty. It’s important to me to be honest with myself and with others about who I really am. I find it freeing to share the things that I struggle with and to be open about my flaws. Often this is an encouragement to others to open up about their own shortcomings. By being honest, I can develop strong relationships and have more of an impact on the people around me.
  5. Gratitude (includes positivity). This is something that had been lacking in my life for a while. I was always focused on the negative – always lingering on the less-than-perfect events that occurred. But recently God has been showing me how to find good in the bad…how to be thankful for the little things. It doesn’t come easily to me, but I know that the Lord will continue to help me grow into a person who has a positive perspective in life.

So what did you think of the values I listed? What are 5 of the things that YOU value most?