Find Your Spark

I'm going to do this.

2012-11-27T14:25:00.000-08:00

On my mind today. :) I think that sometimes the difference between winning and losing, success and failure, is this gray line between will, passion and self-belief that says, 'I'm going to do this'. - Howard Schultz

One Year. 11.11.12

2012-11-11T14:46:00.002-08:00

It's been a year. I'm not sure where or who I thought I'd be at this point. Happier? Better? Healed? Still broken?Stronger? I'm so thankful I do not have to define myself and can just be where I am. One thing is for sure, we did not go through this year alone. Through the countless prayers from family, friends and strangers. Through TJ holding me and not saying a word. Through him

Day 31: Hope. Truth. Gratitude.

2012-10-31T00:01:00.000-07:00

31 days ago, I began this challenge among more than a thousand others. I am not sure why I did, or that I was remotely qualified to do so, but I'm glad I did. I don't know if many are out there reading, or just a few, but that's not what matters most. I am on a journey. A crazy, rollercoaster journey. This little blog is helping me sort through it a little easier, and doing anything difficult

Day 30: Listen

2012-10-30T17:24:00.005-07:00

“Listen to the mustn'ts, child. Listen to the don'ts. Listen to the shouldn'ts, the impossibles, the won'ts. Listen to the never haves, then listen close to me... Anything can happen, child. Anything can be.” ~Shel Silverstein “Hope is the thing with feathers That perches in the soul And sings the tune without the words And never stops at all.” ~Emily Dickinson "They say a

Day 29: Living Gratitude

2012-10-29T16:07:00.002-07:00

Can't say it better than JFK. This is what I needed to see and remember today.

Day 28: Weekend Wrap-Up

2012-10-28T18:35:00.000-07:00

I truly believe weekends are for resting. The Hubs and I have been working super long hours recently and by the time the weekend arrives, we are spent and just want to refresh. This weekend was so great because we did a lot of relaxing but were also incredibly productive around the house. As mentioned yesterday, we did the fall swap and laundry tons of laundry and cleaning. We also

Day 27: Saturday Happenings

2012-10-27T19:12:00.003-07:00

Hello, Friends! My Saturday posts are pathetic. I can't miss a day of the 31 day challenge so here's what we're up today: 1) Fall closet clean-out and clothes swap. {I dislike this chore in a big way. Anybody else?} 2) Loads, and loads, and more loads of laundry. 3) Fun, relaxing late lunch after said chores. 4) Errands around town. 5) A little painting prep and inspiration below. We

Day 26: Sustained Joy

2012-10-26T04:00:00.000-07:00

I love this one. I feel like joy is sometimes seen as a destination, not a journey.So, if we are so focused on how happy we will be when {fill in blank with your hopes here}happens...what are we doing during our journey to that destination? Do we ever really arrive? Are we supposed to just hold on tight and close our eyes until the ride is over? This month, focusing on being

Day 25: Rise Up & Be Thankful

2012-10-25T06:00:00.000-07:00

Have a Thankful Thursday!

Day 24: What I'm Loving Wednesday

2012-10-24T04:00:00.000-07:00

Hey There! I know this is not a "glass is half full statement", but I am loving that Wednesday means one day closer to the weekend. Just being honest. ;] Kids say the darndest things. I love hearing what they come up with on a daily basis. Recently I learned that Benjamin Franklin had a mistress, bigfoot is really real, and fourth graders know the words to gangnam style {and the

Day 23:Ordinary Blessings

2012-10-23T18:39:00.002-07:00

Ordinary Blessings: 1) Doing the dishes after dinner. Grateful we have an abundance of food, much more than we need. 2)A safe car.{currently with a flat tire} 3) A job and a chance to be someone's "favorite teacher" when they remember their childhood. 4) More clothes than I could ever need. {And yet I stand in the closet many days claiming I have nothing to wear!} 5) Laundry to

Day 22: Seeking Out the Storms

2012-10-22T00:01:00.000-07:00

I am trying my best to focus on the positive and not seek out the storms which accentuate the negative. Besides daily thanking God and stopping to appreciate the small moments and things around me, I don't know that I am effectively doing this. I tend to get fixed on something that is bugging me or not going smoothly in my day which leads me to stay in the clouds when I could

Day 21: Weekend Wrap-Up

2012-10-21T16:15:00.001-07:00

We had a great weekend! It was very low key for the most part, which is so needed after a busy week. A couple of movies and some ordering in were definitely in order. Today, we went to the Panthers game which was so much fun. They didn't win, sigh, but it was a beautiful day and I couldn't think of anyone else I'd rather spend it with. Things I'm looking forward to this week: Zac Brown

Day 20: Cozy Saturday

2012-10-20T18:45:00.002-07:00

We are having one of those pj-wearin', couch sittin', movie watchin' kind of nights. Hope yours is just as lovely!

Day 19: Rekindling the Spark

2012-10-19T04:00:00.000-07:00

When I began this little blog, my spark had been extinguished. It's ironic and appropriate as I think about that time now and how the name of this blog came to be. My sister gave me a book called The Mourner's Book of Hope: 30 Days of Inspiration. I read it each day for thirty days, and in the book I read about the role hope can play in the loss of your divine spark. There was that

Day 18: Fear and Abundance

2012-10-18T06:00:00.000-07:00

It's true. When you stop focusing so much on what is lacking, you will realize what is abundant. I will be first to admit that this is a struggle for me. Deep down I know what is important and I know what matters. Part of this challenge for me was to really stop and recognize all of the gifts, big and small in my life. Think about it. Do you live your life in fear for what is not

Day 17: What I'm Loving Wednesday

2012-10-17T03:00:00.000-07:00

Hello, Wednesday! It is a busy week around here. How about you? Here's what I'm loving today... I love that my sister thought of me when she saw this commercial and said it reminded her of me and keeping positive attitudes. And I love how I've had a day (or two!) like that this week, except mine involved a Bernese Mountain puppy chewing destroying several of my favorite pairs of

Day 16: What NOT to say

2012-10-16T01:00:00.000-07:00

Yesterday got me thinking. Since pregnancy loss is somewhat of a taboo subject, people don't necessarily know how to say or what to do when someone they love loses a child. Just as I was searching for a "how-to" booklet on grieving, there isn't exactly a right or wrong way to do so, just as there isn't in supporting someone you love in a time of despair. I have had friends say to me, I don't

Day 15: Pregnancy and Infant Loss Remembrance Day

2012-10-15T06:55:00.000-07:00

Today, I join thousands and thousands of others in celebrating and remembering the souls of those whose lives ended far too son. For those who lived in their mother's womb, never in their arms. I join the mothers, fathers, sisters, brothers, aunts, uncles, grandparents, and friends who are grieving for a precious baby in Heaven. To find out that I was not alone in my loss was both comforting

Day 14: Weekend Wrap-Up

2012-10-14T16:56:00.002-07:00

Hello, Friends! I hope you had a great weekend and were able to rest, relax, and do something fun. Fridays we are so tired, so usually we lay low, pick up dinner and watch a movie or catch up on dvr. Those are the most perfect nights, in my opinion! Saturday, I did some much needed fall cleaning while the mister played in a golf tournament. Then, we did this: Ok, well not exactly. We

Day 13: Dear 17 Year Old Me...

2012-10-13T09:13:00.000-07:00

Do you ever forget how old you are? When you are little you say things like "when I grow up..". You talk about growing up like it's something far away in the future and those who are already grown up really seem to have their stuff together. This was the case for me, at least, with my parents and grandparents being the prime examples. But, when do you transition between "growing up" and "all

Day 12: Words

2012-10-12T07:00:00.000-07:00

A little Pinterest inspiration for you {and me, too} today. :) Have a happy Friday!

Day 11: Life in the Waiting Room

2012-10-11T07:00:00.000-07:00

I have spent a lot of time in waiting rooms. Literally and metaphorically. It's the place where you are, in many ways, stuck. It might be that you're late for work and in a hurry. It might be a place where you feel anxious about what is to come, in a state of uncertainty. It's the place you have to sit to get where you eventually need to be, and you hardly ever bypass the waiting

Day 10: What I'm Loving Wednesday

2012-10-10T07:00:00.000-07:00

I am in love with the cooler weather. It's at that perfect time of year where the boots are out, sweaters are on, and it's crisp. It's not frigid, not so cold you don't want to be outside. Just right. I am loving Phillip Phillips' song, Home. I am sure you have heard it but if not, take a listen. Hold on, to me as we goAs we roll down this unfamiliar roadAnd although this wave

Day 9:Attitude

2012-10-09T17:44:00.003-07:00

“Our lives are not determined by what happens to us, but how we react to what happens; not by what life brings us, but by the attitude we bring to life. A positive attitude causes a chain reaction of positive thoughts, events, and outcomes. It is a catalyst… a spark that creates extraordinary results.” I am on a mission to change and improve my attitude. While we cannot change what happens