The Simple Things….

At a time of big decisions in our life (I’ll update soon about my hubby and his layoff from GM that came on Christmas Eve) I am trying to keep my sanity by being thankful for the simple things. We have been experiencing more sickness than usual this winter and to top it all off, we all have an extreme case of Michigan cabin fever. So here are the things I am thankful for today…..

  • Puffs Plus tissues with lotion
  • Hot Pomegranate Pizzaz herb tea
  • Homemade chicken noodle soup
  • The sun shining in the kitchen window just now
  • Cable tv (after 23 years of marriage, we just got it with this house….)
  • Electric clippers to give Spencer a buzz cut with this morning
  • My cheery, red amaryllis plant blooming this week on the dining room table
  • My Bible
  • My soft bed and down-filled comforter
  • A wonderful get-away retreat coming up this weekend in Columbus, Ohio
  • Sweet, praying cyber-friends
How about you?
Sweet Simple Blessings,

15 Comments

  1. I am so thankful for my baby’s smile that greets me each morning, my three year old who wakes up singing, and my five (and a half!) year old who loves to serve others. I’m also grateful for my dishwasher, as well as the convenience of my second floor laundry room!

  2. Praying for you and your hubby’s job. I just wrote on my blog this morning how my hubby and I have been praying about what to do if his company down-sizes.

    I love the things you are thankful for. That tea sounds amazing!

    Things I’m thankful for right now?
    – my 2 year old son’s growing vocabulary
    – my hot pink nail polish
    – the sunshine
    – all of the wonderful blogs I’ve been reading
    – faith
    – and the biscuits I plan on making to go with dinner tonight

    Blessing and Prayers,
    Kate :)

  3. I am thankful for my salvation in Jesus Christ. For His restoration in my broken life. He brought us to the dessert of Las Vegas and I had to COMPLETELY depend upon Him. My faith has grown and so has our family. I am thankful for My two children and I am thankful for the new life I just discovered in me. I laughed and cried all in the same breath. I am 42! I am thankful for my husband who has a heart as big as the state of Nevada!

    I am thankful for my family back in Michigan (Williamston and Howell) and Skype! So they will be able to watch the transformation within me.

    I am thankful for blogs the internet and computers. New ways that we can reach out in Christ’s name and spread His Word.

  4. I’m thankful to have spend time with God through you this past weekend.! My husband and I spent two hours at dinner last night just in sharing about so many personal and family ideas both spurred on and confirmed through your talks! It was such a pleasure to meet you. I pray your trip back home went smoothly. My husband Aaron and I are prayed for God’s will to be done in the area of employment for your husband. See you in July!

  5. Thanks for posting the things you are thankful for. It has been a week for my family. It started Monday morning when I had to make the deceision to have our 14 year old poodle (Mandy) put to sleep. Then early on Tuesday morning I received a phone call from my Mom – “My brother had been taken to the ER via amublance – they had discovered his spleen was leaking and they had called in a surgeon but first they were admitting him to SICU to stablize him – whew!!! So let me take the time to say: I’m thankful for:
    1. God’s supernatural peace and strenghth
    2. God’s loving kindness and mercy
    3. Family and Friends

    I love to blog and I love reading blogs that inspire and encourage people – but share REAL life stuff. Thanks Karen for your post and blogs.

  6. Just a couple of nights ago on Facebook my status read, “Joy is thanking the inventor of Kleenex”. It made me smile when I read your first “simple thing”. Between colds, happy tears and sad tears, Puffs Plus are a treat!

    With my husband being employed at GM, I’m thankful for every day he can get up and go to work. There is so much uncertainty and many lay-offs in Canada too.

    We still don’t have Cable TV (after 20 years of marriage), but I’m thankful for CTS – our “Christian” station here.

    I’m thankful for a warm home as I hear the wind howling as I write this.

    I’m thankful for friends and coffee visits (enjoyed a sweet time of fellowship with a friend this morning).

    I’m thankful for health, family, cozy blankets, a warm fireplace, sunshine, chocolate, freedom to worship, my Bible, my Pastor and church family, the gift of salvation…my heart is just so full of so many things right now. Thank you for inviting a thankful perspective.

    Continuing in praise,
    Joy

  7. Thanks for posting where things are at with your family, especially your husband’s job. Will say a prayer for you!

    Also, I like the new blog look!

  8. Hi Karen:
    About 10 years ago, I started taking several vitamins and minerals a day, a multi-vitamin, Vitamin B-12, baby aspirin, and a few others. The other day I was trying to think of ways to save money, and I thought about scaling back to just a multi-vitamin. However, I was reminded of the fact that I really haven’t been sick in about 8 years. An occassional cold yes, but no flu, no strep, nothing to cause me to miss a day of work in 8 years. One thing that I always thank God for is my good health. I have a strong family history of diabetes, and I need to lose a few pounds, but I thank God that I don’t have diabetes or any other major health issues. Continue to thank God for the small things as well as the big challenges that will make you stronger when you get to the other side. May God continue to bless you as you do His will.

  9. I am thankful that I was available to my children this morning. My nearly 9 year old told me see would like to be baptized. The conversation was a result of a Sunday School lesson about baptism 2 weeks ago. She said she isn’t quite ready yet, she is concerned about getting water in her nose. The seed has been planted though. We had a conversation about why we get baptized and that it is not a requirement to go to heaven. That lead to the opportunity to reaffirm the decision that both of my children have made to accept Christ as their Savior. We had a sweet prayer time as we waited for the school bus this morning. What an awesome way to begin the day! I am learning that the big moments in both my spiritual and parenting journey don’t always come when I expect them. The simple moments of day to day life, like getting ready for school, can turn into incredible events.

  10. I’m thankful for your inspiration and your complete guide to getting and staying organized book. I’m also thankful for baby steps in getting there.

  11. 1.. I am thankful for being able to talk in length with my parents on the phone even though we live several thousand miles away.

    2. I am thankful to feel my daughter moving inside of me. (I am six months pregnant.)

    3. I am thankful for my hard-working loving husband, who is my best friend,

    4. I am thankful for the beautiful day, and being able to take a walk outside and enjoy it,

    5. I am thankful for my cat Snuggles, and the companionship and love that she shows my husband and me.

    6. I am thankful for the yummy Spaghetti lunch that I enjoyed.

    7. I am thankful for prayer, and that I am able to talk with God and thank Him for his many blessings.

    9. I am thankful for the gift of singing that God gives us that we can sing praises to God.

    10. I am thankful for joy, and that God gives us the ability to laugh, and see the funny side of things in certain situations.

  12. Hi Karen, I have been praying for you. I’ve wondered about your husband’s employment; sorry it was on Christmas Eve… we spent nearly three weeks in a little bitty pop up camper when we were forced out due to black mold; I’m thankful for a lot these days. I’m especially thankful that all three kids and my husband can be sick within the confines of our home and have a bed to sleep in (which we didn’t for weeks). I think in my life, I think I just “deserve” to much….I try to be thankful for the little things now:)

  13. It’s nice to reflect on the things that we are thankful for in trying times. I know that’s exactly what I do. It helps put me at peace when I look at so many things that I have when there are people that have absolutely nothing.

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