One of them, when he saw he was healed, came back, praising God in a loud voice. He threw himself at Jesus’ feet and thanked him—and he was a Samaritan. Luke 17:15-16
This was part of the gospel reading at mass this weekend. The priest told of a time in his life when he met some people with cerebral palsy…they were fed through a tube, they couldn’t choose their food like he (the priest) could. When their had an itch, they couldn’t scratch it, like he could, when their rear end got tired from sitting in the same position, they couldn’t move, like he could. He went on to talk about being thankful. He mentioned a time when he was told to write down five things every day for which he was thankful…gratitude changes the I look at things. No matter how busy I am, no matter how overwhelmed I may be…when I take a few minutes and say thank you, Lord…things look different. In my quest to reach 1000 gifts…I continue…
301. safe travels for family members.
302. learning to accept that good enough IS good enough – I think I said this already…but I need to say it again!
303. clearing the air.
304. blog friends that don’t forget me when I get really busy and don’t post regularly.
305. a job I love.
306. water in the basement that caused us to get rid of STUFF.
307. beautiful blue skies.
308. slow walks enjoying the trees, the view and the wildlife.
309. fall colored mums.
310. friends and family.
311. a girl named Kat.
If you are still checking my blog on occasion…thank you. I have been very overwhelmed with everything that I have had going on, but I am managing with the Lord’s help. The fact that some of you stop by and leave a comment means a lot to me…thank you again.
These words from an old hymn seem appropriate today…
How Can I Keep From Singing
My life flows on in endless song:
Above earth’s lamentation,
I catch the sweet, tho’ far-off hymn
That hails a new creation.
Through all the tumult and the strife
I hear the music ringing;
It finds an echo in my soul–
How can I keep from singing?
What tho’ my joys and comfort die?
The Lord my Saviour liveth;
What tho’ the darkness gather round?
Songs in the night he giveth.
No storm can shake my inmost calm,
While to that refuge clinging;
Since Christ is Lord of heaven and earth,
How can I keep from singing?
I lift my eyes; the cloud grows thin;
I see the blue above it;
And day by day this pathway smooths,
Since first I learned to love it.
The peace of Christ makes fresh my heart,
A fountain ever springing;
All things are mine since I am his–
How can I keep from singing?
Lord, I am so thankful for the gift of eternal life, through your son, Jesus. I am thankful for the blessing you have bestowed upon my family and me…for the friends, the health, the love, blessings too numerous to mention…blessings I do not know how to name…thank you for all of it.
Friends, thank you for stopping by…I wish you a day of joyful thanksgiving while you rejoice in the fact that All things are yours, if your belong to HIM!
I join the gratitude community at Ann’s place over at A Holy Experience…click the button below to read other’s list.
Yes, gratitude changes me. The blessings of God become evidence of His love everyday. Enjoying slow walks around here these days as well. Mary, another lovely list!
I love to stop by here and meet with you, Mary! You are in a busy season right now and it's understandable to post less frequently. I love your list and your heart of thankfulness 🙂
Hey Sweet Mary! So glad to spend time with you today and reading your beautiful list. The words to this song is beautiful and captures our hearts when we are thankful and express that thankfulness to the Lord. Praying for you! ~a
Hi, thanks for your comment on my blog. About #306, isn't it great how "disasters" can really turn out to be blessings? Hope you have a wonderful week!
Hello Mary, I enjoyed your gratitude list and can relate to #306. Been there-done that too. More than once!! Frustrating at the time but the results can be more than worth it 🙂 Thank you so much for the words of the old hymn. I love that one and was humming it away to myself just recently but had forgotten some of the lyrics! Have a blessed, happy and holy week…Trish
She died 4 days after she was born. We buried her 4 days after she died.
Born 6-9-1992
Died 6-12-1992
Buried 6-16-1992
That would be 31 years ago today.
Last year, on the 30th anniversary of her birth we re-buried her on the grounds of St. Emma Monastery Greensburg, PA where her paternal grandparents are buried.
This year, today has been harder than Friday, June 9 the day she was born. Or Monday, June 12 the day she died.
I`ve cried more today than either of the other days.
I took a walk.
Got a pedicure.
Cried.
And chose a simple dinner of appetizers.
And I give myself permission to do nothing else.
I am thankful for the time we had her. For the experience and the things I learned about myself through the experience.
John and I are very conscious of what we say yes to and what we say no to. All because of Amy`s short life.
I`ve tried to use my experience to help others experiencing infant loss-or any loss. Some things are the same no matter the age of the deceased. Even if it is a loss thru miscarriage. I`ve experienced that too.
A loss is a loss.
Thank you to my sister and niece @sherrigd @tarahelise for letting us spend last weekend on your porch crying, laughing, and drinking wine and margaritas. I love you guys more than you know and I really needed that.
In what seems like the blink of an eye, it is 31 years later. Not a day goes by that I do not think of her.
My heart still hurts.
I cry at random times.
And I miss her. Still. 31 years later.
I grieve all the things that didn`t happen.
The relationships.
The life events.
Strangely though there are fewer tears today. Sometimes I think my tears are all gone. The well is dry.
Lack of tears does not mean lack of grief. There is no right or wrong way to grieve. So I accept my emotions today-whatever they may be.
If you know someone that has experienced a loss, don`t be afraid to tell them you remember. Let them know you care. Take a meal, send a text, write and snail mail a card. We want to know our loss is not forgotten.
I cried in church. Not because I was thinking about the events leading up to the crucifixion but because there was a little girl of about 5 or so sitting in front of me. She had the most gorgeous dark hair. With streaks of gold running through it. Natural streaks. Not the artificial colored streaks I pay more than I`m willing to share to get every few months.
As I observed her I thought about my own daughter. The one that died at 4 days old.
I thought of how she might be standing next to me this morning or next Sunday on Easter. Maybe she would have travelled to Charlotte to spend some time with her dad and me.
Grief is something that robs us of so much. It robs me of not just my daughter but it robs me of being the mom of a daughter.
I look at some of my closest friends, all mothers of daughters and I envy, yes ENVY!, the relationships they all have with their daughters. They may not agree with them on all things or see eye-to-eye with them but the daughters lead the charge to throw surprise 60th birthday parties for their parents or make sure that mom gets a Mother`s Day card, a birthday card, etc.
I think daughters are different than sons. Daughters are more sensitive than sons based on my observations as an outsider. I do not experience that sensitivity. And I grieve the fact that I am not the mother of a daughter.
The version of me before Amy`s death is totally different than the me that is here now.
If you want to read more about about my daughter, Amy, you can go to https://marybonner.net/?s=Amy and read more about my journey through infant loss and moving forward.
Adam McHugh`s book Blood From a Stone is a beautiful piece of writing about returning from the dead. I encourage you to check it out. You can find the book on Amazon or wherever books are sold. Find and follow him @adammchughwine You won`t be sorry.
"Grief is so agonizing not only because you have lost something, but you have lost someone, and that someone is the version of you that was alive before your loss." Blood From a Stone Adam McHugh Page 102
Every June I think I`m going to handle this better. Whatever better looks like - I don`t know. 30 years and I still cry at random times. And every June I fall apart.
She would have been 30 next week. Instead of whisking her off for a 30th birthday trip to Key West like we did for her brother @coach_andy_bonner or Niagara Falls like we did for his wife we will make another kind of trip.
There will be a mass next Saturday and we will stand at a grave site as we move her body from the small town where she was buried to a final resting place by her paternal grandparents on the beautiful grounds of St Emma Monastery in Greensburg, PA.
I look forward to the weekend and I dread it all at the same time.
Today I broke down and sobbed. Just like yesterday. And probably will tomorrow. But I remember that He catches my tears in a bottle Psalm 56:8
If I learned anything from this life experience, it is this: I can do hard things. But not of my own strength. Philippians 4:13
When I tell people that I am a VA (Virtual Assistant) often they want to know what I DO. And I tell them that I mostly deal with details. Managing the things (details) that creative people do not see themselves as “good at.” Budgets, remembering dates, creating schedules and timelines, gathering data and information, making sure they get paid, etc. A few years ago, I took on my first social media influencer client. And after working for 5 years with only faith-based clients, social media was a different world! I learned how to navigate that world and now my social media clients are among my favorites. In fact, I let go of most of my other clients to allow more time to work with the influencers. One of the faith-based clients I kept is @kriscamealy of @refineretreat
I have known Kris for 10 years and worked with her on Refine for, I don’t know…maybe 6. Kris recognizes the importance of rest and soul-care that enables us to create better and more meaningful content. Allows us to be more present for our families, clients, and our businesses.
Whether we are writing in our journal, painting on a canvas, creating paid content for a social media outlet, sitting at a pottery wheel, whatever the creative outlet we must tend to our souls. We must rest. We must learn to pause.
#Soulcare is not optional in this world in which we live. We must learn to stop so that we are able to go. We can run at a break-neck, full-tilt speed for a while but at some point, we will crash.
If you are looking for a way to slow down and take a weekend to care for yourself and your soul, check out @refineretreat. Maybe Refine isn’t for you. That is ok. But if you think this only applies to faith-based work, check out @lindsaynead ‘s post from April 19. Lindsay is an amazing businesswoman and she recognizes the power of slowing down. Of stopping. Of resting. She took a break and found herself better for it.
Yes, gratitude changes me. The blessings of God become evidence of His love everyday. Enjoying slow walks around here these days as well. Mary, another lovely list!
I love to stop by here and meet with you, Mary! You are in a busy season right now and it's understandable to post less frequently. I love your list and your heart of thankfulness 🙂
Hey Sweet Mary!
So glad to spend time with you today and reading your beautiful list. The words to this song is beautiful and captures our hearts when we are thankful and express that thankfulness to the Lord.
Praying for you!
~a
Hi, thanks for your comment on my blog. About #306, isn't it great how "disasters" can really turn out to be blessings? Hope you have a wonderful week!
Hi Mary,
Thanks so much for your kind remarks over at my place. Oh I love the gratitude community so much!
Elizabeth
http://www.justfollowingjesus.com
Hello Mary, I enjoyed your gratitude list and can relate to #306. Been there-done that too. More than once!! Frustrating at the time but the results can be more than worth it 🙂 Thank you so much for the words of the old hymn. I love that one and was humming it away to myself just recently but had forgotten some of the lyrics! Have a blessed, happy and holy week…Trish