Monday, August 29, 2016

Variation

Variation is what makes forests, gardens, and our lives more beautiful. Think about what the view would look like from a mountaintop if all the shapes sizes and colors of the trees and shrubs were exactly the same. What would our world look like if everything and everyone were exactly the same. I look at my children and see four completely different people, yes, there are some similarities, however, most of what I see is unique. The world would be a terribly boring place if we were all the same and I know for certain if I only dealt with people just like myself everyday, I would go crazy!



We all have our good and not so good aspects of who we are. Today I am going to try to look at the variation as beauty and not as frustration. I am going to do my best today to try to remember the reasons I love everyone in my life for who they are and not the idea of who I think they should be. Today I am going to forgive myself for not being exactly like those that I aspire to emulate. I am who I am and you are who you are and that is what makes us all a beautiful, varied, inspiring community of folks who make the world a better place by being exactly who we were intended to be.

~hugs~ k

Friday, August 26, 2016

Transformation

Butterflies are another reminder of how we must give up our old ways of being to be able to embrace a new life. This is true both for those who suffer with addiction and those that love them.
For a caterpillar to become a butterfly they must wrap themselves up in a protective cocoon and take the time necessary to transform. Even when they immerge from their cocoon there is still a time of getting used to their new life; change takes time.

This time of experiencing the change is also necessary for those who care for those that suffer with this disease. When a person is in the early stages of recovery it is hard for a family member, friend, or spouse to accept that change has occurred. It takes time to let go of past feelings or resentments and fears. I always say once you are a parent of someone who suffers with addiction you are always that same parent. The same thing holds true for those that are cancer survivors. If you love someone who is in remission there is always that fear that the disease could return.

Today and many days I think about how I respond to those feelings that pop up from time to time. Fear is debilitating and what I know is that being afraid of something is not going to change whether or not it is going to occur. I try hard to focus on the positive changes (as hard as that may be at times) and remind myself that focusing on prayer and sending positive energy out to the universe is going to benefit me and those I love much more than sending out fear and negativity.


        
       My dear friend Cathie shared this beautiful butterfly with me


Transformation can be a terrifying process, however, it can be the most beautiful experience. Embrace the beauty that change can hold

Peace and love for the journey
k

Monday, August 22, 2016

Messages from a bathroom stall

While visiting Mystic village this weekend I found I needed to use the bathroom, TMI :)
I noticed there was a ton of graffiti on the doors and walls. I started reading and although there were some messages that were not so friendly, most were intended to share love and uplift those reading them. Another example of the fact that there is love everywhere. Made my day!

Enjoy the messages from the bathroom walls.




Peace be with you
<3 Kristyn

Saturday, August 13, 2016

Are angels everywhere? YES absolutely everywhere!

I have read many articles that talk about angels being all around us. I have always believed this to be true and over the past, almost year and a half since Ben left this life I have been looking more closely to see the signs. I find comfort knowing that those that have gone before me are still very near. I have researched all of the different ways that they present themselves to you, if only you open your eyes and your heart to seeing them. Take the time to be present and notice the little things, they may turn out to be messages of love and peace from above.

Signs that you are being visited by angels:
  • dreaming of a loved one, being offered a message or waking with a sense of their presence
  • seeing spots of bright lights or orbs, either in life or in photographs
  • unexpected sweet smells
  • finding feathers (different colors often have different meanings)
  • children, especially babies often have a greater connection to spirit because have not yet been told that they "don't exist". Watch for little ones laughing for no apparent reason or looking toward an area where you can't see something that they appear to.
  • repeating numbers 333 (my spirit guide number) 11:11 is a common one that occurs for some, think and I am certain you too have a number
  • Angels in the clouds
  • a sense of not being alone when you are by yourself
  • a tingling sensation (goosebumps) when you think of or talk about someone who has passed
  • pets often sense the energy of angels (barking toward an empty space as if something is there)
  • music, a song that has always been a reminder of someone playing at exactly the moment you needed to hear it.
  • pennies from heaven (see post titled 'pennies from heaven')
  • rainbows, need I say more? those are absolutely a message from beyond, thank you God!
  • unexplained changes in temperature in your immediate vicinity
  • signs and advertisements, keep your eyes open for those they are definitely out there.
  • voices, that little voice in your head that tries to guide you that may sound exactly like someone you would have looked to for advice at that very moment
  • butterflies and birds
  • receiving a call, text, or email from the person you had been thinking about or needed to hear from, those messages are angels at work planting seeds in others to reach out
  • books and magazines that grab your attention, seemingly begging to be read
  • And of course, stones. Especially heart shaped ones, they appear on Ben's moms path often

              An angel who followed me the other day

All of these signs could be dismissed as coincidence. Ask yourself this questions, would it give you peace to believe you are being visited by spirits, angels, and a higher power watching over you?
My answer is an Absolute YES on all counts so I believe with my heart and soul that without a doubt I am never alone.

Divine heavenly Spirit,
thank you for making your presence,
and the presence of those who now reside with you
known in my life by the signs
you so generously show me every day.
Your gifts of peace and love
I receive through this gift
calm my soul when I need it most.
Amen

Peace be with you all the days of your lives and beyond,
Kristyn

Friday, August 12, 2016

What's under that tough exterior

Over the years my kids and Cameron have enjoyed breaking open geodes. A geode is a rock that on the outside in it's natural unbroken state doesn't look like much and is pretty unattractive as far as rocks go.

Most would probably pass it by if they saw it on the road thinking it was not worth adding to a collection of rocks. Those that know about rocks would be excited to find one because when you break it open there are absolutely gorgeous crystal formations inside. You never know what you are going to find until you get to the heart of the stone.

Many who suffer from addiction are just like those stones. On the outside they look pretty hardened and most folks would simply pass them by. Today I am asking you to try to take a closer look, try to see beyond the rough exterior to the heart of who that person was before the disease took over. I have met, known, loved and continue to love many that suffer with addiction. Addiction is not who they are it is merely a part of who they are. Please look for the beauty within, often it is right under the surface waiting for someone to find it. And please, be patient, some times those little buggers don't like to open up, when you come across something that took a long time to become hardened, that surface is not always so easy to break through.

                 
                               NOT a geode, however it brings to mind
                                            what might lie within

The images of geodes you can find on the web are worth searching for, enjoy the search.
In peace, love and patience, Kristyn

Thursday, August 11, 2016

The destination and the journey

I have learned over the years that there is more to life than simply getting where you are going. Sometimes the journey is the destination.

The steps you take to get where you want to be can lead to places you never dreamed you would go. Take the time to learn from every step and be grateful that you have taken them.

My journey continues every day that I have an opportunity to rise & shine, yours does too. I try to have an idea of where I am heading and an 'ultimate goal', however that goal changes all the time and that is okay.

I dream of many things that will enhance my life and the lives of those around me. Each day I take another step towards those dreams and I am grateful for each and every step.  Some steps are more difficult than others, although no matter how hard they are always worth it.

 

Rise & Shine
Take the next step
Enjoy the journey
Be grateful
Remember, you ARE loved
Peace be with you

Kristyn





Friday, August 5, 2016

Before I die..........

In Southington along the Rails to Trails there is a mural that states, "before I die........... ."  It is painted with chalkboard paint and there  are blank sections that people were able to fill in their answers in chalk.


I thought about this and realized that maybe if everyone had a bucket list of "before I die things" that consisted of big items and little ones it could take some of our energy and focus off of the negative aspects of our lives and put it into doing things that are valuable to ours souls and help to create more peace within us.

I have spent a lot of time worrying about things that I truly have ZERO control over and that worry has stolen from me way too much of my peace of mind.

In the recent past I have started working toward things that bring me joy and will benefit my future, which in turn will benefit my family and those that I love. I have learned that I will always worry, that is who I am; however, now I spend just as much time (if not more) focusing on the statement, 'before I die.... realizing that tomorrow is not promised so I better live today to its fullest'.

Realistically from the day we are born, we are dying; some sooner rather than later and some at a very old age. What most will agree upon is that none of us really know exactly when death from the physical life will occur; we need to focus more on being grateful for the little things and trying to live a life filled with peace, love, and gratitude which will inevitably create more peace, joy, and gratitude for those around us until that final journey begins.

To those that love someone who suffers with addiction try hard to find joy for yourself and do something that you or someone else can be grateful for. The tiniest step can turn into an embracing more happiness within the journey.

For those of you in the throws of the disease, ask yourself; are you missing out on the joy you could have by chasing something that ultimately causes you pain and heartache?

Tomorrow is not promised and before I die.........................................................
~hugs~k