Are you holding a grudge? About?

Once upon a time I carried a lot of grudges but then experience taught me that holding onto them makes me bitter, negative, unable to sleep well, saps energy and joy. We cannot control someone else’s actions only our reactions.  It’s easy to argue with myself and say “but they or but she…” Then I have to smile, move forward and let it go.

Share a story about the furthest you’ve ever traveled from home.

I grew up in a tiny town outside Buffalo, New York.  It was just my mom, my two sisters and me. We had no car, and got around town on our bikes.  Therefore we did not travel far. I was accepted to college in Pensacola, Florida which seemed like the other side of the globe at the time. My mom saved up money to pay a friend to drive us in her car with my few belongings all the way there to drop me off and then drive my mom back to New York. 

What does your ideal home look like?

The physical aspects of a home are not really all that important to me anymore. My biggest thing is a kitchen that is big and functional. I love to cook.  The intangibles are what matter. A haven where our family is together and it is a haven where we find peace, tell each other daily we love each other, and where we get a mental respite from the world

What brings a tear of joy to your eye?

Anytime something wonderful happens for my husband and kids.  When they achieve success, they are blessed and get something they have prayed for and worked for.  Will tear me up every time 💗

Why do you blog?

Reflect – on things that I should be grateful for, on things I have learned overcoming challenges

Remind – others that hardships are temporary and to persevere, that there is good in the world and that there are people who want to make the world a better place

Encourage – someone who may be down and needs a reason to laugh or smile

Inspire – to be a little bit better today than you were yesterday

Interview someone — a friend, another blogger, your mother, the mailman — and write a post based on their responses.

One of my dear friends just went through breast cancer and endured chemo, radiation and a double mastectomy.  I visited with her recently and discussed the following questions.  What scared her the most after her diagnosis:  not being around for her grandchildren.  What was the biggest help during her treatments:  meals donated by her friends and family.  What was one of the important things she learned during the ordeal?  Not wasting time complaining over trivial things that in a week or months won’t matter.

How are you feeling right now?

Currently sitting at Starbucks enjoying my morning coffee and looking at my piles of paper… schedules, sales reports, and personal to do list. Pondering how do I manufacture more hours in the day 🤣. Seriously, I push forward and remember the verse “I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.”.

What daily habit do you do that improves your quality of life?

One of my key habits is an “attitude of gratitude.”. I listen to praise and worship music on my morning commute so it gets my mind in the right space for the day. At the end of the day I write down three things from my day that I am grateful for. 

What was the last thing you searched for online? Why were you looking for it?

Each Sunday I post a motivational post on my social media sites.  I searched overcoming struggles for a new post for the week.  What I found ….

For anyone who may need this reminder this weekend:

calm #peace #serenity #grace #faith

“Today I choose: calm over chaos, serenity over stress, peace over perfection, grace over grit, faith over fear.”