I can’t believe we’re already in December! I had a wonderful Thanksgiving weekend, spending considerable time with both my burner and my partner and her family. As we move into the Christmas season, I realize anew how blessed I am to have such a great life – one filled with the love of family and friends…and a heart that is predominantly overflowing with peace, joy and laughter. I have so much to be grateful for! (Which, I should mention, is through no virtue of mine – but only through the grace of a loving God.)
My favorite gratitude prayer is this:
Thank You, God…
For all that You've given me...
For all that You’ve taken from me...
And for all that You’ve left me with.
God has given me so much! I have had an amazing trip on this journey called life. I have met many earth angels along the way - some of whom were just passing through, and others who seem to be here to stay. I have a loving and fun extended family, a great job, a roof over my head, and a relationship with the God of my understanding that surpasses anything I believed possible. God has given me a design for living that works no matter what life throws my way.
I am grateful that God has taken away from me the bondage and incomprehensible demoralization of my alcohol addiction. He has taken away the nameless fears, the broken relationships, and the myriad other manifestations of related insanity in my life related to my alcoholism.
I am grateful that God has left me with my amazing family, allowing me to heal and build relationships with my parents and siblings. I am thankful that the values of hard work, respect for all people, and helpfulness to others have remained and strengthened. I am grateful that the light of the spirit that I recognized when I was a child sitting in a quiet church with my grandparents and which filled me with a sense of awe and wonder is always with me; all I need to do is remove the blinders I sometimes pull over my eyes to be in its presence.
I am also grateful that my passion for creativity has remained. With the holidays approaching, I have been a busy little burner…slowly making my way through a fairly long list of Christmas-gift projects. I don’t want any gift spoilers, so haven’t been posting much in the way of pyrography pictures lately. However, here are a few pieces created for individuals who don’t read my blog. :-)
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| This is the completed wedding plate created for a couple of dear friends. This was custom-designed from the wedding invitation, personal photos, and royalty-free clipart. |
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| This is for one of my nephews, who LOVES 4-wheeling! This was designed loosely based upon an image from a coloring book. |
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| This is for a niece who loves the beach. I've drilled a hole and will be adding a clock movement before sending it her way. A pattern by Cheryl Dow was used. |
May your days be filled with gratitude this holiday season!
