Starting the Week with a Grateful Heart (+ a Giveaway!)

this week, i'm grateful for one thing:  jesus.

because jesus = hope.
jesus = life.
jesus = healing.
jesus = comfort.

we got some not-so-good news about my dad last week.  his cancer has stopped responding to the meds he was on and so that means a little bit of waiting (the worst part of it all), and a trip down to penn tomorrow to figure out what the next step is.  he's in the hands of one of the best thoracic oncologists there is, and of course, more importantly, the hands of jesus, but this ride is still pretty scary.

so today, my heart is particularly grateful for a relationship with the ONE who saves, the one who gave it all so that we may have eternal life in him forever.  i'm grateful that he upholds the weak and broken and gives shelter and refuge to the weary.  i'm grateful that we have a support system of prayer warriors surrounding us, and i'm grateful that HE has the last word.

as usual, i'm linking up with ember grey for grateful heart monday! emily runs the grateful heart link-up every monday, and it's open all week…i encourage you to go check it out, read some of the other posts, and consider participating!

i'm also partnering with rachel at oh simple thoughts and a bunch of other wonderful bloggers to bring you an awesome giveaway!  check out these girls' blogs and enter away below!

Oh Simple Thoughts // Modern Common Place Book // Heavens To Betsy // Rivers and Roads // Simply Sweet Melissa // The Ashcraft Bunch // Frankly My Dear // The Wetherills Say I Do // Half Pint Prints // A to Z // Rachel Rewritten // Flowers in my Hair

the giveaway will be live until this friday, june 13th. all entries will be verified so play fair! good luck!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

what are you grateful for today?

Starting Today with a Grateful Heart

it's grateful heart monday over on ember grey, and i've fallen in love with this habit of discussing some things i'm particularly grateful for every monday.

here's what i'm particularly grateful about today:

sunshine (and even the little sunburn i have on my shoulders)
a great weekend in massachusetts
a new dress
finding the perfect light pink nail polish
working at a job that i love
getting to see old friends
exciting projects at work
that aj and i get to work together this summer
some dreams & plans coming together for the future

as usual, i'm linking up with ember grey for grateful heart monday! emily runs the grateful heart link-up every monday, and it's open all week…i encourage you to go check it out, read some of the other posts, and consider participating!

what are you grateful for today?

Girl Talk // The Grateful Life

a little while ago, i started writing these grateful heart posts every monday, (thanks to emily at ember grey!)  starting my week off by listing some things that i'm grateful for has been an awesome practice, and one that has taken a lot longer than the past few weeks to get the hang of.

when i was in college, i started being intentional about living with a grateful heart.  i began looking for things to thank god for throughout my day.  when i grabbed the last bagel in the cafeteria or when a class got cancelled and i got to take a drive to the beach, i muttered a quick little "thank you" to jesus.

living with a constant sense of gratitude is one of the hardest things i can think of.  in a world that loves to complain, loves to belittle, loves to make things less than what they are, it can be difficult to find joy in the little things; in a parking space, your favorite coffee creamer being on sale, a passing rain shower.

and that's the problem, i think.  our world so often drowns out the gratitude.  ann voskamp once wrote that "our fall was, has always been, and always will be, that we aren't satisfied in god and what he gives.  we hunger for something more, something other."

that so adequately describes our human nature, doesn't it?  from the beginning, when adam & eve took the fruit, they did so because they were led to believe that there was something more.  and we all must live with the weight of that decision, always managing the tension between what the world wants us to believe and what our god has for us.

but the thing, friends, is that the simple act of gratitude, of finding joy in the simplistic, in the everyday, in the seemingly ordinary, can do wonders in the way of managing that tension.  and it's not just being happy or thankful for what you find, but knowing who to thank.

so here are a few tips for you on your journey to living a more grateful life:

what things do you do to make sure you live a grateful life?

The Best Way to Start the Week

let me tell you what's not the best way to start the week:  waking up at 4:30am to your almost-8-month-old goldendoodle howling at his reflection in your back door.  ugh.  ollie, you're adorable and i love you, but i absolutely hate your tendency to bark at night.

however, what is the best way to start the week is with a grateful heart!  so, without further adieu….

here's what i'm particularly grateful about today:

a much-needed run yesterday
a new coffee cup from starbucks this morning
catching creamer on sale at the grocery store (2 for $3, baby!)
creativity
family support systems
some new clothes
my brand-new (to me) baby, june the jetta! (more on that later)
being productive
my mom's baked oatmeal

as usual, i'm linking up with ember grey for grateful heart monday! emily runs the grateful heart link-up every monday, and it's open all week…i encourage you to go check it out, read some of the other posts, and consider participating!

i'm also sharing a tutorial on making your own soy candles over at lovely does it today…so check that out!

and just as an added bonus for your monday….i'm offering all readers 60% off of any ad space/package with the code "springhassprung".

what are you grateful for today?

Grateful Heart Monday

last week was crazy for my family.

my dad's mom was in the hospital from wednesday-thursday (two weeks ago) after having a tia (mini stroke, she's totally fine), and then my mom's mom fell outside her house on friday, landing herself in the er.  except she wasn't totally fine.  she had a stroke in her cerebellum, throwing off her balance, her blood sugar was sky-high, she became non responsive and started seizing, got herself one heck of a concussion, and checked into a room in the icu.  after being intubated with a breathing tube from friday-monday, she finally came off of all the sedation meds, started breathing on her own, and the tube came out on monday morning.  she's now in rehab and doing well, despite still being a little wobbly and having some lapses in memory.

besides all that went on with my grandmother, we had a little scare with my dad…he went to penn for his four-week check-up and has been struggling with a bit of a cough (always scary for a lung cancer patient).  a chest-xray revealed something in his left lung that the doctors decided they wanted a closer look at, so they did a ct scan on thursday and ended up finding that it was stable disease with one lymph node and one nodule just slightly larger than the previous read.  apparently these reads can be subjective so they're going to just keep and eye on it and they suspect the cough is from an infection so they put him on antibiotics.  either way, it was a nerve-wracking few days.

on top of all of that, aj's grandfather is also in the hospital and not doing too well, so if you can keep him and their family in your prayers, that would be much appreciated.

so anyway, all of this craziness makes this week's grateful monday post all the more necessary and personally encouraging.

here's what i'm particularly grateful about today:

family
being on the mend
health
the puppy gets a haircut tomorrow (he's solo scraggly)
sunshine
aj's home!
my bro is home for summer as well
a potential second job on the horizon
catching a much-needed nap yesterday (the past week and a half has been exhausting in every way)

as usual, i'm linking up with ember grey for grateful heart monday! emily runs the grateful heart link-up every monday, and it's open all week…i encourage you to go check it out, read some of the other posts, and consider participating!

and just as an added bonus for today….i'm offering all readers 70% off of any ad space/package with the code "springhassprung".

what are you grateful for today?

Today, I'm Grateful For...

i love taking some time to think about the things i'm grateful for, and think that it's an awesome way to start the week!

here's what i'm particularly grateful about today:

fresh-made juice for lunch
my coworkers…i love working at this church!
a few days spent in boston last week with aj & that his summer break is less than 2 weeks away
sunshine and springtime (even if it's going to rain all week)
creativity in all of its forms
this new-found addiction to running
tomorrow is my last ministry class
finally finding a spring jacket after a two-month long search (it's the little things, friends)

emily runs a little grateful heart link-up every monday, and it's open all week…i encourage you to go check it out, read some of the other posts, and consider participating!

and just as an added bonus for grateful heart monday….i'm offering all readers a whopping 70% off of any ad space/package from now-may 1 with the code "springhassprung".

what are you grateful for today?

This Week, it's Grateful Wednesday

a few weeks ago, i started linking up with emily (over at ember grey) to start my week with a grateful heart.  i love taking some time to think about the things i'm grateful for.

this week has been particularly crazy and busy.  i'm on staff at a church of about 5,000 people and we're gearing up for our easter services next weekend.  that means having bulletins to the printer this week and finalizing plans and details, and lots of meetings.  this is my first year in my new position as creative arts project coordinator, and my bosses know that i blog, so they asked me to blog through next week.  (so sorry if you've been disappointed by my lack of posting these last few days…i've been writing, just not for heavens to betsy!)  if you're a blogger, you know that it can be really hard to pump out post after post, and i've been busy writing 8 different posts that will walk readers through the week between palm sunday and easter…talk about pressure!

anyway, i still wanted to get in thankful list this week, so here goes!

here's what i'm particularly grateful about today:

new glasses that have been shipped (even though they're reading glasses…which means i'll now wear contacts and glasses at the same time)
archer farms vanilla bean creme brûlée k-cups (from target…go get them now.)
a good report from dad's scans this week!  (his tumor is very small and everything is stable!)
exciting opportunities at work that are stretching and challenging me
one week til aj's home for easter
two weeks til i go to boston for a few days
being a part of an awesome staff
time scheduled to spend with friends this week
another day of subbing on friday (ka-ching!) $$ :)
warm weather & runs outside
achieving my goal of running 10-miles this past sunday!

emily runs a little grateful heart link-up every monday, and it's open all week…i encourage you to go check it out, read some of the other posts, and consider participating! 

what are you grateful for today?

Grateful Monday

two weeks ago, i linked up with emily (over at ember grey) to start my week with a grateful heart.  it was such a good way to start the week that i'd like to try to do it every monday.

here's what i'm particularly grateful about today:

a week spent with aj enjoying his spring break
my mom's baked oatmeal
a few days of subbing next week (aka:  extra income)
pretty mugs
discovering a new logic puzzle app
60-degree weather this weekend (even if they're calling for snow tomorrow)
cheap flights from philly to boston
other bloggers who encourage & inspire

emily runs a little grateful heart link-up every monday…i encourage you to go check it out, read some of the other posts, and consider participating! 

what are you grateful for today?

Grateful.

this week, i'm taking a page from emily's book (over at ember grey) and starting my week with a grateful heart.

here's what i'm particularly grateful about this morning:

that spring is in the air

an extra hour of sunlight

warm coffee during long morning meetings

running (yes, folks, you read that correctly!)

that aj comes home this week

a hot stone massage scheduled for thursday

a good report from dad's appointment today

fresh mango-pineapple-kale juice for an afternoon pick-me-up

emily runs a little grateful heart link-up every monday…i encourage you to go check it out and consider participating!  i know just writing this post changed my perspective on my day a little bit.

what are you grateful for today?

OUR THANKSGIVING

...was spent gathered around the table
and the garage
and the porch...
with over 50 people.
we're italian.  and educators, so we believe in inclusion. (heh...)  which means our family gatherings are large and in charge.

i'm kind of still terrible at remember to take pictures. (but i'm working on it!  i promise!)  but here are a few from our day...

that's my brother.  he's studying digital media.

we swapped cameras. i'm a nikon girl, people.

my mom & aunt swinging on the porch.  it turned out to be a beautiful day.

this just became my favorite picture of us ever.

HAPPY THANKSGIVING! {THANKFUL THURSDAY}

woohoo!  it's thanksgiving.  {my favorite holiday}

i hope you all are going to be surrounded by loved ones giving thanks today!

in light of it being thanksgiving (and the fact that we've already baked 4 pies and a turkey today), i'm keeping today's thankful thursday simple, with a little thankful list!

here's what i'm thankful for today:

friends

family

the best boyfriend in the history of ever

an awesome church

fellowship

new opportunities

education

coffee

autumn

my new gym sneakers

my camera

sleep

that this semester is almost over!

pretty mugs

good books

pie

enjoy your day!  and if you miss thankful thursday, you can still link up with a thankful friday, or saturday, or sunday post! :)

{THANKFUL THURSDAY} THOUGHTS ON COMMUNITY

as you know, i've been recently asking myself the question "why do i blog?"

one of the reasons i love blogging is the community that it offers. i've "met" so many great ladies through the blog world, and who doesn't like new friends?

after more thought on this subject of community, i've realized that i want this space to be so much more than me posting rants or photos or words, with the occasional comment.  

i want it to be inspirational.

i want it to be interactive.

i want it to be a place that fosters community.

so, dear reader, i'm asking you to join me this month in a weekly link up.  

every thursday, i'll be writing a post about what i'm thankful for.  and at the end of each post, there will be a space for you to link up your thankful thoughts.

there are no "you have to follow me" rules or anything like that, just a space for us to fellowship with one another as a community.  

link up, and visit some other posts.  

read, comment, share in a community. 

whether 5 of you or 500 of you participate, i'll be here, every thursday, sharing what i'm grateful for.  

let's celebrate what we're thankful for together.

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in keeping with the theme, one of the things i've been most thankful for throughout my life has been community.  

i am fortunate to have a tight-knit family community.

i was fortunate in college to live in a community of like-minded thinkers with a passion to change and affect the world.  

i'm currently fortunate to work and worship in a caring and warm community of believers.

community is defined as "a group of people living together in one place."

but in my experience, it's so much more.

it's caring about the common good.

it's learning to care about what makes others come alive.

it's being a family.

it's give and take.

it's sacrificial.

it's rewarding.

i don't think i'd be half of the person i am without the communities i've been a part of.  i've been shaped and molded by them in so many ways, and i'm so grateful for all of it.

what are you thankful for this thursday?

A thankful list.

Today, in the midst of the craziness of the last two weeks of the semester, I'm taking a moment to be thankful and appreciate the start of the Christmas season.  

via

here's a little random list of the things I'm thankful for today:

tea

playful kittens

being stronger than I was two months ago

friends

cozy sweaters

being single

the privilege to learn

a supportive family

this video

my first graders

that finals will be over eventually

cameras

christmas music

warm scarves

office volunteers

felted flowers

creativity

encouraging friends

homemade soup

running

snail mail

also, I'm guest posting over at Simply Us today!  Check it out!

Gobble Gobble!

Our Thanksgiving has consisted of over 40 people, 

turning the garage into a dining room, 

3 turkeys & a ham, 

and lots and lots of dessert.

Happy Thanksgiving to you!

thankfulness

Today, I'm thankful for:

1.  Electricity...

after five days without it, it's nice to have it back

2.  Friends...

both nearby and far away, old and new

3.  Missing people...

as hard as it can be, I think distance can be good for relationships

4.  Education...

the ability and privilege of learning is such a blessing

5.  Lessons currently being learned...

patience, walking in faith, and trust, to name a few

A thankful list

Life has just been so bizarre lately, but I think one of the easiest ways for me to process thoughts is to put them down in lists.  So, here's a little list of the things that I've been especially thankful for lately.

_______________________________________________

family, and the fact that we're close, both relationally and physically

friends, both close by and far away

time to relax and regroup

snow

dance

a hot cup of tea in a large mug

friday night dinners out with the family

blankets

books

_______________________________________________