I have so much to say in this blog today. I’m trying to bring it all together to make sense!
It’s not good to complain about something that we have no vision to change. Complaining about things is very draining and does not attract positive outcomes into our life!
Having a grateful heart is a magnet for miracles. Do you think you can go 24 hours without complaining? The beginning of this month I set out to do just that. Guess what happened? So many things came about to complain about that it made it very hard to accomplish. Does that really surprise you? Not me! I have learned that ANY time I set out to do something I can expect HUGE opposition!
The opposition does NOT win though! We have to learn to have PEACE in the midst of the storm! That is very attainable by changing the way we think!! We can’t keep thinking that bad things are not supposed to happen, because they just do!
Between Marty and myself in the last 2 months we have had 8 people in our immediate family pass away. I had 2 cousins with young sons that died, one took his life and the other was drugs, my sister in law passed away to cancer, my stepmother passed away, I had a 2nd cousin die, then one month later his son that was my age fell and hit his head and passed away, Marty’s 1st cousin that was so sweet and 45 also passed away with cancer. You know, there have been moments that I thought, man I need to grieve this all and process it! Which is true, we do have to do that…. but the main, main truth that you have to get out of what I am saying is this: THERE IS NEVER A TIME FOR SELF PITY!!
Grieving is different than self pity! Life is not supposed to be full of self pity every time a sad thing occurs! We go through the stages of grief, we deal with them, we heal and move on! Some people are closer and we have to grieve a little longer but I can’t imagine one person that would want their family member to sit around and feel sorry for themselves because they passed!
I’m still waiting today for the funeral arrangements of 2 of the family members this week, but I can’t help but realize the things in my life that I am so, so blessed about! There are always blessings and things to be grateful for! Think of those things even more than grief!!
We got to go down to Florida and visit family and swim and celebrate birthdays with them, we got to enjoy 82 degrees a few weeks ago, we got to stop and visit my Dad and my nephew, that had just lost his mom, on the way home! We got to go pick up my daughter from N. Carolina at the airport to celebrate her little 3 year old niece’s birthday over the weekend! And today I get to celebrate my Dad’s 96th Birthday, even though he just lost his wife, my stepmom, 2 days ago!
My Dad fought against the Nazis in The Battle of the Bulge in Germany! He’s a soldier and survivor still living to tell about the battles.
He has not had a perfect life, we didn’t realize until the last few years that he probably suffered PTSD all of his life and we didn’t realize it. But he has managed with God’s help to leave a legacy!
My life also has been much, much trauma just like lots of us have been! The trick is, what do you do with the trauma? Do you use it to learn new mindsets, new ways to survive, new ways to help others?
The things we have struggled with the most are usually the things that teach us the most if we are willing to learn! I am so excited to use my trauma to speak life and love into other people’s lives! It gives me purpose and destiny!
I hope you find your destiny and purpose! Every ugly thing can be turned into beauty! It’s all about perspective!!
#Beauty for Ashes
#Joy for Mourning
#praise over heaviness
#no pity parties allowed
See you soon❣️😘