January 14, 2025

This morning I got teary eyed with gratitude over...

pretty much everything!

But mostly...connection.

Sitting here with my pinecones gathered from Dad's yard

this last Fall, and a mug of Chai tea, that my kiddo picked up

 at Harney and Sons while he was showing his girlfriend around to some 

of our favorite places back home.

It's always such a special time when we can all be there together.

Revisiting the moments in my heart, and feeling the fuel.

Then out of the blue...I receive a phone call from a dear friend from Louisiana,

followed by a letter in the mail from another dear old friend.

It feels a little magical....

'Your ultimate purpose in life is not happiness.

Your ultimate purpose is deep inner peace.

It is the same for everyone.

You want to be able to sit by a river and be in awe of 

the mountain peaks around you and the water as it splashes 

on the rocks. You want to really taste the ice cream in

your hand, and you really want to feel the excitement of 

seeing someplace new.

At that moment, that's not possible because you're giving

importance to your worries, doubts, and regrets.

Life is passing you by and you're not even aware of 

the magic happening around you.

So, what you need to do is unlearn some of the things

that have held you back.'

You need to shed the mess.

Create a life by design, not default.

Shift the station in your mind from lack, and negativity

to something that is going to pick you up.

It takes practice.

You need to identify the bad habits and change them

into better ones.

Slow down.

Enjoy being in the moment.

Close your eyes.

Breathe.

Focus on being present, and all that you have,

not on your lack.

Repeat.

My morning journal notes...

Open your heart and your mind to all that God has for you.

Talk to Him about your struggles & feelings of 

inadequacy.

Do what you do with dependence on God.

Delight in what you accomplish together.

He can weave together something beautiful from the 

broken pieces of your life.

"There are certain attitudes and actions that hinder you from

really knowing God-

and you have to give them up."

Don't stay trapped in your old destructive ways.

Make the choice to move forward with God.

"There is no outside force that can stand in the way

when God chooses to act on your behalf."

"What others think of you is not your concern;

what you think of yourself is much more important."

Make a recipe for the life you want to live.

"If you aim at nothing, you'll probably hit it.

If you don't want to get anywhere, any road will do."

Anything is possible. Anything you can think of can

become real.

God gives you everything, and He wants you to use it.

Stop living by default.

Be yourself.

"You cannot see your reflection in running water,

it is only when the water is calm that you can see."

be well...

xoxo

💖