It’s rare that I get the chance to slow down for a few minutes and share thoughts that have been bouncing around in my head. So if you’re here just for the free stuff I apologize for the non-freebie post. Feel free to skip on ahead and collect your booty of the day. 🙂 I’ve heard a few of you do like to read about my family and life, too (thanks Lady Nancy, you’re swell) so I’m going to rattle a little this AM. Although I do promise to share a few things that are on my radar specifically for QoF, too.
I have had an unsettled feeling in my soul lately. A lot of it has to do with the news of our world – the elections in Iran, the Metro Tragedy in DC, the economy, the despair of the people of North Korea – some to do with friends that I know – loss, tragedy, conflict, and struggle abound. It’s led me to continually renew my thoughts when it comes to my own challenges. What really are they in the face of those who daily face persecution, hunger, loneliness, and true trouble? Why do I complain of a lack of sleep when I have a bed? Why do I complain of not having time to take a shower when I have running water? Why do I grump about cleaning up the messes of my children when I have healthy, (although still sometimes crazy) wonderful kids? How many times have I said I’m hungry when my cabinets are filled to the brim with food? When it comes down to the nitty gritty, my life is pretty good. And not just pretty good, but really good. Yet, those that I know who have the most right to complain are usually the ones who do it the least. It leaves the rest of us looking like spoiled brats, ungrateful for the many gifts we’ve been given. I share all of these things not to complain (that’s really the antithesis of what I’m going for) but to encourage you to show gratitude today. What do you have to be glad about? What do you have to celebrate? What do you have that many others do not? Be thankful for these things. And from that place, don’t remain a selfish, prideful mess. Turn around and pour into the lives of others. Donate. Give. Spend time (not money). Care. Love. Pray. Be a light in a place that can seem very dark at times. You may be hurting from a tragedy untold today. Look around yourself for simplicity and let people help you. Know that someone cares. I do. God does. Take life one breath at a time. Put one foot in front of the other. Don’t focus on what you can’t do but look for what you can.
Ok, now that I’ve got that out of my system, (I actually have more thoughts but I don’t want to fill up the entire front page) I wanted to let you know that I have a few exciting things on the radar for QoF. First up, in the next two weeks (on Fridays) I will be be giving away a subscription/week to All You! Yay, my favorite magazine can become your favorite magazine. Keep your eyes peeled for those giveaways. It also looks like I’ll be guest posting on one of my favorite blogs come July (For now, I’ll let you try to guess which one). We will be paying off a major purchase soon too (Lordwilling) which will give me a chance to share some of our debt reduction story and the great many blessings we’ve experienced since getting serious about turning from all debt. The King and I will be celebrating our 10th Anniversary in July which should be a great time and an opportunity for reflection. I’ll finally be getting around to talking some more about Pledge Multi-surface and share some dust free love with you. And August will mark the 1st Birthday of this blog! Can you believe it’s only been a year? It’s been an awesome and life changing year for me. Has it been for you? It’s going to be a great summer here on QoF, with continued money savings, growing, learning and more. Thanks for being on this journey, this awesome quest of life with me. You continue to enrich and bless me in ways you’ll never know.
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Wow! You are so right we are truly blessed! Thanks for keeping us focused on what’s important in this life here on earth. Keep on blogging your royal highness. We love to read and reflect.
Thanks so much Lady Chicken Lady! I don’t want to get too “talky” as everyone’s time is precious but I couldn’t resist airing my thoughts today, as therapy if nothing else. I appreciate your encouragement.
I am one of those people who like it when you get more personal. 🙂 Thanks for sharing your thoughts. I have been feeling so many of the same things. I am so grateful for the things we have, but it isn’t the stuff that makes me happy. Spending time with the people in my life, especially my family, is what truly makes me happy. I want to focus more on the experiences of this life than on stuff. Take care and have a blessed day!