Counting My Blessings

Today, I had a meeting with another sales rep from another company. Yesterday, I found out that I have my first ever sinus infection. Now, admittedly, I never dress and have my hair and makeup done like I just stepped out of a magazine but today I was doing good just to get to work. I am wearing pants that are a little too short but they are comfortable and they were clean, my shoes are not cute but they are very comfortable, and there isn't any hint of make up, even to try to cover up my Rudolph like red nose (from all the sneezing and from it CONSTANTLY running) and my hair is in a unbrushed pony tail. She comes in wearing a dress that hits right above her knees, boots that come up to her knees, make up done just right and not a hair out of place. By the time she left I felt way grosser than I even had before. Couple that feeling with what can only be described as a TERRIBLE, NO GOOD, VERY BAD work month that today is the end of and the effects of the sinus infection and let's just say that I wasn't exactly a ray of optimism and sunshine this morning. These are the things I was thinking:

I am NEVER "put together" i.e. dressed well, hair, make up and jewelry all in place.
My car is always messy.
I am always behind on housework and laundry!
I cannot cook well, I do try but it is certainly NOT one of my "talents."
I always have good intentions but I never do as much with church and for those who are sick and/ or are needy as I know I could.
It has been over five months since my wedding, I STILL have not finished my thank you notes.
I always seem to run late.
Whenever there is an awkward moment, I am never going to come up with something to say to make it less awkward. For that matter, I am not even going to be able to keep it at the same awkward level, I am ALWAYS going to make it worse.

All of these things were running through my mind today and the devil was really using them to get to me until I remembered all of THESE things:

Whenever someone needs me they NEVER have to wait on me to get ready. I have no problem going in public a hot mess if someone needs me. That means something to people that you care more about being there as fast as possible in their time of need rather than how you look when you do get there.

I never tell my husband or a friend or family member that we can't do something fun because I have to clean house. I try to keep it where I would never be embarrassed if someone walked in with no notice and I AM trying to do better in this area but I know people who miss out on things a lot with the people they love the most in the world to clean house. I vow to try to find a happy middle ground between living in filth and making my house so clean that no one can be comfortable in there and I miss out on things keeping it so clean.

I married a man who doesn't really care about what we eat. He's just as happy eating McDonald's as he is when I work for hours preparing a four course meal. I am trying to cook more and get better at it but I am also trying to manage my time better and spending hours in the kitchen after we get home from work and not eating until 8:30 does not fit into my time management plan.

I am ACTIVELY working on getting better about helping others. I made this goal when I had SO MUCH help after the surgery but I have fallen VERY short of my goal. On this one, I choose to look at those who I have helped and think about those that I am GOING to help because I AM determined to do better. I am just SO thankful that I have SO MANY examples of how I want to be around me and that have helped me in my own life!

I am SO GRATEFUL that SO many people loved us that I have this problem with the thank you notes!!! What an AWESOME problem to have! (I know, I know, I'm getting on them!!!)

One of the main reasons I always run late is because I HATE getting out of bed with my husband! I told him just the other day and I mean it, I am SO excited every morning that I wake up and he is there! I feel sorry for people who live with lots of people before they get married because I don't think they ever get that excitement of getting to wake up with the person you love most in the world every morning! It's definitely not a good excuse for being late but it IS a blessing!

I never seem to have the right thing to say to people in an awkward moment but I ALWAYS have the right thing to say to God and I always make a point to pray for people when they ask for it or I see the need and I am so grateful that I have that avenue of prayer and that I never have to worry about what I am saying to Him.

When I walk in a room, no one looks at me and says, "Wow! She looks great!" or "Look at that outfit, I want to look like that!" but there is a little seventeen month old who's face lights up every time I walk in the room. To her I always say the right thing and she never cares what I am wearing or if my hair is done she just cares that I am THERE and that she knows how much I adore her. She doesn't have a lot of words she knows yet but there she will never learn one that will bring my heart any more joy than when she says, "LaLa" :)


I have blessings that I remember a lot (health, great family, the best husband, money to pay the bills, food to eat) to be grateful to God for DAILY but these are some that I overlook A LOT and that I seem to only look at the negative sides of these things. Today, more than anything, I am grateful that God gives us the ability to see that glass half full!