Monday, November 24, 2008

Thanksgiving


To be truly thankful is to never assume anything, never take anyone or anything for granted. We all lead busy lives and our society is structured to keep us busy and constantly on the go. How many times have you heard someone repeat these words, “there are just not enough hours in the day?” And I am sure at one time or another we have all heard ourselves say these same exact words.


I shutter to think if we didn’t have this holiday called Thanksgiving or even other holidays when would we take the time to reflect and give thanks? Let’s take a moment and try to expand our thinking into the realm of never assume or take for granted that you will wake up the next day, that you will see a loved one, a co-worker, a neighbor or a dear friend the next day. That you will have a home to live in, or a job to go to, or continuous good health, no matter how many vitamin supplements you take or how much you eat or drink the right things, or even if you exercise every day… tomorrow is not promised to us.
When you wake up in the morning say these six simple words, Thank you God for this day! And say these six words each day that God blesses you to wake up. Never miss an opportunity to say hello to a stranger, kiss a loved one good-by, form new friendships, and lend a helping hand. You will feel much better, no matter what your current situation may be.







Take the time to breathe, reflect and always give thanks. Some times we think that we have nothing to be thankful for. But you are wrong we can all acknowledge that we have at least one thing that we can say that we are thank for. Just take a moment and think about it.



Live a life of daily thanksgiving not a life filled with assumptions at every turn. Ask yourself right now, what am I thankful for today?
Happy Thanksgiving!

Trish






Trish Said: God thank you for this life, sickness and all because I know that when I draw my last breath sickness and pain will be no more! Hallelujah!

Photos by Trish @ Through the Viewfinder


http://www.tljnicholas.com/

Saturday, November 15, 2008

In sickness and in health…



Every day that I can raise my head, lift my legs, move my arms and see the rising and setting of the sun I am truly grateful.


I am especially thankful for yet another day to be with you. I know that this is not the way that we pictured it would be for me and for you.

I want you to know how much I appreciate your spirit; you will not allow me for one minute to feel down. And I thank you for that!

On the days when the pity party of frustration comes out of me, you know that I don’t mean to be abrupt with you. Somehow you are still able to pick me up and put me right back on track. And I thank you for that!





You have truly honored the vow in sickness and in health no matter how much I don’t want this for you. I know that there is nothing that I can do or could do to have you abandon your vow; you have demonstrated that to me time in and time out. And I thank you for that!
I thank you for always being true to yourself. You have never subscribed to doing what other people “think” you should do, or doing things just to make the greatest impression on people. You have always been who you really are and nothing more. And I love you for that!







Because of you I have experienced so much more, and broaden my horizons. I’ve come to know what living life truly is. And I thank you for that!


I am so very grateful for each day that I have with you. No, our life right now is not like what we thought it would be, but I could never imagine spending one day of my life with anyone else but you.


With all of my love,

Trish
Photos Courtesy of TLJN Archives


















“In marriage you can’t make deals to spare each other, there is only for better or for worst.” – From the book In an Instant by Lee and Bob Woodruff.
Photos by Trish @ Through the Viewfinder






















































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































Saturday, November 8, 2008

Election Night…


On Tuesday night when the announcement came that Senator Barack Obama had won the election my husband took my hand and I kept saying thank you Lord! Then we just starred at each other and before we knew it tears began to run down our cheeks. Through our tears and emotions I heard my husband saying, "Martin Luther King took a bullet for this, John Kennedy and Bobby." I said to my son, "you can get back to college!" He raised his hands straight up in the air and said, "now I really feel that I have a future..… this is AWESOME!" He sat back down in his Dad’s chair turned to me and said I’ve got work to do. I thought to myself... hhmmm interesting!


The Audacity to Hope...


Earlier in the year our son attended a Barack Obama rally with us and he was truly moved by his message of change and hope, especially his stand on young people who truly wanted a college education… He heard Obama's offer to "extend a helping hand to your country and we will extend a helping hand back to you." Senator Obama’s message to never give up on your dreams, have the audacity to hope and believe that all things are possible really resonated with many young people. Those words of inspiration and hope could not have come at a better time for our son.
On Tuesday morning our son was the first one out of the house, he was heading to the polls to cast his vote before going to work. He has been working two jobs now and he has never whined or complained about his situation.
You see I became ill prior to the start of our son’s junior year in college. Many of you are familar with his situation and know that he could not attend school that year. I remember him coming to me later on and saying, "I am still young and no matter how long it takes I will complete my education."

Yes We Can!

Never give up on your dreams!
Believe that all things are possible!
With President Barack Obama in office his hopes and dreams have become so much brighter now.
Trish
Thank you for opening your eyes America!
Photos by Trish @ Through the Viewfinder
Football... Football... Football...

It may seem dark! But brighter days are coming!

Coaching...

Coaching...


Coaching...

And Coaching...
Oh how much you have grown up since you graduated from High School! We are confident that you will complete college and earn your degree in Sports Management... You've always had the right attitude!
The longer I live, the more I realize the impact of attitude on life.
Attitude, to me, is more important than facts. It is more important than the past, than education, than money, than circumstances, than failures, than successes, than what other people think or say or do. It is more important than appearance, giftedness or skill. It will make or break a company… a church… a home.
The remarkable thing is we have a choice every day regarding the attitude we will embrace for that day. We cannot change our past… we cannot change the fact that people will act in a certain way. We cannot change the inevitable. The only thing we can do is play on the one string we have, and that is our attitude…
I am convinced that life is
10% what happens to me
And
90% how I react to it.
And so it is with you… we are in charge of our attitudes.
By Charles Swindol





" May he give you the desire of your heart and make your plans succeed." - Psalms 20:4