We’ve all heard this, to give thanks in all things. It’s hard to do sometimes. Can I get a witness? It’s really difficult to be thankful when you’re facing an unexpected but necessary expense that you’re wondering how on Earth you’ll pay. When your house is a mess, you’re exhausted, and this is only the beginning of your day, thankfulness may be the last thing on your mind. When things get you down, try to flip the script.
Instead of fretting about that bill (and I’m preaching to myself here too), pray for God to provide the means to handle it. Be thankful for a Father who listens and cares about our every need (and desire).
Instead of grumbling about the dishes to be done, the pies to be baked, and all the laundry to be put away, (again…this is me today!), be grateful that you have food that dirtied the dishes, guests coming to share the pie, and healthy bodies to clothe and the means with which to clean those clothes and the healthy bodies.
If we step outside ourselves for just a moment, we can find even the smallest things to be thankful for.
Thank you, Lord, for eyes and sight with which to read this post.
Thank you, Father, for the ability to form original thoughts, even when I’m so overwhelmed.
Thank you, Jesus, for so much activity in my life and loved ones who count on me even if it means I can scarcely keep my eyes open right now.
Disclaimer: If you haven’t seen Alexander and the Terrible, Horrible, No-Good, Very Bad Day, don’t read this yet! But do go see it. It’s good!
This weekend at an all-night movie lock-in for high schoolers, we got to see Alexander and the Terrible, Horrible, No-Good, Very Bad Day. Really, those adjectives are a bit of an understatement. Their day was really chaotic to say the least, but overall, they survived and at the end of it, were still a good, solid, loving family. Really, that matters more than anything.
I learned some things from Alexander and his family and here are my top five:
1. Teamwork within a couple really matters. Alexander’s dad was suffering a job loss. Several months into his job search he was still at home being “fommy” (a new term I learned during this viewing), a “father mommy.” He was a stay-at-home dad and managing pretty brilliantly. Even though he was going through some personal difficulties sure to be a challenge, he supported his wife who’d returned to the workforce and he became her biggest cheerleader. She, in turn, appreciated how he kept the family together and running at home.
2. Sometimes you get the girl after all. Alexander liked the very pretty, popular girl who seemed sure to be out of his reach. After all, he admitted his life was a series of bad days. Even after he set her textbook ablaze, she saw through the craziness of his life and gave him a chance after realizing he really was a good guy.
3. Don’t answer the phone while driving. Just don’t. Alexander’s brother learned this the hard way. It set into motion a series of smallish disasters and all in the name of trying to keep his girlfriend from being mad at him.
4. Show up for your siblings. Despite their insane day, the family “showed up” for each person’s event. Big brother got to his prom dinner (that ended with a pretty surprising and wise decision made on his part), sister got to perform (so to speak!) in her star role of her 8th grade play, and Alexander…well, he got his over-the-top birthday party after all. The whole family was together to share in the ups and downs of it every step. (And Australian animals (Alexander’s favorite) are quite fabulous).
5. Happy endings really are the best part of the movie. I still love whimsy and neatly sewn up endings where everyone is happy. I’ll never change. Who doesn’t want a happy journey with the promise of a happy ending?
When I say “The Duggars” most people know who I’m talking about. The Duggar family has been long-known as “the ones with all the kids.” They do have “19 Kids and Counting”, which is the appropriate title of their reality TV show on TLC. Many people have strong feelings about this larger-than-average family. They either love them or…they don’t.
I’ll admit when they first came into the public eye (when there were fewer than 19 children), I wasn’t a fan. I couldn’t understand how it was responsible to have that many children. After all, how could parents possibly keep track of each one and give them much-needed undivided attention on a daily basis? I judged them, assuming the older kids all but raised the younger ones. I didn’t dislike them per se, but I didn’t understand their ways so I didn’t make any attempts to investigate and see what they were really about.
Eventually I gave them a chance and started watching their show here and there and no one was more surprised than I to find that this family grew on me. Here are my ten reasons why:
1. I just plain like them.
The Duggars are likable, it’s just that simple. They seem like people who I could be friends with and have some laughs with and learn from.
2. They have an unshakable faith.
The Duggars have been raked over the coals time and again for their beliefs and the way they choose to live. But they’re confident in their spirituality and they haven’t let the criticism sway them. They live out their faith.
3. They’re honest about their mistakes.
Jim Bob and Michelle have been open about some mistakes they made early on in their life. They’ve copped to some debt and some other circumstances they’d change if they could go back and do so. They are very straight forward that some of their parenting strategies are formed around preventing their children from making similar poor decisions.
4. They make messes.
There is a big bunch of little ones running around the Duggar house which translates into bigger messes than in most homes. The struggle is real, people. Keeping a house neat and tidy when we have two children is practically an Olympic event some days. Imagine keeping any kind of order with 19 (nineteen!) kids playing, finger painting, making blanket forts. They don’t pretend that they’ve got it all together at all times. There are messes and they just clean them up and move on to the next one.
5. They laugh a lot.
Laughter is huge in my life. I’m a firm believer in laughing every chance there is. So when I see this family joking around, especially between Jim Bob and Michelle, it really endears me. The family that laughs together, stays together.
6. They shop secondhand and are proud of it.
Be still my heart. Celebrities who buy secondhand! I’m a bargain shopper, born and bred, and even if I break the millionaire tax bracket someday, I’ll still be a bargain shopper. Why pay more for something if you don’t have to? The Duggars buy secondhand and even make some of their own clothing and it’s admirable and it’s also smart. They make good use of what God has given them.
7. They have real talents and interests.
It appears most if not all of the Duggar children have musical ability. They take musical lessons and have vast interests. Many of the boys help with construction and home improvement (as we saw when the family readied an investment home for newlyweds Jill and Derick).
Jill has a love of midwifery and coaching mothers and helping newborns enter the world and the other children have displayed various interests. They are individuals and their uniqueness shows.
8. They have each other’s backs.
There is real comradery and support amongst the members of the Duggar family. There is genuine love and tenderness and a healthy amount of teasing. But overall, the kids seem very supportive and truly happy for the others’ successes.
9. They have great hair.
Seriously, this family has been blessed from a follicular standpoint. The girls have long hair and volume for days. It’s beautiful and I’ve noticed them mention more than once how they enjoy doing each other’s hair in different braids and curls.
10. They make it all work.
I’m sure they’re like any other family. They have problems. There are cross words and sibling rivalry that crop up. But they love each other and have developed a system and they make it work. It seems effortless, but I’m sure it’s not. To make sure 19 kids and 2 parents are cared for and have the attention they need is sure to be a challenge but they’re in it together.
They’re a formidable team and their faith is the glue that makes them stick. They’ve really endeared themselves to me over the years and I’ve found myself tearing up at the wedding proposals and cheering for them as Michelle and Jim Bob become grandparents and in-laws to the young people marrying into their family. As they go on mission trips, help others, and keep on keeping on, I’ll keep on tuning in.
Welcome to the maiden voyage of my first personal blog! I say “personal blog” because I blog on Blogher.com and have guest posted on other sites as well. However, I have been feeling a tug to begin my own personal blog, one where I can share pictures, thoughts, and articles I write more freely. I’ve always had a deep love for writing, ever since I was old enough to put a pencil to paper…literally at age five I was writing stories on that giant lined penmanship paper we used in school. I wrote stories about anything that affected or perplexed me. The divorce of a friend’s parents (the first I’d ever heard of such a thing) and my tonsillectomy were some big headliners for me in the early years. I never lost my passion for the written word but for awhile, my writing dream got put on a shelf for safekeeping. In the most recent couple of years I took my dream down from the shelf, dusted it off, and began blogging for the public and writing for personal growth and satisfaction.
My professional background includes working as a Medical Language Specialist for nearly two decades. Now, I spend most of my days (and some nights and some middle-of-the-nights) writing, reading, reading about writing, and researching. I also do some housework, grocery shopping, socializing and taking care of my family in there too. I’m a mom to two fabulous children, a tween boy I call Bub and a teenage girl I call My Girl. I’m married to a man who strangers think looks at least ten years younger than he is (no one makes this mistake about me). This is an incredible boost to my self-esteem, as one can imagine. He’s not younger than I am. He’s actually three years my senior, though apparently it’s not obvious by looking at him. We share our lives and our home with our Beabrador Lillie and her boss, Gracie the Pug (adorably pictured below).
I imagine you may have stumbled upon my blog because the name looked or sounded intriguing when you said “Flying Blonde” in your head. I’m a huge fan of plays on words and double entendre. I chose Flying Blonde as a play on the phrase “flying blind” because that’s pretty much how I live life… by the seat of my pants without a master plan (God’s in control of that) and more or less availing myself to what God has in store. And I’m blonde. I hope you will visit again and often. I believe I have some good things to say and share. My mission is to encourage others. I’ve been through some seriously painful stuff in life and maybe I can encourage you through something you’re struggling with. Or we can laugh, because sometimes we simply must laugh so as not to cry. I believe in laughing out loud (usually at myself) and sharing quirky, weird things that happen in life as well as some deep thoughts. I’d love to have some great conversations with you as we all navigate through this ridiculous, beautiful mess we call life. Maybe I’ll even tell you about the time I met Adam Levine…
