Press Play

Press play...I know that life can hurt. People can hurt us. I react to this hurt and life gets messy.

Stop.

Rewind... to the point where life hurts. Something unexpected or even something expected comes along and it hurts like hell. 

Pause...I can react or I can respond, it is my choice. I am learning that a response is more thoughtful, more considerate, gentler than a reaction.

Take a moment to think - why? It is not possible for me to get into someone else's head and work out the whys and wherefores, however there is something I am able to consider which is...

If God can look at someone and it causes His face to shine then they must be rather special. Therefore I can choose to look past the pain and the hurt that I am feeling and take a better look to see what it is about that person that causes God's face to shine. 

I believe it has got something to do with love. 

Loving come what may.

Loving more.

Loving without expectation.

With every sun comes a new day, I press play and I hope to look past the mess and the hurt. I will try to look with love and search for what it is that shines. 

Right Here, Right Now...

Right here, right now, I would like to do things differently. I am going to count my blessings. It only takes one moment for me to realise that I have so, so much to be thankful for.

Wonderful family and friends who make my life a better and brighter place. People who give me the strength to stand and words of encouragement.

My beautiful three who bring joy in so many different ways and the opportunity to love with a depth that I did not know was possible. Even though being a parent is the hardest thing I have ever done, there are many blessings in the new experiences and new discoveries that parenting brings.

Our home, a sofa to snuggle up on, the table where we sit and share #OneGoodThing. Water from the tap, a whole variety of different foods - the latte and dairy milk that are next to my computer right now!

I could go on and on because my life is blessed and for that I am thankful. With every sun comes a new day and the opportunity to take a good look around me and see blessings. As I wake each morning I can be thankful that I am able to get out of bed even if it is after I have pressed snooze once or twice!

As I sit here and write this I am listening to a song (music, another blessing) and the words say, "'Cause when I fall to my knees You're the One who pulls me up again".

Unfortunately life can bring me to my knees and today I would like to respond differently. Here and now I can look up and look around and see so much to be thankful for. I am certain that in any moment I can look and find so many blessings.

I shall not let being on my knees define who I am. Instead I shall let the One who pulls me up define me and be thankful for ALL that I have around me as I rise up.