Live Life Blessed

I am truly blessed…two weeks ago I could barely get out of bed and was wondering how in the world I was going to entertain my husband’s parents who were arriving for ten days but as always my prayers were answered.  I started medicine for Lupus which the doctor told me it would take a month to take effect.  Right before my in laws arrived the energy kicked in and I started to feel so much better.    I can finally see a light at the end of the tunnel and it feels so wonderful to feel better.  Most of us take feeling good for granite but until you feel really bad do you realize how blessed we are to have good health.   I thank God everyday for my blessings and I am looking forward to getting back to life and making a positive difference in this world.  Thank you for all of your prayers; they have been answered in abundance!

To live in the moment can be very challenging.  Often we get caught up in our lives of running place to place, answering phone calls, checking emails and worrying about the past or future which causes us to lose focus on what is happening around us. 

Many of our thought patterns prevent us from being in the present and focusing on what is currently happening at the moment.  We are so busy that we find ourselves living without awareness and just going through the motions because we are so lost in our own thoughts.

Awareness means we are in the here and now becoming aware of everything that is happening at the present moment.  We are controlling our thoughts instead of letting them run on autopilot.  We are acting instead of reacting and funneling our negative thoughts and responses into the positive.  By being aware and staying in the present will allow us to focus on what is in front of us instead of what was behind us or what maybe in the future that is out of our control.

By focusing on the here in now we are not wasting our energy on what we have no control over.  We are not constantly thinking what if this happens or what if that happens.  We only look at the present and plan for the future.  This takes a lot of work to think this way but once you begin you will find your life becomes a lot less stressful and your mental state will be much calmer.

Stay in the present and focus on what is important the here and now.

Many blessings!

http://www.livelifeblessed.com

Today has been one of those days….I guess you would say it is a Lupus zapping energy day.  I tried so hard to get things done but every time I started to do something I ended up back in bed.   The nausea was overwhelming and my body ached from head to toe.  The more I tried to do something and could not the guiltier I felt, so I had to call my husband and tell him how sorry I was but I couldn’t get out of bed.  I so wanted to feel good and be happy and chipper but it is difficult to fake it.   I thought about the times when I have been judged for not wanting to do something because I feel so bad and I thought about the times I have judged others unfairly not knowing their situation.  This is a lesson I have learned today… to truly not judge others because you never know what their life is like until you live in their shoes.  I think back at how many times I have judged others in a negative way and how unfair I was.  To judge others is a hurtful act and I vow from this day forward to try my best not to judge others in a negative manner.  The next time someone says to you they cannot do something because they are not feeling well or they could not call you back because they were having a bad day, have some compassion and do not judge.   On any given day not everyone has as many spoons as you may have whether they are healthy or not.  This article will explain the spoons…

http://www.butyoudontlooksick.com/navigation/BYDLS-TheSpoonTheory.pdf

Remember if you judge people you have no time to love them.  Mother Teresa

Thank goodness tomorrow is a new day! J

Many blessings,

Melissa

http://www.livelifeblessed.com

For several months when I awake in the morning my hands are stiff and hurt.  It is hard to open my hands as they are stuck and ache with pain.  Once I get them moving the pain slowly goes away and then comes the task of getting out of bed.  As my feet hit the floor, the pain of the soles of my feet shoot through my body, I walk crooked like I am a ninety year old women as my knees, back  and neck or stiff and aching.  This too passes the more I move but getting there is hard.  The worst part is the debilitating fatigue and brain fog.  At times I feel like I am going to lose my mind because I cannot think straight and the depression is overwhelming.  When the noise gets loud it is overwhelming in my head and I wonder to myself am I going crazy.  My head pounds with pain intermittingly throughout the day and my face constantly itches.   My nerves are at their limit and my attitude is short.   I continue to keep a smile on the outside but I wonder why do I feel this way, is it all in my head, am I making myself ill always focusing on the way I feel, what can I do to make myself feel better.  As my husband goes to work every day, and I get up only to find myself back in bed before noon, feeling such guilt wondering maybe I am just lazy.  So I tell myself maybe I need exercise or possibly I have a vitamin deficiency, I try to get in the sun and exercise.  The symptoms continue to get worse and I find myself in a major depression not knowing how to get out of this downward spiral.  Each morning I pray to God to give me a diagnosis and make me feel better.  Friends and family ask me if I have gotten a job and I smile and say not yet but deep down inside I wonder how I could work and keep it all together.  I believe my family and friends think it is all in my head so I keep it to myself and continue to pray, besides focusing on the negative is not going to get me better, either.   After numerous doctor visits, and crying in many of their offices finally I received a diagnosis that I have Systemic Lupus.  The diagnosis was a relief to finally know what was wrong with me yet made me angry and sad that I had yet another hurtle to deal with in my life.  So I cried, yelled at God “why me” and then finally accepted that this is just another way to make me strong.  I wonder if this was presented to me to help others with this disease and perhaps it helps me understand what it is like to have a chronic illness as so many people in this world suffer from everyday.  Perhaps I am supposed to show the world how you can turn around by looking at the positive of this.  My skin will glow as I will never be a sun goddess again living in Florida since the sun flairs Lupus.  Each day I will appreciate life even more to be alive and living in this wonderful world.

 I have released my sorrow and anger to God and I am ready to live my best life with God by my side and being a blessing to others.  I truly believe that God puts obstacles in our way for a reason and I know there are bigger and better things on the horizon for me.  I have jumped over this hurtle, the door is closed and I can’t wait to see the new door open.  I am excited to have this behind me and to start taking care of my body the way I should have a long time ago.  I am so ready to live life to the fullest and see where our awesome God takes me.  I know that I will be a blessing to others and I am stronger than I have ever been. 

I would like to thank my friends and family, especially my husband for standing by me through these past months and putting up with me J.  Our God is an awesome God and I am truly blessed with wonderful friends from all over the world and I have a fabulous family…what more can a girl ask for.

May God bless you!

Melissa

Are you stupid or what?  How could you do such a thing?  Why would you quit your job to start a business?  You act just like your Grandmother, dumb.  Just stay where you are.  Your Mother would be alive if you were not such a problem child.  Looks like you have gained some weight.  I wouldn’t be in this situation if you would have kept your mouth shut.  You cannot be your mother’s daughter.    AND I am supposed to love myself after hearing all of those words.    One of the biggest lessons I have ever learned is to watch what comes out of your mouth because once you say it you can never take it back.  These words will stay with me for a life time but through a lot of hard work I have learned to know they are just words and they will never hurt me again. 

Watch what you say to your friends and loved ones, just because other people may have hurt you with words don’t repeat it and hurt others with your own words.  When you love yourself you realize nothing gets accomplished by saying hurtful things.  So many of us have experienced hurtful words and continue to project them on others.  Stop and think about the worst thing someone said to you and I bet it stuck in your mind for a long time.  The old saying “Sticks and stones may break my bones but words will never hurt me” is an untrue statement.  Unkind words do hurt!  Love your friends and family for who they are.  If they are going through a difficult time, don’t tongue slash them, instead try to understand what pain they are in that is causing them to go through a difficult time. 

If you are unkind to others with your words, take a good hard look at yourself!  Most people who are unkind, lack self esteem and truly do not love themselves.  Learn to treat others like you would like to be treated and start loving yourself…the world will be a much better place.

Be kind with your words no matter what!

http://www.livelifeblessed.com

It was Saturday evening and I was sitting in the bathtub soaking my aching bones feeling sorry for myself.  In October of last year, I developed pneumonia and ended up in the hospital for a week.  Two days after I got home, my Father fell ill and I went to take care of him on and off for three months, until his passing in January. Once again following the funeral, I was back in the hospital for another week with pneumonia and following that I came down with shingles.  For the past month, I feel like I constantly have the flu and my joints are stiff and aching.  I am so ready to get back to life as normal with an abundance of energy but for some reason it is not happening that way.  Not realizing it, in my mind I was having a real pity party for myself when all of the sudden I looked out the window and saw in the sky a U that a plane had written…I watched as I tried to play hang man and guess what it was going to say but I was far from the phrase…the skywriter wrote U + GOD =J.  Immediately my spirits were lifted and it took away my worries.  I was gleaming with happiness with the reminder that God is always with us.  After a few minutes the smoke began to fade and I thought how often our faith fades with everything going on in our lives these days.  I was so thankful for the skywriter, it only takes a little bit to turn your thoughts back to what is important, God loves us.   Whenever I am having one of my moments of why do I feel so bad, I think of U + God =J. 

There are so many different ways we can make a difference in this world and my thanks go out to Jerry Stevens the Palm Beach Skywriter.

Here is an excerpt that I took from an article about Jerry Stevens…I think it says it all.

Stevens, however, is just a Roman Catholic skywriter who says he frequently heads toward the heavens to spread a positive message. He understands why he makes some people nervous, but he believes he is doing God’s work.

“People are scared. They know something’s bad is in the wind,” Stevens said. “But the important thing to do is to think about God. I’m just reminding people that God does love them. If America doesn’t wake up and turn to God, we won’t see the blessings that we’ve seen in the past.”

He said while some people may be alarmed when they see his message, which can be visible up to 35 miles away, others will be uplifted.

“You can’t imagine what it’s like when you’re feeling low, wondering if God is listening to your prayers,” he said. “And then you walk out of your house and up above in big letters right over you, there’s ‘God Loves You.’”

http://www.turntojesus.net/ContactTheSkywriter/contacttheskywriter.html

Many blessings,

Melissa

http://www.livelifeblessed.com

I received this video from the man who brought me into his family when I was sixteen years old.  He is not my birth father but when my own family was going through difficult times he reached out and became a father to me.  He gave me unconditional love and was a true inspiration to me by his great belief in me and encouragement that I could do anything I believed in.  At age 45, he is still a major part of my life and I am truly blessed to be a part of his life.  I would like to thank you Seymour for sharing this video with me, which reminds us all how God blesses us with our challenges.  Although our dreams may seem impossible through hard work and determination they are all achievable.

Please click here http://www.livelifeblessed.com/godswork to view an inspiring video about determination through challenges.

Go after your dreams and make a difference!     

PS.  This video is long but it is well worth watching it to the end to get the full message.

Many blessings,

Melissa

Live Life Blessed!

http://www.livelifeblessed.com

The internet is an amazing resource.  Wednesday night I received an email from a group that I had joined but never participated in the site.  The email was a request to pray for a 27 year old girl named Cristin who is critically ill.  Cristin is married and has three young children..   She had a major heart attack which left her needing a heart transplant.   As I read her story, my heart went out to her and her family.  I have been praying constantly for all of them.   In my opinion, as a Christian, one of the best gifts we can give anyone is prayer.   I am passing this on asking you to please pray for Cristin and her family.  Here is the link where you can read about Cristin and her progress.

http://www.caringbridge.org/visit/cristinwallace

God Bless You,

Melissa

It’s not enough to be the best…when you have the ability to be GREAT.    God gave us the ability to be great when he put us on this earth.  We were not brought here to be mediocre.  All of us have the power to be great at whatever we do.  Whether we are a Mother or Father, a Friend or a Spouse, a Carpenter or a Doctor it is our duty to God to be GREAT at all things in life.

When we were young children we were great at learning to walk and learning to talk.  We had so much to learn but we never questioned it we were just great.  The difference between now and then is perhaps we question our abilities and our capabilities to much or maybe we do not believe in ourselves the way God believes in us.  Did you ever question your children or did you always believe they were great.  God does not question us, he knows we are great. 

If you are struggling with being mediocre ask yourself the following questions:

What is holding you back?

Can you see, touch and taste your dreams?

What inspires you?

What is your creative force?

What lights your soul?

What drives you?

Do you love and believe in yourself?

As God sees you, make each area of your life great.  Be the absolute best that you can be, because you can.  Leave your negative thoughts and past behind and know that God only wants greatness for all of us.  Follow your dreams!

Click here to view a video of greatness http://www.livelifeblessed.com/godswork

With passion and God we can do anything but most of us need to be reminded of this often.  I know I often get off track and forget my passion and dreams due to the daily peaks and valleys of my life.  This is an amazing story http://www.livelifeblessed.com/godswork and reminds us how our heart, love and soul along with God by our side can provide us with anything we desire.  Go after your dreams and make them happen with all of your heart and soul.  Feel it, speak it, dream it and live it.  Have passion!