Cherishing 2009 & Thankful In 2010

So this is Christmas.  Or haven't you heard?  Aaah yes, I'm singing Christmas music once again today!  What a beautiful way to bring joy to the holidays.  In my world, I don't often find anything more moving than a precious tune or powerful lyrics.  It's especially true when it comes to Christmas songs. 

My husband purchased Josh Groban's NOEL cd for me as soon as it was released.  I'm a BIG fan and have seen him in concert twice.  When I listened to the cd last year, I was very busy with projects and visiting with my Mom at the time.  We let the music lift our spirits throughout the holiday, but I never took the time to deeply listen to the album as I normally do with every other piece of music I've purchased over the years. 

This year, as I was creating our special dvd gift for our family & close friends, I was sorting through the songs of the season to include in the background of various scenes.  Amongst my massive music list, Josh Groban's NOEL caught my eye and I knew I had to include at least 1 of his songs.  A one word title, "Thankful," stood out to me and I couldn't remember hearing it last year.  I clicked on the song and felt the beautiful music and lyrics carry me and had a desire to encourage everyone to listen to this wonderful message.

As the lyrics say "...there's so much to be thankful for..."   Over the past week, I've really thought about how true these words are.  My life is far from perfect and I clearly don't have all the answers, but I certainly have an abundance of blessings to be thankful for.  What glorious gifts we have all been given... a spouse, children, family members, friends, and the precious gift of time with loved ones.  We don't know when the day will come for us, or someone we love, to be wrapped into God's loving arms in Heaven.  The time we are given with the people we love is such a wonderful gift to cherish in this life.  

With this thought in mind, I will be spending some special time with dear family & friends over the next couple of weeks.  I'm so thankful for the opportunity to share in their company this holiday.  For those of you reading... I love you all very much and thought I'd take an extra moment to let you know.

As this Christmas quickly approaches, pause and consider what you have to be thankful for.  What one thing are you thankful for this year?

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This will be my final post in 2009!  I hope to catch up on all of the blogs I follow over the next 2 weeks.  Have a Merry Christmas & Happy New Year!  Come back on Monday, January 4, 2010 for my next post!

Think Of The Happiest Things...

For some reason, it's easy to think of the negative things in our lives and we often struggle to see the good.  I think we all do this from time to time.  We feel burdened by these thoughts, big or small, and sometimes let them affect our day.  Life is not easy, simple, or perfect. We are meant to have challenges to help us grow and learn, if we choose to do so. It's important to remember these things as we begin to get overwhelmed.

This morning I woke up and I said a little prayer, asking God to help me think positive thoughts today.  At that moment, as I handed my worries over to Him, I felt a release.  My patience seemed to grow and the stress of the morning rush melted away. 

In the spirit of thinking happy thoughts, I would like to share a few of my blessings...

1.  My husband is my prince and the love of my life.  In him, my boys have a wonderful dad.  I'm grateful that my boys can see a marriage, while not perfect by any means, that is full of love and respect.  If you listen to Christina Aguilera's song The Right Man, it speaks volumes about how I feel on this topic.

2.  M & O bring me an endless amount of joy, laughter, & smiles!  To me, there is nothing more uplifting than a smile, kiss, hug, or "I love you" from one of my boys.  Another part of my heart was unlocked when these two came into my life.

3.  While growing up was no picnic, I am grateful I had an incredible mom.  When I see her interact with my boys today, I feel so blessed that they have the best Grandma in the world.  As a mother-in-law, she's very accepting, loving, and kind.  In fact, my husband loves her almost as much as I do.  We are very lucky to have her in our lives.

4.  I have great friends!  Over the years, I've been very blessed to meet and become friends with some wonderful people.  While we don't always agree on politics, clothes, cars, or other random things, I find such a great level of respect for my friends.  I have friends in various states and miss those who live far away a great deal.  To those special people I would like to add...  Thank you for always being there, even when you aren't here!

5.  Many members of my husband's extended family welcomed me without hesitation, at least none that they showed. *wink*  Although we live far away now, I was able to spend 6 years in Maine getting to know them.  For me, seeing 6 brothers and their families getting together, because they actually like each other, is truly a blessing!  Honestly, as much as I tease them, I am proud to be a member of the family. 

I only listed 5, but there are countless blessings in my life.  What are some of your blessings?