Choose to be grateful

Being grateful is a choice…

You can roll out of bed in the morning groaning, grumbling and hating life or you can roll out of bed and be thankful for the things in your life!

I choose to be thankful for the blessings in mine because even on the darkest day in the darkest hour I believe there is always something to be thankful for and that there is ALWAYS, ALWAYS HOPE!

I am reminded of my favorite bible verse - Romans 8:28 that says

"...all things work for good for those who love the Lord, those called according to His purpose". I meditated on this hopeful verse over and over during my fight through cancer and subsequent bone marrow transplant and it helped me choose to see the sunny side of things even when I felt like crap, looked like crap and barfed in a bucket all day long.  Even if you are not a christian (and at one time in my life I was dead set against religion, but today you couldn't shake me from my faith!) you can hide this HOPE away in your heart and see if it doesn't give you a little peace!

 

 

Make the choice today, this minute, to be grateful and I know that you will notice more blessings and less pain, more joy and less drama…Try it for today and let me know how you feel! I’d love to hear from you J

Random Acts of Kindness!

Today is a day for some random acts of kindness…I have participated in a 29gifts.org  (check out the blog at http://www.29gifts.org/) cycle and I woke up thinking about how I can 1) serve others and 2) help someone feel good today. I have already beaten the weeds in the yard into submission and so now I am on to my day’s goal to serve others in this fashion!

I think nothing helps someone to feel good more than having someone do something nice for them! The fact that it is from a stranger gives them a moment to think too about the giving/receiving part – perhaps prompting them to pay it forward also! For me this has been the case in my experience on those occasions when I have been the recipient of someone else’s kindness.

Would you share your day – well, let’s make it two…and what you did, received, thought about! Today is about HOPE and giving and I’m thankful to be a part of it! :)nattie

What can little girls teach you?

Good Morning and welcome to this edition of Hope on Hand!

Today I wanted to comment on how awesome babies are!  Specifically girl babies...this post is not to offend baby boys or their rough and tumble awesomeness, but as I roll up to this weekends festivities for a dear friend who has had a tough time and pregnancy all I can say is YIPEE!, WOOHOO! HOW totally exciting to be part of this little baby girl (to be's) life...

Ten tiny fingers and toes, teeny tiny little button nose, happy little smiles, frilly outfits and bows...all for the little baby girl to be! WOO!

What can a baby girl teach you?



* That pink really is an awesome color (besides being one of my personal favs!) and you shoiuld find a little pink every day...it's such a happy color!
*That you never really know just how tightly wrapped daddies can be until they have a baby girl
*That just one little smile can melt the coldest (most grinchiest) heart - look around - you've seen them at the mall...all crabbed out till a tiny stroller goes by trailing pink and frilly...their eyes kind of glaze over for a moment...and then a smile!
* That even though babies are in 0-3 months clothng for the blink of an eye you happily overpay for yet another oh so adorable tiny little frock because it's cuter than the others!

I asked one of the BESTEST little girl daddies I know for a quote and here it is hot off the presses:

" Pretty girls don't touch gross things"...I'm told this by my brother who tells this to his baby girl when she wants to help him take out the trash...

Ok, so it only relates a smidge, but I asked for the quote!

So today, let's celebrate baby girls and pray for the strong women they will become! The world is filled with so much HOPE!

Let's hear what your little girls have taught you! (someday, someone, somewhere will be following this blog (thank you Sandy - my first "official" follower) and will comment...tell a friend...share it? Just say no to crickets! :)

***An additional quote!!! my more related to the story*** "You're the end of the rainbow, my pot of gold, you're daddy's little girl to have and hold" - Much better! :)

Multi ethnic families and ignorance!

Today I want to blog on a controversial (yikes!) topic! As I consider adopting another child…

Why does it seem to me that it is more “socially acceptable” to adopt a child that is a different race than you when they originated out of another country (perhaps due to natural disaster) than it seems when you adopt out of foster care?  I know there is ignorance and prejudice but I cannot believe in 2013 that people just assume mom was a “crack mom” (I face this issue occasionally with one of my children)… as if race has ANYTHING to do with the drug addiction epidemic in this country!  AND WHY does it seem like having a child who doesn’t “match” makes people think its ok to come out and ask if mom “was on drugs”, like the juicy story they are conjuring up matters one little iota to this tiny child at this time…Seriously, it’s the equivalent of my asking them if they still have their foreskin (pardon the crass!)

I know many and I mean MANY awesome families that have multiple ethnicities in them.  Why are people still so shallow?  I believe our country still has a long way to go in how we treat one another. 

I know in this forum I am supposed to share hope (and I hope I do!), but sometimes with issues close to the heart, discussing them openly offers hope! Hope that every child finds the right place in the world for them. Hope that people respect your choices enough to bite their tongues. Hope that the world can change one family at a time! Teach your kids respect and love them so that someday they can share their HOPE with others…

Being grateful!

Ok, so today is a tiny, short little reminder about perspective and being grateful...

It is (for me) a sure sign that God has changed my heart when I look out the window at the hurricane like conditions and the first thoughts that go through my mind are 1) I sure am glad we are already home for the day - swim lessons having been cancelled and 2) that the good news about the storm is that the (parched) plants need a good soak! 

I remember before my diagnosis and illness when I would feel like this kind of weather was "a waste" or somehow just got life derailed - a big bummer!  So, I'm changing...for the better...and the world is a happier place!

What in your life has changed for the better when you became aware that your perspective regarding a a circumstance has shifted?

What you need to know about marrow donation

5 things you need to know about marrow donation: 

1)      It doesn’t cost anything but time – 5 minutes to complete packet to register, if you are called there may be several appointments, but they are at NO COST  to you

2)      You get to be a live donor – to be certain I LOVE ALL ORGAN, TISSUE AND BLOOD DONORS, THOSE WHO ARE ALIVE, THOSE WHO HAVE CHOSEN TO DONATE PRIOR TO THEIR DEATH AND THOSE FAMILIES WHO MAKE THE AGONIZING DECISION AFTER HAVING LOST A LOVED ONE – BUT, you can do this today, now…someone is waiting!

3)      To get on the registry takes just a cheek swab – you get a kit in the mail, swab and send back…

4)      I saw someone YESTERDAY on FB that is STILL WAITING for a match so he can have a chance to cure his cancer!!!! It seems sooo unlikely this is POSSIBLE but there it is…

5)      You might be a hero! You can actually save a LIFE!!! Imagine being able to meet the person you helped (in the US the time frame varies – for me it was on year, and in many cases you can communicate anonymously for the first year) and watch them go on to prosper – maybe it’s a child, a momma, grandpa, a sister, your family member...good karma all around!

For more complete information go to: http://marrow.org/Join/Join_Now/Join_Now.aspx

If you choose to donate, please tell me about your experiences. If you are already a donor or have donated, feel free to share so you can help inform others…

 

A little feedback please!

For those of you who are visiting (maybe for the first time), would you mind leaving some constructive feedback - I'd like to be useful and hopeful and beneficial in the world so if you have something to say (gently please!) I 'd like to hear it...I'm new at this and have ALOT to learn.

 

Inquiring minds want to know! :)