30 Day Challenge - Day 8

My day started out with a banging headache. One of those that reaches from the front of your head all the way and goes down in to your shoulders. It was super intense. No worries. I miscalculated how much caffeine I had yesterday. It was none. Bad math. I'll try not to make that mistake again. One of these days I'll break the terrible soda addiction and I won't have those morning. 

Action #1 - Be Thankful

Today's be thankful challenge is about being thankful for that one activity that you get to do every day. I chose my bedtime routine with my son. 

There was a time when I didn't get to do bedtime routines. I didn't even think I would ever have the opportunity. But then God blessed me. He gave me one of the most precious gifts. 

Don't get me wrong. I do look forward to the time after our bedtime routine and he is out, but I honestly love the time that we get to have together. These are the times where he will run his fingers through my hair, put his hand on my cheek, whisper that he loves me right before he falls asleep. It's during the times that we read that we laugh and giggle. He recently started trying to say his prayers with me and it has got to be the sweetest thing I have ever heard. I treasure the times, that I get to lay there next to him and watch his eyes slowly drift close and he falls asleep.

These are the moments I prayed for. The moments I longed and wished for. I am so very thankful for them.

Action #2 - Devotions, Journaling & Prayer

In today's devotion of Embraced, Lysa encourages us to see things with spiritual eyes. I have to admit I struggle with this one because I was raised with the belief that you never want to be so heavenly minded that you are no earthly good. I do believe this. I believe it's possible that an attempt at being like Jesus can turn in to being pious or turn you in to a Pharisee or Sadducee. But lately I also believe that there is a balance. There doesn't have to be extreme opposites to this. It is possible to see Him in the simple and mundane in our lives without being overly important or overboard.

I think it's best to just directly quote my favorite part from Girl Be Brave and just let it speak for itself.

• When we go through difficult times, we grow. As we grow, we are humbled. The more humbled we are, the more human connections we create. The ability to connect with others on this level makes you beautiful because human connections is beautiful.
• Maybe instead of gorging ourselves on instant pleasures, we should press into pain and be present in those difficult situations. We learn what we can and grow through it.

Hard things make you beautiful!

Life is hard! But those struggles make us beautiful!

Action #3 - Exercise

Because of the terrible headache most of the day I did not do my Beachbody workout, but I did move my body by going out and walking our yard with my son. I also spent a good ten minutes of my night "dancing" with my son. It's really just jumping up and down in starbursts, but whatever. It made him laugh, so that's what we did.

Be blessed!

Note: Anything I have italicized is not my own words, but are either paraphrased or directly from a book. I try to make it clear from which book the writing is from, but if you are unsure, please ask. Also, if you click on any links that lead you to Amazon from this page and you then purchase the product that you clicked on I may or may not earn money from your purchase. ​