A relationship with God. God's grace and unconditional love allow me to have the blessings in my life that I value. I am so fortunate to live in a time and place that I'm free to worship and express my faith without fear of harm or persecution. I pray that if that time comes in my life, I'll have the faith and strength to worship Him in spite of the physical dangers. I pray that He continues to bless my family and me with our health, happiness and well-being, and I pray that I never lose sight of where these blessings originate.
Family. Yes, I know this is the most obvious, but I value my family above everything else in my life aside from God. I am thankful that God has entrusted me with the care and upbringing of my two precious children, and I pray that (with His guidance) I can do a good job of it. I value my husband and thank God for bringing us together as man and wife, and I pray that He blesses us with many more years of happiness together. I value the love and support of my parents -- without them I would not be able to function. I am so very thankful to have such a wonderful Mama and Daddy. And the rest of my support network that I consider "family", though many are not blood-related (my dear friends included).
Time. The older I get, the more quickly time passes. And as a mom that works outside the home, my time with my family is so precious. Lately I feel like I've become a bystander in my own life because my life is so busy. I catch myself getting so caught up in doing the essentials that I don't have time to have fun and enjoy my children. I make a conscious effort (and sometimes I even say it out loud) to focus on the important aspects of life and everything else will get done somehow. Bethany reminded me yesterday that this hectic time in my life is just temporary, and believe it or not, I'm going to miss these days of running ragged.
Good health. Jason and I were discussing just last weekend how often we forget to be thankful (or even mindful) of the fact that we have healthy children. We don't have to look far to see others less fortunate. Our own experience with Josh a few years ago (I can't believe it's already been 4 years!) gave us a taste of what it's like to face uncertainties and fears about a child's health, and it was an eye-opening and humbling experience for all of us. And our own health. I daily take for granted the blessing of being able to get out of bed, drive to work, etc., free of pain or hinderances.
Opportunities. I value the opportunities given to me in all aspects of my life: to earn an education; earn a living; make friends; learn something new; read the newspaper; eat a piece of chocolate; travel to a new place (or an old one); laugh; cry; buy some of the things I want; sing a song; look at the clouds; I could go on and on.
Privacy. I consider myself a "people person," but I also value the time I spend in my own company, free to do whatever I choose. Since Hannah was old enough to walk, she's my shadow. Don't get me wrong, I love her company, but sometimes Mommy just needs a moment or two to herself...to have a quiet moment alone...in the privacy of my own bathroom...you get the picture. Not only that, but I treasure a few minutes when I can just have peace and quiet and nothing to think about or plan or DO.
Six things I don't value:
The outcomes of sporting events. I could care less about sports scores. True, I am a football fan (War Eagle!) and I enjoy NASCAR for the most part (GO JIMMIE), but it doesn't ruin my day if my team doesn't win. I could even care less if I actually watch the events (although I do enjoy going to a McKenzie football game to socialize or a Talladega race once a year). The outcome will be the same whether or not I watch it, and I usually end up doing other things during the game/race, etc., anyway.
Shopping. For me, shopping is such a chore. It stresses me out. I never find what I'm looking for. I'm too cheap and cringe at the thought of spending excessive amounts of money for things that won't be around very long. And I despise rude and unhelpful salespeople. I'd much rather shop online...at least I know I don't have to stand in line!
Worry. No matter what's going on in our lives, worrying won't change a thing. I can't waste my energy on worrying -- I'd rather do something about the problem. And when there's nothing I can do, I just leave it up to God. There are many times in life that we can't change our circumstances, but we can control our reaction to them. (Case in point...the upcoming election.)
Exercise. Obviously.
Politics. On the national level, I just get frustrated trying to keep up with who's on who's side and who's doing what. I don't really get caught up in choosing sides, I just choose to vote for the candidates who share my values (for the most part). I think we'd be a lot better off if people will just do the right thing without drawing party lines. In the corporate world, I hate it when decisions come down to "politics." Don't try to step on anybody's toes; don't make anybody mad, etc. But sometimes this gets in the way of doing business and making decisions that benefit the common good.
Fashion. Again, I know this is obvious to those that know me by my wardrobe. I like to look nice and it helps my feelings to get something new here and there, but I don't get caught up in name brands and fashion trends and the sort. I'm pretty sure the sweater I'm wearing right now has been in my closet for 5 years, and I'm not even sure if it's still in style. But these days, if it's clean, relatively free of wrinkles and it fits -- I'm wearin' it!!
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Now -- I'm s'posed to tag other folks, but I think everybody in my blog buds list has already been tagged at some point. So, if you wanna do this, too, please have fun. It makes you really think about your priorities.
