We Had a Good Run

The three years before this year I posted a total of 113 posts. Before I started my new blog I could tell that I was easily on track to far exceed that total this year. If you include posts on my new blog I have already far exceeded the number of total posts from my first three years on here.

Originally I thought I would keep this blog going but keeping two blogs going is a bit much when most of what I want to post I am posting on my new blog.

I know I had attempted to start doing my gratitude list on here, but was not doing well at that. Thankfully I found a group of ladies who e-mail each other daily and that has been working well for me. I have been doing my daily grats list that way and it is encouraging to read the others' gratitude lists as well. I am always encouraged and challenged by what they share.

I hope, at the end of my life I hear these words - that I have fought the good fight and finished the race, keeping the faith. That is my goal... even though my blog has moved I am going to continue running the race, seeking to finish well.

If you haven't already, please subscribe to my new blog, you can enter your e-mail address to have them e-mailed to you when I post.

Thanks for joining me in these few years where I began my blogging experience!

Running the Race to the Finish,

Sherri

Gratitude Struggles

Last Thursday I posted this post on my other blog about my struggles with my gratitude list. I intended to post on this blog every day a list of things I'm thankful for but I have found that is not working. I have a new plan. I am going to keep a list each day and post it once a week. I will write at least three things I am thankful for each day and will post it weekly. I know that this is something I need to do in order to keep my attitude in check!

I want so much to walk and live according to God's ways and I pray that He would continue to teach me to do that.

Today I am very grateful for so many things and I will conclude with that and then next Sunday will post the list of things I kept during the week this week.

I am grateful for:

• My church - I never cease to be amazed at how the messages and songs each week speak so clearly to my heart and right where I am. I am so thankful to be part of a church that teaches, preaches, and practices the principles of Scripture. 
• I am thankful for the challenge God gave me today to rely more on His grace to help me in my times of struggle and temptation. I continue to struggle with having the attitude that I know would please God at work. It is so easy to become like those around me and be short tempered when I know God wants me to be loving and patient. It is my prayer that this week His grace would strengthen me and enable me to be who He wants me to be and act how I know He wants me to act.
• I'm thankful that God never gives up on me. I fail every day but God's grace and mercy meet me every single time I fail. He is continuing to work on me and make me into the woman He wants me to be.
• I'm thankful for friends. I am very blessed to have amazing friends in my life who love me, encourage me, challenge me, and are a constant source of joy in my life.
• I am thankful for my fur babies. This week they spent an hour "almost snuggling" on the couch. It sure did this Momma's heart good to see them getting along so well after only 9 months together.

• I am grateful for my job and the luxuries it afford me. I have good benefits and a steady income and I get along wonderfully with the boss I deal with most directly. Even though there are things that irritate me about my job, no job is perfect and I am grateful for the many positive things in my job.
• I am grateful for you... my readers and followers who have been with me as I first started blogging. I didn't realize when I first started blogging that it would turn into a self hosted and owned domain name and the prospect of writing a book. Thank you for your encouragement and being with me through the journey.

With gratitude,

Sherri

Saturday Grats

Yesterday morning on the way to work I was completely awed by the moon - it was SO bright... I did some reflecting (no pun intended) on it as I was driving - and a blog post on my other blog will follow later. But, for now I wanted to share this picture - my phone doesn't do it near the justice it deserves, but it was all I had. It truly lit up the sky and was amazing - it was the morning before the full moon so it wasn't quite full but it was AMAZING!

Today I am thankful for:

• the beauty of God's creation and how He speaks Truth through it.
• a nice afternoon yesterday hanging out with a teenage girl from church who has had her fair share of "suck" in life. I love blogging and writing, but sharing one on one with someone is amazing and I thank God for the opportunity to be in this girl's life and pray that He can use me in her life.
• a relaxing evening of doing nothing - just relaxing and NOT thinking!
• being able to get some things done today even though my brain is feeling disjointed and discombobulated.
• that even though I am not walking/jogging/running in the Marathon or Half Marathon tomorrow, God has given me grace in dealing with myself through the process. I wrote more about that in my other blog.
• a three day weekend... I have some stuff I really want to get caught up on and am looking forward to some extra time to get things done. I am grateful for a boss who believes a football game is a completely legitimate reason for taking a day off of work!
• my church family... I am reminded every day for the many reasons I have to be grateful for them. They are such a blessing.
• a good time visiting with a friend today while she was out doing some "retail therapy." I always enjoy talking to her and she helped me so much by just listening as I was dealing with an awkward situation with a friend. It helped just being able to talk out loud about it, and even though I felt a little bad because she probably wanted to talk through some of "her" stuff, she willingly listened. Good friends are such a blessing and I am indeed blessed.
• not having anything planned tonight. I am planning on enjoying a nice relaxing evening at home and getting to bed early so I don't mess up my sleep schedule too badly!

With gratitude,

Sherri

Wrapping up the Week - Continuing in Gratitude

Yesterday's "Grat Post" can be found on my other blog where I have devoted Thursdays to be "Thankful Thursdays".

This morning I am grateful....

• I am thankful for an evening of rest last night. I really didn't do anything that required too much thinking. I played with the kitties, hung out on Facebook, watched some TV and just chilled. It was a nice change of pace.
• I am thankful that I was able to get up this morning at my scheduled time and work on my "hustle" and my dream. I have committed to this new schedule, and while I know there are days it just might not happen (I am a perfectionist and like to thing that isn't true) but I'm also a realist and I know there is going to come that day when I decide to get some extra sleep or that I just NEED some extra sleep. This morning I wasn't excited about getting up like I have been all week, but I was disciplined and just got up and I am glad I did. 
• I am thankful for a good week of work. I HAVE found myself looking forward to the weekend a bit more this week than I had been... perhaps because I have a THREE DAY WEEKEND to look forward to. I am looking forward to getting some things done this weekend.
• I am thankful for my tendency to "stock up" on groceries. Because of this, I only need to buy a few things to get by for next week and can use the "extra" money toward other things.
• I am thankful for my health. I haven't been taking the GREATEST care of myself and yet I am doing well health wise. I am trying to do better - I'm walking on my breaks at work, but it feels so much like I am starting from scratch. I get winded so easily and I want so badly to get back into better cardiovascular health. I would love to get off some of the medication I had to go on last year because of my health issues. I have my physical in May and maybe by then I can shed some much unneeded weight and be in better health enough to go off some of the medication.
• I am grateful for an e-mail response I got from someone yesterday. I didn't really expect to get a response but felt so honored that he took the time to respond to my message. I feel so blessed!
• I am thankful for opportunities God is opening up before me - how His hand is blessing my life and things I am striving to do. It's been a long time since I've "felt" so connected to God in every area of my life.
• I am ever thankful for you... those who have been here since the "beginning." This blog has been such a journal of my life... I didn't start out intending it to become what it did. I am so grateful to have had a place to write, to pour out my heart... and to you... who read or read and respond... you are listening. Growing up I just wanted to be heard... I wanted to be listened to when I was hurting, and I wasn't. I was turned off and shut down and turned away. I guess I should thank Google for giving me a platform to speak from. :-)

Ever thankful,

Sherri

Busy Grats!

I didn't get this done last night, but it's only 4:30 a.m. so that counts, right? "Night-owl" Sherri would have still been up at this time sometimes in the past! ;-)

• I am grateful for the cooler weather. I am a little sad we haven't had any consistent days with highs in the 60's, but I don't like the HOT and am glad to be done with it. (I'm NOT ready for Winter, but am enjoying Fall!)
• I am thankful for such a great week at work. I continue to thank the Lord for the attitude shift He's done in me!
• I am grateful for a 3-day weekend coming up. Yes, I took Monday off because the Colts and Broncos are playing Sunday night. I am still rather torn about who I'm rooting for, but am leaning toward the Broncos (does that make me a bad Colts fan... yeah, I think it does) But, I am a Peyton Manning fan more than anything! He is an amazing player and person and I have the utmost respect for him. I'm kinda still ticked at the Colts for letting him go, so I will be sporting my Manning jersey Sunday!
• I am grateful for the extra day to get caught up on some cleaning, some reading, and some writing.... I know the day will go too fast, but I am thankful to have it!
• I am grateful I have been able to get up early every day this week to work on my writing and blogging and doing things I love. It's amazing what a difference it makes in my day!

I continue to be ever grateful for you!

Sherri

Tired Grats

Day four of #OperationNightOwlTransformation is coming to a close and I am tired. But I am also very, very grateful.

• I am grateful for the Truth of God's Word which penetrates my heart. I posted this Facebook status this morning after I got busy working on my blog because I was so excited about a "famous" person submitting a guest post on my other blog... "I was reminded this morning to make sure to keep my number one goal serving the Living and True GOD! I got so excited about Pete Wilson agreeing to guest post for me that I got busy on that BEFORE spending time in God's Word. I was very convicted when I read this from 1 Thessalonians 1:9: "...you turned to God from idols to serve the living and true God..." Yes, even our dreams can become idols if we are not careful. I am thankful for God's grace this morning... that He is not surprised at my poor decision to put my dream before Him this morning and that His mercy is new every morning... and every moment we come to Him!"
• I am so thankful for the doors God is opening and the obvious fingerprints of God all over things taking place in my life.
• I am grateful for the opportunity to have Pete Wilson guest post on my blog this morning.
• I am thankful God has given me so much energy to do what I need to do to get up in the morning and "hustle." I have been amazed at how He has helped me get up and get going and all He is doing in my life and through me... a simple, ordinary girl who is still quite broken, but God is using me in the midst of it all.
• I am thankful for an opportunity to have my new blog promoted for free.
• I am grateful for an opportunity to use my organizational (OCD'ish) skills for good with a group I am involved in.
• I am so grateful to have a wonderful boss at work and that work has been going so well since my attitude has shifted... my job hasn't changed, people haven't changed, "stupid" things that happen haven't changed - my attitude changed and it has made all the difference!
• I am thankful that I had an awesome session with my counselor and we are going to really start unpacking some issues in our upcoming sessions and doing some serious work on working toward healing and shutting up all those lies that have filled my head for so many years and affect me in my life even when things are going well.
• I am thankful for sleep... and that I get to go to bed in 5 minutes... I am tired... I have been going all day....
• I am ever thankful for all of you... this blog is what jump started my new blog and my working on a book. 

Love,

Sherri

EARLY Morning Grats

I've always written my “Grat List” at the end of the day. But as I sit here this morning, in my “time to dream” in my new schedule, I'm kind of stuck...

I've gotten some stuff done, finished some “work” there was to do in the book Quitter which I just finished reading, sent a few e-mails about some possible speaking opportunities to share my story with some youth. But, I looked at the clock and still had plenty of time and needed to write... I spent a lot of time working on some writing on stuff possibly for my book this weekend and was kind of at a standstill. My goal is to write 500 words a day, in some manner – whether it's blogging or on my book. That goal may need to increase to 1,000 words a day as I can easily put out 500 in a blog of “grats” and then I wouldn't get any work done on my other blog or my book.

But, I decided this morning to start my morning with my “Grat List.” I don't know that I will do this every morning, but THIS morning... this Monday where I am starting with my new schedule of getting up at what I sometimes refer to as “stupid o'clock” in the morning... I thought I needed to focus on gratitude.

• I am grateful this morning that although I woke up a couple of times in the night, I fell asleep early and slept well. I was able to fall back to sleep when I did wake up and woke up actually feeling refreshed and ready for the day (although more coffee may be required)
  
• Which reminds me... I am thankful for coffee... ahh... and for a coffee pot with a timer so I can wake up to that wonderful smell!
  
• I am grateful for an awesome day yesterday and that God literally held me up as I got up and spoke at Gabe and Matt's farewell lunch. I was able to share my heart and gratitude to them and their amazing wives for all the ways God has used them in my life.
  
• I am grateful that I was reminded yesterday that NOTHING ever takes God by surprise. God knew when I came to Grace 3 years ago that at this time Gabe and Matt would be leaving. When this happened, God didn't think, “OH NO! What will I do now? How will Sherri get by without them? How will the church get by? How will the youth survive without Gabe?” NO! God knew this day would come and He will provide for all of our needs! God never has “OH NO what will I do now?” moments. God knows. God is in control. I can trust Him and have complete faith in His provision for all of my needs, the church's needs, and the needs of our youth. God's got this!
  
• I am thankful for a possible opportunity for some free promotion of my blog. A friend from HS who does that for a living has offered me some free services. We still need to talk details, but I am excited and SO grateful for this friend.
  
• I am thankful this morning for friends. I have the best friends and am so blessed.
  
• I am thankful for a brother who isn't going to toss me aside because he's moving away, but that will be my brother even if he moves to another state or country, because family is family PERIOD. I thought I had that once and was hurt so badly and I am so grateful to God for giving me the best brother a girl could ask for.
  

As always... I am grateful for you... my readers,

Sherri