Count your blessings

I am preaching to myself. I tend to need that reminder more often then I care to admit. My blessings are many. I am married to my very best friend, and could think of no place I would rather be. I have a wonderful healthy little girl, a blessing, but sometimes the little things that go wrong can throw me for a loop.

I stress a lot. I don't think I am alone in this. I am work in progress. God's still tending His garden in me. We had a financial crisis just recently and it threw me for a loop and thrust us into a curve. But in this day and age, we are in less straights than many. So it's a blessing. We have been blessed and I know this. My heart is joyful for the blessings, I just have to learn to relax more.

We are told to be thankful, and to praise in all things. Christian or not, one can see the wisdom in this, but I think today's world overlooks so much and we all place such big expectations on ourselves. We have to keep up with the Jones' and they are struggling to keep up with the Smith's and the cycle goes on. So while we are trying our best to keep up, no one is really looking at where they are going. I think that is what's happened with our current economy. Now so many of us are just treading water. What happened to each of us being happy? When did it change? I know for Sarah she doesn't care what others have, why can't we all be like children and when does this stop being the case? What makes us stop being truly happy just being happy? When does the bullying start? When do people start comparing haves and have nots? AND the biggest question: How do we stop the cycle and tend to our garden better?

God has blessed me so much. He has brought all sorts of people into my life to show me about compassion, love and how we are suppose to behave toward (or treat) those that we know and don't know. I fail, and just when I am at the edge, something will happen to remind me. Someone I know or someone I don't know will befriend me and show me what loving each other (as we are told to do) is all about. I really hope I can and am passing this on to Sarah. It's all about passing that love forward, and it's one thing I hope we can pass on to Sarah. It's worth more than all the material goods in the world. For her to know Jesus as her King and for her to be sweet, respectful and treat others as she would like to be treated.

In 2011, I hope to explore this question in myself and share with the gentle readers. It's going to be a journey in the year ahead.

My wish for you all, is that as your year comes to a close that you find your focus on the love and joy you have in your life.

Much love as we all go forward into 2011.
Happy Tending!

Under the winter sky

The winter is upon us and I don't know about you but our garden is done for the season. Looking forward to spring and the new growth we will see.

Sarah has new growth daily it seems, that garden is thriving, praise God. We love whales right now and are fascinated by their beauty, especially Orcas. Her mind amazes me. She is like a sponge, which is why now, more than ever it's important that we mind our manners and P's and Q's. Little minds pick up on everything. I've been embarrassed already when she has said something in public that is just copying what her daddy and I say or what some little friend does. Like when she said in a very loud voice as Daddy left to use the restroom, "is Daddy taking a wiz Mommy?" or like when we are waiting to pull out into traffic and she will say from the back seat, "OK PEOPLE" exactly like I do (which I don't even think about--oh-oh). Our habits become her habits, so now more than ever the garden needs to be tended and watered with great care and attention to the details. I'm just waiting for her to pipe up some day at church and tell her Daddy, "can we drop the kids off?" :-)

Happy Tending