Using Gratitude to Fight Depression

Welcome to the 99th weekly edition of...

Thank you for joining us! If you're new to this carnival and would like to enter your post, please check HERE for the rules and regs.

YOURS: Today's "YOURS" goes to Salsa Mama over at "Smell the Roses"! Before I get to her post, however, you NEED to see her header. It is the cutest thing I have ever seen in my life....

Okay, I'll calm down now.

So anyway, Salsa Mama happens to be a personal friend of mine, so it was really fun to have been able to chose her post as today's feature. She is a beautiful person, a great mom, and a loving wife. Plus, she's super-crafty and knows how to do all kinds of things, including making THIS $2.00 kid's room art project...

So precious! To read how Salsa Mama did this, go HERE. Thank you so much, Salsa Mama, for your inspiration!

MINE: While I was traveling last month, I picked up a copy of The Reader's Digest and came across an informative article entitled 7 Home Health Checks That Can Save Your Life.

One of the most interesting segments was a quick quiz one could take which could help spot depression. The article stated that, if after taking the quiz, you determine that you could be suffering from depression, there are various way to help yourself. The article states, "The good news is that there’s a lot of help available, including counseling, exercise, gratitude journals, and, if you need them, antidepressants.

I'd never heard of a gratitude journal, but it seemed pretty self-explanatory, so I decided to adopt the idea into my own life. Not that I think I'm suffering from depression, but sometimes I feel like I spend too much time feeling unhappy.

So what I've decided is that every night when I pray, I will start my prayers with a list of at least ten things for which I am grateful. And sometimes, I might blog it, like today...


I am grateful...

...that I recovered from my illness enough to attend church.

...that the tamales we bought from the cute young man who only spoke Spanish in the Walmart parking lot didn't give us food poisoning.

...that we were able to take the tamales to Aunt Bobbi's and enjoy them for lunch, along with refried beans and cheese, strawberry salad and Marie Calendar's apple cobbler... with only the baby in tow.

...that I was able to catch up with people at my mom's church I hadn't spoken to in a while.

...that I was able to see Jeremy and Cariss, some of our dear family friends who were totally there for the kids when my first husband died.

...that the baby now seems to have a schedule, and goes to bed at 8:30. Woohoo!

...that my mother and I had a very relaxing Sunday napping, organizing her jewelry, and looking at THIS newborn posing inspiration site.

...that the 4-month-old is an easy baby, and rarely cries for an incomprehensible reason. Mostly he just wants to eat all the time.

...that I recently read a blogger's article that reminded me that gluttony is a sin, and I should stop doing it to find happiness at the end of a stressful day.

...that I had enough willpower, because of reading this article, to eat only one Ghirardelli brownie.

I also read an article today about how to make everybody like you, and one of the things you shouldn't do is to make too many promises. Sometimes they are hard to keep, and if you break them, you become a disappointment. It's better to just keep quiet, then go ahead and deliver, thus exceeding expectations. I've noticed that I promise a lot of things on this blog, and that I don't usually follow through, so I'm definitely not promising to blog my gratitude list every day, but I just may every so often. There, now you can't be disappointed and I may even exceed your expectations. I promise to post a link to this article about how to make everybody like you later this week. :)

OURS: K, I'm so looking forward to reading your homemaking tips, recipes, how-tos and even disasters, 'cause we can learn a lot from those, too! Thanks so much for visiting and/or linking up. Have a great Homemaker Monday!



Today on...

-life in mexico {and other places} a picture a day: {a boy chasing seagulls}
-365 Days of TV-Free Toddler Time: Glow Stick Time!
-Fotografia Colonia: Savannah - 9 Days Old (Here's a sneak peak...)