Take time to look around you and say a prayer of thankfulness for all that you have, big or small. We all have something to be thankful for if we would open our hearts and put away our pride it would be easier to notice all the beautiful things we have to be thankful for.. Don't focus on the 2 or 3 bad things that happened in your day, look at the rest of the day. The part of the day that was good, you woke up, you ate breakfast, and kissed your husband, called your friend or had a nice dinner. So don't worry about the one rude look the barista shot at you or that your to-do list isn't finished. Your time is more valuable than to put your head in the bad things of the day.And even in bad, bad days, find the little nugget of goodness that happened and thank God. Every time you are thankful, your blessings increase and you are more capable of spreading your happiness to other people. So go now, make a list of things you're thankful for and then say a prayer of thankfulness... :-)My list for the day?My sweet husband who made me a delicious green juice this morning, the summer, my health, raindrops, the emails that I wrote today, black tea latte, worship music, soap that is super sudsy and water.. Water is amazing :-)
I remember spending a sweet afternoon with this grandmother and her family in Thailand. If I remember correctly, they are Karen people who relocated to Thailand from Myanmar a few generations before. It was a multigenerational house. The Karen people are so caring toward their aging parents, both the children and grandchildren take care of them by welcoming them back into their homes and giving them constant care.Looking at this image and reliving that afternoon, it makes me think of what the future holds. A million thoughts of hopes and doubts fill my head instantly, but I'm learning that it is not too healthy for me to just focus on the future, because when I do, I get impatient with the me of today. When I just look at the destination and not living and resting in today's journey, I get impatient that I'm not working fast enough, learning enough, doing enough. I spend my present feeling like I am just not enough.Instead of this madness, I want to learn the delicate balance between resting in joys of now, being thankful for the past and hopeful for the future. There in this balance lies happiness and strength to enjoy each day that God has given me. The future will come, but it tastes much better if I live this day well and soak in its very essence.
The Thai boys have just become little monks. Together they dress up in ornate clothing and jewelry with bright make up to celebrate this special occasion. Today they will spend the day parading through their town celebrating with friends and family. But for now they are relaxing in the cool monastery before they go out to meet the Thai sun.
So I got this email from my sister this week. Here is how it went...Heyyyyyyyyy Inge,We are trying to remember what you put in the salad that you made for Christmas last year... it was soooooo good and I really want to make it again. Please say that you remember???? :)My first response?? Oh, Did I make a salad last year? really? I forgot that I even helped with the cooking...Oh and you liked? cool... hehehe because usually when I cook, I just put random things together and pray to the Lord above that they taste good and luckily! Last year's Christmas, I managed to score a hit.. Good timing, God! :DSo I couldn't remember for the life of me what salad I had made last year.. Until I went back into time in my pink polka dot time machine and realized for Christmas 2011 I was then obsessed with Thai food.. And then the pieces of my salad making brain started to come together :) I love time machines, don't you? They are all the rage in Korea now.. I named mine the super Western Digital Harddrive... ;)So here is my response to her recipe request... just incase you feel the need to make A Thai inspired salad for Christmas or any other day of the year ;)Hello, Hello!
This portrait, # 24 is quite appropriately numbered. 24 is my current age, and last November when Ms. 24 said, 'Hey-lo Inge!' It was one of the hardest days of my life...What happened exactly? My pretty life plan come to a screeching halt. The road I was traveling down suddenly ended at a raging river. I tried furiously to lay new stones in the river, but they just melted away like away like money in your gas tank. Vapor. Even my levitation device broke! Absolutely nothing worked. The river would not let me cross it!My only option was to turn around and find a different road.I didn't want to, but I had to do it. I was infuriated, sad, scared and devastate all in one day. How could these plans, my beautiful plans collapse? Why? How could this be? I had fought hard, done everything I had know how to keep my dreams alive, yet still I lost them all in a matter of days. Ruined.I didn't want to accept how dead my dreams were, but I finally did and decided that I had to find a new dream. So I defiantly dressed up in my best superhero-like clothes and practiced my 'I'm strong; I can conquer the world with one hand tied behind my back! ' face in the mirror. Yet inside of me - Oh! I was a weeping, scared, angry, confused but trying to move forward in faith that all of this was meant to be.If you had read my thoughts during this time, this is what you would have heard....1. "Help, Help! I don't want to step out. I don't know if I can. It will be awkward. It will be hard. It will be scary! I don't want to! Noooooo!!!"I theorize this is exactly what a baby bird feels like when the mama tells him to jump out of the nest.Side Note: If I were a baby bird, I'd be calling baby bird child services stat! For Animal Cruelty!
The Salad of the Day Recipe...1) Mix the following ingredients in a bowl.1 Onion sliced very thinly2 small chile peppers minced2 green onions sliced4 Tomatoes cut in 8ths1/2 cucumber chopped1 red bell pepper sliced1/3 fresh cashews or favorite nut.2) Add the following to your bowl of veggiesDressing:1-2 Juice of Lime1 Tbs. White Sugar1 Tbs. Soy Sauce2-3 Tbs. Hot Water.3) Then Mix in3/4 c. Deep Fried Mushroom Meat-substitute. It's delicious you find the right substitute brand or try your favorite meat in bite-sized pieces.4) Then mix in -->2 tsp toasted rice powder (optional) Look in a Asian grocery storehandful of mint leaves5) Taste it to adjust your desired sweet/spicy/salty balance...6) FINALLY.....Prepare a bed of lettuce,pour the salad on top of the bed and garnish with2 boiled eggs quartered, a sm handful of mint leaves and a sprinkling of toasted rice powder ENJOY! ^^ 
