3 Ways To Set Daily Intentions In A Hectic Workplace

We have all heard or read that setting daily intentions will improve the way our day will flow. It sounds so very easy.

Wake up. Stretch. Set your intention for the day. Get out of bed. Continue with your day with ease and grace.

Easy.

Right?

Wrong.

I have found that unless I stay home, my intentions will get shot down almost as soon as I get to work. No matter how solidly I set my intentions, the energies at work will skew my intentions. They won't be totally demolished, but just pushed off center just enough to throw me off kilter.

I really do like where I work and the people that I deal with on a daily basis. The big problem that I have is that there is such a hectic jumble of energy flowing around from all the people and objects. It can feel so energetically chaotic that I just want to hide in a hole or sit by a river.

I cannot hide from the world. I have a duties and responsibilities that I cannot ignore. So it can get very frustrating to set a wonderful intention for the day and watch it get diluted by the hour.

So I've learned a few tricks to help me keep my intentions clear throughout the day. Let me share three of my favorite ways.

1) Use Action Words in a Simple Phrase

I got this idea when I was making my "to do" list in my planner. I am more likely to get tasks done if I write my "to do's" with simple action words if I am doing them at that moment. 

For example:

• Finish blog post.
• Wash car.
• Clean Alice's cage.

The idea does take some getting used to, I will admit.

Some daily intentions I have used are: 

• Live happy.
• Share your smiles.
• Love easily.
• Listen with your heart.

2) Drink in Your Intentions

The reason that I use simple phrases for intentions is that I am constantly reminding myself of what they are by literally drinking them in.

Every time I get a cup of coffee or a glass of water I will take a few seconds to whisper my intention into the liquid and then I drink it in. I am constantly reaffirming my intention every time I whisper it and I am anchoring the intention into myself ever time I take a drink.

Today's call to Universe and a quote.

3) Write It Down Where You Will See It

I am using a paper planner again. I find it easier to keep myself organized and on track. There is a section on the daily inserts titled "phone calls" that I use as my "phone call to Universe".

This is where I write down my intention and to cement it I also add a quote. Every time I open my planner I see my intention and I repeat it.

Before my planner, I would write it on a post-it note and place it on the bathroom mirror. I have even typed them on the welcome screen on my phone.

Writing it down helps to ingrain the intention into my mind and repeatedly seeing it helps to remind and reinforce it.

These are just three of the ways that I set my daily intentions into a hectic workplace so that they remain clearer throughout the day.

It is a matter of reminding your self throughout the day of your intentions and finding ways to cement them into your mind so that they don't dissipate.

Fear, Part of The Darkness-Within

Friend, foe, teacher, adviser, companion. Fear is all these and more.

Trust it or hate it, either way Fear will always be a factor in your every day life. It is a part of your make-up. An integral part of the inner workings of the mind, part the Darkness-Within.

Fears that we face daily are innumerable. Fear of failure. Fear of accomplishment. Fear of change. Fear of stagnation. Fear of letting go. Fear of holding on. Fear of loss. Fear of gain. Etc...

We fear and we fear Fear for a myriad of personal reasons, yet Fear will always be with us. Fear is such a constant in our lives that we should learn to live with it, to stop ignoring or shutting it away, and to truly listen to Fear.

Yes,  we need to learn to be with Fear. Be open, honest and present with Fear.

Develop an understanding, if not a friendship with your inner Fear. Get to really know your Fear.

Who is your Fear? Why does your Fear do or say what It/She/He does?

Let me give you a glimpse of who my Fear is.

My Fear is a petulant teenager full of anger and sometimes hate. She doesn't mean to be that angry but She has had a lot of promises broken and She has felt a lot of hurt. She is really just a scared little girl. A little girl that doesn't want to be hurt. A little girl who has a lot of scars.

She can screech like a banshee. She can whisper tearfully. She can beg and whine. She can be loud, obnoxious, and very rude.

She doesn't mean to stop me. She really just wants to warn me. If I don't acknowledge Her, She can and will get louder than my Intuition. She will get louder in order to get attention, just like a teenager will. She just wants to be heard, just like a teenager. She will say very nasty things to get my attention, just like a teenager.
She can learn to trust me as I can learn to trust her. She can learn if I am gentle with Her and acknowledge what She has to say. I have to treat this part of my Darkness-Within as I treat my own children.

I will not stifle Her nor shut Her away. She is the part of me that helps to me stop and analyze the next step I am about to take in my life and why I am doing, saying what I do. She is the reminder that  I should be very aware. That I need to be present in my life.

Learn who your Fear is. Talk to your Fear. Do not fear your Fear any longer.

I can help you find out who your Fear is and why He/She/It does what it does or says.

Are you ready to look into this part of your Darkness-Within? Are you willing to know your Fear?

Blessings and Love,
Andrea Faye

Feeding Your Soul

What do you do that feeds your soul? What makes your soul feel happy? Peaceful? Full? What brings out the song in your heart? Makes your feet dance?

It's very easy to answer those two questions for me.

For me its the following: quiet moments cuddled with my husband and kiddos, drives in the mountains, stepping into cold steams, meditating, rock hunting with my family, picnics by a river, camping, hiking, reading, writing, blogging, photographing, having a (some what) clean organized home, swimming, gardening, playing with the dogs, helping others, meditating, dancing, singing, talking to the Moon, sitting in the backyard and a few other miscellaneous activities.

That is a good example of what fulfills me. Some of the things that I do that feed my soul. Some of those are more important than others. Spending time with my kiddos is more important than cleaning house. I would rather be outside in Mama Nature then cooped up in a building. I'm happy walking in the mountains with my family, visiting old graves and ghost towns in the area.

Humans will remember to feed their bodies but will forget to feed their souls. Many people will forget to care for that unseen, important part of themselves the parts of our daily lives that make us smile, relax, breathe.

We are so used to living in such a hectic world, that we forget that we need those precious moments to download. We need to ground ourselves with those all too few moments that bring a smile to our lips, and a relaxation to our shoulders. We need to relax, just be, and just breathe.

Take the time to think about what you would do if you just had the time to do it. Realize those moments that calm you. Know what grounds your energies. Become aware of what recharges your batteries.

Now go do it!

It is that simple.

Make the choice to do it, and do it!

Let the dishes pile up for one night and go for walk in your neighborhood. Get the family to help with the dishes, then have a family movie night with everyone sprawled and cuddled on the floor.

I'll cut this blog short since my oldest has a sports banquet in an hour, and spending time with my family always feeds my soul!

Many Blessings and Much Love,

Andrea Faye

Contest, Contest, Contest 001

My first contest ever and it will not be the last!

I will be giving away 3 one-hour intuitive readings to celebrate my four year anniversary as an Ordained Minister.

All those who want a chance need only go to my Facebook page here. (Yes, it is one of those!)

I will write down all the names of those who follow the directions on the contest post. Each of my kiddos will draw a name and I will contact the winners on Facebook. Deadline is May 26th!

Each intuitive reading will be over the phone. I will pull 30+ cards in a spread that I designed myself and I will pull 3-7 items from my "hodge-podge" bag.

If  you cannot wait or know someone who would really love an intuitive reading go to my Intuitive Consultations page on this blog here. I offer a 30 minute reading as well as the 1 hour reading that is in the contest.

Please enter for your chance to win a free intuitive reading with me.

Hurry deadline is May 26th!!!


Blessings and Love
Andrea Faye

A Leap of Faith

Everything needs to begin from somewhere.

A massive acorn tree
doesn't start out as a tree. It comes from a small seed.

Humans aren't born walking, talking, and full grown. (Ouch!) We start from a minuscule egg that is fertilized by a much smaller sperm.

Everything on this planet has started out from something small. A humble beginning.

When you make the conscious choice to change the direction that your life is going in, you usually have to take that first small step in the direction that you want to go in.

It's that first small step that is the hardest to take because it is a leap of faith.

Every negative thought imaginable will pop into your head as you begin to lift your foot off the ground.

They did for me.

For each small step I have taken. I have heard those voices. Those fear-voices.

They are scared and so will you when you take that first step. That small, giant leap of faith.

Yes you may stumble. I won't lie to you. I did. More than once. It hurts.

That is why I am here. To show you that it takes a small step to move beyond where your life is at. It takes a small step to get past our boundaries, our comfort zone, to reach for the life that we know we are capable of achieving.

If and only if we can see, hear, and acknowledge the fear-voices. If and only if we can hear them for what they are and let them go. Don't ignore them. Don't smother them. Face them and love them...and let them go.

To live a life of harmony we must start from a humble beginning and take that small step... that little leap of faith.

Blessings and Love,
Andrea Faye

I'm Sorry!

Two very simple words that can mean so much.

"I'm sorry," is a sincere apology. Whether it's for bumping into another person or damaging another's property in some way. It is used to convey how much you regret the action that may have caused another to feel hurt.

"I'm sorry?" A polite attention grabber. It can be a simplified way of asking someone to repeat what they said. Said as the listener leans in to better catch what the speaker has said, in an almost intimate gesture.

"I'm sorry!" An angry or sarcastic retort. A way to inform another as to your displeasure of a situation or comment made. A simple phrase that can easily be spit out with loathing and derision.


It can also be a shield to hide a wounded heart. A meek response to lessen the attention aimed at the mutterer.

"I'm sorry," can easily become a way to mask insecurities. A way to almost apologize for the speakers very presence. A way to hide misery with an embarrassed smile. A sound that can convey so many insecurities in such a small phrase.

When a child stumbles and the first thing they utter is a mumbled apology, it seems adorable at first, but can escalate into an insecure response as the child matures. It can become a heartbreaking utterance to a caring parent or a small reward for an abuser.

"I'm sorry!" Can be a silent scream for help. Words said in the quiet fearfulness of lost hope. Words unspoken, screamed in the mind. A silent substitution for words unsaid or actions undone out of fear.

"I'm sorry," a tearful plea of forgiveness.

"I'm sorry." A simple statement of feeling unworthy of love, attention and gentleness.

"I'm sorry." My own daughter learned that phrase early and used it way to often. A sign of a traumatic childhood? Uttered to hide the emotional scars that covered her innocent mind?

So much anger, fear, resentment, abandonment, heartache, sorrow, loathing, shame hate in such a simple phrase.

To hear her small voice utter that phrase broke my heart time and time again.

She is growing into a very headstrong and opinionated young woman. The future woman slips into her still child like smile now and then. The opinions and words that spill from her lips hold the promise of a strong free thinker. She still slips those two little words it into her vocabulary now and then, mostly from habit...I hope but only time will tell.

This is my chance to say "I'm sorry," to my daughter and her brothers for not being able to step in the way of the recent heartache they faced. To say those words with full love in my heart and complete knowledge that I could not protect them.

Pain is the teacher we fear the most and sometimes a parent has to step back and let the heartache be learned. Life isn't always candy canes and roses, and pain must be felt to know the truth of situations.

So my darling perfectly-imperfect children, "I am so very sorry" that you had to suffer what you did, but I will always be here to be a shoulder you can cry on when the pain becomes to much to bear.

I'm sorry.

With Tears in my Eyes and Love in my Heart,
Blessings and Love,
Andrea Faye

Dedicated to my daughter who inspired the post and my sons. Lights of my life and loves of my soul.

Choices and Suicide

Warning! This blog may contain triggers!  If you begin to have thoughts of hurting yourself or someone else, stop reading and seek immediate help.

Life is like hiking in the mountains. Some days the trail is smooth and easy to traverse. Other days it seems like every rock, rut, root, and boulder is jumping out trying to make you stumble and fall. The shear drops and severe heights will make you question why you do it. Why you keep going?

Ah, but the sceneries! The spectacular views can take your breathe away if you pay attention to what is around you.

Life is never easy, but it is worth the treacherous, often painful, hike...or is it?

Two people that I knew didn't think so. Life's twists and turns lead towards what they perceived as the end. They both made the choice to take that last step off the proverbial cliff.

They left behind a whole lot of heartache, lost loved ones, and so many unanswered questions.

We will never fully understand why they chose to take their lives. What decisions and sequence of events solidified the idea of ending it all.

One left a goodbye letter, one did not. That letter may explain some of the young man's reasons, but it can never explain the mixed thoughts and feelings of why he thought there was no other way. It can never touch the exact process of the pain and anguish. It will only leave more questions for those left behind.

I can never fully explain why someone would choose to end their life...I can only tell you why I didn't take mine.

When I was a young teenager I was raped. That mind numbing event brought to a head all of the physical and psychological abuse that I had been subjected to at different moments in my young life. My world had avalanched and I felt buried alive in my own head.

I was so ashamed of what had happened, what could happen again, that the thought of ending my life seemed like the only way to stop the pain and fear. To keep my mind safe from anymore neglectful emotional scars. To keep my body from being bruised from repeated sexual and physical violations.

I stood over the precipice. I looked down into the bottomless maw of black loathing, self hating, fear and anger. I resolutely reached for the device that would stop the world from hurting me again and again and again.

A sound froze me.

A simple snore.

My father's snore.

My family.

Sleeping.

Unaware that dark death stood under the same roof they peacefully slept in.

How could I do something so final to myself and hurt them so much?

Who would watch over my little brothers if i wasn't there? Help shield them from the ugly in the world. They were so young and this would shatter their innocence.

I wouldn't wake up to laughter anymore. My father's deep rumble of ease, peace, and contentment.

Instantly I became very aware that taking my life would hurt so many people. All my friends, all my family would wonder why. They would always wonder why. That unanswered question would haunt them and hurt them their whole lives.

I cried instead.

I yelled out my anger. I screamed out my fear. I was a ball of rabid rage.

I cried.

Every tear was a molten soulful cleansing of my heart and soul. Every salty drop was a warm reminder of every tear that would be shed for me if I killed myself.

I did think at one point that no one would care. That no one would miss me. They would just go on with their lives like I had never existed and they would be happier without me anyway. No one really loved me anyway...right?

They would care. They would miss me. They would go on with their lives bit that unanswered question would haunt them and they would never be totally happy...ever.

Love saved me. It wasn't my family's love for me that saved me.

It was my love for them.

The love that lived in my heart for my family and my friends saved me.

The love that I had for everything held me in this world.

My adolescent love for my pets, writing, music, walks, trees, life. It helped me stop.

The small beat of my heart that skipped for one second at the sound of a snore said "Love".

I chose not to kill myself. I chose to face the truth. I chose the tough hike of courage over the final step over the edge.

Yes, it took a lot of courage to live. It literally took a skipped beat to remind me that life is tough, but it isn't worth giving up.

I wouldn't be here now. Years of good memories helping to ease the hurtful ones. Years of living, experiencing, and loving would never have existed.

I didn't end my life because I chose Love over Death. My Choice was the hard road of Life and Love.

My beautiful, pain in the rear children wouldn't be alive. My husband wouldn't be next to me. My family would not be around me to reminding me daily that love heals if you let it into your life.

With all the pain and heartache I have gone through, I can honestly say that life is worth living.

It has been a very tough hike up this mountain called My Life. I still have ups and downs. I still stumble and occasionally twist my ankle on a misstep. I have climbed a boulder or two. Heck, I've even back tracked to take a different path. I don't know when I will reach the top of my mountain, but the view has been breath-takingly amazing the whole time!

Blessings and Love,
~AF~

If you are contemplating suicide or even just feeling lonely or depressed contact someone. There is always someone who will listen. A friend, family member or even a trained professional.

A few resources to try:

"No matter what problems you are dealing with, we want to help you find a reason to keep living. By calling 1-800-273-TALK (8255) you’ll be connected to a skilled, trained counselor at a crisis center in your area, anytime 24/7."- www.suicidepreventionlifeline.org

"The Trevor Project is the leading national organization providing crisis intervention and suicide prevention services to lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and questioning youth." The Trevor Lifeline 866-488-7386 - www.thetrevorproject.org

"When You Feel You Can't Go On
Let Someone Know Your Pain
National Suicide Hotlines USA United States of America Toll-Free / 24 hours a day / 7 days a week

1-800-SUICIDE 1-800-273-TALK 1-800-784-2433 1-800-273-8255

1-800-799-4TTY (4889) Deaf Hotline " - www.suicidehotlines.com (This site has state links as well.)

Life, Death, Regrets, and Celebrations

My Grandfather passed into the Next World several days ago.

My family had warned me it was coming. I had felt the inevitable was nearer than several of my relatives wanted.

My heart is saddened but my soul is rejoicing.

It's a very bittersweet time when a loved one goes on to Heaven, joins with The All, dances back to the Summerland, returns to the Universe.

I am in mourning.

I am in mourning for the questions unasked, the stories untold. I am in sorrow for the chances missed to learn about his past and to delve into his wisdom. I will miss the entertaining versions of our family history and the laughs that we shared with him.

He was an example if a hard working, tough talking, gentle hearted man. I will celebrate the lessons he taught by his actions and gruff words.

He cared for his family as best he could. He never put up with bad manners. He expected us to love and cherish our families and friends. He experienced life fully and loved quietly. He regretted not leaving his family "more" but what we did receive was priceless.

Loved ones will leave us and we will eventually leave our loved ones behind.

It is inevitable.

It is the cycle of life.

Death is a reminder that we live. A nudge to experience, ask, talk, listen, go, grow, become.

Every passing of a loved one or friend makes me think of what I have done in my life and what I have yet to accomplish.

I won't mourn my grandfather, though I will miss him, but I will mourn all the times that I let opportunity pass me by. I will regret the chances that I did not take to sit and talk and ask all the questions I should have asked of him.

But I won't mourn him.

Instead I will celebrate his life. I will tearfully remember the love and gentleness he showered me with. I will consult the advice that he gave. I will laugh with the sound of his lectures deep in my heart. I will listen to the stories that are remembered in my soul.

I will celebrate My Grandfather by passing on what little bits of wisdom, stories, and lessons that I do recall.

Most importantly I will celebrate My Grandfather by living, loving, lecturing, and laughing.

Do you regret not talking to any of your relatives? Are there any questions you would ask them if you could?

Don't Take It So Personal

As humans we take everything very personal.

It's our Ego-Mind's screwy filtering, or non filtering, way of keeping you going down the status quo road. The Ego-Mind believes that it is the center of the universe and everything revolves around it's magnificence. (Many Teens are prime examples of the Ego-Mind in action.) Ego-Mind can take any incident that occurs in our lives and justifies the incident by making it a personal attack on you.

Let me give an example.

My Hubby did a favor for a friend by taking a job for said friend. When Hubby went to dispose of some material, he was overcharged, which went towards the friend's business account. Hubby took it very personally.

I explained to hubby that it wasn't a personal attack on him. He of course argued that he was the one driving the truck at the time and that his word on the amount in the truck was ignored and explained away, extra was added on and thus an overcharge.

I expressed that his friend has made some waves in our small town (small town political bull really) and it will be inevitable that too many people will attempt to screw his friend's business over any chance they can. I also told Hubby that it wasn't a jab at him or even his friend really, but at his friends business.

The conversation started when the guy who had overcharged came into my work. He was nice and polite to me and Hubby even though there was a guilty vibe to his energies.

I let my Hubby know that he shouldn't take it personally. At my job I get verbally harangued about prices, the weather, coworkers' attitudes, product quality, the president, etc. Most of it is out of my hands, I can attempt to rectify some scenarios as much as possible, but most of the complaints are the results of feelings of unhappiness that the customers feel powerless about and I just happen to be the one the comments are aimed at. I don't take it personally and I brush off any negative energies after the exchanges.

I refuse to take on the negative energies unknowingly aimed at me. The clients are expressing their frustrations, angers, and fears. I just happen to bear the brunt of their energies because they are unsure of where to direct their energies which take the form of verbal complaints.

My Ego-Mind can easily take all those negative comments and turn them into personal attacks. I refuse to let it. I choose to see the complaints for what they are and let their energies slide away from my own energies.

I refuse to take it personally.

Even situations that are aimed at us personally, should not be taken...well...personally.

Another example:

My daughter was made fun of by another teenage gal for wearing something that wasn't in fashion at the moment.

My daughter faced the girl (and the rest of the little clique) and told them that they were just jealous that she had the cojones to wear something she knew she looked good in instead of copying what everyone else was wearing, whether it looked good or not. She turned around and walked away.

Flash forward a few weeks later and several in that popular clique have been seen sporting a similar look that my daughter had been picked on about.

We talked about the incident and my daughter had felt intuitively that the girl had really liked what my daughter had worn but was afraid to be different from her friends. The young girl had attacked out of her own fears, at someone who was showing courage, which happened to be my daughter.

Use your intuition to understand why you are the seeming target of a situation. What is the real reason behind the attack? Is it really personal?

How often have you taken something too personally?

Blessings and Love!
~AF~

New Year, New Beginnings

Take time to reflect on the past year. Revisit all those moments that made you laugh, made you cry, made you want to do it all over in a different way.

Now is your chance to let the past go and start fresh.

Here's how I'll be doing it:

1. Clean House
(My Kiddos are NOT going to like this one!)

I'm not supermom anymore and living with three teens, four dogs, four more miscellaneous pets/familiars, and Hubby...it gets messy around here. My new job hours have changed which is great for us as a family but it isn't so good for the housework. So today we are going to clean! Not a spotless clean, but a nice sparkly, free flowing of energy clean!

The Chinese have a custom of cleaning house on their New Year's Day. It cleans out all the old, bad luck energies from the previous year and welcomes in fresh, good luck for the new year.

So I will enlist my family to help me clean house! To sweep out the old to make way for the new!

2. Release
(This will be a hard, emotional one for my Kiddos.)

This is a twist on a journal exercise that I teach. This will be a family exercise that will bring up some raw and possibly unresolved emotions. We are going to write down anything "bad" that happened this past year. Each person will write as much or as little as they want. Free form is best.

We will not share these stories and we will have the option of being in the same room or going off to different rooms for privacy.

All pages will be folded and gathered together to be burned in a small ritual along with a few cleansing herbs, outside of the house. We will gather the ashes and release them off the property as well.

3. Cleanse
(Caution this could lead to fun and giggle fits!)

Cleaning the home does clear out most of the stagnant energies that may be lurking around, but to really get a good cleansing of energies we are going to use the four elements. It will be my take on a ritual that Silver RavenWolf has on her blog. Find her original ritual here! This ritual does wonders and using all four elements will let all the Kiddos participate!

4. Ground and Center
(Bring in the carbs!)

To bring the energy levels down and center us as a family we will have a family favorite dinner...Tacos! With a side of family time.

A nice simple way to bring us together as a whole!

5. Gratitude
(To start the new year right!)

We are going to have a "Gratitude Jar" for the family! A one gallon pickle jar will be repurposed for this. Over the next year we will put in little notes of any events that we are grateful for in the jar and we will share them at the end of the year.

A new family tradition...maybe!

6. Count Down

We will joyously celebrate the end of 2012 and welcome in 2013 with love!

Wishing You Many Blessings and Much Love for 2013!
Andrea Faye

Patience is a Virtue Learned

One thing I love about my Kiddos is that they are the best teachers that I have ever had.

One of the lessons I have learned is "patience". I have always been a tolerant person, but my Kiddos have helped fine tune that tolerance into patience.

Tolerating something/someone means that you can wait for or put up with whatever, if you have to. You don't enjoy the situation so your mood will start to fray, as well as your nerves, the longer you wait or put up with the person or thing. You may begin to think, possibly mumble, unappreciative words about this person or thing. Your energy levels will lower and become heavier and greyer, which will in turn only make the situation only seem worse and possibly ruin your day.

Having my Kiddos has opened my eyes, and heart, to this trend. It is very easy to loose your grasp of patience with a child of any age. It is a very tough lesson to learn, but when you understand the concept of patience, harmony follows.

Being patient with a person or thing means that you do not loose your temper. You are calm and relaxed as you wait on or put up with the someone or something. Your thoughts stay in your control. Your energies are higher, lighter, and lovingly brighter and your day is experienced in wonder and compassion.

One thing my Kiddos have taught me, and I use this in many aspects of my life, is when I feel my patience slipping I breathe.

I stop, I close my eyes, and I breathe.

I vary it according to what I am doing, but it is generally the same technique. (You can't safely stop and close your eyes in the middle of the road after all!)

Energies shift and harmony and patience are set to right.

Bringing patience into your situations will ease stresses, calm nerves, and make you a more compassionate person. Not only will it shift your perception of the world, it will also shift how others perceive you as well.

Bringing patience into your life will also help you to realize that neither Spirit nor the World are "out to get you". Everything does happen for a reason, though we may not understand what at the time, but there is always a lesson in it all. Patience will help ease the sting of the lessons and help you to understand them easier.

Patience helps you live in compassion, love, and harmony.

Blessings and Love to All,
A.F.

The Giving Season

Yesterday was an extremely wonderful day. We went on one of our infamous family road trips and I got to share a valuable experience of generosity with my Kiddos and a stranger.

We stopped at a gas station to fill up, grab some grub and drinks. I had noticed an older gentleman enter the convenience store before we did.

I've seen this elderly guy walking around town. He seems so lonely. Every time I see him my heart aches for him. He isn't very clean or well groomed. He is one of the "forgotten".

I noticed that he was looking at the coffee and so I walked over to the cashier and I told her, "Whatever the old man gets I'll pay for." She looked confused. So I pointed with my chin and said, "Whatever he gets, I'm buying." She said "Ok."

My youngest heard part of the exchange and I explained to him that I intended to pay for whatever the old guy was going to get. He was awed and immediately went and told his siblings what was going on.

My Hubby came in and we all finished our brief shopping spree. The older man got to the counter just ahead of us and the cashier looked up at me and I nodded my head.

She explained that we were paying for his coffee and sandwich and he looked so confused for a few seconds. I walked up and told him that we were paying for him. He was so moved especially after my youngest walked up to him and shook his hand.

Everyone in that little store was teary-eyed. As I payed, I noticed that the old guy had walked away from us. He wasn't being rude, he was discretely wiping the tears from his eyes.

That moment in time will stay with everyone who was there.

It was a simple gesture of generosity that seems to occur more often at this time of year than at any other part of the year.

It is sad how many of the "forgotten" are ignored until the "Holiday Season" brightens our spirits.

That simple $6 charitable moment may not seem like much to alot of people, but it was a life changing moment that I do not intend to push aside and only repeat once a year.

I intend to find other ways to spread love, compassion, awareness, and harmony throughout the year.

For my Kiddos to be there and experience that moment was a priceless example of generosity and "Living My Path".

For that older gentleman, it was an unexpected moment of compassion and recognition.

For the witnesses, it was an example of how we need to be aware of and remember the "forgotten".

For me...it was an affirmation!

Blessings and Love to All!
A.F.

Taking the Initiative

I was astonished, my first year in Idaho, at just how much snow could fall in one night. Every year since then I have noticed less and less snowfall.

This morning I looked out my window in hopeful anticipation of a "White Christmas" only to see the dull green grass and a clear blue sky. My Kiddos and Hubby were also disappointed.

We did the usual Christmas morning, present-opening-chaotic-mess-making-merriment. After all was picked up, tried on, played with and not put away, Hubby and I walked into the kitchen to make some food and talked about how pretty the mountains must be with all the snow up there...

...we put the food away...

...told Kiddos to bundle up...

...loaded into my wagon...

ROADTRIP!!!!

Yes we went on a Christmas Day Roadtrip into the mountains!

Just about 100 miles from home we found a beautifully white oasis to play in the wet fluffy stuff! Snow balls flew as soon as everyone got out if the car!

We even went out on the edge of the lake near by and skated on the ice! (It was the first for my Kiddos and I!)

We were exhausted, cold, and soaked by the time we stumbled back to the car.

We dusted off snow, kicked off footwear, peeled off socks, cuddled under blankets and blasted the car's heater.

We were red cheecked and red nosed happy!

We had so much fun we didn't remember to make a snow man!

We stopped at the first gas station found open and got hot chocolate for the Kiddos.

We listened to one of our audiobooks, enjoyed the scenery, and the Kiddos napped on the way back down.

We saw bald eagles, geese, ravens, deer. We examined animal prints in the snow by the lake.

We enjoyed Nature's bounty!

More importantly...we rook the initiative to GO and have the Winter experience we had wanted.

We went and did.

We Did Not sit and mope. We Did Not complain about not being able to do or not do.

We went and did!

We took the initiative of going where we needed to go and accomplished what we wanted to accomplish.

We took the initiative!

It was a magical few hours that almost didn't happen. Memories that almost didn't occur. A family milestone was almost missed!

Take the initiative in your life!