Sheila from The Failte House: Living on Purpose

Happy Friday!  I hope each of you have enjoyed these posts and this series as much as I have.  These women are real and honest and their hearts are pure.  I love reading the different ways each person chooses to live on purpose.  Well, we are wrapping up the series soon.  We've got two more posts for next week, one being mine!  But today we have a special treat - the lovely Sheila from The Failte House Blog and Sheila Sheridan Photography.  Sheila is someone who inspires my core.  Every time we catch up she asks real, bold questions.  I love that in a person.  She is someone who chooses to live her life for Jesus on purpose and she does so fearlessly (or at least it seems that way:)!).  I'll let her do the rest of the talking today I suppose...

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When sweet Denise asked me to write a post on how I plan to Live on Purpose this year, I chuckled.  You see, three years ago Denise wrote a blog post about how she picks one verb each January and focuses on that word throughout the year. I was so inspired by her post, I made this part of my yearly New Year Eve rituals for the past three years.  

My first word was Gratitude – I wanted to learn to live each day with a thankful heart, focusing on the positive and learning to give thanks for the good and bad.  I also started a 1,000 Gift Gratitude Journal, a big thank you to Ann Vonskamp, and try to practice gratitude daily.  My second word was Courage – I wanted to let go of fear and learn to live life without being held back by my own worries.  I learned the best way to overcome fear is by just taking the first step.  It is amazing to see how many fears are left behind after you learn to take one small step forward.

My third, and current, word is joy.  My dream is to become a woman of joy with a content and grateful heart.  I want to wake up every day and make the decision to choose joy, even in challenging situations. And when I face conflict or trials during the day, I want to choose joy.  And when I go to bed a night, I want to look back and see how I tried to choose joy that day.  

Finding the beauty in every situation has not been the easiest, especially during this busy season of work, but I believe I am living on purpose in 2015 by continually striving to choose joy in all situations. It’s wonderful how a joyful, grateful and content heart can help you take an average day, and make it a beautiful day. 

Choose joy with me this year!

Xoxo always,

Sheila

Find Sheila Here:

Blog  /  Photography  /  Instagram

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thankful my baby girl is better!

via

** above pictures from a much better baby girl this week  **

last week was rough y'all.  like real rough.  g was the sickest she has EVER been in her life and it rocked this mama's world - emotionally and physically.  she had a fever (103.5!) for a few days, some tummy issues - oh and a lovely rash broke out just as i thought she was getting better!  and sleep?  yea there was none.  for anyone involved.  but the strangest thing happen.  in the midst of the midnight tears (from my sick babe and from yours truly) i would look down at my precious angel and be reminded of how blessed i was.  undeservingly so.  i get to be her mom.  i get to comfort her when she's sick.  and when she's really sick i get to put her in bed with me and rub her back for hours on end.  i get to do that y'all.  and i pray i never take that for granted.

parenting is hard.  the hardest thing i've ever done.  and you veteran mamas and daddys out there are probably thinking that i don't know the least of it.  and you're right.  i don't.  and i know it gets harder.  but it gets richer too.  

so this week we attempted to catch up on sleep, scrubbed the germs off of every surface in our house and try to establish better sleep habits... again.  i still think about last week.  and how hard it was.  how sad it was (seeing your baby sick pains you in ways you never thought possible, which then breaks for my heart for parents out there who continually see their child sick - i'm praying for yall, hard).  but i'm thankful for those cuddles i stole last week.  those mornings waking up to my baby girl.  and i'm thankful she's all better.  and that we can run and play this weekend.

happy friday friends - spend time on what matters this weekend!

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Tis the Season of Gratitude Part 3!

Today is the third post of our link-up series - Tis the Season of Gratitude.  Want to participate?  Copy and paste the button below on your Holiday Post and leave a comment below so we can come find you!!

Also - hop over and say hello to Sheila, Susan and Kelley!!

Susan is posting today!! GO READ IT! It's SO GOOD!

<a href="http://gratefullyinspired.com/"><img border="0" src="http://<a href="http://s1078.photobucket.com/albums/w495/deniselopatka/?action=view¤t=244953667203988033_plZwNd1t_c-1.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://i1078.photobucket.com/albums/w495/deniselopatka/244953667203988033_plZwNd1t_c-1.jpg" border="0" alt="244953667203988033_plZwNd1t_c-1"></a>"/></a>

Tis the Season for Gratitude: A monthly series dedicated to spreading a little bit of joy and gratitude around blogland.  A gentle reminder that a grateful heart is what this season is all about!  We hope you join us this month to help spread the Holiday cheer as we share stories, crafts, photos, and even a giveaway! :)

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Tis the Season of Gratitude

<a href="http://gratefullyinspired.com/"><img border="0" src="http://<a href="http://s1078.photobucket.com/albums/w495/deniselopatka/?action=view¤t=244953667203988033_plZwNd1t_c-1.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://i1078.photobucket.com/albums/w495/deniselopatka/244953667203988033_plZwNd1t_c-1.jpg" border="0" alt="244953667203988033_plZwNd1t_c-1"></a>"/></a>

Tis the Season for Gratitude: A monthly series dedicated to spreading a little bit of joy and gratitude around blogland.  A gentle reminder that a grateful heart is what this season is all about!  We hope you join us this month to help spread the Holiday cheer as we share stories, crafts, photos, and even a giveaway! :)

HAPPY DECEMBER SWEET FRIENDS!  I am so excited for today for so many reasons.

1. Its December.  December is the best month.

2. December is Christmas AND my birthday.  Boom.  Double Whammy. 

3. Today is the first day of a month long series I'm doing with 3 amazing blogland friends - Sheila, Susan and Kelley. Every Monday one of us will post something holiday related while the others will link to their post.  Today is the first day and guess what?  I'M UP!  Along with some photos from Matt and I's first Christmas as an old married couple :)

One thing I love about this time of the year (among about 50,000 other things) is the sense of joy in the air.  I think everyone smiles a little wider, hugs a little longer and shares more freely around Christmas.  It just has that feel good time-ness about it.  Leaves you feeling like you helped someone out.

But there is something else that tends to show up this time a year – something not so warm and fuzzy.  It’s a word I don’t use often and it’s a word I never thought applied to me – until yesterday.  I was leading a middle school small group and the topic was gluttony.  What’s the first thing that comes to mind?  Overeating of course.  Eating too much.  Eating too often.  Eating when you’re not hungry.  That is the definition of gluttony right?  So I thought. 

While yes that can be a part of the word gluttony, it is much more than that.  It is having or doing anything in excess.  It is when something in your life becomes a “need” when in reality it’s not such a thing.  It’s when something is coming between your relationship with God, your relationship with your family, maybe your relationship with yourself.  It’s putting something on a pedestal.  It could be eating, yes.  Or it could be technology – maybe you are instagramming it a little too much and not taking in the moments.  Maybe it’s even blogs?  Are you holding your blogs on a pedestal as if you need them?  Maybe you get wrapped up in the gifts and the shopping?  I know I do…

That definition definitely applies to me.  Especially this time of year.  In the season of giving, I often become consumed with finding “the perfect gift” for a loved one.  I will shop and compare prices and Amazon reviews until I carefully make the right choice.  I spend so much time on the buying of the gift that I forget that it’s really the thought behind the gift that the receiver will appreciate.   Now don’t get me wrong.  In no way at all am I saying that thoughtful gift-giving is a sin or wrong in any way.  Thoughtful gift-giving is a privilege and one of the best things about this time of year.  But in my life, it can take over.  I will spend 2-3 hours a night looking on the internet for gift options instead of asking my husband how his day was.  I will check Gilt Group right at 12 noon instead of focusing on the student I’m working with.  OH and not to mention when I come across something that maybe I would want a as a gift.  My wallet suffers from both ends!  In my life, it can get in the way and it can just become too much. 

So during this season of Gratitude I am challenging myself.  Challenging myself to spend less time on the gift-shopping and more time on the family cuddling.  Less time on the sale-scouting and more time on fireside chats.  Because in the end, we are celebrating this month.  We are celebrating something so much bigger than our idea of “the perfect gift.”  We are celebrating literally the Perfect Gift.  Jesus.  God’s one and only Son.  His birth and ultimately the salvation He brought each one of us.  And in the end it’s the people in our lives that need us more than we need the stuff.

Sevilla giving her dad kisses.

So what is it you struggle with when it comes to excess?  Any ideas or suggestions for remaining grounded during this excess-filled season?

Also – want to participate in our December link-up?  Copy and paste the button above on your Holiday Post and leave a comment below so we can come find you!!

Also - hop over and say hello to Sheila, Susan and Kelley!!

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thanksgiving

sooooooooooo i retweeted this quote the other day from Sarah, whom I believe retweeted it from someone else.  so basically it's going around the world wide web.  and it’s powerful.  and it's truth.  my pastor actually spoke on this last Sunday and it hit home hard.  i loved it.  basically, the opposite of gratefulness is entitlement.  bottom line.  if i'm not grateful i'm entitled.  so today, on thanksgiving i give thanks.  for the blessings in my life.  And for the god i serve.  grateful.  happy thanksgiving sweet friends.

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great expectations

source

Lately I've been thinking about expectations.  Are they good?  Necessary?  Or, as Shakespeare said, the root of all heartache?  Obviously, this question is two-fold, or three-fold, or maybe 147-fold, but what has it meant for me lately?  I try not to have them.  I hate being disappointed. 

Last night, Matt and I felt for sure we were going to get good news on a house we had just put an offer on.  Well, what do you know?  Bad news.  Disappointment.  But I don’t think I expected the good news, I just hoped for it.  Or did I expect it?  There is such a fine line between expecting something and hoping for it.  I mean, I always hold my students to the highest expectations in the classroom and I sincerely believe that pushes them to excel.  If all I did was hope they did well in school, I’m not so sure they would meet my hopes. 

source

But Matt and I went to a marriage fellowship night the other week at church and the preacher talked about the difference between expectations and desires in a marriage.  He talked about how expectations for one another can get dangerous because if your hubby (or wife) doesn’t meet these expectations then poof – you are disappointed.  And if they do meet your expectations then it is a flat line.  Neither sad nor happy.  Your expectations were just met.  But if your hubby meets your desires then it makes you happy, but does not lead to disappointment when they don’t. 

So maybe expectations aren’t a great thing in marriage?  But maybe they are a necessity in the classroom and with regard to personal goals?  And what about hope?  Is hope enough?  Or maybe I’m asking questions that are unimportant and maybe, just maybe the key to everything is simply a grateful heart.  It seems like everything I have learned lately leads back to this feeling of eucharisto (thanksgiving).  If we are truly and utterly grateful for what we are given in life then we achieve more than we could’ve imagined – high expectations or not.  When you start expecting things, you start feeling entitled and less grateful for the things you do have.  So my hope is that I will focus more and more on my eucharisto.  I hope I will be more aware of my blessings and that a grateful heart will abound. 

I apologize for the mumbo-jumbo today.  Hope I wasn't rambling too much.  But what about you?  What do you think about expectations, hope and eucharisto?

Tomorrow I will be catching ya’ll up on my 1,000 gifts list I started a few months back with Sarah.  I have been keeping my list in my journal and have failed to update it here on my blog.  So get ready for a much larger list tomorrow!

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loss and gratefulness

OK so.  This is the third time I’ve written this post.  Looks like this one, unlike the other two, didn’t get deleted.  There are a few reasons why I’ve so hesitated to post this.  First, I’m about to get personal ya’ll.  I share little bits of my heart on here all the time, but this one cuts deep.  The truth is, life isn’t always unicorns and rainbows.  Not in your life and certainly not in my life.  And sometimes, I feel like I put pressure on myself to always put uplifting and encouraging posts on here.  I worry what others will think the first time I post something personal or sad.  I worry that people will judge me.  But a few months ago I read Sarah’s post that encouraged me.  Mine doesn’t look exactly like hers, but I will say that I have come to respect and love this little bloggy community I have found.  The past few months have been hard.  And it is amazing how much encouragement I have found in reading so many other blogs who have experienced something in relation to what I have.  So enough I already I know.  I’m stopping the justification and saying thank you.  Thank you for letting me be honest on here.  I pray that my post will encourage just one woman out there – one family.  Because that is reason enough for me.

So what is all this about?  Well just a few months ago, on July 9, 2012 Matt and I found out we were pregnant.  PREGNANT.  Holy cow.  Blood tests confirmed the next day I had a 5 week old baby just a cookin.  We were surprised.  So surprised.  We weren’t technically trying.  But we were overjoyed.  Absolutely ecstatic.  6 days later one of my best friends got married and I happily faked drinking water out of beer bottles and non-alcoholic margaritas.  I was walking on air.  But I’m a worry wart.  A crazy one.  And I was so nervous.  But I followed all my rules to the T and Matt and I anxiously went to our 8 week appointment on August 6.

That was a hard day.  Probably the saddest day I’ve had in my entire life.  No baby.  No heartbeat.  Hormones? Check. Amniotic sac? Check.  But my little one that was once was no longer.  The medical term is “blighted ovum” but the term that hit me like a ton of bricks was “miscarriage.”  Miscarriage.  I believe this is one of a woman’s biggest fears.  And no matter how many people can relate, or how far a long you were or weren’t, it hurts.  More than I can explain on paper.  More than I can explain in words.  I felt lost, I felt alone and I felt empty.  I am so blessed to say that my husband truly was and is my rock.  He carried me and continues to do so.  His strength brought me through when I had absolutely none.  And I know he will make an amazing father one day.

Fast forward to today, October 4, 2012, and here I am.  Still going to doctor’s appointments almost weekly trying to get my body all figured out.  We aren’t going to try for a bambino for quite a while now because we want to focus on us some more and do a little travelin’.  And I kinda need to stop being so emotional before we put another baby in my belly.  But I’m OK.  No.  I’m better than OK.  I am grateful.  You see, the immediate days following my August 6 appointment were filled with sadness yes, and a lot of anger.  I was so mad at God.  How could he take what was mine?  How could he put me through something like this?  And you know what He did?  He could’ve (and probably should’ve) shaken me by my shoulders and screamed, “Stop talking crazy child,” but instead He just held me.  He held me close.  He reminded me that He is good.  He has a plan.  A plan that is so much bigger and better than anything I could ever dream of.  A plan that makes His kingdom bigger and my heart more full.  So it is with truth that I can say for this experience I am grateful.  Sounds strange to some maybe.  I am actually grateful for my miscarriage.  Now don’t get me wrong.  It still hurts.  It’s still sad.  But slowly He is healing me. He is drawing me closer and closer to Him.  I am becoming more of Him and less of me.  He showed me a side of my husband I have never seen before.  One that is strong and trusting of the Lord and one that gives me great confidence for our future. 

So yea, I am grateful.  And I pray that if anyone is reading this or has experienced any kind of miscarriage or losing a child, please know I am praying for you.  Every day.  If you want a blogger friend to talk to, email me.  Every miscarriage experience is different but every experience is painful.  I pray that you know you are not alone.  And that God is holding you.  And despite how you feel right now, He is good.  It’s crazy how many people have experienced this exact same thing, but no one talks about it.  Well, I just did.  And I know a lot of other people who are starting to as well.  Because that’s real life.

So thanks for listening today.  Hope it wasn’t too sad or down for you.  But it was real and honest.  Last, Matt and I started a journal for our baby when we found out we were pregnant.  I will leave you with a small bit of the last letter I wrote our precious babe.

“Thank you for filling up my heart fuller than I ever imagined.  Thank you for showing me how to love more fully and more unconditionally.  And thank you for showing me bits and pieces of your dad, I haven’t seen yet…. I love you.”

xoxo

choose joy

picture by me. quote via

i talk a lot about this choosing thing over here.  choosing joy.  choosing hope.  choosing faith.  well this week the whole choosing joy thing - it's been hard.  like really hard.  and i can't exactly pinpoint why.  i've had a lot on my plate lately i do know that.  but i'm always busy.  so nothing super new with that.  emotional?  yep.  but again, with me.  nothing new with that either.  whatever the reason or lack thereof, i need help choosing joy this week that's for sure.  and i loved receiving this quote in my Inbox yesterday from Anne's blog.  i needed that reminder.  and maybe you did too?

happy wednesday dear friends.

what's in a name

I’ve sat down to write this post a few times now. I have wanted to explain to my readers the significance of my blog’s name and how I came to the conclusion, but I haven’t been able to put to pen what is in my little head. That happens to me a lot. I will have an idea for a blog post and that idea will formulate in my head for weeks until I actually write it down. Maybe it’s “writer’s block” or inexperience, or maybe even laziness, but it happens. And it happens a lot.

That led me to think about timing. Timing in life. Timing in love. Timing in my little world. And you know what? I think the timing is finally right for me to explain my little blog’s name… I promise the rest of this post won’t be so dramatic.

Two words – Gratefully. Inspired. I think I’ll start with the second one. I have forever been in love with the word – inspiration. It brings forth emotions that are strong-willed, determined and loving. It has me thinking about my dearest family and friends, times of triumph and wise words. To be inspired is something truly great. It is what I look for every single day; something or someone that ignites a fire inside of me. Whether that fire burns for a cause, a task, a person or my own self-improvement that cause is given just meaning because of the inspiration it has offered. You see, I am an extremely passionate person – an all-or-nothing-kind-of-girl. May it be my blessing or my curse, I need passion in my life to do something well. My husband often has to ask me to lower my voice in restaurants because people around us are starting to shoot us worried and annoyed glances. As I begin talking about something I am passionate about, something that inspires me, my voice grows louder and louder and I become over-the-top animated (think wide eyes and hands flinging everywhere – yep I’m that girl). I can’t help it. It’s as if my body is a puppet and is being completely guided by the feelings in my heart –in my soul. I am consumed. So it is these inspirations of every day life that I look for – that I am driven by. Whether it be, the sweet note my husband leaves in my lunchbox, the nice lady who lets me go first at Port City Java, or a troubled student that has overcome their past to better their future– these are what drive me. And more than anything I hope that my blog offers you another way to look at life; that it reminds you that there are things, people and places that can inspire you if you let them. In my opening post when I said, “Sit back, relax” I meant it. Sit back and enjoy life. Take it all in and slow down.

That leads me to my first word – gratefully. The word "grateful" holds immense importance in my life, especially this year in 2012. Every year instead of making a list of 25 New Year’s Resolutions (that I usually end up breaking by March) my church, as a congregation, encourages everyone to choose one word. This word will be your focus for the entire year. This word will offer you a way to better live the way God had intended. This word will offer clarity of God’s plan. Now – this is not to say that my church is implying once you choose your word it will become magic and you will have a great year. It’s just saying that instead of focusing on so many changes in you and then loosing sight of all of them, focus on one word and see the change really progress. Well, you guessed it – my word is grateful. This is my year of being grateful. My husband and I have been through a lot of change over the last year – over the last 2 years really. We graduated grad school, got hitched, moved cities, bought a house, moved into that house, had to leave that house 2 months later, moved cities again and found new jobs. It’s been a lot. And in the midst of all of the change I found myself excited but sometimes frustrated and definitely overwhelmed. I am also a planner. Whoa baby am I a planner! I like to know the Who, What Where, When and Why two weeks in advance. And sometimes that leads me to miss the beauty of the Now. I am always looking to the next step. So this year I am focusing on being grateful. Grateful for where God has me in my life right now,grateful for the people He has placed in it and grateful for the plans He has for my future. And that’s where this blog was born. It was born in a part of my heart that led to my brain and here we are. I hope to chart my journey in life and not only remember, but write down (well, type) all of the many inspirations that leave me humbled and grateful.

So there it is –the meaning behind the name. I hope you’ll come back and continue to grow with me.

unexpected wake-up calls

You know those times in your life where everything seems to be going A-OK?  No one’s really sick, no one’s really sad – everything is just sorta smooth sailing.  And then it happens.  You get an unexpected wake-up call.  You feel that lump in your throat rising, you’re weak in the knees, you can’t speak or maybe you’re sobbing uncontrollably, and you just know something has gone wrong.  It can be a serious wake-up call where you lose someone or something in your life.  A traumatic experience that will change you and your loved ones forever.  Or maybe it’s a less permanent wake-up call that reminds you how blessed you are and just how short life is, but eventually life turns back to the way it was.

It’s these times in your life when you take a step back, reevaluate your priorities and hold everyone you love as close as you can.  You’re reminded of God’s grace and unconditional love and how comforting it is knowing that He is in control.  You look around at your home or your apartment and suddenly all of the “stuff” disappears and the only thing that remains is the people.  I think God does this on purpose.  He needs to bring us back to Him sometimes and in some cases the only way to do this is a wake-up call. 

Without going into too much detail, I experienced one of those wake-up calls this past Sunday.  Luckily it was replaced by the truth that everything will be OK and nothing has changed in my life for the permanent time.  But still.  Since then I drive with my windows down and the radio off.  I rush to the door even faster to give my husband kisses after work.  I break a smile in the middle of the day just remembering something funny my mom said the night before.  Right now I am present.  I am grateful for the time I am given and for the people of whom I can share it with.  And most of all I am grateful for those wake-up calls.  Those somewhat scary, uncertain times when God gives you a squeeze and reminds you just how truly blessed you are. 

So here’s to wake-up calls.  They happen every day and can be as subtle or as loud as God wants.  May they remind you of what is important in life and encourage you to live each day to the fullest.

These times also always bring back memories.  Happy memories.  So I'll share a few with you :)

family photo-op.  circa 1989.

the first time I held my oldest nephew. august 17, 2001

best friends, 2009

mexico with hubs, 2009