#103- Talking to God Daily- Give Thanks for All Good Things and People in Your Life

Don't pray only when things are bad.  Talk to God daily.  Give thanks for all good things and people in your life.  Pray for those less fortunate.

I am the first to admit that I know I used to talk to God MUCH more when things were "bad".  I would take my problems to Him constantly but fail to remember to thank Him for all of the good in my life.  I would be so "busy" with life that I would only remember to spend time talking to Him at Mass on Sundays and when I had a problem. I remember when my mom was sick I had such a hard time praying about anything else at all except for Him to spare her life.  I failed to thank Him for giving me the amazing mother that he did in the first place, along with a wonderful father, brothers, husband, friends, and extended family.  As I have gotten older and had children of my own, I am reminded constantly how much good is in my life.  I find myself so overcome by gratefulness and thankfulness at times that it overwhelms me- when I watch my kids sleep, when I see them with Jeremy or their grandparents, when a dear friend offers me unconditional love and support, and so many more times.

Beyond thankful for these 3.

Right after my mom passed away, I took a week off of work.  I was at my parent's home every day and helped my dad clean out some things, write thank you notes, etc.  I was in a very low place at this point and was trying SO hard to be positive for my dad, brothers, and grandmother.  I thought I had to be superwoman and hold it together for everyone, but on the inside I was very bitter and sad.  I remember barely even praying at that point.  I was so sad and felt like God had taken my happiness, there was nothing left to ask for or to thank Him for.  I wasn't sure if I even wanted to go back to work- I didn't really want to do anything except be sad. 

Coloring eggs is such a fun Easter tradition- Claire was covered in dye!

Then I went back to work...and my attitude quickly changed.  Waiting for me on my desk was a prayer journal, flowers, and cards from the families of my students.  Cards full of love and hope and uplifting messages that made me realize there was a reason I was there.  Each day for 2 weeks there were more goodies each day to lift my spirits- Starbucks drinks, a cross bracelet, fun magazines, and more.  Some of the amazing parents in that room had collected money from the families that could afford it to make my return more manageable.  At that moment, facing those 17 little faces so proud of themselves, I knew I had SO much to still be thankful for.  I just needed to wake up and realize it.  That class helped me through the toughest time in my life- and I am forever grateful.  They taught me that even in the toughest times, there is still so much to be thankful and grateful for, we just have to look around.

My 3 guys :)

In the past several years, I have tried to be much more conscientious of talking to God daily- not just when saying prayers at night in bed, but really thanking Him for my life and all that is in it.  Each morning when I get up (I am always the first one up), I make myself a cup of coffee and sit down for a short while with a couple of devotionals (Jesus Calling is my favorite).  I think about my upcoming day and thank God for everything that is about to happen in it.  Since starting this little "tradition" in the mornings, I am so much more aware of the blessings surrounding me.  Do I still pray to God when things are bad or I'm extra worried about something? Absolutely.  But I make sure to thank him every day for my blessings- especially the three little ones in my house.  I am very aware that there are so many people less fortunate, and I don't just mean financially.  People dealing with illnesses, stress, unhappiness, loneliness, etc.  I pray that these people can find some sort of peace and thankfulness in their lives, even amongst hard times.

Claire LOVED getting her face painted at the Easter Bunny breakfast!

This Easter weekend was so full of things to be thankful for.  Obviously Easter is a time of rejoicing and thankfulness for the Resurrection- Jesus died on the cross for US- so that we may live this life full of things to be thankful for.   Every bit of our weekend emulated joy and for that I am so thankful! 

But she wasn't a fan of the bunny- thank goodness for protective older brothers!

Leaving a snack for the bunny!

The kids and I made Resurrection rolls on Friday- an idea that I had seen on Pinterest and several blogs.  They turned out fantastic!  It was soo cool to use something as simple as crescent rolls and marshmallows to reinforce the meaning of Easter to my kids.  I followed the exact directions on The Larson Lingo blog, which included the verses to read during each step. (http://thelarsonlingo.blogspot.com/2012/04/ressurection-rolls.html   We made Easter cookies too- I am so thankful for time in the kitchen with my kids!

Resurrection rolls were such a fun, yummy, and meaningful breakfast on Good Friday!

Ready for the oven!

We went to a wonderful breakfast with the Easter Bunny with a lot of our friends and family- the kids had a ball!  I am so grateful for friends that are family and that love my children like their own.  My kids love hanging out with friends that are more like cousins- it is so fun watching them all grow up together! 

"Friends become our chosen family"- these 9 have been together since birth!

Claire and one of her sweet Godmothers, "Shell" at the Easter Bunny breakfast :)

We had several egg hunts, spent time with Jeremy's family, my Dad and stepmom and family, and enjoyed some quiet time at home.

Beautiful afternoon for an egg hunt at Pap and Deb's!

The bunny wasn't thinking how cold it was going to be for hunting eggs at 7am!

The bunny was smart and hid their baskets inside- hence the Walmart bags for hunting eggs at 7am.

On several occasions over the weekend, I caught myself frozen in place, just staring at my family.
 I was thinking how grateful I am to be able to experience simple moments where I feel my mom's presence blessing our family and God's gifts all around us- like these ones of Claire and my dad. 

I hope that everyone had a blessed Easter weekend surrounded by people they are thankful for.  Take a few minutes today to thank God for all of the good in your life, even if you are having a bad day or facing something very difficult.  You will be surprised at how many more blessings you become aware of as you take a moment to talk with God.  xoxo

For this week's recipe, I decided to post my mom's sour cream pound cake.  I have so many memories of her making this for Easter- even making it into mini cakes in a Williams- Sonoma Easter egg pan some years.  She made it all year long but I especially remember the egg- cakes :)  This cake is fantastic with sliced strawberries on top!

Sour Cream Pound Cake

1 cup of butter

3 cups sugar

6 eggs

1 cup sour cream

1/4 tsp. baking soda

3 cups flour

1 tsp. vanilla

Bake at 325 degrees for 1.5 hours in a 10 inch greased and floured tube pan (or for less time in mini-pans!)