Two are better than One

Two are better than one because they have a good return for their labor. For if either of them falls, the one will lift up his companion. But woe to the one who falls when there is not another to lift him up.” Ecclesiastes 4:9-10 (NAS)

Over the years I have been lucky enough for almost half of my life to have my best friend by my side. 

What I have realized is that together we are strong.   

We have been through many trials together, and have grown up together.  There are so many moments I reflect on, that without him by my side I would have been lost.  He is strong when I am weak.

The question I ponder as another year passes, is why do so many give up so quickly on the relationship.  

In this day, it seems that individuals are ready to call it quits when things get tough or their partner is not behaving as they would like them to.  The expectations grow and resentment spills into the relationship.

I am sure the statistics are stifling, divorce has become commonplace. What happened to sticking together through thick and thin? I believe that society gears our girls up to thinking that the princess will marry the prince who will carry her off on a white horse in a beautiful sunset.

The reality is, the princess marries the frog or vice versa (dependent on perception).

Marriage is not a fantasy  – it is a commitment.  

• it takes work from both sides,
• it takes forgiveness,
• turning the cheek,
• biting ones tongue,
• seeing the good before the bad,
• and taking a deep breath and letting go.  

I have learned that men and women speak and think quite differently. I have observed that many spouses don’t see divorce coming when it is at their door, primarily because the communication at some point ceases to exist. The female expects the male to “know” what she is thinking; meanwhile the male does not hear any complaints – so that must mean she is happy. Women think very fluidly, everything in life is interrelated. If someone has an issue with her at the beginning of the day, it seems to feed into all areas of her life. Whereas men seem to compartmentalize things, work is work, home is home, kids are kids. So if for example, there is an argument earlier in the day – that moment has since passed – it is not related to the evening time spent with his wife. I know I am talking in a somewhat stereotypical way, but for the most part this is how women vs. men think. Most men see love through intimacy, whereas most women see love through actions (whether it be physical, or words). A marriage break down occurs usually when one side of the equation does not want to understand the other side any more. He/She no longer understands me, no longer acknowledges my feelings, speaks for me…. Do you see the tone? It is the comparison trap. The comparison trap then lends to a sense of entitlement which in turn leads down a road where, the only option is for the marriage to cease to exist. “I am a different person now, we are on different paths”. I often wonder, if the person left the marriage and we were to fast forward down 5-10 years would it be the same pile?

I am not saying that everyone should stay in a marriage – because for some abuse exists, or staying in the relationship causes more harm than good.  

I am no expert, but here are the things I have learned in my relationship:

• God brings us to the perfect partner that we can learn from and grow with.
• No one is doing more than the other, we each have our strengths and the weaknesses are offset by the other spouses’ strengths.
• We both have personalities that complement one another and make us stronger as a family.
• Leading by example in our marriage will have a positive effect on our children in years to come.
• My husband is my soul mate and my best friend, we will have times where we will not see eye to eye – but there is nothing we cannot get through together.
• Resentment only leads to dysfunction within a marriage, and it will not be present in our home.
• My husband is the greatest daddy I know, and has an amazing capacity for love like no other; I am blessed to have him in my life.
• We need to seek to understand before judging any circumstance.
• Work things out together before letting them fester.
• I have his back and he has mine.
• And last but not least, two are better than one.

Today I celebrate the strength and love that we share on our 16th wedding anniversary.  Thank-you sweetie for always being there for me.

May you be blessed. ❤

Two are better than one ~ celebrating 15 years of marriage

“Two are better than one because they have a good return for their labor. For if either of them falls, the one will lift up his companion. But woe to the one who falls when there is not another to lift him up.” Ecclesiastes 4:9-10 (NAS)

 

Over the years I have been lucky enough for almost half of my life to have my best friend by my side. Many times I have taken him for granted, thinking he would always be there or not realizing how very lucky I was. However, I have been given many opportunities to realize that “two are better than one”.

We have been through many trials together, and have grown with one another. There are so many moments I reflect on, that without him by my side I would have been lost.

Why is it that so many give up so quickly?

Don’t get me wrong, there were times when I thought “this isn’t the person I signed up to marry”. Oh really? Actually I signed up for to death do us part. In this day, it seems that individuals are ready to call it quits when things get tough or their partner is not behaving as they would like them to.  The expectations grow and resentment spills into the relationship.

I am sure the statistics are stifling, divorce has become commonplace. What happened to sticking together through thick and thin? I believe that society gears our girls up to thinking that the princess will marry the prince who will carry her off on a white horse in a beautiful sunset. The reality is, the princess marries the frog or vice versa (dependent on perception). It is not a fantasy, it takes work from both sides, it takes forgiveness, turning the cheek, biting ones tongue, seeing the good before the bad, and taking a deep breath and letting go.  

I have learned that men and women speak and think quite differently. I have observed that many spouses don’t see divorce coming when it is at their door, primarily because the communication at some point ceases to exist. The female expects the male to “know” what she is thinking; meanwhile the male does not hear any complaints – so that must mean she is happy. Women think very fluidly, everything in life is interrelated. If someone has an issue with her at the beginning of the day, it seems to feed into all areas of her life. Whereas men seem to compartmentalize things, work is work, home is home, kids are kids. So if for example, there is an argument earlier in the day – that moment has since past – it is not related to the evening time spent with his wife. I know I am talking in a somewhat stereotypical way, but for the most part this is how women vs. men think. Most men see love through intimacy, whereas most women see love through actions (whether it be physical, or words). A marriage break down occurs usually when one side of the equation does not want to understand the other side any more. He/She no longer understands me, no longer acknowledges my feelings, speaks for me…. Do you see the tone? It is the comparison trap. The comparison trap then lends to a sense of entitlement which in turn leads down a road where, the only option is for the marriage to cease to exist. “I am a different person now, we are on different paths”. I often wonder, if the person left the marriage and we were to fast forward down 5-10 years would it be the same pile?

Which leads me to my comparison trap I fell into…. A few years ago I was living this, I felt like my husband didn’t understand my needs. But in all reality it was I that didn’t understand everything my husband was giving our house hold. I would work all day, and then come home  feel exhausted and resentment would seep in, and an individualistic mentality of my needs should come first. Yes I know, a bit of a dream world and not reality – much like the princess with the prince on the white horse. I was assuming I knew what happened during the day, and judging what was not complete vs. what was. It took me nearly losing my life, and being at home on a day to day basis to really see what my husband was contributing. Thank-you for this perspective God. My husband was teaching my boys life skills, he was teaching them to read, write, laugh, and to tie their shoes. I didn’t realize the extent of it all, while trying to make sure that everything got done in the house so that I could spend quality time with our children. These past two years in our lives have been filled with much trauma, and up and down circumstances in our families’ lives. But through it all love has grown and my love for my husband is so deep.   I have realized:

No one is doing more than the other, we each have our strengths and the weaknesses are offset by the other spouses’ strengths.
We both have personalities that complement one another and make us stronger as a family.
Leading by example in our marriage will have a positive effect on our children in years to come.
My husband is my soul mate and my best friend, we will have times where we will not see eye to eye – but there is nothing we cannot get through together.
Resentment only leads to dysfunction within a marriage, and it will not be present in our home.
My husband is the greatest daddy I know, and has an amazing capacity for love like no other; I am blessed to have him in my life.
We need to seek to understand before judging any circumstance.

And last but not least, two are better than one.

Guest Post ~ Run to Jesus by Naomi Fata

I have been blessed to meet Naomi through her blog, and would like to welcome her as a guest post. 

>>>>>>>>

Always running. My mom tells me that since I was a girl I have woken up everyday ready to go 100 miles an hour. Focused. Driven. Feeling the need to accomplish. To move forward. To run through each day.

Success from the world’s point of view is based on how much we accomplish. Vast accomplishments bring praise and accolade. It makes us feel good. People look on us with admiration.

This focused inner drive carried over to my Christian life as well. After all we are told to run the race set before us. With my natural eyes I saw this race as that of works: how much I could accomplish in the church, how much witnessing I had done, how much I had read the Bible, or any other good work I had accomplished. But is this what Scripture meant in Hebrews 12:1?

Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles. And let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us,(NIV)

I want to run my race and run well.

It reminds me of my years of jogging and cross country races. I was never good; never the fastest. I just ran for the fun of it. I am not an award winning runner. But I run, not giving up.

Reflecting on my Christian race I don’t think God cares about the speed, or our accomplishments. He cares about our faithfulness and our fellowship with Him.

Run to Jesus not parallel to Him

Run to Him not for Him

To Him for strength

To Him for grace

To Him for direction

Desperate for Him. Running.

To Him for the peace my heart so desperately needs

To Him to hear His voice calm my anxious thoughts

To Him for all that I need

Run to Jesus.

 

Is not this the epitome of our Christian race? Running to Jesus. 

I would love to hear from you. Feel free to stop by my blog www.christianresourceministry.com and take advantage of any of our free resources which include pintable verse cards for children’s Sunday school, and bookmarks of our poems. Have a blessed day running to Jesus.

We are enough

God cares for me, and He has the ability to relieve my worries, my stresses.   I relinquish control onto Him.   Two sentences that seem so simple…..

But why has it not been that simple for me in my life.   On a day to day basis, there are instances where I let my thoughts go down a path that spins out of control.  

All He wants is for me to come to Him in those times.  He wants me to believe that in all things, He is there.

                Casting all your care upon him, for he careth for you. (1 Peter 5:7)

He cares for me, unconditional, never ending love and power.  He is at the center, and just wants me to lean on Him in everything.

My shelter in the rain, my protector, my everything.

Simple….

                Never-ending…..

                                Love…..

                                                He is in control….

Sometimes I feel like there is a battle that is going on inside of me.    I am not worthy,  I don’t fit the mold, I am scared, I worry, I try to control.

I pray,

I ask for help, 

I give thanks….

I am thankful for the experiences, for the pain, and for the perspective He has been given to me.   The scars are visible, but they do not define who I am.

I believe in Him, in Love, and that He reigns.

He holds me, He carries me, He is my strength.

We were meant for so much more than this, we were meant to live a life of abundance in all things. 

To feel light,

To see the light….

“Therefore we do not lose heart. Though outwardly we are wasting away, yet inwardly we are being renewed day by day. For our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all. So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen, since what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal.” (2 Corinthians 4:16-18)

There is a place for us, beyond all comprehension.

Where you feel love, where you feel whole.

There is no fear, worry, or heartache.

A place where life is light always.  Where the warmth of love feels like the first time you were held as a babe.

Where brokenness is restored again.

In Revelation 21:1-5, God gave John a vision of what will happen when God restores broken things:

“And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, ‘Look! God’s dwelling place is now among the people, and he will dwell with them. They will be his people, and God himself will be with them and be their God. He will wipe every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away.’ He who was seated on the throne said, ‘I am making everything new!’ Then he said, ‘Write this down, for these words are trustworthy and true.’”

Today, we are here on Earth, and God promises He will carry us, and He is in control.   Give your worries to Him and rest.

²⁸ “Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. ²⁹ Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. ³⁰ For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.” (Matthew 11: 28-30 NIV)

 

My Prayer

Dear Lord God,

I thank-you for watching over me, and showing me how to trust.   I ask You to keep me strong, and to protect my mind and the minds of all that I love from the devils evil whispers.  I ask that all that are going through hardship and pain, that they hear the voice of your Holy Spirit.  I ask that the words are Your truth.   You are the healer of the sick, you give rest to the weary, and Your wisdom is beyond comprehension.  You are our Father that cares for each one of us.  I give my worries to you as you will take care of them.   I ask that You help all those that are searching for You.   I pray for this in Jesus’ Name Amen.

Sincerely,

Your Lamb

 

What do you treasure?

Matthew 6:21, “Wherever your treasure is, there the desires of your heart will also be.” (NLT)

She sat there thinking, I can’t believe how things can change so quickly.  She treasured the moments with her grandma and grandpa so much.   Suddenly in less than 6 months both were gone before her eyes.   Then she thought about the moments that became her treasures.

The playful moments, the smiles and the adoration for her grandpa.   The moment when she ran him off the road while they were biking, a moment that would be treasured forever.  The times where her grandma would french braid her hair, she wore her locks with pride.

There were moments when she felt so busy, but always tried to make sure that they felt special.   They were her treasures.

Life can take us by surprise, in a moment things can change or shift.  Change is good, and at times can be challenging.   Time flies by in a blink of an eye.  I remember my mom saying to me, “life speeds up the older you get”.  As a young teenager, I laughed at the comment as it seemed to me that time was not moving fast enough.

We should consider how we spend our time.   Do we spend our time flying by the seat of our pants, or do we pause to take in the fresh scent of this wonderful life of ours?

My treasure is family and love for all.

The treasure comes in all different kinds of gems and gold.   Each item is unique on its own, offering something new.  Each time I take the time to slowly polish each gem it begins to sparkles in the light.

I choose to open that treasure chest every day, curious and with wonder.

I choose to be open to what God wants for me.  Relationships are the most important investments in this life.

Sometimes the lines get blurred between what is important and what is less than important.

In the moments where I can’t see my direction completely I pause and let go so God can lead me.

I choose to invest in the treasure that is right at my fingertips and not get caught up in the “stuff” of this life.

I ask you friend, what do you treasure?

People who want to get rich fall into temptation and a trap and into many foolish and harmful desires that plunge men into ruin and destruction. For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil. Some people, eager for money, have wandered from the faith and pierced themselves with many griefs. But you, man of God, flee from all this, and pursue righteousness, godliness, faith, love, endurance and gentleness. (NIV, 1 Timothy 6:9-11)

 

Dear Lord God, I thank-you for the ones I love.  I pray that you will continue to lead me in the priorities in this life.  Your priorities are mine.  I pray that I can show my children how to prioritize through you.   I pray for this in Jesus Name Amen

Two are better than one

“Two are better than one because they have a good return for their labor. For if either of them falls, the one will lift up his companion. But woe to the one who falls when there is not another to lift him up.” Ecclesiastes 4:9-10 (NAS)

 

Over the years I have been lucky enough for almost half of my life to have my best friend by my side.  Many times I have taken him for granted, thinking he would always be there or not realizing how very lucky I was.  However, I have been given many opportunities to realize that “two are better than one”.  

Our love goes back to a time, 16 years ago when I was at such a low place in my life.  After being physically assaulted by men, I had no respect for myself or anyone else.  In fact, I remember saying to myself, “I hate men”.   But then, I am sure by the grace of God, I met Ryan.   At the time I was dating a friend of his, not interested in him at all, I met Ryan by chance on his 19^th birthday.    (Sitting across from me at subway of all places.)   He couldn’t look me in the eye and was nervous speaking with me.  As I stared at him, I was curious, why was this good looking guy so nervous?  My curiosity was what drew me closer to him.  That night we ended up talking for hours, and for the first time I had a glimmer of hope for the pure heart of a man.  We then began spending more time with each other and I had never felt this way about anyone.   A pure heart and soul and an underlying attraction for him, which was reciprocated back onto me.   Not knowing how to receive this type of unconditional friendship, I pushed him away.   But for some reason, Bigger than me I am sure, he stayed.   I always tell Ryan that God sent me an angel in him to save me from a downward spiral of hate and despair.  I am so very thankful for that.   Ryan stuck with me through my damage, and because he led by example, I wanted to as well.  

We have been through many trials together, and have grown with one another.   There are so many moments I reflect on, that without him by my side I would have been lost.   Why is it that so many give up so quickly?   Don’t get me wrong, there were times when I thought “this isn’t the person I signed up to marry”.  Oh really?  Actually I signed up for to death do us part.   In this day, it seems that individuals are ready to call it quits when things get tough or their partner is not behaving as they would like them to.    I am sure the statistics are stifling, divorce has become commonplace.  What happened to sticking together through thick and thin? 

I believe that society gears our girls up to thinking that the princess will marry the prince who will carry her off on a white horse in a beautiful sunset.   The reality is, the princess marries the frog or vice versa (dependent on perception).  It is not a fantasy, it takes work from both sides, it takes forgiveness, it takes turning the cheek, it takes zipping your lips form time to time.  

I have learned that men and women speak  and think quite differently.  I have observed that many spouses don’t see divorce coming when it is at their door, primarily because the communication at some point ceases to exist.  The female expects the male to “know” what she is thinking; meanwhile the male does not hear any complaints – so that must mean she is happy.    Women think very fluidly, everything in life is interrelated.  If someone has an issue with her at the beginning of the day, it seems to feed into all areas of her life.  Whereas men seem to compartmentalize things, work is work, home is home, kids are kids.  So if for example, there is an argument earlier in the day – that moment has since past – it is not related to the evening time spent with his wife.   I know I am talking in a somewhat stereotypical way, but for the most part this is how women vs. men think.   Most men see love through intimacy, whereas most women see love through actions (whether it be physical, or words).    A marriage break down occurs usually when one side of the equation does not want to understand the other side any more.  He/She no longer understands me, no longer acknowledges my feelings, speaks for me…. Do you see the tone?  It is the comparison trap.  The comparison trap then lends to a sense of entitlement which in turn leads down a road where, the only option is for the marriage to cease to exist.  “I am a different person now, we are on different paths”.  I often wonder, if the person left the marriage and we were to fast forward down 5-10 years would it be the same pile?  Which leads me to my comparison trap I fell into….

A few years ago I was living this, I felt like my husband didn’t understand my needs.  But in all reality it was I that didn’t understand everything my husband was giving our house hold.   I would work all day, and then come home and because my husband worked shift work, would expect the house to be clean, supper made, and everyone smiling…. Yes I know, a bit of a dream world and not reality – much like the princess with the prince on the white horse.    I was assuming I knew what happened during the day, and judging what was not complete vs. what was.    It took me nearly losing my life, and being at home on a day to day basis to really see what my husband was contributing.  Thank-you for this perspective God. 

My husband was teaching my boys life skills, he was teaching them to read, write, laugh, and to tie their shoes.  I didn’t realize the extent of it all, while trying to make sure that everything got done in the house so that I could spend quality time with our children.   These past two years in our lives have been filled with much trauma, and up and down circumstances in our families’ lives.   I am so very thankful for the perspective these past two years have shown me.  I have seen a side of my husband that most people do not get to.  I had to walk a few weeks in his shoes to really see what he was doing for us as a family.   

My perspective has changed over the past two years, to one of forgiveness of myself for judging and for falling into the comparison trap.  I cherish my husband and every day, I look forward to seeing him and being next to him at the end of the day.  In 2011 I could not hug or have skin on skin contact because of being within a halo, this too was something I took for granted.   There are many things I have learned over these past two years, which has deepened our marriage:

• No one is doing more than the other, we each have our strengths and the weaknesses are offset by the other spouses’ strengths.
• We both have personalities that complement one another and make us stronger as a family.
• Leading by example in our marriage will have a positive effect on our children in years to come.
• My husband is my soul mate and my best friend, we will have times where we will not see eye to eye – but there is nothing we cannot get through together.
• Resentment only leads to dysfunction within a marriage, and it will not be present in our home.
• My husband is the greatest daddy I know, and has an amazing capacity for love like no other; I am blessed to have him in my life.
• We need to seek to understand before judging any circumstance.
• And last but not least, two are better than one.

Two are better than one; I am learning this for the first time being away from my husband for a month.   Together we are a team that is unbeatable.  I feel energized to have him near, our family thrives on unity.   However, I am doing the best I can do, and relying on God to be in the driver’s seat every day to carry me through.   But every day, I count down until I see him, and so do our precious children.   Their daddy is like no other to them, they look up to him in every way.  I am the mama that kisses the wounds and nurturers the sadness and disappointment.   Two are better than one.

Mirror Mirror on the Wall

Mirror, Mirror on the wall who is the fairest of them all?! Do you find yourself falling into a comparison trap sometimes?  Asking yourself this same question?  Looking back in the mirror and feeling like you don’t measure up?

We are a culture of “norms”.  What is considered normal compared to abnormal or not fitting in.   If from day one the comparisons are engrained or programmed into what we believe, how can we then be surprised when we see the competition and comparisions that happens in our everyday lives?    We see it in the workplace, at school, down the block, it is everywhere.  “As preschoolers, boys and girls have already learned the lessons about physical appearance that our society teaches,” explain Thomas Cash, author of What Do You See When You Look in the Mirror? “They know that lovely Cinderella gets the prince; her ugly and mean step sisters do not.   From childhood on…we judge our self-worth by the physical standards we’ve absorbed.”  Standards, competitiveness, judgment and we all are impacted as a result.  Don’t get me wrong, competitiveness can be good in certain situations with a “win-win” attitude, but not when it is at the expense of others.

Often when we compare, someone gets hurt.  Sometimes it can be ourselves.  I understand this very well as a young person I was bullied to from grade 2 grade 12.   Children would call me “dog” and bark at me in the halls.   I often looked in the mirror and wondered if the girl looking back was beautiful.   Self worth can be tied to what others think of us and then in turn that voice in our head that may tell us we are not measuring up.  It is interesting, as I have become a woman who values all people in her life, even the stranger walking down the street, I realize we all are truly perfect.  Each one of us has been created distinctly unique and beautiful.  It has taken me many years to realize this in myself and I am still learning.  Even the other day I caught myself falling back into the “mirror, mirror” struggle…

The morning started out perfect, my two little boys were behaving, eating well and getting along.  I was washing dishes and I thought, “This is just perfect”.  Everything was organized and ready, and everyone was happy.  I had an exam that day, and had the exam at top of mind.   But ten minutes before I was about to leave the house with the kids, everything started falling apart.   My youngest son started crying (he is going through a separation stage with his mama when ever I leave his side), and then my oldest wouldn’t put on his jacket.   I advised my oldest son that he better put on his jacket “or else” .  Then my youngest son fell, and the crying went into full gear!  I took a deep breath, reassured my youngest son and felt like I was talking in an entirely different pitch (like the Walmart greeter).  Then I went to grab my keys… But where were they now?  In my mad rush I had somehow lost my keys.   I began raising my voice  (I am sure I sounded like the wicked witch) at my children saying that if they would listen to me, and we all tried to have our best day – it wouldn’t turn into a mess… Perfect choice of words Vanessa what next (was the voice in my head with the hint of sarcasm).

After 5 minutes of searching, I found my keys in the most unlikely place.  I sat down on the bench and felt awful.   I realized that in my mad rush I lost patience.  I then asked my two searching boys to come inside so I could speak to them.  “Calm and collected” after having my own time out.  We were already late that wasn’t going to change.  It was time to “pause”.   I proceeded to tell my babies that we all need to be part of a team in the morning including mom…. And that listening, not yelling is important.  Me included….My eyes were tearing continually and I then told them that I love them very much and just hope for them to have a good day every day.   My oldest sensitive son then started crying and said that it was his fault the whole mess.   I proceeding in telling him that was not the case, and that none of it was his fault it all happened because of a series of issues.  However, he has to listen when I ask him to do something.  He got me a Kleenex.  And then I told my youngest son that if he doesn’t try harder not to cry when he goes to daycare, he will have to go more often.  This was hard to say but there has to be boundaries and adjustments are part of life.  We then all hugged (our family hug) and got into the vehicle.  I was exhausted and it was only 8:30am.

My mind then began to sort through all the issues, and I began blaming myself.   Words came into my head like “You are a bad mom, you should have never done that, you overreacted, you are not going to do well on the exam, your kids will probably have a complex now”… I felt like a failure mother… But compared to who?   Where are my standards and reference points coming from?  “Mirror, mirror on the wall the fairest mother of all is….”  Who??  We all go through time such as these, even the mothers that you “think” have it all together.

I am human and will make mistakes, and will own up to those mistakes in front of my children. Because everything I do is out of love for my children.  Situations like these are opportunities for all of us to learn from as a family/mother.    Why is it that we are always so hard on ourselves?  There are going to be more than enough people in our lives that will be hard on us, so why not give yourself grace in return?

The bible says, “Not that we dare to classify or compare ourselves with some of those who are commending themselves. But when they measure themselves by one another and compare themselves with one another, they are without understanding.” 2 Corinthians 10:12

This is such a perfect lesson for all of us.

* The is no perfect measuring stick, we are all made uniquely and should not fall into the “mirror mirror” trap.

* We should not compare what we have or who we are to others.

* We should look in the mirror and see the beautiful reflection looking back at us that is unique and one of a kind.

* Being content is much better than feeling like we have to be at 110% in all areas of our life.

* If we have our basic needs in life met, we are better off than a large portion of this world and should give thanks.

In closing, be kind to yourself, and give yourself grace.  Because life is short and is not about the “stuff” but simply about the people and moments.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gXDMoiEkyuQ (Amazing video about gratitude gives much perspective)