Wednesday, December 17, 2014

Gratitudes 12/17/14

Today I am grate*full...

1. for my Everybody Can Play Supporters.
2. for my students.
3. for their parents.
4. for the gifts I received last night.
5. for a special intention.

Love~
Elizabeth

Tuesday, September 23, 2014

The only failure is the failure to begin again

"Silent gratitude isn't much use to anyone." ~ Gladys Browyn Stern

I have been really out of touch with my gratitude practice yesterday. So I am taking my own advice, and making September 23, 2014 my personal January 1 and starting my 365 days of gratitude over again.

Today, September 23, 2014, I am grate*full...

1. for a husband that cooks, cleans, and does laundry.
2. for the opportunity to be home and watch Rachael grow, to have early morning and post-school snuggles with Marc, and to help Melanie with her homework.
3. for the expanding opportunities I'm able to offer in my nonprofit.
4. for 24hoursofhappy.com (thank you so much Andrea for turning me on to it!)
5. for my friend JoAnn Thomasson who continues to post her blessings to our Facebook group.

Love~
Elizabeth

Monday, September 1, 2014

Gratitudes 9/1/14

“Gratitude is nutrition for a living relationship.” ~ Steve Maraboli

Today I am grate*full...
1. for a new month and the ability to buy food.
2. for the people who donated at Muddy Fingers so people like me can have low-income shares.
3. for FlyLady.
4. for Adobe Acrobat Pro PDF Creator.
5. for Everybody Can Play.

Love~
Elizabeth

Sunday, August 31, 2014

Gratitudes for August 31, 2014

“Most days I live awed by the world we have still, rather than mourning the worlds we have lost." ~ Paul Bogard

Today I am grate*full...

1. for naps.
2. for the beautiful baby who gave me the pulled muscle I have in my arm.
3. for new friends.
4. for how awesome the people at St. Mary's Southside are.
5. that we got to be part of Danielle and Adam's special day yesterday. Their wedding was absolutely beautiful :)

Love~
Elizabeth

Saturday, August 30, 2014

Gratitudes for August 26-30

“Life is a whirlwind of many opportunities. Choose to embrace all of them in deepest gratitude. Learn to forgive yourself and honour the heart that beats within you, as well as the head that rests on your shoulders. Learn how to believe in people again and not be judging or cynical to various beliefs.

"We are all of one light on this one Earth, and loving humanity makes all the difference.” ~ Michelle Cruz-Rosado

“Today I will find something beautiful.
Delicate pink blossoms on a cherry tree.
The dove resting near the lemon buds.
Sunbeams smiling from sky to earth.
Smiling on me.
"Creating" in BREATHE IN” ~ Eileen Granfors

“Appreciating what I have is my medicine.” ~ Betty Jamie Chung

“To live a life of gratitude is to open our eyes to the countless ways in which we are supported by the world around us.” ~ Gregg Krech

Today I am grate*full...

1. for this blog post from Momastery.
2. for Nutella and jelly sandwiches.
3. for Everybody Can Play.
3. for FlyLady.
4. that Melanie is getting close to being able to tie her shoes.
5. for warm weather. I love shorts weather, and the days that it will be warm enough to wear shorts around here are dwindling.
6. that we have enough food to eat.
7. that we have clean water to drink. I cannot emphasize this enough.
8. for a bed big enough to fit four of us since we seem to end up with Melanie and/or Marc in the bed every night.
9. for enough sippy cups that Marc and Rachael can fight over them.
10. that Marc liked his school.
11. that we had enough money left over after paying the rent to get some much needed snack food.
12. for fans.
13. that we're going to Danielle and Adam's wedding today!
14. for my friend Kelly buying ten raffle tickets for the Collective :)
15. that I can be a typing frog (Marc just took one of Melanie's toy magic wands and turned me into a frog.)
16. for how pretty Melanie and Rachael look in their dresses.
17. that Rachael is such a good napper.
18. for the power of routines. (Every day, sometime between 11 and noon, we put Rachael down for a nap, and usually, she recognizes it's naptime and goes right to sleep.)
19. for the cutie patootie outfits that our friend Ellen gave Rachael for her birthday!
20. for our little house. I really love our little house.

Love~
Elizabeth

Monday, August 25, 2014

Catching up the Gratitude 8/14 - 8/25

“I know what it is to have nothing and plenty. Always count your blessing and be grateful.” ~ Lailah Gifty Akita

“When the Altitude of Gratitude grows in Multitude with Certitude the World will perceive Beatitude” ~ Musab Faiyazuddin

“Be thankful for what you have. Your life, no matter how bad you think it is, is someone else's fairy tale.” ~ Wale Ayeni

“[I] never talk about gratitude and joy separately, for this reason. In 12 years, I've never interviewed a single person who would describe their lives as joyful, who would describe themselves as joyous, who was not actively practicing gratitude.” ~ Brene Brown

“A sincere attitude of gratitude is a beatitude for secured altitudes. Appreciate what you have been given and you will be promoted higher.” ~ Israelmore Ayivor

“Let us never be afraid of innocent joy; God is good and what he does is well done; resign yourself to everything, even happiness; ask for the spirit of sacrifice, of detachment, of renunciation, and above all, for the spirit of joy and gratitude.” ~ Henri-Frederic Amiel

“It is not what happens to you or for you that makes you grateful. It's how you respond to what is happening, that shows your belief about gratitude.” ~ Sumner Davenport

“When we maintain a conscious connection with Gratitude, our presence will naturally radiate a certain beauty and undisturbed, inner tranquillity. Such individuals glow. All such individuals look beautiful and seem irresistible to those who value goodness. They have an attractor field of loveliness which, likewise, tends to bring out the beauty in other people.” ~ Donna Goddard

“Take note and give thanks for all the good things present in your life.” ~ Amey Hegde

“Only unconditional grace can transform a hardened heart into a grateful heart. Only a free gift can demolish any notion of quid pro quo. Only an utterly merciful act of love can fashion a new creation capable of love. As theologian Karl Barth puts it, 'As the beloved of God, we have no alternative but to love him in return.” ~ Mark Galli

“Gratitude bestows reverence.....changing forever how we experience life and the world.” ~ John Milton

“I may not be where I want to be but I'm thankful for not being where I used to be.” ~ Habeeb Akande

“You were formed inside a borrowed womb—a nourishing safe haven for months—then delivered through painful effort and sacrifice by a woman willing to give you the precious gift of life. That truth alone deserves your gratitude and respect.” ~ Richelle E. Goodrich

“Embracing an attitude of gratitude is nourishing to the soul. When we allow ourselves to be engulfed in gratitude, this abundant soul nourishment overflows to your relationships, careers, and day to day lives. Act in gratitude today… If you are grateful to those you love, show them. If you are grateful to those who have helped you, show them. If you are grateful to your creator, to your family, to your friends, and you want it to be known, let it be shown!” ~ Steve Maraboli



Today I am grate*full...

1. for plenty of food to eat.
2. for clean, safe water to drink.
3. that my children are all with me and safe.
4. that my husband is alive and with me.
5. that I was able to sleep using just Valerian root last night. (I was good and tired. Giving the kids their baths definitely wears me out.)
6. The ability to sleep in while I'm unemployed.
7. The work I'm doing with the Collective. It feels like my true calling.
8. That it looks like we're going to be able to make rent this month. Yes, we should definitely make rent this month
9. for my pampering routine.
10. for my idea (inspired by FlyLady) to break my tub/shower into 5 zones for cleaning.
11. for the amazing tossed salad we had the other night with the fresh vegetables we'd gotten.
12. for the yummy sweet corn we got on Friday night.
13. that Mame is OK after the earthquake.
14. for my ability to write.
15. that John William Shook the Younger is doing laundry today.
16. that the tape on my laptop cord seems to be holding for now.
17. for the outing we had yesterday at Eldridge Park with the Unitarian Universalist Congregation of Athens-Sheshequin.
18. that the house is cool this morning (it's going to be HOT later).
19. for the extra two hours of sleep I got this morning.
20. for Friends (aka Joey Show) on DVD.
21. for the Today show.
22. that my three-year-old told me about the mess in his pants before it got too gross.
23. that it's supposed to be dry for the next couple of days.
24. for smart kids who amaze me and make me laugh every day.
25. for the life of my sister, Linda, who celebrates her birthday today.
26. for how she inspires me.
27. that I saw my friend Kevin for the first time in MONTHS today...maybe even over a year.
28. for the pleasant surprise I got today when I opened up my NYSEG bill! (Those are HIGHLY unusual LOL.)
29. that I took Melanie to the doctor to get to the bottom of her knee pain.
30. that I got a promotion at one of my oDesk jobs!
31. for my precious baby Rachael Evalyn Courtney Shook, on her first birthday, which was last Thursday, August 21.
32. for the roof over my head.
33. for our electricity.
34. for the idea for the First Wednesday Potluck.
35. for coffee.
36. for the song "Good Morning" by Mandisa.
37. for the song "Happy" by Pharrell Williams and its many and varied covers.
38. for the song "I Believe in You" by Amanda Marshall.
39. that I had a job interview last Thursday.
40. that I got the Everybody Can Play applications mailed out yesterday.
41. that we're going to get this company incorporated by the end of September.
42. for Steve Seaberg, who inspired the First Wednesday Potluck
43. for the Wellness Self-Management Personal Workbook.
44. for fans.
45. for warm showers.
46. for cortisone.
47. that I have now gotten both my cortisone shots and I'm good until December (or for a couple of weeks, who can tell? But I'm good for now, and my knees feel decent and I'm not in ridiculous pain).
48. for the job interview I had last Monday.
49. that by the end of this week (I hope), we'll have enough money for the rent (this one bears repeating).
50. those moments when I get so lost in the music I turn into a transdimensional space goat.
51. for my friend Toe who posts this wacky shit like transdimensional space goats.
52. that I'm getting my cortisone shot tomorrow (this one was from August 17).
53. that I already have an appointment to get the other knee done (also from August 17).
54. for my oDesk jobs.
55. for Google searches for prayers.
56. for my printer.
57. for Valerian root.
58. that I got to work for Alameda yesterday (this was from August 14).
59. that Savannah's baby is here!
60. that we got all three kids to bed by 9:00 last night (also for August 14).
61. for my ladybug toes.

Love~
Elizabeth




Wednesday, August 13, 2014

Gratitudes 8/8-8/13/14

“It's Wednesday. I am alive. I am breathing. God has given me another today. I am thankful. I am blessed. God is Good. Just for today ... I will look for joy in all things. I will enjoy what is beautiful. I will listen. I will learn. I will believe.” ~ Lori Homeyer

“Give and receive with gratitude. Do the former, without expectation of, the latter.” ~ Jaeda DeWalt

“Perhaps gratitude and love are one and the same.” ~ Erica Goros

“People are complaining of having rags and not riches, but I find it a blessing just to have rags, to wipe away the dirt and dust that may come in the course of life.” ~ Anthony Liccione

“Saying thanks to the world, and acknowledging your own accomplishments, is a great way to feel good and stay positive.” ~ Rachel Robins

“Today I am so grateful that God knows my heart.
Others may misunderstand my good intentions,
judge my words or deeds, find fault,
or blame what they truly do not understand.
But God knows my heart.
He knows I am learning, trying, endeavoring,
to be all He created me to be.” ~ Lori Nawyn

Today, and for the past several days, I am/have been grate*full...

1. for an automatic deposit from oDesk.
2. that my unemployment payment has been released.
3. that even though I've been out of work for over a month, I'm only on my fourth week of unemployment because of working the oDesk jobs.
4. that John shut off the second alarm (usually, if I get up after the first alarm, I'm the one who has to go back and shut off the second alarm, because John either doesn't hear it or chooses to ignore it).
5. for coffee.
6. for the drive through pharmacy at Rite Aid.
7. that I got to see Kristina yesterday.
8. for getting stuff for the students of the Everybody Can Play Music Collective.
9. for a good night's sleep.
10. for Joey Show on DVD (that's Friends).
11. that this sinus business seems to have passed.
12. that it was nice out Monday to clean my comforters.
13. for the ability to be flexible with plans.
14. for Nutella and jelly sandwiches (or Nujelly and sammich as Marc calls it).
15. for coffee (two different days, it counts LOL).
16. for "breathe in gratitude, breathe out negativity."
17. that Rachael Evalyn Courtney Shook takes her medicine so well.
18. that she seems to be doing so much better.
19. for the ability to begin again.
20. that I found a highlighter last night to work on my Arts Management reading.
21. for my to-do list.
22. for my husband - that he does laundry, cooks, and cleans.
23. for 750 words.
24. for hot showers.
25. for the roof over my head.
26. for my oDesk jobs.
27. for the interview I have this week.
28. for my iTunes gift card.
29. for my printer.
30. for clean, safe water to drink.
31. and to John Shook, Jr., for fixing my glasses so they don't fall off my face every time I bend or nod.

Love~
Elizabeth