I'm not sure why this is, but I have been looking forward to Christmas for a very long time. I was so excited to put up decorations that I even contemplated putting them up the weekend before Thanksgiving. I didnt, but did put everything up the Sunday after turkey day. I love the smells, the sounds, the all around good feeling that goes along with Christmas. People in general seem to be in a better mood. Is it just the season to be nice? What is it about Christmas that can change the way people look at the world?
For me it gives me an opportunity to look back on the year and see what was accomplished. Whether it's a little or a lot it's always nice to have a sort of closing to the year. If it was good, then great, if it wasn't so good then there is always next year. And what better way to close the year than with thanking the many wonderful people in your life with Christmas gifts. I don't know about you but I love love love giving gifts way more than getting them. I have been known to make people open their gifts early just because I couldn't wait. Its a time when things can be put into perspective. A chance for me to truly realize how blessed my life is. Maybe that is why others are happy too. Maybe its a time for people to focus not so much on what they don't have but what the year did bring for them. All I really know is that I love how Christmas makes me feel.
To everyone....have an amazing Christmas.
Thursday, December 4, 2008
Sunday, November 23, 2008
Unalterable Gratitude
Can I just say, "I love my church!" Kevin, our pastor, knew exactly what was needed.
So lately I have been pretty hard on myself. Questioning my soul. Questioning all of my actions. There was one night when I had myself convinced that I was not a good person. It was to say the least an emotionally charged night when my life and everything that surrounds it was challenged. Ever since then I have been trying to recover. Trying to pull my being back together, a re-centering of sorts. Today at la Aldea (my church) helped.
It was titled "Thanks" which seems befitting for the weekend before Thanksgiving but it was so much more....
My life was falling. Why had it taken such a dive for the worse? What had a lost sight of? Or really more of the question was what had I turned my focus on? The sermon today talked mainly about focusing you life. You see, what I think had happened to me was that I had turned my focus away from the good in my life and turned to look at the shortcomings of my life. What I learned today and what makes total sense is that whatever you focus on in life determines how you feel about your life. Rather than searching for something more in my life I should be centered on what I have in my life now. The saying, "I'll be happier when....." should never exist. If that is all that my mind repeats to myself I will never be able to see the beauty in today. Never be able to see all of the amazing gifts and people that surround me on a daily basis. Gratitude should be the constant focus of my life. It isn't something that one just says but rather it is a way of life a sort of intentional practice that must be done on a consistent basis. A path that guides you through life. A path of unalterable gratitude. The someday life is not the way to live. Beauty engulfs every space around us, we just need to be aware of it.
Those who know me, you know that I am an extremely emotional person. But to cry in church just thinking of how foolish I have been and how truly blessed I am was a first for me. I am thankful for honest friends, for good health, for love that encompasses my being everyday, for being able to enjoy the outdoors, for every breath that fills my lungs. These past few weeks have been dark for me and I am glad that my eyes have opened and are seeing the wonders around me.
So lately I have been pretty hard on myself. Questioning my soul. Questioning all of my actions. There was one night when I had myself convinced that I was not a good person. It was to say the least an emotionally charged night when my life and everything that surrounds it was challenged. Ever since then I have been trying to recover. Trying to pull my being back together, a re-centering of sorts. Today at la Aldea (my church) helped.
It was titled "Thanks" which seems befitting for the weekend before Thanksgiving but it was so much more....
My life was falling. Why had it taken such a dive for the worse? What had a lost sight of? Or really more of the question was what had I turned my focus on? The sermon today talked mainly about focusing you life. You see, what I think had happened to me was that I had turned my focus away from the good in my life and turned to look at the shortcomings of my life. What I learned today and what makes total sense is that whatever you focus on in life determines how you feel about your life. Rather than searching for something more in my life I should be centered on what I have in my life now. The saying, "I'll be happier when....." should never exist. If that is all that my mind repeats to myself I will never be able to see the beauty in today. Never be able to see all of the amazing gifts and people that surround me on a daily basis. Gratitude should be the constant focus of my life. It isn't something that one just says but rather it is a way of life a sort of intentional practice that must be done on a consistent basis. A path that guides you through life. A path of unalterable gratitude. The someday life is not the way to live. Beauty engulfs every space around us, we just need to be aware of it.
Those who know me, you know that I am an extremely emotional person. But to cry in church just thinking of how foolish I have been and how truly blessed I am was a first for me. I am thankful for honest friends, for good health, for love that encompasses my being everyday, for being able to enjoy the outdoors, for every breath that fills my lungs. These past few weeks have been dark for me and I am glad that my eyes have opened and are seeing the wonders around me.
Monday, November 17, 2008
First Post
So my first post......
One of my goals of this blog is to keep in better contact with friends. I have some amazing friends that have gone off to do amazing things. This means that they no longer live anywhere near me. Different time zones, different schedules and life in general has caused friendships to take a back seat. Most recently I have realized how important it is to stay in contact. I've been missing my friends.
I also hope this blog in some ways helps me to get out some of the things that race through my mind. I don't know about you but at night while going to sleep I must think about a million different things before actually falling asleep. Is that just the norm? Maybe this will help to ease my mind of the many stories it has to explore.
One of my goals of this blog is to keep in better contact with friends. I have some amazing friends that have gone off to do amazing things. This means that they no longer live anywhere near me. Different time zones, different schedules and life in general has caused friendships to take a back seat. Most recently I have realized how important it is to stay in contact. I've been missing my friends.
I also hope this blog in some ways helps me to get out some of the things that race through my mind. I don't know about you but at night while going to sleep I must think about a million different things before actually falling asleep. Is that just the norm? Maybe this will help to ease my mind of the many stories it has to explore.
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