G...is for Grateful

Dictionary.com describes Grateful [greyt-fuhl] like this...warmly or deeply appreciative of kindness or benefits received; thankful...The World English Dictionary describes it like this...

— adj
1.	thankful for gifts, favours, etc; appreciative
2.	showing gratitude: a grateful letter
3.	favourable or pleasant: a grateful rest

I'm Grateful for so many things in my life...I'll try to name some of what I have been blessed with. 

I'm Grateful for my loving and beautiful mother who has become a great friend in the last 10 years.

I'm Grateful for finding love after I had all but given up hope.

I'm Grateful for my 4 beautiful, and amazingly talented and loving children.

I'm Grateful for cancer, because it made me realize how very unhealthy I had become, how much my life actually meant to me, and in turn propelled me to become a runner at 40. See I Survived & Now I Run

I'm Grateful for the ability to sit back and enjoy this new lease on life I've been given.

Most of all...

I'm Grateful for God's constant grace, abundant love and life changing forgiveness.

What are you Grateful for?

I believe in the sun even when it is not shining. I believe in love even when I feel it not. I believe in God even when He is silent. *Written on a wall in a concentration camp*

© 2012 Shannon M. King. This publication is the exclusive property of Shannon M. King and is protected under the US Copyright Act of 1976 and all other applicable international, federal, state and local laws. The contents of this post/story may not be reproduced as a whole or in part, by any means whatsoever, without consent of the author, Shannon M. King. All rights reserved.

F...is for Facebook

Facebook, yes that's right, the popular old social network.  I spend a fair amount of time on my Facebook page(s).  How about you?  Mainly, I go there to check on how my family and friends are doing, to read new updates on certain situations, injuries, surgeries...etc.  

 Now, I know that others use Facebook for other things like dating and some other not so savory things, but that is not why I use Facebook, nor do I really approve of that sort of thing.  It's a great site to keep in touch with family and friends that live far away and or you don't see very often.  I have family in Alaska, California, Kentucky and even back east that I can keep in touch with, and some just a few miles away, either way it is a great way to stay in touch. Are you on Facebook? If so, what are some of your reasons? Blessings and God Bless.

I believe in the sun even when it is not shining. I believe in love even when I feel it not. I believe in God even when He is silent. *Written on a wall in a concentration camp*

© 2012 Shannon M. King. This publication is the exclusive property of Shannon M. King and is protected under the US Copyright Act of 1976 and all other applicable international, federal, state and local laws. The contents of this post/story may not be reproduced as a whole or in part, by any means whatsoever, without consent of the author, Shannon M. King. All rights reserved.

E...is for Extra

Everyone wants extra this and extra that...well extra is not always a good thing.  For example, extra servings mean extra calories which can lead to extra pounds.  See, not such a good thing. Extra sun can mean extra exposure which can eventually lead to extremely bad things such as cancer.  Again, not such a good thing.

Now there are some positive extras too!  For example, extra hugs and kisses can lead to extra big love.  This is definitely a good thing.  Love coming from our loved ones is priceless. Don't you agree.  Extra hope can lead to more hope and that keeps us going strong in a difficult situation.  This too is a good thing. We all need hope, for it is what drives up to keep going and going and going...this is what dictionary.com says that hope is...the feeling that what is wanted can be had or that events will turn out for the best...

So let us go from here with a little Extra something...whether it be hope or love, let's pass it on to others. Blessings and have a great day.

I believe in the sun even when it is not shining. I believe in love even when I feel it not. I believe in God even when He is silent. *Written on a wall in a concentration camp*

© 2012 Shannon M. King. This publication is the exclusive property of Shannon M. King and is protected under the US Copyright Act of 1976 and all other applicable international, federal, state and local laws. The contents of this post/story may not be reproduced as a whole or in part, by any means whatsoever, without consent of the author, Shannon M. King. All rights reserved.

D...is for Dark

Darkness has surrounded me for far too long...skies that is.  Anyone else tired of the dark skies and ready for some much needed sunshine?  Well, I certainly am.  Monday was one of the few days we actually had sunshine and no rain.  Shocking! 

So...

I headed out for a nice walk/run with my daughter just as soon as she came home from school.  It was so nice to be outside without a jacket or umbrella, the temperature actually got to 64 degrees here in Grants Pass I believe. I am hoping that today will be at least as nice, but if it doesn't rain I'll take that too.

I believe in the sun even when it is not shining. I believe in love even when I feel it not. I believe in God even when He is silent. *Written on a wall in a concentration camp*

© 2012 Shannon M. King. This publication is the exclusive property of Shannon M. King and is protected under the US Copyright Act of 1976 and all other applicable international, federal, state and local laws. The contents of this post/story may not be reproduced as a whole or in part, by any means whatsoever, without consent of the author, Shannon M. King. All rights reserved.

Journal Day 2 & 3

Woke up freezing this morning...well, at least I was freezing...no one else complained.  I was thinking maybe it had to do with my major workout yesterday, but who really knows.  Sometimes when I work out hard, I get really cold afterwards, sometimes even hours after the workout I'm still cold. 

Yesterday was a great day all around.  The sun came out and it was fairly warm (63 degrees).  Glad I got to soak up some of that sunshine and get outdoors without a coat or an umbrella.  Work went well, we didn't have too many high school kids but enough. Worked with new guy and it wasn't as bad as I thought it would be.  I usually work with "A" and I can't wait for her to come back next week.  She had surgery and is recovering well.  I worked on my new blog I Survived & Now I Run  for awhile, trying to get out the word...it will be the one I post on most often, except for this A To Z Challenge, which will be on this blog.  I am wanting to get the word out to other runners and survivors but not sure how to do that exactly.  I am sure I will figure it out but anyone with advice is welcome to chime in on a comment.

I believe in the sun even when it is not shining. I believe in love even when I feel it not. I believe in God even when He is silent. *Written on a wall in a concentration camp*

© 2012 Shannon M. King. This publication is the exclusive property of Shannon M. King and is protected under the US Copyright Act of 1976 and all other applicable international, federal, state and local laws. The contents of this post/story may not be reproduced as a whole or in part, by any means whatsoever, without consent of the author, Shannon M. King. All rights reserved.

C is for...Compound

I have always had this dream of living in a family compound...this looks like and idyllic setting, doesn't it? (Thanks Google Images) My vision for this family "community setting" is so clear in my minds eye, I can almost feel the wind across my face as I stand in the long grass of the prairie...sorry, got lost there for a second. 

We once lived around the corner from my mother...and loved it.  She could pop in any time to see the grand-kids, and I could go there to escape when the craziness got to be too much.  I miss those times.  Now we live 45 minutes away and popping over for a visit takes a little more planning and expense.  Seriously though, if I came into some substantial money I would move my beautiful and sweet mother, my In-Laws, Grannie Anne, and whoever else I could stand would want there.   I'd even put a couple of those Adirondack chairs around the place...this place is shaping up nicely.

We would each have our own separate house, of course, and be far enough away from each other that it would feel like we lived as a single unit, rather than one of many. Of course, there would be one rule everyone would have to follow or die or else, and that rule would be that there would be absolutely no popping over to any ones home without calling first.  That is something I cannot tolerate, don't you think a call is a nice thought before you interrupt some ones day?  

Well I didn't buy one of those  waste of a hard earned dollar lottery tickets when the megabucks was $640 million dollars, so I guess I'll have to earn it the hard way...Darn it!

I believe in the sun even when it is not shining. I believe in love even when I feel it not. I believe in God even when He is silent. *Written on a wall in a concentration camp*

© 2012 Shannon M. King. This publication is the exclusive property of Shannon M. King and is protected under the US Copyright Act of 1976 and all other applicable international, federal, state and local laws. The contents of this post/story may not be reproduced as a whole or in part, by any means whatsoever, without consent of the author, Shannon M. King. All rights reserved.

New Blog All About Running

Just a note to say go check out my newest blog all about my journey from cancer to running half-marathon. You can go to this link to see all about it.  Hope to see you there..and if your a runner please leave me a comment about how you became a runner.

I believe in the sun even when it is not shining. I believe in love even when I feel it not. I believe in God even when He is silent. *Written on a wall in a concentration camp*

© 2012 Shannon M. King. This publication is the exclusive property of Shannon M. King and is protected under the US Copyright Act of 1976 and all other applicable international, federal, state and local laws. The contents of this post/story may not be reproduced as a whole or in part, by any means whatsoever, without consent of the author, Shannon M. King. All rights reserved.

B is for Books...So Many Books

I love books, in fact I cannot seem to get enough of them.  It's all mamas fault, she has always loved to read and I guess I just inherited that love.  Thank you mom.  


At any given time I am reading anywhere from one to five or more books.  There was a time when I was reading six at a time but that got to be a bit much for my brain to handle.  I try to keep it to around 3, that seems to be a perfectly reasonable number of books to read at the same time, don't you agree?  Right now, in fact, I am reading these books...

So far this is a great, if not quirky, read.  Agnes decides to never leave home again after tipping the scales at 600 lbs...she decides to stay and pray for anyone and everyone that needs prayer and maybe even a miracle...a must read for sure.

 

This one is a sad yet inspiring book.  It is the story of Mary Beth Chapman and her journey through the tragic death of her daughter Maria.  I have had a difficult time reading this one, probably due to the fact that I too am a mother.  It is hard imagining the pain and sorrow she has gone through since losing one of her precious children.  I recommend reading this with a box of tissues close by, but it is definitely worth your time.

To be honest I just started this and haven't gotten very far. I am sad to say, I've never listened to Bruce Cockburns music  but I will say what I've read is very beautiful and thought provoking to say the least.  I can't wait to read more.

 

I absolutely love this book. It's about when our faith collides with reality...and the harshness of life...it's about when you think you have your life all planned out and God comes along and changes things up.  This is one I'm sure I will read again and again...something tells me I'll learn something new each time.  

Well that wraps up what I am reading right now...I am positive I have one or two left but you get the point I'm trying to make.  I...love...books...don't you!!! 

I believe in the sun even when it is not shining. I believe in love even when I feel it not. I believe in God even when He is silent. *Written on a wall in a concentration camp*

© 2012 Shannon M. King. This publication is the exclusive property of Shannon M. King and is protected under the US Copyright Act of 1976 and all other applicable international, federal, state and local laws. The contents of this post/story may not be reproduced as a whole or in part, by any means whatsoever, without consent of the author, Shannon M. King. All rights reserved.

A is for...Adirondack Chair.

 (Thank you Bing images) I would love to have an Adirondack chair to sit in. I would sit quietly and enjoy the peace and tranquility that the sea brings.  Even now in my rather uncomfortable desk chair, I can imagine sitting somewhere with a glass of sweet tea, of course...my Kindle Fire, a blanket and the sea. Then I can imagine maybe getting an idea or two for my book or blog...or maybe even just whisper a prayer and send it heavenward.

For some strange reason I have always thought that an Adirondack chair says rest and relaxation is soon to be yours.  Don't you agree? When I look at one I just want to plop down and take some time out from this crazy high speed roller coaster we call life.  You know you want to put the laundry on hold, dishes too...and let the family eat peanut butter and jelly sandwiches (I'm assuming everyone's old enough to fix that themselves) and just push pause for awhile and unwind, and listen to some soothing music while you lay your head back and...just...take...a...breath...


Someday...

I believe in the sun even when it is not shining. I believe in love even when I feel it not. I believe in God even when He is silent. *Written on a wall in a concentration camp*

© 2012 Shannon M. King. This publication is the exclusive property of Shannon M. King and is protected under the US Copyright Act of 1976 and all other applicable international, federal, state and local laws. The contents of this post/story may not be reproduced as a whole or in part, by any means whatsoever, without consent of the author, Shannon M. King. All rights reserved.