LIFE IN BLOOM

Learning How to Flourish in God's Grace

Tag Archives: Family


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Friday Favorites- Intangibles

I decided to start doing a weekly series on my favorites because I felt that it would help me be reminded of all of the things I have in my life that I’m grateful for. Each Friday, will have a different “theme” for my favorites. I’ll start this week with “intangibles”.

While “intangible” is defined as something that is “unable to to be touched or grasped; not having physical presence” (courtesy of Dictionary.com), I’m extending that definition to include things that cannot be purchased. It’s my blog. I can do that. And without further ado…

  1. Family- I think my family is comprised of the best people God could have given me. They keep it real, they love me, they support me, and they let me be me. I have yet to discover the limits of their love for me, and quite frankly, I don’t think it exists.
  2. Faith- Perhaps this should have been first. Oh well. My faith is the glue that holds me together. When all fails, I can rest in my faith.
  3. Hugs- I don’t know that I was always a hugger, but I have definitely become one. As a teacher, I give out at least 7 hugs a day. Sometimes the kids need it. Sometimes I need it. Many a hug has brightened my day.
  4. Silence- I enjoy silence and being alone with my thoughts. I’m a processer by nature, so I enjoy having time to decipher what I think and feel and why I think and feel a certain way. So much of my day is spent in noise and conversation that by the end of the day, I’m grateful for an opportunity to just “be”.
  5. Love- There aren’t enough words to describe this feeling. Life is incomplete without love.  And in the words of the old hymn, “…when nothing else could help, love lifted me…”
  6. Friends- I think that I have the best ones, but I’m obviously biased. If you don’t have people in your life that are there for you through whatever and who care enough to tell you the truth, life can be really hard.

So that wraps it up for my first round of Friday Favorites. Until next time…


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The Best Gifts Come in Small Packages

It’s safe to say that I’m rather particular about gifts.  As it gets closer to my birthday and Christmas, I always provide lists for people so that they can be clued in to the types of things that I like.  I feel that it’s fair, because my interests and needs change over time; and I feel that if you’re going to buy me a gift, I may as well help you get something that will be a definite winner.

My mother thinks that it is incredibly rude for me to provide a list for people, and that I should just be grateful and accepting of whatever the giver wanted to me to have.  I think that is true, to a certain extent (it’s not that I’m ungrateful); however, sometimes just accepting whatever people want you to have puts you in this position of having to feign gratefulness and gratitude.  “Oh, this was JUST what I wanted”- as you hope that your comment is believable to the giver and you pray that God doesn’t strike you down for lying.

Anyhow, I digress.  As you may know, as you get older, Christmas looks a lot different.  Gifts are less in number and more practical.  I’m slowly adjusting to that reality (and I should probably be better about it, considering I’m now 27 years old), and by doing so, receiving gifts that are indeed extremely practical has become alright.  Yet and still, there’s always one gift each year that is the winner, by which I am EXTREMELY delighted and overjoyed.  And here’s what that gift was this year:

Yes!  A Starbucks gift card!  I love Starbucks, but part of the reason that I don’t go frequently is that it’s so difficult for me to justify anywhere from $3-6 for a drink and a piece of cake.  Thus, I usually save it as a Friday morning treat.

However, while this gift is extremely practical and helps me to enjoy life a little more on Friday mornings, this gift was special to me because it came from my baby sister (who’s really not a baby anymore).  She’s got her first job slangin cheeseburgers and fries at McDonald’s and just decided that she was ready to go back to school (after taking a little time off after graduating from high school).  She’s doing such a wonderful job being responsible, and she is blossoming into an even more beautiful young woman.  I’m proud of her.

The fact that my baby sister thought enough of me to spend her hard earned money almost moved me to tears.  I know that for some people that’s not a big deal.  And that’s fine.  But it’s a big deal for me.  I never expect my younger siblings to get me a gift because I know they aren’t in that position.  However she extended herself, and I am super appreciative.

So,yeah.  In case you were wondering, it is indeed true that the best gifts come in small packages.

Until next time…