Blessings

Here it is, the day of what was supposed to be the first day back to teaching after a two week Christmas break, and school was cancelled due to drifting snow and ridiculously low temps. This teacher is quite excited, all the while knowing that it means we will have to make up the snow day on Good Friday. So I have mixed feelings. It was nice this morning to wake up with my husband, but stay in bed with the bed warmer turned on High! I got to read a little, write out birthday cards, finally write my PDP responses (it really would be a lot easier if I did them the day of the meetings like I am supposed to). I have plenty of lesson plans I need to be writing, picking up the house, doing dishes, and did I mention shower and brush my teeth? Okay, so I love brushing my teeth--I know, I'm quite odd, but it really is something I look forward to in the mornings; my teeth don't feel right until they have been brushed. So how has it gotten to be 3 in the afternoon and I am dressed and smell like a slob? Regardless, I am going to write a quick post, shower, brush my teeth, and get the house cleaned up before climbing back into my warm bed to write lesson plans. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- I have noticed lately how I can be quite a "negative Nancy" I hate the cold, I hate our rental house that is full of slugs and black mold and a constantly dripping fridge. Sometimes I hate working two jobs. I hate living so far away from my family, which really isn't that far at all. I hate not having a basement. I hate how un-fit I am. There's a lot of hatred in my life really, but I am trying to change. My life is full of blessings. I am blessed that when I had the chickenpox 1.5 weeks until the end of the semester that I had the time to take off of work, I had subs who tried their best, and I had a doctor who put me on some pretty amazing medicines. I am also blessed that during that time while I was scared that I was going to end up in the hospital, I had many people praying for me. I am blessed that though I am more than ready to get out of our rental house that is also terribly insulated, I am blessed to have a roof over my head, food in my belly, blankets to warm me up. I am blessed that when I am exhausted at the end of the day, I do have two jobs--two that I really do love and allow me to do quite different things at each job. I am blessed that my family is only an hour and a half away, and that my husband let's us go visit them often. I am blessed that there are several basements very near to us, though if the sirens were blaring, they'd feel like they were a million miles away. I am blessed that God, our marvelous, God, loves us all. He doesn't love our sin, but He loves us through our sin. I am blessed that God has huge plans for me--some which I can see, some which I cannot see. I am blessed that I live in a country where I can openly express my faith. I am blessed that when I start to feel on a faith island, I can turn a number of places and have people lift me up. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- While this is not the turn I expected the post to take, it took that turn, and I'm glad I got to think about my blessings today. What are your blessings?