The Power of Friendship

I feel like I haven’t written in a long time! I have had my niece and nephew over a lot and we’ve been quite busy.  We have walked to the park, gone swimming, etc. and just enjoyed our last couple weeks of summer vacation.  We have only one week left until the kids go back to school.  We’ve had a fantastic summer with one mini beach vacation.  However, I feel it’s not about getting away to enjoy life (although, I have to admit….it is pretty nice 🙂 ).  We’ve had many opportunities to learn valuable lessons throughout our summer.  One lesson that I want my children to grow to appreciate fully is the value of friendship.  Of true friendship.   I have always said that I would rather have one or two true friends than one hundred fake friends.  You know what I’m talking about.

I was reading in a daily inspiration journal the other night and one proverb popped up that I loved.  Well, honestly, I love the first part.  🙂  “A friend loves at all time, and a brother is born for adversity.”  Proverbs 17:17.  I believe the first part.  Friendship is unconditional, loving, and full of giving and receiving.  I would like to believe that the second half can be changed. Although, the summer is starting to get a bit long with my three boys.  🙂  I think the adversity part they seem to be practicing daily! Hahaha.

We do talk A LOT about friendship in our house.  How to be a good friend and how to choose good friends to surround yourself with.  I believe brothers can be one of those good friends.  In my daily journal, I read how rich your life is if you have a friend that is like a marriage partner-sticks with you for better or for worse.  If you have more than one friend like that, you are a wealthy person.  I can honestly say I am a wealthy person.  The daily journal also says that “many things in life are not left to our choosing, but friendships are.”  Over the years, I have learned this lesson over and over.  Who do I surround myself with?  People that lift me up, help me grow, or bring me down?

My children are learning the valuable lesson of friendship and have had several example of different kinds of friends.  I have heard my boys say at times, “I just want them to like me.  I don’t want to say anything that would cause them not to like me.”  I am hoping to instill in them that you can, and should, always be your authentic self with your friends.  Always.  You should always be able to speak what is in your heart and mind (in a positive way) and your friends still be there for you.  If they have to walk on eggshells around a friend, then they are truly not a friend.  I ask them, who do you surround yourself with?  People that help you grow or bring you down?

I know this is a lesson that will be taught over and over (especially through teen years. Ack!).  However, I am hopeful that they will grow to be confident in who they are, where they are going, and learn the power of a true friend.

God Bless,

Christina

 

Lessons in Life

I think a common thought amongst different religions  is to wonder what is the purpose or meaning of life?  I used to ponder that quite a bit myself.  However, I now can see clearly that  the answer is different for each and every person.  We all have our own lessons that we are meant to learn in our lifetime.  I  know that I have learned several valuable lessons that have helped me get and stay on my path in life. I am sure there will be many more lessons along the way.  Have I mentioned that I have four children (all under the age of 12).  My house is full of joyful and not-so-joyful noise at different times of the day.  My second, third, and fourth child are relatively close in age.  My thirties are all a fog mixed with sleep deprivation.  🙂  When my children were toddlers (and I’m sure I was pregnant-yes, yes, number four was on the way…) I remember being in one of my son’s  Little Gym class.  There was a mother in there who I have never forgot.  She also had four children and she was so happy…..so patient…..so well rested.  🙂  I left thinking a lot about her and later told my friend how this mother truly seemed to “celebrate” her children.  I started to self-reflect if I was celebrating  the gifts of children that have been given to me.  I wanted to be one of those ultra happy people who never seemed to tire.  I wondered how someone became like that!

Did I mention the first three of my children are boys?  Yes, I have holes in my walls and beautiful crayon markings all over.  They are rough and tumble and I love them just the way they are.  My fourth was a little girl.  My oldest son has multiple disabilities.  He has truly come into this life with a lot of baggage.  We have had many difficult struggles with him.  But, that’s an entirely different post.  To sum my oldest child up, life simply has been very challenging for him.

However, I am so very thankful for the blessings in my life….for my wonderful children, a terrific husband, and purely awesome friends.  I have also been participating in The Chopra’s Center’s 21 day meditation.  Day 12 really stuck with me.  It was called “Your Grateful Heart.”   The meditation talked about when you experience love in your heart you are committing to living in gratitude.  Living in gratitude reduces negativity and transforms your experiences for you.  This made me think about the lessons in my life that I am meant to understand.  Regardless of your situation or experience, it’s important to be thankful for the opportunity to learn something new in your life.  Wow.  I think that is very powerful!

Back to that ultra happy mom from Little Gym…..I truly now understand.  I AM ultra happy in my life.  I love my children, my family, my friends…….my life.  I have such a strong feeling of abundance in my heart and I feel it just glows.  Each and every day I think about what happened in my day that I am grateful for, or whom I am grateful for.  Believe me, regardless of the day, there are always a lot of thankful moments surrounding me.  The more I notice them, the more I seem to be given.

Remember how I told you my oldest son has multiple disabilities?  We have been through the gammet of doctors, therapists, counselors, medicines, medicines, and even more medicines.  He has A LOT of experience for his 12 years.    He has a deep understanding of spiritual matters as well.  This also should be an entirely different post, but I have to say he is emerging out of his cocoon and letting go of anything he came into this life with.  That would not be possible without MoJo from www.momentumofjoy.com and Maria from www.joyfullyrenewed.wordpress.com .  Combined, they have healed him in ways that doctors, therapists, counselors and medication could not.  I know, without a doubt, that he will be growing and becoming this year what he was meant to be.  The real “him” is inside and we are seeing him with MoJo’s and M’s help.  What a beautiful blessing that is! I am grateful for them every day of my life.

              

Tomorrow we are going to start a Family Gratitude Journal.  I would like the kids to recognize all of the daily blessings that are given to them.  I have no doubt this will be easy for them.  Afterall, I think they are also growing a very grateful heart.

God Bless,

Christina

What is your gift?

First of all, welcome to my new website! I am a photographer and I keep finding myself wanting to post about spiritual matters, positive aspects in life, encouraging words from amazing people, meditations, and much more.  However, I kept finding myself saying, “But this is my photography website….” which is a totally different subject.  Different subjects, but same person.  🙂  It’s part of what makes ME.  So I decided to start a new blog for the other part of me.  🙂

I’m very inspired to tell you about the homily I heard in church this past Sunday.  I’ve never been one to come home and shout from the rooftop what I had just heard in church.  However, this past Sunday was different.  It was a homily that spoke to me on many levels.  The Reverend Kevin S. Brown talked about fear.   He talked about allowing fear enter your life.  There is the basic fight or flight where your primary focus is on self-preservation.  But what happens when you allow fear into your life past that moment?  Allowing it to enter into making decisions throughout your daily life?  There is a risk here of your fear (or anxiety) spawning more fear.  This fear leads to mistrust of other,  low self-esteem, darkness in your heart, and possibly a retreat from others.

When we sustain fear and focus on what we have to lose with our “What if’s” we lose focus on all that we have to give in this life.  Are you holding back in your life?  Have you been given a gift that has fear holding you back from pursing it, using it, helping others engage in their life with it?  Do you engage in your own life with your gift?

I have always been the type of person that has blindly followed my path in life.  Okay, that’s not completely true.  🙂  I have gotten in my own way on several occasions and have had to go through some personal pain to get me back on track.  However, it is so very important to trust your path, give thanks to your gift(s), and be who you are meant to be.  Don’t let fear run that train through your life wrecking who you are meant to be.  Don’t let it hold you back.

If you do have fear holding you back in your life, make a change today.  Make that commitment to yourself with starting with a simple statement, “I will not live in fear.  I will not be afraid of what is to come.”  Trust God……trust your path in life……and live boldly in the knowledge that light will ALWAYS break through the darkness.

Christina