Gratitude Even in Distress

‘Tis the season to sit at a table and offer prayers of Thanksgiving. What if your holiday feast doesn’t resemble a Norman Rockwell painting? Maybe you have a loved one fighting in a war or the economy has hit your household with a job loss. You could be walking through some of the biggest challenges ever faced. The power of grace comes in being able to offer prayers of thanksgiving even in the midst of distress. When I feel that my prayers are bouncing off the ceiling, never reaching the ear of God, I stop and reflect on the last time I really offered a prayer of gratitude. God is used to hearing from me when things are hard; but rarely do those moments of distress include gratitude. I want the problem fixed and I can’t see pass my pain to ever see the blessing in the crisis. I ask for what I want. But the true strength of a soul is gracefully thanking Him for the experiences I am having even if they are stressful.

Some may pray only when things are hard. We may find God in only in our distress. Talk with Him in prayer while in your abundance. Kahlil Gibran said, “You pray in your distress and in your need; would that you might pray also in the fullness of your joy and in your days of abundance.” So at this time of year, when society doesn’t seem as uncomfortable with the talk of prayer and God, take time to say “thank you when things are hard”. Gratitude is one of the highest states of emotion and it can quickly change our attitude. Express thanksgiving when all seems well in your world. “The expression of gratitude for blessings received keeps alive the awareness of who I am and where I came from.” For Today ~ OA Give yourself a gift – teach yourself to appreciate everything. Even those not so pretty parts of life.

5 Statements to Help Start Your Gratitude List

1. I am grateful for my freedom.

2. I am grateful for my ability to choose how I respond to my life.

3. I am grateful for my family.

4. I am grateful that God is watching out for me.

5. I am grateful for all I have learned this year.

Let Your Light Shine

“All of humanity is blessed by your existence here on the earth. There is nothing you even have to do to bless the lives of others. As you act as your true self and let your light shine, your unique vibration makes the world a better place for everyone in it.” Carol Tuttle

Woman can get into a dangerous habit. It is the tendency we have to isolate. When we are struggling either with depression or anxiety, we stay away afraid that when we feel empty we may have nothing to offer others. The problem with that thinking is that we not ony deprive ourselves of the help that may come from a heart to heart talk with a friend; but, we limit the influence of our own light in the life of someone else in need. Rabbi Kerry M. Olitzky teaches what is called spiritual physics. “Share your struggle with a friend. Any burden, when shared with a friend, is lighter.”

Have you ever found yourself in a dark room and all you can see is the light creeping in under the door? A small amount of light can dispell a great amount of darkness. You can be the light for someone elses darkness. Change yourself by serving someone and you will be engaged in your greatest work. The truth is that your own light becomes brighter as you show up for someone else. Albert Einstein once said, “In everyone’s life, at some time our inner fire goes out. It then bursts into flame by an encounter with another human being. We should all be thankful for those who rekindle our inner spirit.” In business or with motherhood, I have found that my energy and passion thrives on my connections with people. The miracles of my life continue to occur at the hands of others. 5000moms is about that connected power we get from being together either on the phone or on the web.  

5 Ways to Let Your Light Shine

1. Look your child in their eyes and say I Love You.

2. Write a note to a friend thanking her - listing strengths you admire in her.

3. Write a list of the 5 strengths you see in yourself!

4. Don’t isolate. When you feel bad, make a phone call and share.

5. Do something new: start a business, donate used clothes or enroll in a class.

all those HAIR BOWS

The day I found out I was having a little girl – I was so excited! Every little girl grows up playing with baby girl dolls; dressing them and doing their hair. I loved my son but admittedly excited to fill closets with dresses and bows. Anyone who knows me can attest that I am passionate about creating balance in my life and organizing. It was soon evident that as the day approached – a baby girl had a lot of accessories. What do you do with all the clips, ribbons and headbands. I have been asked for periodic organizational tips – I wanted to share this one.

the SOLUTION:

sandwich size zip lock bags

label maker

plastic bin

lots of hair accessories

 

Sort your ribbons and clips. You may have a lot of clips and ribbons of certain colors. In that case do two bags. One for clips and another for ribbons and headbands. For other colors you can combined all the hair accessories in one bag. Then alphabetized the bags. When you are getting your princess dressed for the day you can look at her outfit and go to the bag with the corresponding color to create the hair masterpiece of her dreams. This will prevent you from digging through piles of bands and bangles.

I love great organizing tips…. please share yours!

be a woman of HOPE

“A nation is not conquered until the heart of its women are on the ground. Then it is done, no matter how brave its warriors or strong its weapons.” Cheyenne Proverb

I love this proverb because it speaks to the power of  hope. Individuals, families and a nation can not be destroyed at any level unless we, specifically women, lose hope. Why is the hope of a woman an antidote to destruction and despair?

According to Wikipedia hope is a belief in a positive outcome related to events and circumstances in one’s life. Hope is the feeling that what is wanted can be had or that events will turn out for the best. 

 The hope of a woman can affect change in her family and community. While you are raising children or building a business – hope is needed. If you find yourself fighting cancer or depression - hope is essential. Loosing hope changes our perspective. Hopelessnes can drain the energy we need to live. We find ourselves in confusion instead of being in the solution. Your hope is personal and can not be ridiculed by others. The belief that things will change and in the end things can and will work out for your good is what can carry you through the darkest of days. I love the saying that if it hasn’t worked out it isn’t the end because it will work out in the end.  There is little that we have control of in life except our thoughts.  Thinking more than one thought at a time is impossible so choose to walk towards hope and away from fear in each thought you have.

I love the faith of women because they are able to run the marathons of life instead of tripping in the sprints. We get up each day and make investments in our families and businesses even when we have no proof of who our children will be when they are grown or when the next business partner will appear. We do things for the long haul and that is what hope is all about.

Five Actions To Maintain Hope

1. Keep a list of miracles so you can remember how things of the past have worked themselves out.

2. Remember gratitude. A thankful heart is a hopeful heart.

3. God is in charge so you don’t have to be. If your shoulders are feeling weighted down rember you don’t have to carry it all.  

4. Playtime. Make sure you are scheduling time to laugh and have fun. Put on your favorite dance music and take a mini-holiday with a twirl around the living room.

5. Give service. Hope can be renewed when we give of ourselves. When we see the struggles of others we step out of our own troubles.

Our Need for God’s Love

Over the past few hours I have watched the news with a heavy heart. With the shootings in Fort Hood Texas, and today in Orlando, I have been reflecting on how people process such horrible atrocities.  At such times the questions of why and how come are often asked.

When there is confusion and hurt - my mind and heart open up to God. Where is the peace and understanding?  My belief understanding and comfort can be found in quiet reflection and prayer. When nothing else makes sense and when the pain is too great – God can be found. He is always waiting. We are the ones that turn away from Him and turn to other sources for comfort. Food, shopping or drinking will never fill the God shaped hole in our hearts. My prayers are often centered on my own needs and concerns. Today, I offer prayers in behalf of the soldiers and families that have suffered a much greater tragedies. In our finite understanding we can not comprehend the infinite love God has to offer.

Author Tad R. Callister wrote most profoundly in his bok The Infinite Atonement ”Man’s needs, however onerous they may be, will never exhaust God’s love. His supply is boundless.” We may be the manifestation of God’s love when we lift the arms of the heavy burdens of another. Recognize God’s love in your life, spend time each day to list the gratitude you feel. Don’t let the miracles that come to you go by without expressing thanks. The message I wanted to share today is that your hurts and heart aches will never be a burden for God. Your list may be lengthy but He will never be bored or exhausted by your continuous petitions. Go to Him. He is there for each and every one of us. Always.

20 Ways to Create Happiness and Defeat Depression

There was a great response regarding my previous post about Pumpkins & Depression. There is a great need to support and help those that struggle with severe to moderate periodic bouts depression. I believe in the power of intention and faith. What you believe manifests in your life. So many factors contribute to depression. I believe  in the power of thought,  what your mind conceives your life will receive!

When you want to create balance, health and happiness in your life you must engage in a layered plan. Engage in a preventive approach to depression. When you put into place the essentials you can of minimize long periods of debilitating sadness. I advise starting with the first things first of life: prayer and meditation, regular exercise , rest and three balanced meals in your diet including quality supplements. Becoming a life long learner and turning to experts in areas of health, energy work and spirituality can support your journey in finding the right combination of systems that create more health and happiness.

Carol Tuttle is one of the energy experts that I have studied and interviewed. She shares a powerful list of easy ways to instantly shift your spirit towards feelings of well being, peace and happiness.

“Happiness is a choice. The more happiness you choose, the more life presents you with experiences to feel happy about. If you are feeling blue or even downright depressed, you must make the decision to “get happy.”

“The following tips can help you; however, if you are seriously depressed, get some professional help. There are many new cutting-edge energy therapies that clear away negative emotions and negative thinking. Find a professional who is more interested in giving you tools and guidance in generating more happiness than in trying to figure out why you feel the way you do. It is not necessary to find out why we feel sad or depressed to clear these feelings.”

1.  Choose to be happy rather than right.

2.  Repeat aloud: “It doesn‘t matter.”

3.  Pay it forward.  For every kind deed offered to you, do a kind deed for someone else.

4.  Write thank-you notes frequently.  The energy of gratitude feeds happiness.

5.  Smile—even if you don‘t feel like it.  You eventually will!

6.  “Tap-out” your sad feelings.  Using your fingertips, tap all over the top of your head while repeating: “I am free of this sadness. I am now feeling happy.”  Tapping on the nerve endings on the top of your head will start to lift this heavy, sad energy.

7.  When you think a complimentary thought about someone—tell them.

8.  Refrain from making judgments—think something positive instead.

9.  Whistle.

10.  Skip around your house.

11.  Turn on your favorite upbeat song and sing along.

12.  Ask your angels to flow to you the energy of happiness.

13.  Patch your right eye if you are thinking negative thoughts.  When you put an eye patch on your right eye, you quiet the left brain and its negative chatter.

14.  Hug someone—tightly.

15.  Ask your children to tuck you in bed and read you a story for a change.

16.  Stay in the present.  Let the future be just that: the future.

17. Hold a newborn baby and welcome them into the world.

18. Give some service to someone who is more needy than you.

19. Exercise regularly.

20. Pray and meditate.

And, just because I like to give a little extra, because it makes me happy,

21. Love yourself and make the choice to “BE HAPPY.”

“The bottom line is, if we give a lot of attention to what we don‘t want, we create more of it.  You are a powerful magnet either attracting to you what you don‘t want or what you do want!”

If you are interested in learning more about Carol Tuttle you can visit her blog.

I would love to hear back from you about your own experiences with creating happiness and defeating depression. Please share your thoughts and expereinces with me in a comment or email.

To Do Lists or Snowmen?

As a stay at home mom – my day can sometimes feel like the movie Ground Hog Day. Laundry and bathrooms to clean. Groceries to buy and meals to cook. What I love about children, they don’t live in this realm. They see the world as a potential party. Today was the first real snow of the season. There is nothing more magical for a child than snowflakes falling. My 5-year-old daughter was so committed to the dream of building a snowman today, she even ate her cauliflower at dinner so she could get outside. Watching her roll the ball of snow – until it was big enough to be the base of Sam the Snowman - made my heart sing! I stepped away from my to do list to just cheer! Soon her brother joined her to put on the finishing touches. The went searching for sticks and rocks! They didn’t care how cold it was. They didn’t care how dark it was getting – they were creating their own party!

My children often teach me more than I teach them. Today was one of those moments. Stop the to do list. Go play because the snow flakes may not last. Childhood isn’t permanent. Being too busy can prevent real connections from happening and your to do lists become your life. What a tragedy!

Simple Fall Decorations

I love this time of year. Leaves changing, chill in the air and squash and pumpkins line all the front porches. I tend to be a minimalist when it comes to holiday decorations. My children are always voting for big blow up lawn art. When they have homes of their own they can go all out – but for now they will have to settle with Mom’s more simplistic style.

I thought I would share what I have done for Halloween and with a few adjustments – will use for Thanksgiving as well.

Nature provides the most appealing seasonal embellishments. The color and texture of real leaves and varied pumpkins are easily available at your local farmers market or grocery store. I think that repetitive themes are always more visually appealing. I have also learned from my “designer friends” that odd numbers are better than even. Placement of 1 pumpkin or 3 will look better than 2.

I definitely do not claim to have the best fall decorations on the block, but I do enjoy a peek into other peoples homes for inspiration and new ideas. You are welcome to some blog peeking into my homestead. Maybe it will give you some ideas to use for Trick or Treating and Thanksgiving Day.

 A simple antique child’s chair, near my fire place, makes a great platform for a few more pumpkins. I love the contrast between the blue and orange.

 

 

 

As a child I am not sure where the white pumpkins were. I am so glad they are around now. They are perfect for the Thanksgiving season and I have seen them used in formal settings as well.

Gods Love

I have learned that love has different meanings to many people. The source of real love comes from God. Sometimes we feel it through our interactions with others but that source is always and ever available to us. We must slow down and quiet down to connect with the God of our understanding. If your faith in the reality of this love is on shaking ground take a moment to read this beautiful prayer about God’s Love from the energy healer and author Carol Tuttle.

“God loves you and you are worth all he has to offer. Regardless of your actions, in spite of your weaknesses, you deserve God’s love. There are no conditions and nothing you must do to earn it. The love of God, by his very nature of being God, is constant and unchangeable. It is always there for you – no matter what.”

So go out today and carry that love with you and then share it with those you pass by today. Share it with a smile or a hug. Whisper “I love you” to your child as they do their homework. Call a friend and tell them they matter to you. There are healing properties that accompany moments of loving. My understanding of God is that He will never tire of you. He will never leave you. He will never run low on love for you.

Christ is Always There

I have had two dear friends experience great loss this past week. At times of death – I feel helpless to help. Prayer is all I can offer as help. There is One who knows all pain and has taken it upon Himself. This is what I know for sure.