Friday, June 10, 2016

Friday's Fave Five #383


Welcome to Friday's Fave Five.  Time to look back over the week and take notice of the blessings and good things in our lives and share five of our favorites.  It's not about a competition to see who had the better week or the better life or more stuff, it's not about trying to outdo the other person.  It's about learning to live a grateful life and being thankful in the moment and developing a discipline that can help to see us through the harder times of life.  

No idea where this quote came from but if it's yours please let me know 
and I would be more than happy to credit it.


Please join in with us!

1.  Finding courage.  I can't go into specifics for all the world to read, but there was something in my job that threw me for a loop and caused a whole boatload of stress.  For weeks, the burden was overwhelming and the confusion on my part was great.  But in conferring with two different trusted people and have them basically say the exact same thing, it's like a lightbulb went on and I knew what I had to do.  Had I just have taken a deep breath and remembered why I have policies and ways of doing things I could have saved myself a whole lot of worry and headache.  But I got hung up in one of my biggest fears (which I pinpointed when our ladie's group did the study "Fearless" by Max Lucado), and that is the fear of disappointing people.  But once I was reminded and my mind refocused, I knew what I had to do and then it was just a matter of courage to carry it through.  Once I did it was like a thousand pound weight off my shoulders.   Thank God for good people who speak the truth, even when it's difficult, and who encourage and lift up when you need it the most.

2.  Air conditioning.  We were exposed to a heat wave, complete with heat warnings from environment Canada, this week.  Now it is all relative as I know blogging friends like Anne and Willow get way hotter temps but the thing with Southern Alberta is that we seem to go from one extreme to the next without any acclimatization.  At any rate,  super hot mid summer type weather for us this week at 32*C (89.6*F) called for turning on the air conditioning.  Now I know a lot of people do not have it here, but I am most grateful that when we bought the house back in the 90's it already had it and I was able to turn that baby on this week.  

3.  Trees to give shade.  The west side of our yard is a line of towering aspen trees.  Tall and skinny they form a wall against the afternoon sun.  We have wonderful cooling shade in the backyard in the afternoon and evening.  I am most grateful for this as for very many years we didn't have one tree whatsoever in the backyard and it was a roasting oven back there.  

4.  Naturally flavored sparkling water.  I've really gotten hooked on ice cold refreshing sparkling waters.  In the last year and a half or so I have drastically reduced sugar consumption in my life and with that I really never drink pop anymore.  I used to love an ice cold coke on really hot days but now find them sickeningly sweet but still crave that cold "sparkle".    Enter the naturally flavored sparkling waters that contain no sugars or sweetener whatsoever.  My latest favorite is lemon but I do love the black cherry one and the mandarin also.  

5.  Bike riding.  This last weekend we partook of a couple of bike rides.  I love getting on my bike.  Fresh air, pedaling through the different streets, it clears my mind and lifts my spirits.   It takes me away from the stresses and worries as I concentrate on being in the moment and enjoying what I'm seeing and feeling.   I'm shooting for a goal of riding at least 3 times a week this summer.

pinned from Bikebelle.com

What was your favorite blessings this week?






15 comments:

Gattina said...

We had the same roller coaster weather here, fortunately I was away for a week when floods started ! Then it was very hot and now I have to wear a Cardigan ! Sometimes it's very good to be able to talk to people who then help you !

aspiritofsimplicity said...

Love the bike ride!! I feel the exact same way!

Barbara H. said...

I have AC on my list this week, too. I don't know how people ever lived without it!

We don't have nearly as many trees in our yard now as we did in our last house since we had to cut down a row of diseased ones. I do miss the shade - but there is much less raking and broken branches during storms. So I guess if it's not one thing, it's another, ha! But we're hoping to plant a couple of things that will eventually gain some height.

I don't think I have ever tried sparkling water, but I do need to cut down on sweets.

So glad the situation you mentioned is resolved. Confrontation is one of the hardest things for me, for many reasons.

ellen b said...

Happy to hear you got good counsel and followed through with the advice to make things less stressful for you. We missed the hottest day here in the Pacific Northwest last week. We bought a stand alone air conditioning unit finally and are prepared for the next wave of heat. Glad to hear you got a nice bike ride in and that it's enjoyable for you. Have a wonderful weekend.

nikkipolani said...

Wow, that's pretty hot stuff for you! I think we might've been a whole 10 degrees (F) cooler here in SoCal. How handy to have beautiful trees and AC to mitigate your unseasonal warmth.

So glad you had some mental resolution in the unnamed issue. Yes, thank God for wise counselors.

Ann said...

Glad to hear about your courage in the situation. I understand about not wanting to say too much about some things in the internet.

Southern Alberta - my husband and I were there a number of years ago for an anniversary trip. We stayed in Prince of Wales Hotel in Waterton Park. Are you anywhere close to that? We also spent a morning looking over Pincher Creek when we had some time to kill. And then we drove up to Calgary and over to Banff. You live in a beautiful part of the country!

Monica said...

Your bike ride sounds really nice. Sorry to hear about your stress but so glad that you are surrounded by wonderfully wise people. :)
We have upper 90's here this weekend with heat index of 100. The humidity is awful. So glad I am no further south than I am here in Missouri. Stay cool and enjoy your weekend!

Karen said...

I miss having trees! We started from scratch in landscaping our yard when we moved in two years ago. Thankfully our neighbors have some beautiful trees that provide us with some privacy. We are gradually adding trees to the yard, but it's going to take a long time.

I love the quote at the beginning of this post. Who was it that said, most people are about as happy as they make up their minds to be? Will Rogers, maybe? So much of our lives depends on mindset. That lesson has become clear to me this week.

Glad you were able to resolve the work situation and feel at peace!

Lynette said...

Love trees. Thank goodness for air conditioning, ours need repairing. Glad things worked out at work.

Faith said...

i am thankful for AC too but we havent needed ojrs all week. has been perfect late spring weather! 70s, sunny amd cool at nught. all windows open is my fave!!

hay for bike riding. work issues solved, and shady trees!

Wendy said...

I'm glad you got the issue at work straightened out. Work pressure is not a good thing to live with. We have air con - it's called opening the windows and turning on the fans! Haven't needed it too much yet this year but it has been warmer this week. I like the way you introduced the post this week. A good reminder about what it's all about. Thank you.

Patti said...

Hi, Susanne. This is my first visit to your blog. Not sure how I found it, but I'm glad I did. This "gratitude" linky is a wonderful idea, and one in which I will enjoy taking part.

From June 2003 to July 2005, my husband was out of work. In the early months of that 25-month unemployment period, God prompted me to start a gratitude journal. I couldn't imagine what I had to be thankful for...I mean, my life was bleak at that point.

But, in obedience, I started giving thanks for what I had. At first, I admit it was hard, and I gave thanks for "sight, hearing, ability to walk, etc. Before long, my heart changed. Because I was giving thanks IN bleak circumstances, I eventually was able to give thanks FOR them, even thanking God when an employment door stayed closed, because we knew he had something better.

Anyhow, I know from firsthand experience how being grateful changes a person.

Blessings,
Patti @ Embracing Home

At Rivercrest Cottage said...

Have been retired for a few years now and your number 1 reminded me of how I don't miss that part of work. Glad you were able to work it out and overcome.

Unknown said...

Hi there ...I enjoy your blog and for getting new ideas for books to read. Just curious though what kind of a bike do you have...I am thinking about getting one but not sure. I don't need anything fast or fancy just a good quality bike for getting back to riding.

Unknown said...

It has been pleasant and mild here, so pleasant that it's difficult to want to stay indoors. Our blessing are such that we haven't had any foul weather that usually comes this time of year. This is one of the mildest cold spells I've seen here, and I hope it continues. It's so mild, the daffodils are blooming, and that's quite a difference from last year.

Tommy Hopkins @ AccuTemp