gratitude Archives - Outrageously Wonderful

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Picking one little word for the year is such a hopeful adventure, setting your intentions for the year, planning, praying, dreaming. This year's word is delightful, but it has me more than a little bit nervous. Read more at OutrageouslyWonderful.com

My one little word for 2018, and why it scares me

Picking one little word for the year is a tricky thing, a personal thing, for me, a prayerful thing.

I often begin reflecting on how the current word of the year has been meaningful in late November or early December. I think back to the different ways the word impacted my hopes, thoughts, reactions, and plans throughout the year. How it has guided and directed me, reminded me of grace and brought me peace.

By mid-December, I find myself thinking about the year ahead. Thinking about my hopes and dreams, setting goals and milestones. Throughout it all, there is prayer, conversations with God about His hopes, desires, plans for the year ahead. Requests for that one little word that will guide and direct, bring grace and peace.

When presented with a big, messy struggle, I will choose the path around every single time. But there are great lessons to be learned on the path through.

Lessons learned from the path through

November 3, 2016 / Jenna / 0 Comments

Have you ever looked at a huge, messy situation in front of you and thought, “I just can’t”? Perhaps the thought of walking through whatever that thing is — financial strain, relationship issues, a health crisis — is simply too much to bear.

There must be another way, a way around this hot mess of a situation, you think. You close your eyes for just a moment and offer up this simple prayer, “Please, let there be another way. Please move this struggle from my path.”

But then you open your eyes and finances are still uncertain, the relationship is still tricky and the health crisis hasn’t budged.

So then what?

There are two choices – the path around or the path through.

Sunday Share: Start of summer edition

June 5, 2016 / Jenna / 0 Comments

Hi, friends! We are just back from our annual trip to the beach and boy, has it put me in the summer frame of mind! This week’s edition includes a delicious summer treat, summer parenting hacks, a new scripture coloring book for the whole family, a great way to connect with your kiddos each day and a fun family activity. I hope you enjoy these posts as much as I did!

Dear teachers and administrators, we adore you. We came in at the beginning of the year not knowing what to expect and are moving on to first grade completely in love with you. So spend the next five days on the playground, in the library (we promise to return wayward books) and on field trips. You have earned every bit of joy that comes at the end of a school year. #teachers #loveletter #thankful #education

To our kids’ teachers, a love letter

May 19, 2016 / Jenna / 0 Comments

There are five days left in the school year, friends. Five days. I don’t know who’s more excited — the kids or the teachers.

No homework, spelling lists, math facts or AR books came home this week and Wild Man reports that more of his lessons are happening outdoors. I’m certain the uptick in nature hikes has nothing at all to do with the end of the year and has everything to do with the migratory patterns of the monarch butterflies that mean the playground is teeming with them. That totally counts as an extra helping of science, right?

Now, other parents may be frustrated that their kids are coming home literally spackled with dirt after building ponds for ants and tiny boats of sticks for the ants to sail on, but not this Mama. I’m thrilled.

Sometimes it's the littlest things that mean the most. Over the past few months, simple moments of kindness have gotten my family through a lot of muck and mire. I've started and stopped writing this post 10 times now (Wordpress keeps count) and I'm still not sure I have the right words to express my gratitude. Let me begin by telling you a little about the amazing ways people loved us with their actions.

Kindness and thanks

April 21, 2016 / Jenna / 0 Comments

Sometimes it’s the littlest things that mean the most.

Over the past few months, simple moments of kindness have gotten my family through a lot of muck and mire. I’ve started and stopped writing this post 10 times now (WordPress keeps count) and I’m still not sure I have the right words to express my gratitude.

Let me begin by telling you a little about the amazing ways people loved us with their actions.
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