Celebrating the Day!

I look on any month with 31 days as a month with a bonus.

I like to treat the 31st day of the month as a special gift from God and do something fun with it.

July is one of those months and today is the day!

I started the day out with thanks to God for such a wonderful month filled with fireworks, birthdays, reunions, homecomings, good health, and happiness.

Then I asked for God's blessings on our new month.

It's a bonus month too!

After church my family usually comes home for lunch, but we plan on

going out to eat for a special treat today.

Family and Fun!

What are you doing with your bonus day?



Happy Saturday!

It's a beautiful sunny Saturday and we're off to Georgia for a family reunion!

Hope you have a great weekend!

~ Sherry ~

I've Got a Hot Date!

It's in my kitchen with 60 pounds of tomatoes.

All red, ripe and waiting to be canned!

I miss my canning partner.

She could sure peel some tomatoes.

Heather 1995

My little girl and I spent many summers in the kitchen together peeling and canning tomatoes.

I miss her since she's grown up, married, and living too far away.

Love you, Heather!

A Change in Attitude

I awoke feeling as grey as the day looked outside my bedroom window this morning. I still had the sinus headache that's been weighing me down for the past few days. My sweet hubby's neck and arm are still hurting him even though he's been going to the chiropractor for the past three weeks.  And if hubby's not happy, I'm not happy.

I wanted to wallow in my "depths of despair," as Anne of Green Gables would put it.

Anne Shirley: Can't you even imagine you're in the depths of despair?

Marilla Cuthbert: No I cannot. To despair is to turn your back on God. 

 

Marilla had the real answer didn't she?

 

Looking for inspiration, I made myself a cup of herbal tea, and pulled out my Bible and it fell open to the same verses that gave me clear instructions just a month ago:

Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding;

in all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make your paths straight.

Do not be wise in your own eyes; fear the Lord and shun evil.

This will bring health to your body and nourishment to your bones.

                 Proverbs 3: 5-8

My spirit was already lifted just by reading these words and breathing a prayer for help with my mully grubs.

Making up my mind to change my attitude I decided to get outside for a walk.

I gave myself a BIG smile in the mirror as I walked by.

I went outside and gave my little dog a sweet pat on the head and she rewarded me with such affection.

I set off up the road on my walk and guess what? 

The sun came out!

Mr. Sun was quite the bright and happy companion and I was cheered up immensely.

After coming home, I gave little Maggie another pat on the head and came inside and fixed myself a cup of juicy, sweet strawberries and a glass of ice water.

This was just the prescription I needed for my day.

I now have a smile on my face and another one in my heart.

And something else,

my headache is gone!

I wish you a very happy weekend!

~ Sherry ~



Good Enough

I have such a struggle with the disease of

Perfectionism

Does that mean that everything I do is perfect?

On the contrary.

It means that a lot of things get left undone because I don't have the time or skills to do them perfectly.

Take my housework for example.  I used to put off a simple chore such as vacuuming until I had the time to pull out furniture and vacuum perfectly.

But thankfully I found Flyady and she gave me "permission" to vacuum just the middle of my floors.

I try to choose one room each week to detail-clean but all the other rooms get just a lick-and-a-promise.

And if I don't detail clean a room this week?

It will still be there next week.

Thank you Flylady!

But my perfectionism didn't stop with my house.  It spilled over into my health.  I posted lately about my struggle with the They Says. 
Then I found this eye-opening book:

Live a Little! Breaking the Rules Won't Break Your Health
by Susan M. Love, M.D. and Alice D. Domar, PH. D.

In this book, written by a surgeon and a psychologist, I found out that perfect health is a myth!
No one can follow ALL the "rules," and no one knows if these rules would keep us perfectly healthy anyway.
I learned that eight hours of sleep is not the perfect amount for everyone.  I probably won't die from sleep deprivation if I have a toss-and-turn night once in a while.
The "rules" on the issues of stress, health screenings, nutrition, and relationships are also looked at and brought down to more livable standards.
Oh, and the title of my favorite chapter?
It's Not Religion, It's Just Exercise

While taking this close-up look at my life, I'm amazed at the huge role that perfectionism plays in it. It touches almost everything I do: cooking, cleaning, art, piano, blogging, teaching, loving...In short; Living.

So instead of looking at myself critically through this magnifying glass today, I'm going to try to see my reflection through the eyes of Christ as He gazes on me. He knows I'm not perfect, but He loves me anyway.

Am I the only one that struggles with perfectionism?

I would love to hear how others deal with it.

Be brave! 

Leave a comment.

We can learn from each other.

You never know who you might help.

~ Sherry ~