Manic Monday or Blessed Beginning of the Week?

I am sick.  I can't breathe out of my nose, I can't taste anything and I feel blah.  It's been gloomy and rainy looking all day.  It's just what you'd call a Monday or maybe Moanday.  UGHHHH!  So in order to make myself feel better about this yucky Monday, I started to think of all of the things that are going right in my life.  Let's make a list, shall we?

1.  I have two little people that depend on me to nurture, love, and give them what they need.  Even when I mess up, they love me unconditionally.

2.  Hubby works hard to provide for our family so that I don't have to work full-time and can spend time with my favorite little people.

3.  Hubby supports my call to be in ministry and will do whatever God calls us to do.

4.  I went to the grocery store today and got lots of good bargains.  I got $187 worth of groceries for $83 after coupons and sales.  Our kitchen is stocked with lots of healthy (and a little not so healthy) food that will nourish our bodies.

5.  Hubby helped me clean house yesterday afternoon.  He is such a blessing!  It feels good to sit in our nice clean house.

6.  Hubby finally took down his Star Trek Christmas tree yesterday.  This is something that I can't do because I'm not supposed to touch it.  I finally told him that it either comes down before Valentine's Day or I'm taking it down.  That did the trick.

7.  I finally put our nativity scene away yesterday afternoon.  Those were the lingering remnants of Christmas.  For some reason, this year I just didn't want to put it away.   I wanted to look at baby Jesus a little bit longer.  Prince kept picking up the baby Jesus and turning him over and laughing while saying, "I see Jesus' hiney."  That is so wrong.  Anyway, it's all put away now.

8.  I am able to function.  For several years there were days and even weeks when all I could do was lay in bed in pain.  I had to have people help care for my babies and me while Hubby went to work.  It was no fun.  So when I get sick with something minor like a sinus infection, I am thankful that I am able to do for myself and my family. 

9.  My home is safe and warm and I don't want for anything.  I had a hot shower and it felt so good!

10.  There's a God who made me and loves me and blesses me every day beyond what I could ever imagine.  He blesses me in spite of myself and all of my shortcomings.  I could never earn or deserve what He has done for me, but it's because of His grace and mercy that I am blessed.

See how the sun in peeking through those dark clouds?  It reminds me of how God can shine in our lives during those yucky days, if only we will look for Him.  He's in the little things and the big things.  He's in every aspect of our lives.  I love it when my kids see the sun peeking through clouds like this.  They say, "Look Mommy, God is smiling down on us!"  What an awesome thought. 
So now I'll concentrate on feeling incredibly blessed for what I do have, not for what I lack and instead of singing "Just another manic Monday" I'll be singing "I'm trading my sickness, I'm trading my pain, I'm laying them down for the joy of the Lord."