Everywhere I look around...
Cheesy title? Maybe. Appropriate? Definitely.
This blog entry is quite different from what I typically write... a little more loving & not so much sarcasm. Seriously. Hope you enjoy...
In my search for thoughtfulness or kindness in the last week or two, I've been astounded by the amount of love I've witnessed. In two weeks time, I've attended two weddings. As different as they were, I was truly moved by the amount of love in them both. One weekend, the first gay wedding I've ever attended. The next, my big cousin tied the knot. Both overflowing with love.
(Be forewarned, I'm not interested in political or religious debate.... I'm just sharing my honest, first-hand experience here.) I was anxious about attending the first wedding because I was unsure of what to expect. I mean, I had never been to a union ceremony, so I kept thinking to myself ... "Will there be bridesmaids? Groomsmen? Who walks them down the aisle?"... (Needless to say, I stressed about what to wear for days because I knew I'd be facing tough critics in this crowd.) Once we arrived at the ceremony location, I felt a sense of relief. My friends and I were seated, and I immediately noticed the amount of love in the room. All of my anxieties, or questions, disappeared. I witnessed so much joy, love and happiness in that place... I honestly thought the windows would bust.
The second wedding a week later was also filled with love and happiness. The bride was beautiful and beaming with happiness, and the groom grinned from ear to ear watching her walk down the aisle. Their honest love for each other made my heart smile. The wedding and reception gave our families time to be together and to celebrate, which is always special in itself.
My experiences over the past two weeks have reminded me of how grateful I am for love... from my husband, my family, and my Heavenly Father. These experiences have also inspired me to show love to those around me.
1 Corinthians 13:13 - "And now these three remain: faith, hope and love. But the greatest of these is love."
Wednesday, June 29, 2011
Tuesday, June 21, 2011
Shifting Gears
This blog was initially created to help me document my progress toward my New Year's Resolutions as a way to hold myself accountable (and possibly entertain a few readers... ahh heem). My main goals were to run a 5k, set and follow a budget, and try to be a more thoughtful person. As a courtesy to my devout readers.... who are sincerely interested in my progress... I am writing a quick mid-year update.
I ran a 5K in March and have since decided that's not really for me. I'm crossing that one off my list. From now on, I'll be sticking to the classic walk-down-main street or my dear friend, Elliptical. But, I ran one... Mission accomplished.
The budgeting goal is still a work in progress (ask my dear husband... who has bailed me out several times as of late). This will most likely remain a work in progress over the next few months with vacations, weddings, and showers (oh my!). Hopefully, as I finish my master's and see that pay increase, this will be a more feasible goal.
Now to my thoughtfulness...and sometimes lack thereof. I have made a more conscientious effort to do thoughtful things for my friends and family (and some dear strangers along the way) over the past six months. I feel somewhat awkward blogging about these things because it sounds rather "holier-than-thou"... which is NOT my intention in the least. So, I modified this resolution; in addition to being more thoughtful, I will notice the random acts of kindness or thoughtful acts of those around me and blog about what I see. By observing others' thoughtfulness in action, I will be encouraged to follow suit and possibly inspire some of you to do the same.
In the near future, I will share my people-watching (my favorite sport) notes and stories of random acts of kindness around us. Unless I see something really ugly or rude... and I may share that, too.
I ran a 5K in March and have since decided that's not really for me. I'm crossing that one off my list. From now on, I'll be sticking to the classic walk-down-main street or my dear friend, Elliptical. But, I ran one... Mission accomplished.
The budgeting goal is still a work in progress (ask my dear husband... who has bailed me out several times as of late). This will most likely remain a work in progress over the next few months with vacations, weddings, and showers (oh my!). Hopefully, as I finish my master's and see that pay increase, this will be a more feasible goal.
Now to my thoughtfulness...and sometimes lack thereof. I have made a more conscientious effort to do thoughtful things for my friends and family (and some dear strangers along the way) over the past six months. I feel somewhat awkward blogging about these things because it sounds rather "holier-than-thou"... which is NOT my intention in the least. So, I modified this resolution; in addition to being more thoughtful, I will notice the random acts of kindness or thoughtful acts of those around me and blog about what I see. By observing others' thoughtfulness in action, I will be encouraged to follow suit and possibly inspire some of you to do the same.
In the near future, I will share my people-watching (my favorite sport) notes and stories of random acts of kindness around us. Unless I see something really ugly or rude... and I may share that, too.
Monday, June 13, 2011
Summer Simpleness
So....It's been a while.... life's been busy.
The end of school is always an intense time of year, despite the excitement for summer. This year, our end-of-year stress has been significantly higher than in the past. My husband is leaving coaching to be an assistant principal, a bittersweet change for us. Although I will miss the excitement of cheering at games and watching those players grow, I will be happy to have my husband at home a little more. I always joked about being a "baseball widow" from January to May, but I loved the games and the kids. I know we'll have baseball withdrawals next spring, but I'm praying for an easy transition into my new "assistant-principal's wife" title and for my hubby into his new role.
I have been transferred to a new school for next year, so I too, will be moving this summer. Although I'm extremely grateful to have a job in such an awesome school district, I am sad to leave my precious students and school family. I'm still not sure exactly what I'll be doing, but I know it involves a cross-county move. I'm, again, just hoping for a smooth transition. The physical move is unpleasant during these upcountry heat waves. Currently, our garage is slammed full of school supplies, college textbooks, and the husband's office furniture. It's pretty disorganized, but it'll do until we move into our new spaces.
In the meantime, our summer will be full of simple pleasures... Dinners with our dearest friends, days in the yard, nights on the porch solving the problems of the world, fresh tomatoes and peppers from our garden... Tonight, we sit on the back deck reading and, obviously, blogging. The weather is lovely; low 80's & a full moon. I can smile because, despite all the chaos in our changing lives, we have this simple peace. I can smile because we have each other. I can smile because I know we're blessed.
The end of school is always an intense time of year, despite the excitement for summer. This year, our end-of-year stress has been significantly higher than in the past. My husband is leaving coaching to be an assistant principal, a bittersweet change for us. Although I will miss the excitement of cheering at games and watching those players grow, I will be happy to have my husband at home a little more. I always joked about being a "baseball widow" from January to May, but I loved the games and the kids. I know we'll have baseball withdrawals next spring, but I'm praying for an easy transition into my new "assistant-principal's wife" title and for my hubby into his new role.
I have been transferred to a new school for next year, so I too, will be moving this summer. Although I'm extremely grateful to have a job in such an awesome school district, I am sad to leave my precious students and school family. I'm still not sure exactly what I'll be doing, but I know it involves a cross-county move. I'm, again, just hoping for a smooth transition. The physical move is unpleasant during these upcountry heat waves. Currently, our garage is slammed full of school supplies, college textbooks, and the husband's office furniture. It's pretty disorganized, but it'll do until we move into our new spaces.
In the meantime, our summer will be full of simple pleasures... Dinners with our dearest friends, days in the yard, nights on the porch solving the problems of the world, fresh tomatoes and peppers from our garden... Tonight, we sit on the back deck reading and, obviously, blogging. The weather is lovely; low 80's & a full moon. I can smile because, despite all the chaos in our changing lives, we have this simple peace. I can smile because we have each other. I can smile because I know we're blessed.
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