thankful thursday

today i am thankful for time alone to recharge, read, think and dream - in a week that has handed me varying degrees of illness on various days - it has reminded me to soar above circumstances, to remember who i am at soul level and to not be defeated by situations that might not always go my way. above all i have been prompted to remember we control how we react to life and what it throws at us and how powerful that is. may i always remember to be thankful - that stance alone has helped me on more days than i care to mention.

Emma

Gratitude

Sometimes you can just watch things, and they catch you totally by surprise. Last week as I pressed play on a video that came through on my newsfeed I wasn't expecting to be in tears 5 minutes later- or inspired to show someone how much I appreciated them this week.

Have a watch.

Jane

best part of the week

Emma

This week I caught the running bug again, so much so that yesterday the entry for the half marathon was completed. It felt good.

Jane

thankful thursday

this week i am thankful for time away from routine, for blue skies and sunshine, for time to catch up with old friends, for overdue conversations of things old and new - i'm not sure anything trumps face to face conversation, for encouragement given and received, for timely reminders and for the starting of new projects.

Emma

weekend snapshot

Emma

thankful thursday

this week i am thankful for sleep, nine hours straight in one stretch - bliss. for early morning exhaustion keeping me prostrate in bed long enough for me to hear the birds sing and to realise it had been a while since i had been listening. for flowers in a neighbours front window; a rhapsody of yellow and violet that i have watched unfurl further each morning. for bright sunshine encouraging the already budding trees to show off their wares ever earlier. for overdue plans finally coming to fruition this weekend with a journey to old friends, affording me a much needed few days off and a sense of adventure.

Emma

love idol

this week has been one of those weeks. not enough rest and as an introvert on the myers briggs scale - not enough time alone to recharge. a week where i've had to sort out a mouse (although i suspect mice) that is clearly gaining access to my house judging by the gnawed kitchen waste bin under my sink and wrestle a wasp into a towel and out an open window before taking my morning shower. it's also the week where i realised at 5am the dress i planned to wear to work the next day was actually hanging up in my house and not in the bedroom of my friends house where i was staying, don't even ask me how i managed to forget it and not realise. a week where thoughts were plagued with all that is bad about myself, in my view of course. i've discovered my resistance is around three months - three months of busyness with little time to myself turns out to be end of my road.  

thoughout this week i have been reading on friends blogs about what they are either giving up or what challenge they are taking up for lent, today the one that hit me square in the face was jennifers. jennifer has written a book called love idol and in it she writes about letting go of our need for approval and seeing ourselves as god sees us. she has a whole love idol movement going on right now and has made available free printables to visually remind you. i've printed and framed mine and it's currently residing here

but jennifers is residing here

(photo courtesy of jennifer dukes lee)

this fearless lady is giving up mirrors for lent. you can read about it here. now i have to be honest, this has got me thinking the most. honestly? because i don't think i'd be able to do it. just last night i stood in front of my full length mirror trying on outfits as there isn't one in the bedroom of the friend with whom i am staying this weekend. 

i realised whilst reading her post that the printables have already helped me this week. when an old friend came a-calling - good old negative self talk - telling me i'm not worthy of love, not intelligent enough, that there is no way circumstances can be changed towards my dreams - what was i thinking? after a sustained period of listening to this little voice of not enough i stood up and read the words reminding myself i am beloved, preapproved, cherished. we all know to keep physically healthy it's important to eat right and exercise regularly it's no different for our spiritual and mental health and now i have a physical reminder of the healthy food i should be taking in daily.

thank you jennifer and may this kicking of love idols continue beyond lent, up to the books release and beyond.

Emma