Life! GO and enjoy it fully

 Good morning!

This morning I want to reflect on the inspiring journey of a friendship. I remember at one community potluck this beautiful and bright being bouncing in and introducing herself. Apparently she had already heard of me because of the way in which our family eats and I had only heard of her recently in passing from other neighbours, in particular my dear friend and neighbour and one of her relatives across the street.

She sat with us at the same table and she was just amazing to talk to. Driven to share her journey while the sharing was good. We discussed how to apply her talents and who she could talk to as well as the food we were eating and how one day we would share a meal together.

I want to share gladly that we DID indeed share that meal together and a shared curiosity of how one another truly ticks.

We still have that deep intrigue for one another and a growing friendship as well as a head nod of one more day shared in the lives of one another.

Recently, she shared about an adventure, and yet again I am reminded and inspired.

"Receive while the receiving is good!! And enjoy it fully!!" While we are here, it is our JOB to enjoy the fullness of experience...great or not so great....while we can.

LOL....I would say more onto that, but what more is needed??

Are you mulling over something in your mind that is so simple to do or to enjoy, but there is an underlying "attitude" or language that is arguing not to? Interrupt that chatter (or put it on hold) while you GO AND DO the thing, and then get back to the "conversation" if you feel you need to.

Is there a reason you are using or used to keep you from doing something you know would make the most of a situation and you submitted to that decision instead of just jumping at the opportunity while it was RIGHT THERE!!?? (honestly, I will get over missing buying that quinoa on sale....bigger vision, bigger vision LOL ...man, that moment has been SUCH a great "teacher"... )

Get together with that neighbour that you said you would (2 years ago...thanks Lana) and connect properly! LOL buy the quinoa (and be a little bit late)!! Receive the gifts of joy and life people want to share with us and then GO and enjoy it fully on their grateful behalf!!

BE that OPEN recipient for JOY and LIVING while the living is GOOD peeps!!!

Let's STOP withholding ourselves from joy like a badge of honour....because honestly, it's wasted energy, imagination, time...whatever you want to call it. SHOW UP and receive this life of yours (and ours) my peeps

I LOVE celebrating the good living those around me choose to dive into It builds ME up seeing it!

Now time to make the most of an opportunity for myself this morning

#thankyouGod #aswecallitToday #BEencouraged #LifetotheFull #INjoy #LetUsLivethisLifeFullOut #whilewearehere #Oneanotherlove #ReceivingISimportant #receivingGIVEStotheGiver

Don't let your justifications cut you off from love

 Good morning!

There is a difference between right and justified...how can you know?

The driver and the descriptor.

Here's my testing ground....my two boys. LOL they are OFTEN fighting and bickering..."He did this!" "Did you see that???" "STOP!!" "MOM!!!!! He did (fill in the blank)" ...LOADS of growling, stomping, slighted eyes, sideways glances, slamming things down and around....

...go on and try to tell me this is a "phase", but this "phase" has been 14 years strong . It's a part of the process in their journey...the back and forth, the wrestling with their perceptions and thoughts, and how that translates onto the "canvas" of their brother to brother relationship.

Of course, since I am called into "mediation", I simplify the process by asking one main question.... "Were you being loving?" (or some variation of that question). If their "driver" didn't come from Love first, then what follows is a string of reasoning toward "lifting up" the choice to cause harm (or offend or cut off or call names .....) to the other. Justification. Having to tell the story and explain "WHY" you chose NOT to show up in love (or a less than a loving way)...and if you string enough of these Justifying moments together, you get one big ol' BAD attitude LOL . It reads as arrogant, and apathetic, curt, sharp, indifferent, and so on and so on.....but the biggest thing I have noticed, not just in the relationship of my boys, but also having observed from others....is it always leads to separation....and not connection.

Sometimes I find myself mired in the muck of justifying...but if connection is calling, I check myself, I interrupt the non serving wandering that is not leading me much of anywhere to begin with, and I get back on track and start noticing myself and where I am at.

I find we often feel "hurt" because we experienced a situation that fell short of the "love" meter. It could have been better...it could have been more considerate, it could have been more compassionate, it could have been more accepting and appreciative, it could have been more mindful and attentive...and most of all it could have been more connective...

The priority my boys make clear through all the messy back and forth from day to day is a call to love more. THEY call one another to LOVE MORE . I don't really have to do much, but to remind them of that fact. That they indeed DO love one another and that there is ALWAYS an opportunity to Love more .

"Let no debt remain outstanding, except the continuing debt to love one another, for whoever loves others has fulfilled the law."

#thankyouGod #Lovefirst #whatsYOURdriver? #oneanotherlove #chooselove #nogreaterdebt #Romans13eight #whatwouldLovedo?

Quinoa "balance" bowl

 This bowl is so full of flavour and crunch...been making them all week for hubby's lunches with a special "recovery" dressing on it... #balancedbowls #ooooloveit #foodrelationships #quinoa

How do you show up in change?

 Good morning!!

This has been QUITE an interesting set of weeks RIGHT in the middle of the first month of the year LOL!!

How you guys doing?!?

For me, it has been a little bit of a challenge to be honest in showing up in the way I intended to fr 2020. Not that I haven't taken daily increments of forward steps each day...it's moreso how things have shifted in areas which I felt were already taken care of. That I held an expectation around always showing up in the way it has....and now something has changed quite dramatically and how am I actually handling that...the CHANGE! The shift. Are you good with change? What is your usual experience when things start to change in your life? For better or not so great? What does that look like for you?

Do you find yourself starting to get reactive? Fearful? Does your language toward yourself start getting judgmental? Do you start comparing your results to those around you? Are you staying present in your own experience and betterment or are you now distracted with other peoples' "shortcomings" now that you feel you are failing? (The latter is a cultural/society thing for a later discussion...)

I'm asking because I realized I have two ways in which I respond...one, is that I figure I might as add in more change if I am already going to be going through/growing through this bit of grief/challenge....and the second one is, I start digging for solutions. I go back to basics and check in with what I have done before and start implementing those...only if they worked for me in the past...and then I check to see if there is anywhere I can "trim out" the extras that aren't serving me....I like the path to be smooth AND I don't mind an adventure either, but if the smooth or the adventure is not serving me, then it's time to assess, adapt and, adjust.

SO...adapt....and stay the course. Stuff happens...move through it...keep going. Sometimes it needs your attention....sometimes it's there to make you stronger, and sometimes....we just don't know...keep going.

Off to keep on keepin for this day ahead. Have a good one

#thankyouGod #couldbeworse #assessmenttime #divinetiming #lookfortheflow #improvedaily #trustintheprocess #noneedforjudgment #letskeepmoving #lifetothefull #hahamessykitchen