Being Thankful

Have you ever thought that if you thank God too much,  your "luck" may change...that something bad will happen?  Have you ever been afraid of life because things are going too well?  Have you ever felt insecurity when everything is your world is "just right?" Have you ever been afraid of "jinxing yourself" because your world is perfect at the moment?  What happens when things start to go bad in your world?  Do you ask yourself, "What did I do to make this happen?"  Have you ever asked yourself, "Why is this happening to our family?"

My husband used to say, "It's not if something is going to happen...it's when something is going to happen."  I think what he was saying was that we need to be prepared because our lives never proceed as planned and challenges come into our lives at the most unexpected times.

Most of us have been through many different scenarios in life...good and bad.  We have learned to take the good with the bad and roll with the punches.  We have come to expect our lives to be imperfect.  With this thought in mind, I think we also need to be optimistic in our lives, even when things are not going well.   You never have time to prepare for the challenges in life.  They appear suddenly one day at your door when you least expect them.  When you are pushed to your limit and are forced to face your worst nightmare, you will also learn what you are made of.  The demands that you are facing from these unexpected challenges help you to rely on all of your inner strength and utilize your resources. You also find that you have become a better person and an integral family member because of the adversities that you are facing.  In addition, you learn about being courageous, persistent, and stubborn. Suddenly, you have become creative in solving problems.

 The big key that I have found by going through all of the challenges in life is "that you have to ask for help."   During a challenging time, people come to you and say, "If you need help, please ask."   I've learned that you need to utilize your resources and ask for help, even if you feel like you are bothering your friends or family.  They are there to help in any situation.  You have gone through the good times with your family and friends.  Now it's time to go through the bad times with them, also. They are always available to help and will provide the support you need.  Don't be afraid to ask for help.

I have also learned that you grow from these unexpected and sudden happenings in life.   We have never asked to experience these challenges but we end up facing all types of challenges, moving through them, and learning from them. I have also found that we make mistakes when we go through these challenges, but we also learn from our mistakes.  We need to let the mistakes go and keep moving through life.  There's nothing we can do about them.  I have also learned that we can survive adversity in our lives, learn from it and obtain confidence from the challenging experiences that we have suddenly had to endure.  We can get through these challenges.  We can become a better person and learn from these experiences.  We never know what we are made of until that certain and unexpected challenge comes along.  I have learned many valuable lessons going through these life-changing events and that I am capable of getting through these events and still come out with a positive attitude.  That's the key to life...maintaining that positive attitude when you are hit with adversity and challenges beyond your control.

Right now our family is experiencing challenging times but we are also learning from them.  I think we learned that we can rely on each other for support and guidance.  Sometimes it's hard to see the light at the end of the tunnel but our family has continually made it through this tunnel.  We have been through adverse times before and will get through them again thanks to family, friends, our love for each other and Almighty God.  There is always something in our lives to be thankful for... so thank you family and friends for being there for us during this challenging time and thank you God for showing us the way to learn from this experience.


At times our own light goes out and is rekindled by a spark from another person. Each of us has cause to think with deep gratitude of those who have lighted the flame within us.
-- Albert Schweitzer

Thank you God for helping us with this life-changing challenge and letting Aaron walk again.  We are truly blessed.

The Gift of Love

I want to tell you a little about being a mom and a grandmother in my world.  I live for my children and grandchilden.  They are my sunshine and my rainbows.  They make my face light up when I see their faces or hear their voices. They make me glad that I am alive on this earth and treasure each day I can see them.

Every day I get out of bed and thank God for all of the wonderful people I have in my life.  I have found through my years on this earth that if you truly love a person, you will love them unconditionally.  That is the way I love my family and friends.  There are mishaps and challenges in our lives but we have help during those bad times.  Family and friends come to our rescue in troublesome times and make our lives more tolerable.  I have learned that we must overcome every obstacle to find true happiness.  I have found that true happiness with my family and friends.

It is the best feeling in the world as a mom to watch your child grow and finally, as the child reaches adulthood, to achieve their expectations and goals in life.  That is how I feel about my daughter, Amanda.  Throughout life I have always called my daughter, "My gift."  She is a blessing from God and as the months have grown into years, I have truly come to admire her and call her my best friend.  Amanda married a wonderful man, Aaron, whom I love as my son. I have always told Aaron that God brought him to Mandy and our family. We are very fortunate to have him.   Aaron and Mandy have given me two beautiful grandsons, Noah and Abram, whom I've had the pleasure of looking after in their absence.  I not only think it is a privilege to take care of these little beings, I think of it as a "grandma moment" where I can spoil them with every ounce of my being and in turn, my grandchildren give me little hugs and lots of kisses.  I also have the privilege of seeing and hearing all of their little antics and stories.  One such little story is of my grandson, Abram.  He is four years old going on eight!  Abram had the flu for two days and while he was sick, I had the grandmotherly opportunity to cuddle with him, read him stories for hours and spoil him to the max! Finally, as Abram was getting well, he asked me, "Grandma am I sick anymore?"  I smiled at him and again thanked God for such a wonderful grandson.  "No, you aren't sick anymore, Abram. God has taken away the sickness." 

There are trials and tribulations in our lives but they make us stronger individuals and it's up to each individual to learn to love themselves and in turn love others.  What better joy can we have than giving the gift of love.

And so we know and rely on the love God has for us.  God is love.  Whoever lives in love lives in God, and God in him.  1 John 4:16