Being an Influencer

Okay....this is longer than my usual "long", but it describes major influencers in my life. When I come to Tulsa, I squeeze in as much as possible because there are so many precious friends and family here. Yesterday was no exception. First was attending mass at my home parish and sitting beside my Tulsa “family” who mean the world to me. My godson brought us all together when he was a very sick newborn. My husband and I fell in love with this family long before his birth, but it was his little precious and vulnerable life that cemented us all together. Isn’t it amazing how what seems to be the worst of times, brings out the best in people and the best of times? Owen is 13 now so it’s been 13 years of watching God perform miracle after miracle in his life. Since my husband passed away, Owen has taken his place beside me in church and he still holds my hand and wraps his arms around me with abandon. Be still my heart! I was thrilled to have lunch with them and seeing the two youngest in their costumes for Trunk or Treat that followed. This family has been amazing influencers in my life.

After church and before lunch, I made a couple of quick visits to see two amazing “older” women. My first visit was to see Margaret, the mother of my brother-in-law, She lives in a skilled nursing facility, If you need a pick-me-up, go see her. I walked in her room and she was beaming from ear-to-ear and excited to tell me “I’m 96 years old now! Just look at these paintings on my walls. I painted them all!” Margaret is a dear, optimistic, light-hearted friend that as long as I’ve known her, her outgoing, and warm personality made me feel loved. She influenced me.

Then I headed over to spend time with my mother-in-law. I took her dinner the night before and we caught up then, but yesterday I savored our time together once again. She's gone through a lot physically, but now that she lives with Karen, my husband’s sister, she's become stronger and filled with so much vitality. She boasted “I’ve gained five pounds!” And that says a lot! I can’t begin to tell you how much she has influenced my life -- the most of which are her prayers for us. I asked her “What are you going to do today?” She quickly responded, “I’ve got lots of calls to make!” She has a list of people she calls to encourage. She is sure not done yet. She’ll be 96 on Wednesday.

Lastly, I made my way to another dear friend and mentor. Oh, how I love this precious saint, Sister Marie Pierre. After 50+ years of ministry, she retired and lives in a small space at St. Joseph's Monastery but it is everything she hoped for in this season of her life. A few months ago she had a pretty bad fall and had to have hip surgery. I was shocked to see that she was waiting at the door with her walker for me when I arrived. She wasn’t setting any records, but she was up and moving. Another nun waited with her and she asked: “Are you a teacher?” I replied, “Yes, I am, but I’m also one of Sister Pierre’s children.” We made each other cry as we shared sweet memories, and about our future....getting to graduate to heaven. We talked about how our loved ones and the saints and Jesus are cheering us on to the finish line. I could tell she is longing for the day when she'll go home, but in the meantime, sitting at her feet, feeling God's presence and His peace all around her, is the place to be. God continues to use her to touch our lives. She has MANY children -- of course, not biologically, but she sure had a hand in raising many of us in the ways we should go.

Why do I go into so much detail about my life and share it on social media? One, it will be forever an archive to remind me of those people who passed my way. I’m quite sure they were all a part of God’s Master Plan for my life. Placing value on those people and acknowledging them as precious and valuable makes them matter in the grand scheme of God’s almighty handiwork. I love to give credit where credit is due. Each teacher, mentor, encourager, family member, friend, and even casual acquaintance are strategic in God’s wisdom to co-partner with Him. I am so grateful for those who helped “make” me.

The point is to embrace God’s plan AND people that come into our lives – there’s a reason for them all. I’m so thankful that mine has made me purposeful in my mission and determination to finish strong. Perhaps you’re thinking of your own life and those who have contributed to who you are today. Maybe phone them or pay them a visit to let them know how thankful you are for them. Why do I go into so much detail about my life and share it on social media? One, it will be archived to remind me of those people who partnered with God to fulfill His Master Plan in my life. Acknowledging them is giving credit where credit is due. Each teacher, mentor, encourager, family member, friend, and even casual acquaintance are strategically placed in our lives by God. I am so grateful for those who helped “make” me.

The point is to embrace God’s plan AND people that come into our lives. There is a reason for them all. I’m so thankful that mine has made me purposeful in my mission and determination to finish strong. Perhaps you’re thinking of your own life and those who have contributed to who you are today. Maybe phone them or pay them a visit to let them know how thankful you are for them.

You Light Up My Life

If anyone ever says, "Why be on Facebook?", you all have given the reasons. Throughout my day, to have received such beautiful wishes and thoughts, makes this "young" woman beyond amazed and grateful! I am so thankful for God's blessings in my life, and you all are right at the top of the list of those blessings! Thanks so much for boosting my self esteem and putting such joy in my heart.

Yesterday was my birthday, and I must tell you the embraces of words, hugs, messages, phone calls, cards, surprises, coffee time with girlfriend, dinner with other girlfriends, gifts, serenades and unmerited favors made for “my day” to be one of the sweetest, most blessed days EVER.

How can I say thanks enough? My heart is filled to overflowing with gratitude . Facebook has a special way of helping us stay close to each other.....and at times like this, it makes the day so much sweeter. Please forgive me for not being able to respond to each of you yet as I'm working on a project that has kept my shoulder to the wheel yesterday and today.

My first surprise of the day was whn my godson, Owen, his brother, Henry, and Mom Bernadette showed up at my front door before heading to school. There are no words adequate to express the profound love I have for this family, and, quite frankly, the love I receive back from them.

Then it was “birthday” breakfast with my sweet sister and mother-in-law – a “usual” each year. We laughed, cried, and sincerely “knew” God is up to something in our lives. Karen gave me a beautiful Willow Tree angel holding a bird and her words were “As you go forward, I see you “soaring into a new freedom with great strength like you have never known” Isaiah 40:30. The angel’s name was “soar”. I accept those words so deeply into my heart. Then it was special time with a dear friend -- laughing and celebrating life. My sweet friends from my community took me to dinner last night with cupcakes afterwards. I love these ladies so much! We are the "never tire, never quit women of Hyde Park"! We've made up our minds "we're not givin' up until we're taken up"!

In this season of life, I have found that the rarest and most valuable treasures of life are those friends and family that we do life with. We have choices with who we hang out with, and God has made it so easy to choose the cream of the crop. I am so blessed with the gifts of friendship that far exceed silver and gold. All of you, my precious friends and family, are the most treasured possessions I have. I thank God for each of you who made me feel like a queen!

"I thank my God every time I remember you." Philippians 1:3

To all my family and friends.....thank you for humoring me, tolerating me, encourating me, celebrating me, but most of all....for loving me. I’m smart enough to know, that God used you to brighten my day and life. His mercies came to me via YOU and I’m so very grateful.

Unlimited Possibilities

This sweet boy is my godson, Owen, and to say I'm blessed to have him in my life puts it mildly. Last night, at Zarrow International School (Spanish immersion), he promoted from elementary school to middle school, and I was thrilled to be there for the celebrations and recognitions.

He won first place in fifth graders in Math and first place in Social Studies. Since Zarrow is a Spanish immersion school, the work the kids do is mostly all in Spanish, so was I ever impressed that Owen did so well.

Standing under their school's motto: "One Child, Two Languages -- Unlimited Possibilities", I thought "They have no idea how right on those words are, when it comes to our Owen."

Sitting with his Mom, Dad and siblings (who I adore also), were Owen's grandmother and I. I couldn't help but tear up with thanksgiving, at where Owen is today, compared to the rough start he had in life, 11-1/2 years ago. I took a photo of him and his grandmother and texted it to her. Immediately, I thought about the conversations she and I had when Owen was first born. He was a very sick baby with several complications. He remained in neonatal ICU for quite some time. When I couldn't get hold of his Mom and Dad because their hands were so full, I would often call or text her. Last night she and I embraced and talked about that, and together, we thanked and praised God for our very smart, strong and healthy boy today. Yes, God answers prayer.

We fell in love with that little guy several years ago and my love for him has only grown through the years. Every time we're together in church he sits beside me, wraps his arms around me and whispers "I love you so much!" I love to think that my Honey in heaven is sending his love to me through Owen to pass on to me. I feel it every time I see him.

"Unlimited possibilities" -- that's who we all are as children of God, because "ALL THINGS ARE POSSIBLE WITH GOD!"

Looking for Love in All the Right Places

Getting to celebrate life with my special loved ones and friends in Tulsa brings such joy to my heart. Here's what my World of Love's "right places" looks like:

I have precious friends in the community where I live. We laugh, celebrate life, many of us pray for each other and share meals with each other. Several of us are the face of Hyde Park and we represent our community to guests that stop by to visit us. Love in the right places!

My Life Group meets in my home every Tuesday. We share our triumphs and tests, we pray together, celebrate together and do life together. The latest triumph was the birth of this precious baby girl, Ragan Rainey. We prayed for her Mom & Dad to be blessed with her, and indeed they have been. Her two grandmothers attend my Life Group (yes, that's them having received their coronation bouquet) -- so of course, that little girl had no choice but to come into this world with God's blessings. Love in the right places!

I have the most wonderful "family of friends" at Church of the Madalene where I have attended for over 16 years. The women in this church, The Women of the Madalene, are par excellence. They are the most giving, loving and caring women ever! To them, there is no task too great or small when it comes to serving God and His people. Serving with them is truly an honor. Love in the right places!

As if having a family of friends at one church isn't enough, I have a host of friends at Life.Church, which is just a half block from my home. I love serving with these precious people who rock my world (literally) every weekend. I am a part of the Host, Chazown, Baptism, and Operations Teams. Being fully devoted followers of Christ is all about "loving in the right places" -- and the greatest blessing of all is witnessing so many people coming to Christ at each service. Last Sunday, at our Jenks campus alone, over 150 people were baptized in water. Love in the right places!

Then there is my precious godson and his siblings. They are my Tulsa family -- I love these kids and their love for me blesses me so much. All of them have February birthdays -- so of course it's the Month of Love for them AND me. Owen, my godson, is a treasure beyond words to me. He sits by me in church, snuggles close to me, puts his arm around me or holds my hand. Yes, I feel kisses from heaven each time. Love in the right places!

My dear Mom-in-Law lives here in Tulsa. Mom has been such a dear friend to me for 55 years now -- 5 years before my Sweetheart and I married. She has encouraged, prayed for and loved me like a daughter. Last Sunday, Valentine's Day, we had a "Sweetheart" lunch together at Olive Garden. Of course, we talked about the two men that were our loves for a lifetime and because of the richness of those loves, we can be so thankful they're no longer in our past....they are in our future! We'll be with them again one day. Love in the right places!

Tomorrow, I'll be heading to Post Oak Lodge for the Christ the King ACTS Retreat -- Thursday thru Sunday. I was once a retreatant, but now I'm on the leadership team for the retreat. We've met every Monday for the last three months in preparation for this weekend where women will come and be made to feel like princesses -- daughters of the King. It is a weekend like no other I've ever witnessed. Encounters with the living Christ that causes all of our hearts to melt in His presence. We come to know the true meaning of loving God with all our hearts, souls and minds. Love in the right places!

AND, if all this LOVE in Tulsa weren't enough to bless this heart of mine, I'll be heading to Seattle on Monday for a feast of love with my family there for two weeks, and then back for a week with my Texas family -- no shortage of love there because it's "Love in the right places"!

People ask me "Why are you so happy all the time -- after all, you live alone, you're a widow, you have to handle life and all it gives you by yourself?" I think by now, you know. I'm still here. I'm not done with living. I celebrate each day with as much gusto as I can. Life isn't a destination. It's a beautiful, wonderful, living-life-large JOURNEY of finding love in all the right places. I recommend living this way -- self pity, whining, and complaining is not found here on this journey -- it's all about an attitude of gratitude each and every day! It's finding love in all the right places!

Cuddles from Heaven and on Earth

Day 280 of Photo Inspirations - Cuddles From Heaven & On Earth
Going to church was one of my favorite "date" places to go to with my Sweetheart.  It seemed that the presence of the Lord brought us even closer together when we were there.  He would hold and caress my hand, put his arm around me, and whisper "I love you".  And I don't think God was jealous one bit when we expressed our love to each other there.  In fact, He was probably applauding that affection and love -- after all, that precious love between a husband and wife is one of His most marvelous creations.

Genesis 2:21-24 "So the Lord God caused the man to fall into a deep sleep; and while he was sleeping, he took one of the man’s ribs and then closed up the place with flesh. Then the Lord God made a woman from the rib he had taken out of the man, and he brought her to the man. The man said, “This is now bone of my bones and flesh of my flesh; she shall be called ‘woman,’ for she was taken out of man.”  That is why a man leaves his father and mother and is united to his wife, and they become one flesh."  Talk about GENIUS and master-designed creations!!!!  God is the MASTER CREATOR!!

In the sweetness of God's love and our love, God blessed us with a friendship with a precious family. Howblessed we were when Owen, their 3rd-born, this adorable 10 year old pictured here, became our godson. We were so blessed to be there 10 years ago when he was baptized -- thus my photo inspirations for today.  We took being godparents very seriously -- praying for him, celebrating him and continuing to give him the reasons why he is so precious and beautiful and reminding him that God has so much potential in his future.  We always made it a big deal to celebrate his baptism every year.  After all, that's when he came into the "Family of God". And that's what I did yesterday -- I had been in Seattle on September 25th -- his actual baptism day.  I want to continue to influence this little guy in his relationship with Jesus.  If I can have a small hand in that, I say, "Here's my hand, Lord!"  His card said, "This little light of Owen's.....he's gonna' let it shine!"  And, I gave him a flashlight as a little reminder.  BIG smiles!

Yesterday was special, but as I said in the first paragraph here, my sweetheart and I made going to church a place where our love for each other increased.  So when he graduated to heaven (5 years next month), I could have only thought of how much I missed him when I went to church.  But I think, he AND God had something special in mind.  Owen took over where my sweetheart left off. To this day, since Ron's exit, Owen runs to sit by me in church.  He wraps his arms around me, holds my hand and kisses my cheek.  Oh, yes, I sense heaven with me when Owen is with me.  I am loved here and from up there.  Yes, his little light shines brightly in my life!

Making Big Deals Out of Little Deals

Day 27 of Photo Inspirations --
Goodness -- I love these four cuties.  Yesterday was so very special.  That is my godson, Owen, on the left. He's my little cuddle boy. We sit together at church every Sunday and I get so many hugs and cuddles that I love so much. Burnedette, their sweet Mom, invited me over for a Mexican food lunch.  She didn't realize how much I love Mexican food, and, oh my, she knocked it out of the park -- everything was so YUMMY.  But, as most know, I celebrate moments like this day, because I always see them as "orchestrated" -- straight from heaven.

When a group of us were on a missions trip to Mexico back in October, I took lots of photos. That's because I wanted to cherish every moment I could.  And, also, while I was there, I saw a vendor making name bracelets.  I had him make one for my godson and his three siblings.  How perfect!  I get invited over for Mexican food and I get to go there bearing gifts and a computer slide show.  Before I gave them the bracelets, I showed them the photos from Mexico -- letting them see the precious kids there who had so little, but who had been given hope for their future because of loving and caring people that consistently pour into them that anything is possible.   And I wanted these four kiddos to know just how blessed they are.   At the conclusion of my little slide show, I gave them their bracelets.  Their Mom said, "See how much Miss Donna thinks about you -- even when she's in Mexico?"   And that's so true.  My own kids are in Washington and Texas, so having these kids in my life here in Tulsa is another gift from heaven.

Yes, I make big deals out of so many of the little deals that take place in my world.  I do that because I have only one life to live, and if I live it with appreciation, enthusiasm, passion, and making making moments special -- then my greatest reward will be knowing I may have left an imprint on someone's life.  It is absolutely worth the time and effort to make our day count for what matters most.  We'll never pass this way again.  Why not leave some crumbs along the way.....that just might cause others to know that those crumbs may point them in the right direction to go.

All Soul's Day - Remembering our Loved Ones

Today is All Soul's Day (commemoration of the faithful departed) in the Catholic Church.

In these photos, you'll see banners that have the names of all of those who died in the last year in the church. Loved ones walk down the aisle carrying a rose (the rose ceremony) symbolic of their loved one who passed and the priest reads their name to the congregation. It's a sweet and sacred way of remembering our loved ones who passed on before us.

I remember the year my sweetheart went to heaven, and I saw his name on the banner. It was quite surreal for me. How could his name be up there? I shared that with a dear friend this morning, whose husband's name was up there this year. We both agreed.... "We're still here and God isn't finished with us yet, so we'll rejoice and get excited for the day we get to reunite with them!"

But, the sweetest moments of this Sunday.....and every Sunday, is my precious godson, Owen, and his little sister, Clare, always sitting beside me in church. They both cuddle and hug me with arms around me -- throughout the service -- no shame at all about what anyone would think -- they just love me. I know it! It's been that way for the almost 4 years since my sweetheart passed away. Nine-year old Owen has become my little "sweetheart" in church. And, when he embraces me and tells me he loves me, I tell him I love him, and I also feel a gentle kiss from heaven and I whisper back to heaven "I love you, too!"

How blessed I am to live in such sweet times -- where I treasure the past, and I live so sweetly today! God does have a special love for widows. I can vouch for that -- I sense His presence and love in the smallest, sweetest and tenderest times. And, I'm on constant look-out for those moments! Today was one of those.