End of Journaling through January

This post covers days 30 and 31 of my Journaling through January series.

Wow, I can't believe that January is over! It has been such a great experience writing this Journaling through January series. There were a few days that I didn't get to post, but I always loved it when I took the time to write about the prompt for the day. If you've stuck with me through the whole series, I really appreciate it! It's been a great month, and I'm looking forward to February, where you'll get to see me experiment with a few different kinds of posts!

To wrap things up, here are the two final prompts for days 30 and 31.

Day 30
We've written about the Lord's blessings in our lives. Now write about how you can be a blessing to others.

• Having a happy attitude. Being around people who are happy and have a bright outlook on life always make me feel happier. I hope to have the same effect on those around me.
• Always be willing to serve others.
• Give encouragement to those who need it.

Day 31
What about our Lord will you remember this year? What reminder will you carry with you about the character of Jesus?

Jesus taught us to become as little children, "for of such is the kingdom of heaven." This year, I want to learn more about what this really means, and how to apply it. I think part of it means that we need to be humble enough to be taught and to be obedient. It means to have an innocent mind and a pure heart. I'm still learning, though, and I have the perfect companion to help me remember what I've learned so far. I literally carry him around in my arms for hours every day. :)

Journaling through January is a series which can be found on iamalongfortheride.blogspot.com

Amazing Grace

This is day 23 of my Journaling through January series.

Looking back, is there a time when you can see how God's grace and favor was upon your life?

Oh, there are many times when I can see this. So many. I've received help for big things and little things. Even silly things. Heavenly Father has always been there for me, and I am so grateful for it!

One particular time comes to mind. When my husband and I were engaged, I felt so nervous about getting married. No, it was more than nervous. I felt like Satan was trying as hard as he could to make me feel terrible about getting married, by filling my mind with doubt and fear. It took such a toll on my mind and body that I started to get sick. But I knew that when I prayed about marrying Tyler, Heavenly Father gave me a definite yes, and I couldn't forget that.

So we went forward with the wedding preparations, while I tried to surround myself with every good and uplifting influence that might bring me peace. And though I felt awful much of the time, Heavenly Father was there to help and guide me, manifesting Himself in the things that happened during this important and stressful time.
Preparing for the wedding couldn't have been easier. It seemed like all of the things we needed--my dress, veil, shoes, the flowers, reception hall, photography, hair stylist--were simply waiting for us to find them, always in the first or second place we looked. Everything was at the right price, in the right size, from the right places.

I also felt blessed by the uplifting and comforting experiences so carefully placed around me. For example, just at a time when office politics were making my job as a secretary particularly stressful and hellish, I got to escape for a week while I filled in for another secretary in a different office upstairs. That office was much quieter and easier to manage, and I sensed that the Lord knew I needed a break during this difficult time.

Heavenly Father didn't have to give these gifts to me. But He did. By letting me know, through these signs, that I was doing the right thing in marrying Tyler, I found the courage I needed to take the biggest, happiest step of my life.

Journaling through January is a series which can be found on iamalongfortheride.blogspot.com

10 books I want to read in 2012

(This is Day 14 of my Journaling through January series)

Make a list of 10 books you would like to read this year.

Since I have two full shelves of books that I am trying to finish by this fall, I will list off some of the books I'm really excited about.

1. The Space Trilogy, C.S. Lewis (ok, that's really three books, but I'll let that slide.)

2. War and Peace, Tolstoy

3. Atlas Shrugged, Rand

4. Universe on a T-Shirt, Falk

5. The Gulag Archipelago, Solzhenitsyn

6.Roots, Haley

7. Angels and Demons, Brown

8. No Doubt About It, Dew

9. Utopia, More

10. How to Think About the Great Ideas, Adler

Thanks for reading!

Journaling through January is a series which can be found at iamalongfortheride.blogspot.com

It's crazy, but it might just be possible

Hello all! Lately I've been needing a new project to work on so I don't go stir crazy being at home all the time (don't get me wrong, I love it, but it is very easy to go stir crazy sometimes). After tossing around a few ideas for awhile, I think I've finally found The One. It's called...

Read All The Books We Own That I Haven't Read Yet By October 2012.

Sounds crazy? Why yes, yes it is. We own quite a few books. And quite a few of them were Tyler's before we got married, not mine. And we've accumulated some since then. What's really crazy is I made this decision before actually counting how many books we own that I haven't read. I got a bit nervous while rearranging the bookshelf, but fortunately they all fit on two shelves.

Here they are!

FYI: I'm not counting these books.

Or these.

And especially not these. (Not yet, at least :)

I'm excited! I'm planning to write a little review-type post whenever I finish one. I'm starting with Laddie and The Seven Habits of Highly Effective People, so hopefully I'll post about those soon!

Cheers! ~Sarah

Superwoman!

I stumbled across this blog today. I decided I want to be like her when I grow up. She's everything I want to be--a wonderful mom who homeschools her kids with excitement and joy, a loving wife who makes a sweet post about her husband every anniversary, a homemaker who fills her house with the beautiful creations of her hands....ah! Everything on her blog just gladdens my heart! Check out her blog and be inspired!

http://www.seedpodcraft.com/blog

Lessons from "A Christmas Carol"

We read "A Chrismas Carol" with my second grade class yesterday (I am an instructor for a charter school), and although the version we read was far from the real version--three pages long!-- it caused me to reflect on all of the beautiful things in Dickens' book. One things I remember from the book is how people of the city walked around, singing carols and rejoicing with friends and strangers because Christ was born. To these people, nothing else mattered. Their problems took a backseat and all that was before them was joy: joy in family, warmth, friendship, and, most importantly, joy in our Savior. Here's one passage that I particularly like, a scene between Scrooge and his nephew:

'"Don't be cross, uncle,'' said the nephew.

"What else can I be,'' returned the uncle, "when I live in such a world of fools as this Merry Christmas! Out upon merry Christmas. What's Christmas time to you but a time for paying bills without money; a time for finding yourself a year older, but not an hour richer; a time for balancing your books and having every item in 'em through a round dozen of months presented dead against you? If I could work my will,'' said Scrooge indignantly, "every idiot who goes about "with ``Merry Christmas'' on his lips, should be boiled with his own pudding, and buried with a stake of holly through his heart. He should!''

"Uncle!'' pleaded the nephew.

"Nephew!'' returned the uncle, sternly, "keep Christmas in your own way, and let me keep it in mine.''

"Keep it!'' repeated Scrooge's nephew. "But you don't keep it.''

"Let me leave it alone, then,'' said Scrooge. "Much good may it do you! Much good it has ever done you!''

"There are many things from which I might have derived good, by which I have not profited, I dare say,'' returned the nephew: "Christmas among the rest. But I am sure I have always thought of Christmas time, when it has come round -- apart from the veneration due to its sacred name and origin, if anything belonging to it can be apart from that -- as a good time: a kind, forgiving, charitable, pleasant time: the only time I know of, in the long calendar of the year, when men and women seem by one consent to open their shut-up hearts freely, and to think of people below them as if they really were fellow-passengers to the grave, and not another race of creatures bound on other journeys. And therefore, uncle, though it has never put a scrap of gold or silver in my pocket, I believe that it has done me good, and will do me good; and I say, God bless it!'''

What reason do we have to be merry? Because it's Christmas--there is no better reason to be found. In fact, it's reason enough to be merry and rejoice the whole year round. May we take advantage of that reason, forgetting our problems, and having the wonder of Christmas and everything it means in our hearts!