Lots of gratitude!

100) A beautiful, amazing week in Essex! Our weather here matched Florida's weather all week!

101) Wonderful air conditioning at home!)

102) Special night with friends - lots of laughs!

103) Jesus - where would I be without Him!

104) Clean laundry that's already folded!

105) A husband who makes me laugh :)

106) Young boy, devouring an ice cream sundae! Made my heart smile.

107) Mom & sister who are currently on their way home from an amazing missions trip to Zambia! Can't wait to hear from them!

108) Daily walks & lots of time for reflection.

109) Trip to the park with a special friend, and two wee ones! One slept, the other had his first experience on the swing!

Gratitude List to #99!

91) A wonderful long weekend, relaxing with my hubby.

92) Organized closets and bathroom cupboards! Wow, did we get a burst of energy this weekend for reorganzing a few things around here! Spring cleaning is here!

93) Church family.

94) Thrilled that my Mom is doing so well on her FIRST missions trip ever...to Zambia! So proud of my Mom for taking a huge step of faith. We are hearing great reports :) Miss you!

95) Lots of long chats with my Dad on the phone, because he is missing my Mom.

96) A wonderful trip to Halifax, to witness the vow renewal of Shaun's Mom & Dad. Thanks for a great weekend!

97) Mercies that are new every morning!

98) Hugs from little ones. Kids are special people!

99) For the truth of this song, "How marvelous, how wonderful, and my song shall ever be! How marvelous, how wonderful, is my Saviour's love for me!"

Prepping for the Big Day!

Shaun's Mom & Dad decided to renew their wedding vows for their 35th Wedding Anniversary. They flew Shaun & I to Halifax to celebrate this special day with them. This is a picture of the kitchen crew making loaves and loaves of sandwiches for the big day!
Krystyn & I
Working hard :)
Krystyn getting ready :)
Mama S. all decked out and ready to go!

Wedding Renewal Day!

Krystyn (Shaun's sister) & I.
Shaun & I.
Krystyn & Joanna
Getting ready to take off!
Mother & Son.

Vow Renewal Continued!

Mom & Dad S. in the limo! So great that Shaun's brother Jeff works for a Limo company :)
In the limo.
The clan in the limo.
Right before the ceremony.

Nanny & Mom.

Vow Renewal Continued

Mom & Dad S. at the altar renewing their vows.
Streamers on their way back down the aisle!
It was great to see everyone :)
Shaun & I
Slauenwhite Family

More coupon deals!

All of this for just 66 cents!!! Saved $22.37!
And this was all free! As well as 3 free boxes of motrin!

Halifax..here we come!

Well, we are off to Halifax later this week, for just 2 nights. Shaun's Mom and Dad are renewing their vows, so we are going for this wonderful occasion!

It will be a short trip this time, but it will be great to see everyone!

All is well here in Essex. Keeping busy, and enjoying life!

And my gratitude list continues:

81) Small blessings every day!

82) Husband who is so diligently folding laundry.

83) Wii Fit!

84) Delicious supper at Boston Pizza, with a gift card from my Mom & Dad !

85) Accomplishing so much today!

86) Fruit chillers!

87) God's still small voice.

88) A dear piano student who makes me laugh!

89) Quiet moments.

90) A car to drive in the rain.

And the list continues!

71) Wonderful Children's Workers who inspire me! Thanks for a great meeting.

72) The thought provoking lyrics of my favourite hymns.

73) Rain drops.

74) Wonderful grandparents who care so much!

75) Relaxing days spent with my hubby.

76) Late night pizza!

77) Amazing Grace!

78) The amazing church I grew up in, and all the people in my life who coached me along the way!

79) The power of prayer.

80) The internet. What a wonderful invention and way to keep in contact with friends and family.

Have a blessed day!

Gratitude List Continued

61) A special family that has moved away. We will miss you!

62) A beautiful sunny Monday! Perfect for getting reorganized for the week ahead.

63) Church services with so many friends that are like family.

64) Long chats while relaxing at the church cafe :)

65) New families coming to the church! So many new friendships in the makings!

66) A trip to Halifax in 2 weeks!

67) The still, small Voice (and the days when I am listening enough to hear it!)

68) Wonderful friend who recently had a beautiful baby girl.

69) Enchiladas made by a dear friend - turned out to be a fabulous snack after a busy day!

70) A husband who makes sure I have everything I need! What a guy!

Everyone Communicates Few Connect

"Communication" is a word we hear all the time, but the intricacies of this subject are astounding, as John Maxwell conveys exceptionally well in his book. Maxwell takes the reader on a journey of understanding the importance of effective communication, the consequences of poor communication, but the fulfillment that can result from excellent communication. He expresses many points through hilarious stories and analogies, which actually made me "laugh out loud"! He made the, sometimes, tedious parts of this subject easy to read by making the concepts relevant, understandable, and light hearted. This book would be perfect for public speakers, business executives and managers, but would also be a great resource for anyone who is interested in personal development, in the area of communication. I received this complimentary copy, for the purpose of review, from Thomas Nelson, and would give it a five star rating.

Gratitude List Continued

51) A Saviour who cares about the smallest details of my life.

52) Chinese food!

53) A husband who does so much, when I'm up to doing so little (silly headache!)

54) Lots of laughter in the church kitchen. Laughter is like good medicine!

55) Baby steps in achieving a goal!

56) Chatting with a friend who just had a baby! So happy for her :)

57) A postcard sent in the mail for me, from a special little girl. She is so thoughtful for just 8 years old!

58) Quiet time in the car, driving to and from Windsor (I'm sure I've made 20 trips there and back in the last few days!)

59) A new "cashier friend" at Walgreens who helps us find amazing coupon deals!

60) The B - I - B - L - E!

Contagious!

I was thinking last night how contagious this gratitude list has been! I am trying to limit myself to 10 thankful comments per day (don't want to overload my readers!), but sometimes I want to return to my blog and post more! Who would have thought that thankfulness would be so addictive?!

Gratitude List Continued

41) Brisk walk on a beautiful day.

42) An afternoon spent with some wonderful children.

43) Wet socks because the floor was wet from washing dishes (but this is a good thing - the dishes are done!)

44) An amazing husband, who always brings me a blanket and special pillow when I'm about to watch TV.

45) Clear thoughts.

46) Coupons!

47) Many unexpected blessings :)

48) Psalm 23

49) Grandparents who care so much!

50) Laughter, and lots of it!

So what does it look like to worship God all the time?

I am currently reading a book called, "Worship Matters" by Bob Kauflin. I came upon something interesting and thought provoking last night that I thought I would share. It's something we probably all know, but it is certainly put in an interesting way in this book.

He poses the question, "So what does it look like to worship God all the time?"

Here are his thoughts:

"It's doing everything to draw attention to His greatness and goodness. It's doing the things God commanded us to do and avoiding the things he has forbidden, all with a heart that seeks to please and reflect the Saviour whose sacrifice rescued us from eternal damnation. It's loving our spouse and children, serving others, spending our money, helping the poor, driving our car, going to school, and working at our jobs in ways that bring glory to the Saviour whose praise will never cease".

Now doesn't that put an interesting twist on what we typically consider "worship"! Worship is so much more than singing songs or saying prayers. We can worship in everything!

Gratitude List Continued

31) A delicious "surprise" meal sent over by a very special friend (let me just say - lots of chicken, potatoes, cheese & bacon!!!)

32) A brisk walk in the beautiful sunshine.

33) Contagious yawns! (Just because they provided me with some great laughs this afternoon).

34) Worship songs.

35) Relaxing nights.

36) Books!

37) The Bible - and days when you read something you really needed to read!

38) Hope.

39) One amazing sister. Wish you were here!

40) Faith, hope & love, but the greatest of these is Love.

Gratitude List Continued

21) Windows wide open with the warm breeze drying my freshly mopped floors!

22) A break from the chores with a lovely chat with a friend.

23) A lazy morning - sleeping, relaxing with my hubby, and doing pretty well nothing at all!

24) Looking out the back windows of our home, amazed by God's beautiful creation! Oh - and as I type, a big backhoe cruising through the field with lots of laughing from the children aboard!

25) Peace that surpasses all understanding.

26) For all God has done, is doing, and is going to do!

27) A wonderful Christian heritage.

28) A clear desk, which signifies a clear mind! Ahhh..so nice!

29) Wendys - Mmm, junior hamburger with no pickles and no onions! Doesn't get much better than that!

30) A weekend with absolutely nothing planned!!! (Well, except maybe a surprise visit from dear friends later tonight? I guess we'll know when we see their faces peering in our back window! hehe)

Gratitude List Continued

14) The most delicious carrot cake I have ever eaten, made with love by a very special lady!

15) Homemade pizza that I excitedly enjoyed, but didn't have to cook!

16) Random calls from my Mom, just because.

17) True Joy in the midst of anything!

18) A thoughtful friend who thought enough to call today to make sure I had received a special coupon to my favourite clothing store!

19) Quiet time with Jesus in the early hours of the morning - sometimes it turns out to be a "God-thing" when you can't sleep!

20) Fragrance of a beautiful chocolate candle filling up the room.

My Gratitude List

Inspired by a wonderful friend, I am embarking on a journey of listing 1000 things for which I am grateful. Some simple, everyday things, and some more profound. Either way, I know it will be a good practice to start naming all the blessings that surround me everyday.

1) A dear husband who worked til all hours of the night, doing a little project for me! (The desk looks great Shaun!)

2) Special friends who know just what to say.

3) A cloudy day, perfect for snuggling up on the couch with a great book.

4) Delicious chocolate milk in an A&W mug (chilled in the freezer first!)

5) Fresh touches to our yard, courtesy of Shaun.

6) The Cross.

7) Prayers that are answered.

8) Sound from little ones tinkling on the piano.

9) Peace beyond all understanding.

10) Laughter.

11) Shiny, clean sink (thanks FlyLady!)

12) A family who cares so much.

13) Freedom to worship.

More Coupon Deals!

All of this for $50! Tons of shampoo, shaving cream, soap, tooth paste, hand soap, dish soap, light bulbs, kids soap, moisturizer, hair gel, gum and more!
These were all FREE!
All this for $7.01! This includes 14 packages of pens (reg. $2.99 I believe, on sale for $1.19, but we had $1.00 coupon, which made them .19!) Then there is a $4.50 rebate on the back, so we basically got paid to take these out of the store! Plus high lighters, tooth brushes, and 2 hair gel products! Did I say I LOVE coupon shopping?! Thank you Joanne for shedding the light on this great pass time!