Thankful Tuesdays

I know, it's more common to have Thankful Thursdays, but Tuesdays are my least favorite day of the week so I tend to easily fall into a grumpy attitude. What better way to combat the lousy attitude than to focus on the many things I have to be thankful for, instead of wallowing in a funk rehashing all the ways that I hate Tuesdays.

1. Tuesdays are my piano lesson, which I enjoy and am very grateful that I've been able to fit the expense into our budget. It's a splurge for me, and I appreciate the opportunity it's giving me. It is the highlight of my day, and I’m glad it’s after work so I automatically seem to be happier when I’m home.



2. I've got plans to go out to lunch with a friend tomorrow which is always fun. And it's fodder for our joint restaurant-review blog. I think we’ve figured out where we’re going to go, which honestly is unusual for us. Typically we’re driving out of the parking lot saying “so, where do you want to go?” We usually go out once a week, and try to hit lots of different places in town. Our work is not located near any restaurants, so almost anything is a drive & takes awhile which is one of the reasons we limit it to only once a week.



3. I found out about a great-sounding book today that I put on hold at the library. I'd say I can't wait except I obviously can - I suspended the hold for a few months because I have such a backlog of reading material. But this way I won't forget about it and when the suspension ends the book will automatically come my way & I'll be very excited about it!



4. I love love love love love my iPod. Best gift ever. It makes some of my boring jobs at work so much less tedious. I get so much podcast listening done while I’m working away at tasks that require minimal mental effort. I would probably have lost my mind by now if I didn’t have it to distract me.

Memory Verse

Ephesians 4:29, New International Version

Do not let any unwholesome talk come out of your mouths but only what is helpful for building others up according to their needs, that it may benefit those who listen.

I picked this verse because I have been really convicted lately of my need to guard my tongue - I've gotten in a habit of careless speech, and other inappropriate comments. When I'd be embarrassed to have my husband hear what I've said, it's a problem. I cringe at the realization that God has heard every word I've said, and even more, the thoughts that I've managed to not verbalize but still had. Which will lead me into the next memory verse I've already selected. That one in Philippians about what things we should think on...

How Am I Using My Time?

This is prompted by an old post I ran across:
http://www.xanga.com/MrsCatherine/554917138/where-does-it-all-come-from.html

I find some of her comments really piercing, and they are ideas that I want to keep in mind as I go through my days.

For example, she observes that many times people

“complain about not having any time to do the things they need to in their homes” [and yet they may belong to dozens of online groups, subscribe to numerous online newsletters and blogs, etc.]

I know this has been an issue with me at times - I’d often rather play online than do what I know I should be doing, whether it’s housework, studying the Word, or even spending time with my husband. Sad but true.

As she questions

“What are we doing with our time?”

I’ve gotten much better about this - thinking about how exactly I’m spending my time, whether it’s online, or reading, or television watching. I’ve caught myself at silly websites and thought that I don’t want to waste half an hour playing around on that - there are more worthwhile sites I can visit with my computer time. I never had much of a TV habit, but I’ve become even more selective with what I’ll watch, knowing that I don’t want to find an evening has been frittered away on insignificant shows. I want to get maximum enjoyment out of any TV I do watch, so I have a couple of programs, and watch them after they’ve been recorded so commercials can be avoided.

I’ve always been a voracious reader, and used that as an excuse to read books that really aren’t that valuable or even enjoyable sometimes. My thinking was always that I can read really fast, so it doesn’t matter all that much. However, over the last year I’ve become much more selective about my reading, as it finally really sunk in that even at my reading speed there are way more books that I want to read than I’ll ever get to, so do I really want to spend my reading time on so much fluff?

My fiction reading has dropped dramatically, although I do still enjoy a limited amount. I read a lot more Christian Living / Spiritual Growth books, and I read the Bible daily. One of the most helpful ways for me to see the limits on what I can read is I set the book I plan to read for the month in one spot - and it makes it very clear that I have more books than I can even get through for several months (most are library books too - I am very blessed to have a great library system that I can take advantage of). I’ve already got September’s books in a stack, and plenty for October as well. I’ve been known to cull books from the to-be-read (TBR) pile when I realize that there are much higher priorities.

She also asks:

Do you spend your time being fruitful or do you waste it away on petty insignificant stuff[?]

Specifically she’s talking about physical clutter, but it also applies to how I spend my time, my money, my talents, my LIFE. I don’t want to waste my life, but instead make the most of all that I have. I want to hear “well done my good and faithful servant.” God’s given me 24 hours in my day. How am I using it?

Memory Verse

I once had a solid habit of Scripture memory, but like so many good habits it was much easier to let it lapse than it was to establish it originally. It's time for me to reestablish it.

Psalm 119:105, New International Version

Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light for my path

Beginnings

I've started & stopped several blogs, but never had a clear aim for them. Was I blogging for real-life friends & family to keep up-to-date on happenings in my life? Tempting, but I don't have any kids which seems to be real motivation for regular updates of that sort.

Was I blogging as a way of self-reflection and spiritual growth, to the degree that I was uncomfortable with the idea of family & friends reading it? Probably, because that's what I kept drifting back towards. So for now, that's my aim.

I think I want to blog because I've gained so much from reading others blogs. I am so thankful that I discovered bloglines, because it's the only way I'm remotely keeping up with the numerous blogs I read. But I don't like always feeling like a lurker, and yet it seems way more fun to comment if it may lead to a conversation, so I hesitated.

Oh, yeah, and I discovered the personal fun of blogging by starting a review blog with a friend. We've had a lot of fun with it.