Magnificent Mondays

It's Monday, and I think I have come to recognize that I love Mondays. Instead of the typical dread that Monday usually brings others, I feel a sense of adventure. I look at the week ahead and see a blank slate, I can determine where I want to go and how I want to do this week. I look at our school schedule and I get excited about all the reading and learning that will happen.

Today is not just a normal Monday, but also the first day of February! A double Yeah!! A whole month before us! That means a new character trait focus for us. Last month we focused on obedience, this month patience. I am excited to see where God leads me and our children as we dive into patience and what that looks like in our lives. I am following the information offered HERE for our character training.


Still planting truths in the garden of my heart. I have found some young fruit already from the truths I have been working on last month - reminding myself to dwell on scripture and when a bump in the road happens I turn back to that same scripture. So I am excited about seeing even more fruit in the weeks and months to come. This next Scripture I am borrowing from Lisa @extravagantgrace - I love this simple and profound verse.

What a great verse to kick off this month, a month of love and hearts, a month of blessings others - a month of obeying. Lisa asked this question on her blog:

Friend, what is the one thing you will strive to obey the Lord in this month, as a demonstration of your love for Him?

My answer: I want to obey my Lord by being peaceful in troubling times, turning to him first to comfort me and calm. I want to choose to have faith that he is working in all that happens and that he will use it to bring himself Glory. I hope to obey his command to have peace, trust and faith in him.

Maybe one reason why I love Mondays is I get to revisit my gratitude journal and reflect on the many things I have to be thankful for, too many to list, but here are a few highlights:

31. days of being home and enjoying the slow pace of life, school and fun
32. blessing new friends with homemade bread - that they cherish
33. feeling a part of our new church, and starting to really feel like it is our new family
34. catching up on school, but not feeling rushed, just enjoying our books and the stories we are learning
35. watching my kids continue to delight in our piano and recalling songs they learned long ago
36. sunshine - and the promise of spring
37. hearing our first bird song while schooling and knowing more are to come
38. see God's abundance in our pantry and refrigerator and remembering his many blessings
39. seeing Robert enjoy his new job, and looking back over the last year and seeing Him move in our lives in a mighty way
40. excited about seeing my brother in Oregon one day soon, praying for it to happen in 2010
41. the upcoming Whole Heart conference later this month - so excited to hear Sally and all that God has laid on her heart, to visit with friends and have time away to recharge and be energized!
42. sharing prayers on my heart with my mom who I know will pray for me - that has been such a sweet gift - reconciliation after 17 years - so precious
43. being asked to pray over my child at night - him wanting those words spoken over him and for him
44. seeing my boys love each other through words and actions
45. maintaining my calm when #44 does not happen, and disciplining in patience and love