It's Mother's Day! You matter!

Today is Mother's Day, a bittersweet day for some of us.  So many of us have lost our mothers too soon, or have difficult relationships with them. Some have been abused, neglected or abandoned by the woman who was supposed to love us most, some of us never even knew her.  Some of us are mothers who've lost children, or had them taken from us. Some of us have longed to have a child.

Yes, today can be a tough day for some of us, but I am praying blessings over us all.  Every woman can make a difference in someone else's life, every one of us can show love, nurture, teach and support younger people and be like a mom to them.  And I hope that all of us have someone in our lives that we can look up to a depend on, whether or not she is the woman who gave birth to us.

I know I am very richly blessed with three amazing stepdaughters (who have all grown into wonderful young women, and one of whom is now a terrific mom in her own right), and two precious little boys who are becoming young men faster than I would like.  I am also blessed with a lot of God-given "like-a-mom" ladies in my life who fill a void that I spent a long time denying was there.  I am so thankful for all of them, and also for a husband who appreciates me and friends that take time to bless me and make me feel special when I'm having trouble remembering that I matter.

So I want to say something to every woman reading this right now - YOU MATTER.  Whether or not you have a relationship with your mother, you matter.  Whether or not you have children of your own, you matter.  Whether or not you have someone in your life to make you feel loved and appreciated and important, you matter.  You matter to God, and you matter to me.  I hope you'll reach out to others, make a difference in their lives, and let them know that they matter, too.

Any men who might be reading this - celebrate the ladies in your life.  Show them that you appreciate them and love them...because sometimes we forget.

Be blessed today, and take any opportunity you can find to bless others.  It will matter.

Thankful Thursday - Tornadoes

Today's thankful Thursday has a slightly somber feel.  Today I am thankful for my family's health and safety, but I cannot forget that SO many others are not as fortunate. Last night a history-making outbreak of tornadoes ripped across 5 states leaving behind a vast sea of devastation and death.  Right now the body count is about 280, but that is almost certain to rise. The clean-up and rebuilding is going to cost more money than I can fathom, and require a lot of people working together.
I am thankful that we have agencies that are already at work in helping the victims and that we are blessed to be in a country that has the resources to respond quickly to emergencies.  I'm thankful that every American citizen can do SOMETHING to help and not have to just watch the footage and feel helpless.  If we're close enough, we can lend a hand, give of our time and talents.  If we're too far away, we can contribute monetarily and/or send supplies.  And I'm thankful for the American spirit of unity that can put all bias and prejudice aside in times like this and simply reach out brother to brother.  I'm so grateful for this amazing country we have, and the citizens that make it something special.
My heart goes out to all the victims and their families, my prayers are with those who were affected by these storms (tornadoes, flooding, etc), and my hope is that we will all find some way - large or small - to be a part of the solution and bless others.

Thankful Thursday Thoughts

I've decided I want to take my blog in a new direction. Oh, it's still about our new healthy and gluten-free journey, and I'll still post recipes when I find some (or make some up), but I have personal things I want to share, too.  And since it's my blog, I guess I can do whatever I want with it. ;-)

So today I want to share "Thankful Thursday" thoughts.  Last week, I was teaching my church girls (I'm a Missionettes leader) about gratitude, and about how we need to be thankful in ALL things, even when things seem bad.  Because even in the worst storm, there's always something to appreciate.  It's so easy to get bogged down in what's WRONG, that we very often overlook (or take for granted) what's RIGHT.  Our finances might be a mess, but there's food on the table every night, a roof over our heads, and laughter filling my home - so I'm blessed even when I don't know how we're going to make ends meet.  We will, somehow, I trust God to provide, and when things seem bleak, I'm learning to focus on what's GOOD.

I have amazing friends.  It seems like every time I turn around, I'm in a "club" (not a real club, but a group of ladies with a silly name who love each other and are there for each other no matter what) - I know even when I feel lonely, that all I have to do is call on my GodsGals, my CMOBsters, my God-DIVAS, my SistaChicks, or my Tres Dias sisters, and I'm gonna be okay. I have a great earthly BFF Dawn, and not to mention my heavenly best friend Jesus who will always be there for me. I have my incredible church family and the most amazing pastor I've ever met that I can count on, and a wonderful family (some by birth/marriage) that is going to love me no matter what.  Not to mention some pretty terrific kids and the world's most adorable grandson.  So HOW can I feel sorry for myself?! 

I'm also SO thankful for this new journey, this wonderful adventure of this year.  I'm seeing so many results and learning so much, and it's just FUN.  Now sometimes it feels like a roller coaster ride (and those who know me know how I feel about THOSE), but I kinda like not quite knowing which way it's gonna turn next, while still feeling safe and secure whichever way we go.  This is an exciting new way of life for us, with many ups and downs, but SO many great stories to tell along the way.  I'm thankful for the support, the knowledge, and the changes so far. I'm grateful that my family is with me all the way, and that they're feeling the difference too. 

I'm thankful for so many things, more than I could list here.  But I'm going to try, every week, to show my gratitude for my blessings, and hopefully I'll inspire others to look at the good things in their lives as well.