November Photo a Day

I know I say this every month, but this year has seriously been a blur. I remember last December and all the fun Christmas-related things we did like they were yesterday...and here we are in December again!

I participated in fatmumslim's Photo a Day Challenge again in November. It really has been a great way for me to look back at the end of each month and remember some of the things I did each day.

Here are my pics:

Top row: 1. Something beginning with 'C' - coffee!! 2. Color 3. Breakfast - I rarely ever eat breakfast, so this (and a grilled cheese) was how I broke my "fast" 4. TV - the hubby and I have been watching Frasier on Netflix

Second row: 5. 5 o'clock - doing the dishes 6. A favorite thing - jewelry! 7. Reflection 8. Something I do everyday - put on my ring

Third row: 9. Small - it smells oh so good! 10. Won't live without - Coke and Chapstick 11. Night - watched this in prep for Friday! 12. Drink

Bottom row: 13. Where I slept 14. Man-made - so thankful our heater is working again! 15. In my bag 16. The view from my {car} window

Top row: 17. {One of} the last things I bought 18. Happened this weekend - vegging on the couch, watching Pretty Little Liars from the beginning on Netflix, trying to rest and beat this cold 19. Something awesome - third Coldbuster in three days {gotta beat this cold} 20. Work/play

Second row: 21. What I wore - sweater (American Eagle from a few years ago), cami (Forever 21), jeans (Artist fit, American Eagle), necklace (Jewel Kade - tell your story), mismatched socks 22. Grateful - for my family 23. Black - how I spent part of Black Friday 24. A sound I heard - my husband putting up the lights

Third row: 25. Sky 26. In the cupboard 27. Tree (not mine) 28. Vehicle

Bottom row: 29. Big - my first Scentsy order came in and it was a big one! (I am now an Independent Scentsy Consultant) 30. On the wall - at work

November was definitely a great month! I am looking forward to December and all that it has to bring.

Happy Thanksgiving!

I hope you are having a blessed day with family and friends, reflecting on what you are most thankful for.

Christmas Reflections

So I just realized today that Christmas is only 35 days away (you're welcome. I know you are probably gonna start stressing a little now)!

I've already been listening to Christmas music on Pandora for the past two weeks (and it's been glorious. iHeart Radio also has a good station called Christmas Lites). I've even done a little of my shopping.

I know Thanksgiving is this week and I have definitely been spending time each day this month reflecting on what I'm most thankful for (check out my daily tweets here or look up the hashtag #30daysofthanks to read what others are thankful for). But, there is nothing like Christmas for me. I spend a lot of time dreaming about Christmas throughout the year...and I've written a lot of blogs about Christmas as well (you can check them out here).

There's just something so magical and wonderful about this time of year.

Last year, I wrote about how I let it slip past me too quickly. I am determined to savor every moment of it this year.

Part of that determination is to keep my focus on what Christmas is all about: Christ coming near to us. I'm gonna be reading through some advent scriptures daily to keep Him first. Starting on December 2nd, I will be tweeting some of my thoughts about the Scriptures with the hashtag #adventreflection. I'd love for you to join me so I can read your thoughts as well!

I found these Scriptures on FOTF's website. You can also purchase an Advent calendar from naptime diaries here (the prints correspond with the shereadstruth Advent reading plan).

Let's really enjoy Christmas this year and the reason why we celebrate it!

Overcoming

I had the opportunity last week to briefly share my story with a woman I had never met before.

I was at a jewelry party my friend was hosting and the consultant asked me why I wanted the particular charm that I purchased.

It's message was simple: tell your story.

I proceeded to explain to her that I have felt God calling me more and more to share my story with others, because I know it needs to be heard. I know I am not the only one who has ever been in this situation...nor will I be the last. But, what has gotten me through time and time again has been the encouragement of knowing that I'm not alone, that there is healing when I open my mouth and speak these words out loud...and that God still has a plan for me.

The first time I told my story on here was quite a while ago. I knew then it needed to be shared. While I was touched by the many emails I received from my post here and from my guest post on Casey's blog, I was more blown away that God used me to speak His words to other women. I am such a wretch most days, so far from the woman I know I should be...and yet my Savior is still able to use me, some way, somehow, to shine His light.

I never thought I would be here, over three and a half years of waiting, and still not have a child to call my own. But I also never could have dreamed I would learn so much, and experience multiple blessings, because of it.

I was drawn to Isaiah 43 tonight. I thought it was fitting for where my heart is (I would encourage you to read the whole chapter, to understand the context better). Here are just a few of the verses that really stood out to me:

Forget the former things; do not dwell on the past.

See, I am doing a new thing! 

 Now it springs up; do you not perceive it?
I am making a way in the desert and streams in the wasteland.

(Isaiah 43:18-19, NIV)

It's easy in this journey to dwell on the hard stuff, to remember all the painful things, and to wish I could go back to that very first day I stopped taking my pills and tell myself to just trust God. But I can't focus on the past. I can't focus on the things I've done wrong and the things that haven't happened yet. God is doing something new in me...and has been through this whole process. He is refining me and is bringing something beautiful in this wasteland I have lived in. I spent many days in this journey very sad and depressed, longing for a child to hold in my arms. And this whole time, God has been preparing a new and exciting path for me to take...one that I still don't fully understand and can't imagine yet. 

I don't know where your heart is, or what things you are trying to deal with or overcome in your life...but I promise you God still has a plan, He is right there with you, and He is preparing you for something you can't even imagine right now.

October Photo a Day

I can't believe we are already three days into November!

Time is sure flying this year...

Here are my photos from fatmumslim's October Photo a Day Challenge:

Top row: 1. Where I stood - work 2. Lunchtime - part of it anyway 3. This happened today 4. What I read

Second row: 5. Shadow 6. I'm thankful for...lazy afternoons with the hubby 7. Light 8. Angle

Third row: 9. Red - the new cupcake liners I scored at TJMaxx 10. Emotion - this girl stirs up all sorts of emotions in me...mostly love 11. Something close up - just.lovely.things headband 12. On the table - the remnants of a good dinner

Bottom row: 13. Landscape 14. Makes me laugh - Maggie Smith on Downton Abbey 15. Dinnertime - more like what I wished we'd had 16. Something I wrote - grocery list

Top row: 17. Fruit - for smoothies 18. Made me smile today - my shows were actually on 19. Letters 20. 4 o'clock - opening up my LoveClub box!

Second row: 21. Calm - a sick baby and her uncle watching TV 22. In my town 23. The view from here 24. Weather - it was 65 degrees!

Third row: 25. People 26. Listening to - Everybody Loves Raymond 27. Morning 28. Looking back - one of the first pictures I took with my first iPhone

Bottom row: 29. Moon - no filter 30. Clothes 31. Whatever I please - Happy Halloween!

I hope you had a great October! Now it's time for Christmas music, Christmas movies...oh, and of course being thankful (I know Thanksgiving comes first, but once Halloween is over, I get in the Christmas mood big time). I've been posting my daily thanks on Twitter. I've noticed other bloggers are doing the same. You can find the different thankful posts by checking out the hashtags #30daysofthanks or #30daysofthanksgiving. You can find me on Twitter here.