Expressing Gratitude and Finding Joy

"But if we hope for what we don't see, we wait for it with patience." Romans 8:25

"Each day is a different one, each day brings a miracle of its own. It's just a matter of paying attention to this miracle." Patience is virtue. I have heard this so many times in my lifetime. I've told this before, but the attribute of patience isn't easy for me. I have always been a fast-paced kind of person who rises to challenges and any adventure. The past 5 1/2 months have been a lesson in patience for me. It takes so much time and patience to fix what has been broken. As I wrote to Mark recently, "Together we have calmed the stormy seas and we have picked up the wreckage it tried to leave, and we have put it back together piece by piece." Although it has been hard, it has been worth it, and it will continue to be worth it. Marriage is always a work in progress, and we have learned that we cannot ever take it for granted. The amount of work and time that we have been putting into "us" is something we now realize that we should have been doing all along. We got too comfortable or maybe we got too uncomfortable; it depends on how you look at it. But I promise you, we are back on track, and it feels amazing.

The past couple of blog posts I reflected on our infertility struggles and our two miracle baby girls; who I know love that I am calling them babies at 22 and 23 years of age. Our infertility struggles and miracles have not all been revealed yet. But before I get to that story, I want to reflect on some more things that have occurred over the past months. Many of you may know, but our oldest daughter Justine is expecting a baby any day. We were nervous at first because she has health issues-which I have a whole other story to go with that too! In July we had a baby shower for her at our house. It was such a fun day with good friends and family. I showed a picture a while back that I will share from that day. It was a picture that my friend Beve took of me and my girls. In this picture I was laughing. This picture still holds a big place in my heart because as I said earlier, there was a time in the past 5 1/2 months when I did not think that I could or would ever truly smile or laugh again. This picture proved me wrong. It showed that I have found joy again. It was there all along, I had to look for it a little bit harder.

Me and my girls

The day of the shower, we also got to see our nephew Kent and our great-nieces Bella and Kelty. It was great to catch up. That evening we decided to head to the lake. We loaded up the car with a couple of extra girls in tow (Grace and Kaydence). I love having a car full of girls. Their laughter is contagious and brings a smile to my face. The next day Lindsey and Kreed joined us. We went fishing and then took the kids on the lily pad. Being in water has been a huge passion of mine, so any chance I get to "be one of the kids," I am in! It makes my heart happy to hear the laughter of the kids and to see the excitement they get from doing something they all enjoy. Find joy in the little things because one day you may look back and realize they were the big things.

The Finch Crew

One way that I have been able to find joy is by being grateful. Every day, at least once or twice a day (or more), I reflect on what I am grateful for. When I do this, I try to say it out loud. Amazing things happen when you think about gratitude. "Gratitude turns what we have into enough." Every morning I say out loud what I am grateful for, and Mark and I do this together every evening. I sometimes do this other times throughout the day also as it has greatly helped my anxiety. The other day I texted Mark randomly during the day to let him know about my gratitude.

"Mark, I cannot stress enough how grateful I am for you. You are simply an amazing man. You are so kind and caring and I can feel your love for me radiate to my soul and it makes my heart overflow with joy. Your amazing hugs and the way you hold me every night lets me know that I am loved, and it makes me feel secure. I thank you for your unconditional love and your commitment to sobriety and to me and our marriage. With sobriety came openness and honesty. I thank God every day for that-many times a day. I am grateful that I chose to not drink in support of you. We are both better individuals without alcohol. I am also grateful that our marriage was saved by the grace of God. I fight my emotional demons every day, but I will not let them win. I will continue to fight for us with everything I have because I believe in us, and I believe we are better together. We are destined to do great things together. The lost soul has been found and returned to where it belongs-with me...together... forever... and always. I love you so much and I hope you can see and feel it. Love you always-Chel"

Expressing gratitude is fulfilling. The more you express gratitude, the better you will feel emotionally. Gratitude helps us to see the best in people and situations. "Gratitude unlocks the fullness of life. It turns what we have into enough, and more. It turns denial into acceptance, chaos into order, confusion into clarity. It turns problems into gifts, failures into success, the unexpected into perfect timing, and mistakes into important events. Gratitude makes sense of our past, brings peace for today, and creates a vision for tomorrow." (Melodie Beattie)

Just a kid at ❤️

Soon Mark and I will have a granddaughter in our lives to bring us even more joy. We cannot wait. We are so grateful and thankful that Justine has had an uneventful pregnancy. She has not had any issues and her and the baby have been monitored closely due to her health and due to my history (just in case). What brings joy into your life? What are you grateful for? Think about this and express the joy and gratitude (if you haven't already). If you practice this daily, I promise you it will change the way you view life. It will improve your life for the better. A grateful heart is a magnet for miracles.

`The following is one of my favorite songs. It brings me peace. I hope you enjoy!