Gratitude

Happy Wednesday:

How are you all doing on this fine Wednesday afternoon? I do hope this blog finds you well. What are your plans for the weekend? Shoot me a text or drop me a comment, I would love to hear from you.

Things are good here. Not too much to report on. Well, that’s not entirely true, however, let’s just say, same rodeo, different day. Life has a way lately of humbling me and reminding me that it’s the little things that matter more than chasing after more.

I have been reminded of the fact that life as we know it can be changed in the twinkle of an eye, and that’s okay. I am coming to the conclusion that this happens because we need to be reminded of the importance of life, the importance of family and the importance of living simply.

I received a phone call from my amazing Aunt Billie yesterday. She sure is one heck of a woman. She’s so strong, yet she’s kind, compassionate, understanding and always there when her loved ones need her. I was reminded just how important family is, how important my family is. I have some pretty amazing people in my life, and I get to call them family. That’s a blessing in itself. I have a few friends, you know who you are, that are sisters to me. They are my sisters from the heart.

I have been humbled by recent events in my life, and while it felt like I was hit by a Mack truck, it woke me up. I am being forced to find my strength to carry on. I have some pretty strong willed and determined women in my life and I want to be just like them. One struggle I face is, I’m horrible at time management. My brain doesn’t work to execute the plans I have written down. You see, I look at my planner and see what I need to do, but starting those to do’s is a struggle for me. Suggestions, I’m open to any you might send my way.

I know I’m capable of accomplishing things, I do have to accept though, the times I fall short. I need to stop being so hard on myself and expecting more than I can do. I will continue to focus on the things I do finish. I will continue to open my heart and listen more carefully to where the Universe guides me. I will learn to pause when needed and push forward when prompted.

“Pause….She finds herself awake again, all throughout the night–when the evening blurs into the morning sky, and still, peace is not in sight. The room is quiet, but her thoughts are loud, her mind lost in the wild of her worries. Struggling in silence, she keeps waiting for the exhale, for her fears to part–but there’s a battle within her mind, there’s a war inside her heart. Taking a moment to pause, she allows herself to rest–regaining her peace and strength with each and every breath. Letting her chest rise and fall, she takes each thought in and slowly lets them go–realizing that grace can still find her, even if steady breathing is all that she can do. In this moment of clarity, she realizes that her anxiety does not define her–her worries do not hold her worth. Being okay does not always mean being alright. It’s okay to come undone, for its only in the darkness that she can discover the power of her own light.”-Bryan Anthonys.

Each day when I get out of bed, I thank God for another day. I thank him for the opportunity to make a difference in the world. I ask him to guide me and I’m finally learning to keep quiet and listen for his direction and I hold out my hand, waiting for him to invite me to walk beside him. I want to do God’s will. I know I am meant to do something good in this life, I’m just not sure what it is, so I will continue to ask God for guidance. I have a vision and if it’s not in line with his, then I’ve asked for correction.

I am grateful and I’m learning to embrace it. I have stuff, but I also have love, I have family and friends. I have a home and I have a gift. I was gifted the ability to write, and I hope and pray that through writing, I will be used by my creator to accomplish his will.

John and I visited his parents church this past weekend and it was a wonderful experience. I loved hearing about the outreach program and the sermon was heartfelt. While I sat and listened to the sermon, the music, the singing and the message, I couldn’t help but daydream about being able to write for a church and have the message heard by way of being able to simply sit outside and read it. Wouldn’t it be awesome to read a sermon, or message and have it impact you the way it does when you are physically in church and hearing it. Now that is a gift I’d like to give.

I’ve been immersing myself into books the last few weeks. Currently, I’m listening to Eat, Pray, Love Made Me Do It. It’s a full book of other people’s writings and how the book Eat Pray Love impacted them. I’ve seen the movie a dozen times, and it’s had a positive impact on me, but I think I need to read the book, so once this book is done, that will be the next one I dive into.

Wendi Renay, she’s a YouTuber that I love to listen to. She does tons of videos where she interviews people. Wendi has this message that by listening to other people’s stories, we can see ourselves in them. Through others, we find strength. She has hit the nail on the head. Wendi gets it. I only hope, she knows the power she gives to others through her videos.

I know it’s hard to live life at times. I know we all struggle, and I wonder if we took those struggles and offered them a place in our lives, a proper place? What does that mean? I suppose what that means to me is, we accept them, we understand them, and we give them the power they have. No, we don’t give into the power they have, we give them the power they have. You see, if we acknowledge the struggles, accept that they are present, we can maybe figure out a way to handle them better. For me, I have given my struggles power over me and now, I think it’s time to take back my power, or at least find my power and work with my struggles, find a way to a solution.

My friend Leslie says, “live in the present and stop worrying about the future.” My friends Jeannie and Shawna say, “focus on the light at the end of the tunnel.” First, I need find that light, even if it’s barely visible, I need to see it, and continue to walk towards it all while being in the present. These are strong and admirable women, and they are just a few of the amazing ladies I have in my life.

I am grateful for the opportunity to write. It’s a gift I’ve been given and it’s time for me to stop taking it for granted. I have so many dreams for my writing, and I am sitting quietly, waiting for the Universe to guide me. God’s hand is there, I just have to look for it.

Well guys, it’s time for me to take care of some things around the house. It’s a struggle today, as I can feel my heart working overtime, therefore, I’ll take it slow. One step at a time, much like life, I will take it one day at a time.

Hugs to everyone and please, don’t forget, Love Life++