Angels descending, bring from above, echoes of mercy, whispers of love.

Wow! Two in one day! When the writing bug bites, sometimes it bites in a great big way! 

I have to share this with you, my friends, because it only validates how far I've come. It is a story I don't share with too many people because it seems a bit unreal. But when I share it with you, I hope you know just how real this is!

Those of you who know me in 'real life', know how much my Grandma meant to me. Losing her in February of 2010 caused me incredible heartache that has taken nearly four years to heal. Although I knew she was at peace with her accident and subsequent passing, I could not let go of the hurt and anger, and even resentment at God, for allowing such a thing to happen to her. 

Lately, she has been entering my world through dreams and subtle little hints. Owls and butterflies flood my facebook timeline sometimes and I can almost hear her voice and smell her as I go about my days. 

Today, my friend text messaged me out of the blue, telling me she had this nagging urge to reach out and say hello. I had not really heard from her since last September, so it was quite a shock! We chatted a bit and jokingly, I told her if she had any messages for me (she has a gift of being able to talk to those who have passed), I'd always have open ears! She said nothing was standing out but that she had me in her mind all day! And then....

....she tells me my Grandma came to her very quickly. Almost as if she knew the conversation was coming to an end and needed to get a message to me! My friend proceeds to tell me, "Grandma says she loves you so much and misses you, too. She is also so very proud of you." She patted her heart and with that she was gone...as quickly as she came through to my friend. She laughed and said, "Well now I know WHY I felt the need to get in touch with you!"  

I thought that truly understanding some scripture was my final chapter in the releasing of anger regarding my Grandma's passing. And perhaps it was. Perhaps this message was my Grandma's way of giving me her pat on the back because after all, she was always one of my biggest supporters!

Thank you for letting me share this little bit with you. In writing this, it gives me joy and helps me keep her beautiful memory even more alive!

And now, I will do something I haven't done with regards to this blog....I will share a personal picture. One of my treasured memories.....

Grandma and Think Thankfully, circa 1974 and September 2006

Thankfulness is an ongoing journey! Practice it every day!!

This morning, I was reminded through my own words, that being thankful, thinking thankfully, is something we must practice every single day. The Think Thankfully practice is not something we ever perfect, but rather we improve ever so slightly every time we do it. Bad habits are easy to slide back into depending on the situation we find ourselves in. We need constant reminders to find the happiness, joys, and blessings in our lives and to practice recognizing them in order to keep living with the Think Thankfully principle, honestly and authentically.

As recently as Friday night, I was easily starting to slip into being the complainer, the negative Nellie, over a situation that really should not have bothered me as much as it did. It was a situation that, in the past, would completely render me a ball of negativity, bringing me to tears instantly. I could feel myself slipping quickly. Immediately, as if someone (perhaps it was my ever so positive conscience or one of my guardian angels) flipped a switch, I looked for the positive in the situation. I was able to find some positives, go about the rest of my evening, and enjoy my time with friends. In the past, I'd have crumbled. THANKFULLY, my walls have been reinforced with stronger faith, positive attitude, and simple abundance! 

The journey to Think Thankfully is ongoing, much like an oasis in the desert. As quickly as the image appears right before us, it disappears further beyond our reach and we must keep trudging along towards it! Much like the old saying about happiness, Think(ing) Thankfully is a journey and not a destination. We all have bad days and moments, ones that cause minor discomfort and ones that cause us great heartache, but it is in how we choose to work through it that sets us apart. I choose to acknowledge the hurt, accept it, and then release it. I can't keep holding on to it, looking back at it, or reliving it. If there is a way I can change things, I work to do just that and if not, well, then I simply say goodbye. I truly have no time in my life for feelings of inadequacy, misery, sadness, or hurt. I cannot own other people's burdens or issues. I cannot make what is theirs, mine. In acknowledging, accepting, and releasing, I am showing that I am in charge of my own happiness in life!

I'm sure reading this makes it all sound so simple. So easy. All I can offer is, it gets easier to do the more you practice. Make thinking thankfully a part of your daily routine EVERY single day!! Honestly, before you know it, you will be finding all the positives, too!!

Happy Sunday! Think Thankfully!!!

Hopefully my blog block is over!

Hold onto your hats, folks! Yes! What you are seeing is, in fact, a new blog posting from me! I must apologize for the lack of posts and I will try harder to be more frequent in my posting, but I have to say that in teaching wee ones, my creativity and inspiration is put to the test on a daily basis and by the time I get home, blogging is the last thing on my mind. I'm not normally one for excuses so I will just say that is my explanation and be done with it.

Now, I have to fill you in on where this Thankful journey has brought me since the last time we met. I've gone back to church on a regular basis. Not sure what clicked in my head (or perhaps my heart) but right now, the Church is where I feel I need to be. I have been in church for 4 straight weeks and even filled in teaching confirmation this past Sunday, which was nice. Each week, I feel something (or someone) nudging me with a warmth I can not explain. Each week, I have walked away with a sense of pride and also some burning questions like, "what's in store for me next?" I like this transformation. It is so where my journey has needed me to be.

I've also gotten to a point I can say that I love being with the wee ones, without any reservation in my words. They are tough, but I am tougher! I do love the smiles they come in with, the stories they tell, the laughs they garnish, and the sense of accomplishment when they do amazing things!!! THIS is where I need to be, professionally! I'm tired by the end of a day, and I've lost some me time in my exhaustion, but I'm ok with it, because I am making a difference where it matters!

Now, onto the piece that has brought me to blog today. I've always been big on using the YouVersion Bible App (www.youversion.com) and follow a few daily devotional plans. Today, one of my plans brought me to John chapter 14. Everyone is always so inspired by the most famous verse in the Bible, which also comes from the book of John, John 3:16, which is a great reminder to us in our times of trial and tribulation, but as I was reading John chapter 14 today, I was moved more than ever. 

Perhaps it has been the final test of where this journey has brought me, the true test of finding authenticity in my ways, that brought me to this particular devotion. John 14 speaks to those of us who feel tremendous loss after losing someone we loved so very much, a lot like my deep rooted feeling of hurt in the loss of my grandmother. In this chapter, Jesus is speaking to His disciples about what is to come, His impending death and crucifixion, and the fact that He is soon to be reunited with His father in heaven. Jesus knew His followers would feel such emptiness at losing Him, that He implores them to remain steadfast in their belief in God, the Father. "Let not your hearts be troubled, you believe in God, also believe in me." In this series of verses, Jesus promises that all the faithful believers will have a 'room' in heaven. While I have always known that my gram found her 'room' in heaven, on this day, I found it especially comforting to read. I do not have to fear death, because I believe in Christ Jesus and I believe in His word. If He tells me this, I must believe. We all need to know Jesus better. And when we truly know Him better, it is then that we will know what He wants us to pray for, without feeling ashamed or embarrassed. And as we see answers to our prayers, even if the answers aren't necessarily what we want, our faith in Him will increase. This entire chapter spoke volumes to me, but the number one thing I gained from reading it, was the promise of eternal life is there for all who believe and who turn to Him in our times of need.

I don't profess to be a holy roller. Heck, I've only recently been reacquainted with my own faith, after questioning and challenging it a lot over the past three years. I believe that in the journey of more thankful living, I realize that I can not live a truly thankful life without a little help from above, without the generous gifts He bestows on me daily, and without acknowledging all the good in my life. I wasted a lot of time dwelling on the negatives in life for far too long. I choose to turn the negatives into positives, I choose to create a life worth living each and every day, and I choose to be completely thankful for all the goodness in my life.

God is good! Always He is good!