Time to Celebrate the Ordinary

When do you take the time to celebrate? Anniversaries, birthdays, graduations, births of a new baby, but what about the ordinary days, like today for example. Did you celebrate today? Why?

Celebrate the Ordinary

"Every day cannot be a birthday, and this day may be a very ordinary day for you. Perhaps you have just finished spring cleaning, and sometime before the week is over you need to visit your mom at the nursing home, take her to a doctor visit, go to the grocery store, make it to a parent-teacher conference, take little Johnnie to soccer practice, and watch your husband bowl on Friday night so he feels that you are a good wife who is interested in him.

My suggestion to avoid bitterness, resentment, and perhaps a mild nervous breakdown is to take time between the spring cleaning and all of the rest of the things on your schedule and do something that you really enjoy that would qualify as celebration. The first thing your mind is going to say is, "You don't have time to do that." But I am telling you that you need to take the time. And if you do the rest of your tasks will go more smoothly and joyfully. If you don't take time to recharge your batteries, then you are probably headed for some version of sinking emotions - discouragement, depression, despair, anger, resentment, or self-pity. When you start to feel down, just take the time to something "up" that lifts your mood and helps you feel better about life in general.

Cleaning house is an ordinary thing, but getting the job done can still be celebrated. Perhaps we could enjoy ordinary everyday life more if we learned to celebrate the ordinary. I am actually inviting you to creatively find reasons to celebrate. We cannot always celebrate for days at a time like I just did for my birthday, but even small celebrations can refresh us. Eat a cookie, buy a pair of shoes, go to lunch with a good friend, sit in the sunshine, go for a walk, or put a spoonful of whipped cream in your coffee. Take the time to do whatever is special to you. It doesn't even have to take a long time, but it is necessary for optimum joy and maintaining a good attitude. So are you ready to celebrate?"

These were some of my favorite words from Joyce Meyer's newest book, Eat the Cookies...Buy the Shoes. I was rereading it again today and I felt the need to share this.

I want to hear what you are celebrating and what are you doing to celebrate it? For me, I am still recovering after a doctor's visit yesterday. I have a couple more weeks to take it easy and slow and go like the turtle. I did get a refill on my pain meds for those days when I wake up feeling great and over do it. I really pay for it in the end. So I am celebrating by having a small slice of brownie and milk like Deb suggested to me in an email because I have made it through the worst part. I am coming home finally!

Please share your ways with me, I think it would really inspire us all and remind us we all need to take time to celebrate the little things we do each day that get us through life. Can't wait to read all your comments.

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Speaking of celebrating.... Here are the winners of copies of the book, Green Like God! If you can please email me your mailing information, I can get the book out to you. The winners are:

Greg C at Greg's General Store
Michelle at Psalm 104:24
Niecy at LiveLoveLaugh

Don't forget winners, NO P.O. Boxes and Congratulations again. Tell me how you are going to celebrate your win!

Everyone else, remember tell me what you are going to celebrate today in your ordinary day and how you are going to do it in my comments!

I did it! I did it!

I did it! I did it! I completed a goal I wanted to do since I knew it was available. I went to a book signing yesterday in Victoria Gardens which is located in Rancho Cucamonga, CA at Border's Books to get my book, Eat the Cookie...Buy the Shoes by Joyce Meyer signed.

Before I left, let me tell you I was not having a great day but decided to take a pain pill before leaving for the 45 minute car ride to do this. Steve agreed to drive me and our kids chose to stay home.



When we arrived the book signing wasn't scheduled to start until 6pm but at 5:15pm, the line was already around the building, so Steve dropped me off while he went to park. This is a picture Steve took from the entrance of Borders to where I was standing. Trust me, you can't find me, I was that far back!

People were coming and going inside Border's books to purchase the copy of the book which was just published on Tuesday. I had decided since I had two Advance Reader Copies of the books, I would bring both just in case she would sign multiple copies. In addition, I had two more books, The Penny and Simple Prayer along for more good measure. I mean signed books mean more to you right?

So while I waited some women in line were proceeding to read their copies in line and asked how I got mine in paperback form. I had to explain what they were and how I got mine being a book reviewer. That lead into discussions about blogging and why I was there. I was asked how I rated her book a 3 star, 4 star, and then I said confidently, "Trust me, it's a 5 star book and one you will love!"

An employee from Borders came out to tell us based on the number of people waiting to have their books signed that Joyce would not be personalizing them but just signing them instead and they would only be signing books purchased from Borders that day.

Well we shall see about that! I am one determined lady don't they understand I blog about things like this. I mean you're reading it right? Then another lady made a comment about why I had so many other books with me and I said, "Well I am hoping that if she will sign one, she may sign the rest. It can't hurt to ask and the worse thing she can say is No, right?" Then I heard, "See we should have brought our other books."



After waiting almost 1 hour and 45 minutes we finally made our way to her table. The line literally wound its way inside the store so it really took so much longer than you would think. Yet in spite of it all, I got to shake hands and talk to both Dave and Joyce.



I think my nerves got the best of me, because I just thanked her for all she was doing and for taking the time to sign all my books. She smiled at me and said, "Thanks for buying all my books!"



I got my picture with Joyce but again because there were literally so many pictures it was literally an assembly line. I have to say Joyce was amazing being so patient with so many people and the entire process took her well over 2 hours of non stop signing as fast as the lady could. As she was signing one of mine, she laughed and said, "I'm forgetting how to sign my name!"



Also by the time we had waited in line for about an hour, Borders employees announced that all copies of Eat the Cookies...Buy the Shoes was sold out. So people started to buy any Joyce Meyer's book that they could.

After we finished Steve and I went to dinner at P.F. Changs one of my favorite restaurants as a date night. On the way home, I took two more pain pills because I was going to double over, but you know what, you couldn't erase the smile on my face that day all the way home. I did it! I achieved a life goal and the start of something really amazing in my life, once the recovery process is complete.

There was no way, no matter how much pain I was in, was I going to miss my time with Ms. Joyce! I simply love her too much! Thanks Joyce Meyer for taking time to do this for me!

eat the Cookie...buy the shoes giveaway!

How many of you feel guilty when you try and rest or entertain yourself or even do something you really enjoy?

Well stand with me because you in the group of more than 80% of us that do. Why?

Where do you think this guilt comes from God? or the enemy? or ourselves?

Most people feel guilty when they take the opportunity to celebrate. They push themselves to go on with no joy fuel in their tank. Joy is the fuel we need to reach the finish line of an endeavor with a good attitude. We may drive ourselves to finish, but somewhere along the way we will probably become bitter and get a chip on our shoulder if we don't lighten up and take time to celebrate the journey.

I believe that we must confront the reason why we tend to feel guilty about enjoying and celebrating life when God has clearly ordained and commanded both. What? Wait. What did that say? Our thinking has been warped in these areas. Satan has managed to deceive us, and by doing so he succeeds in keeping people weary and worn out, feeling resentful, and taken advantage of because of excessive work and responsibility. We need times of refreshment and recreation as well as work and accomplishment.

God will convict us our wrong choices and actions, but He never makes us feel guilty. Guilt presses down and weakens us, but godly conviction brings awareness of wrong, and an opportunity to change and progress.

Sadly, if we are not confident about our choices, we can easily let other peoples' comments make us feel guilty and ruin the joy we need to experience in life through doing the little things that mean a lot to us.

So I would encourage you all to eat the cookie...buy the shoes. Celebrate your life's progresses and forget about those times where we really punish ourselves for not living up to perfection. No wonder we are often discouraged. Joyce Meyer has written a wonderful book, called "eat the cookie...buy the shoes. Giving yourself permission to lighten up!" from the Hachette Book Group that is due out in mid April.

This book has lifted my spirits up so much and have allowed me to look at my life through those rose colored glasses God has. He sees the good in me in everything I do each day, yet I don't. This is one book that is highly recommended not only for your own library but as a great gift for someone who is easily discouraged and needing a lift!

I would highly recommend this one as a keeper in your permanent library because its great to reference and re-read again and again. It is a reminder to celebrate our life and knowing the difference between healthy indulgences and destructive self indulgences. We need to remember that God is the ultimate party guy and the Bible is filled with celebration after celebration, all ordered by God, and the way they enhanced people's ability to live productive, happy lives.

If you would like more information on where to obtain your copy click here.

I was provided with a complimentary copy of the book by Hachette Book Groups for my review. If you are interested in winning a copy, I am giving away three copies of Joyce's new book. So simply leave a comment here and you'll be automatically entered for a chance to win. Remember I need a way to reach you so if you don't have your email attached to your blog, leave it in your comments. Don't forget to tell others and you get another entry, but come back here and let me know. This giveaway is for US and Canada residents only. No PO Boxes!

I will announce the winners on Wednesday! So make sure you spread the word!