All posts tagged God

Life Lessons From the Seahawks

I am not a football fan per se, as I referenced in my last post, but the Seattle Seahawks Super Bowl victory last Sunday and the legacy they are leaving, warrants another post.

Inaugurating a New Football Dynasty

Ever since that victory, our city (Seattle) has been going crazy, crazier than before. No one could possibly predict that the Seahawks would dominate the Broncos with what appeared to be such ease, by outscoring them 43-8. For Seahawks fans, it was the icing on the cake, as it helped to erase the wounds from our first and last Super Bowl appearance in 2006, when so many Seattleites still believe they (we) were robbed of a Championship title due to poor officiating.

Seattle hasn’t won a World Championship title since the former Seattle SuperSonics NBA team won in 1979. There has been a lot of fan heartache in this town in the last 38 years. Wednesday’s mass crowds estimated at 750,000 people lining the streets for the Seahawks victory parade, put an end to the waiting and the disappointment. It brought (or fed) Seahawks and 12^th Man fever. It brought the national spotlight to our city and our team. It brought hope for the start of a football dynasty in the decade to come. And it feels good…

Onward to Century Link Field (Photo by Rod Mar)

The 12^th Man Factor

How does a team like this command such attention and respect from the community? How does it garner so much support from their fans? It is because the Seahawks have cultivated a relationship with their fans and given them first class status by virtually putting them right on the field with the players. They are The 12^th Man!

Certainly you’ve heard about The 12^th Man. It is the collective name given to Seahawks fans. Opposing teams dread playing against the Seahawks at our Century Link home field because we hold the Guinness World Record for crowd noise, a mere 137.6 decibels.

I’m not as crazy as most fans. On the day of the victory parade, I chose to watch from the comfort of my home instead of standing outside in subfreezing temperatures for hours.

One friend who attended shared her thoughts with me: “I observed how nice people are to each other if they have one thing in common – Seahawks. It’s really touching seeing the emotions going around. It was awesome and thanks to the Seahawks for getting families and communities together.” Well said.

The Seattle Space Needle is awash in Seahawks colors, with the 12th Man flag flying proudly. (Photo credit: Anthony May, antmayphoto.com)

Life Lessons

Putting all of the hype and hysteria aside, there are some real lessons to be learned by watching the Seattle Seahawks this season, or merely by watching the Super Bowl. I’m not talking about football lessons and strategies specifically. I am talking about lessons that can be applied in life.

Why not us?
By now, you heard this phrase repeated all over the media. When Russell Wilson, Seahawks 25-year-old starting quarterback, was interviewed in pre-game and post-game shows, he repeatedly shared the philosophy handed down to him by his father, “Why not you, Russell?” At 5’11” he was an unlikely professional prospect, but his father instilled a positive influence and confidence in Russell from an early age. Russell shared that with his teammates throughout the season. It permeated the culture of the Seahawks.
Loyal Fans
The Seahawks have fostered an environment of loud and proud fans with the honoring of The 12^th Man by hoisting the logo ‘12’ flag at each home game. This prominent display acknowledges the role the Seahawks fans contribute to a positive home game advantage. The fans and players are united and bonded with a winning focus for each game—at home or elsewhere. The 12^th Man was a relevant factor in the Super Bowl, with fans not only from Seattle supporting the Seahawks, but also residents from the New York and New Jersey areas where the game was played.
Team approach
The Seahawks players modeled a team approach to winning. Each game was viewed as a championship game. The players were a collective force to be reckoned with—one game at a time. In most of the interviews I viewed or articles I read it was pretty obvious that there were no egos behind the scenes or individual attempts to steal the limelight. They led with positivity and humility.
Gratitude
The Seahawks were not only grateful to their 12^th Man contingent, they were also grateful to God. Russell Wilson (and other Seahawks) have made their faith evident in some very powerful youtube videos. He has openly expressed how he is using the talent God has given him and encourages the same in others. His first televised words after the Super Bowl were: “It’s a true, true a blessing. God is so good.” His gratitude runs beyond his faith though as he also gives back with weekly visits to Seattle’s Children’s Hospital.

These are just a few of the lessons and the role modeling that the Seattle Seahawks have imparted on their journey to become the 2014 NFL World Champions.*

(Photo by Mark J. Rebilas, USA TODAY Sports)

When we embrace these positive characteristics and attitude, we can influence our world and our lives for good. And like the Seahawks and their 12^th Man tribe, we all need a support team around us to encourage us, build us up when we fall, and keep our focus on our goals for success.

WHY NOT YOU?!

Congratulations to the 2014 NFL World Champion Seahawks, and thanks indeed for bringing unity in our community.

*No offense to Peyton Manning, the Broncos team, or their run for the Championship title. They may have modeled or exuded some of these same winning characteristics. But for now, let’s just allow the Seahawks and Seattle to bask in the limelight and the thrill of victory.

This post is listed on Christian Mommy Blogger/Fellowship Fridays and Missional Women/Faith Filled Friday.

2 Comments

by ardisanelson on February 7, 2014 • Permalink

Posted in Faith & Hope

Tagged celebrations, encouragement, following your dreams, gifts, goals, God, gratitude, hope, leaving a legacy, perseverance, Russell Wilson, Seattle Seahawks, success, Super Bowl

Posted by ardisanelson on February 7, 2014

https://ardisanelson.com/2014/02/07/life-lessons-from-the-seahawks/

What Team Are You Rooting For?

I live in Seattle, Washington. If you are living in the U.S., you’d have to be living the life of a hermit to not know that the Seattle Seahawks are playing in the Super Bowl on Sunday. It is our second time to play in this sacred American football game. The first time was in 2006 when we played against the Pittsburgh Steelers. I remember it well because it was a frustrating game to watch. Seattleites felt cheated out of a Super Bowl victory due to some poor officiating. This time around I’m hoping and praying for better calls on the field.

Former Seattle Mayor Greg Nichols addresses the crowd at a Seahawks rally before the Super Bowl in 2006.

My Sports Affiliation

I don’t follow sports in general, and am not a football fan by nature. I grew up in the St. Louis area in the 1970s, and thanks to my maternal grandfather and my favorite uncle, I was groomed to be a fan of the MLB St. Louis Cardinals. That was back in the days when Lou Brock, Bob Gibson, Joe Torre, and Keith Hernandez were the stars of the team.

When I moved to Seattle as an adult, I transferred my fan loyalty to the Seattle Mariners. (Yes, it’s been a rough tenure to be a Mariners fan.) We have had our moments though, like the 1995 ‘Refuse to Lose’ pennant race and the 2001 season–when 8 team members were on the MLB American League All-Star team, and we tied the MLB record of 116 wins in a season.

I have instilled that love for baseball into my sons too—to some degree anyway. There were several years when we made a ritual of going to Opening Day games together or we’d stand in line for players’ signatures at the dugout. In reality, it was more of my passion, but we did have fun together.

Mariner’s Opening Day 2009, watching the return of Ken Griffey, Jr. to Seattle with my son.

Jumping on the Bandwagon

The point behind all this sports talk is about how we can jump on the bandwagon for the next best thing. We have to be careful who we align ourselves with and what team we are rooting for. It’s easy to get caught up in the hype of the next best ‘thing’. I know I have–remember Beanie Babies?

I’m not saying we shouldn’t get excited for the Seahawks going to the Super Bowl. On the contrary, I’m a little disappointed that I didn’t follow things more closely this year. Local friends are going all out with their Facebook posts. Everyone is wearing team clothing or the team colors. The 12^th Man flag is flying all over town.

When Sunday’s game rolls around, I’ll be cheering the Seahawks on to victory. I’ll be all caught up in the excitement with everyone else in Seattle. GO HAWKS!

The Battle for Our Lives

The real game or fight though is the battle for our souls. It is a battle where our main foe is Satan—the father of all lies. 1 Peter 5:8 tells us: He prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour. Like the receiver who runs with abandon toward the end zone for a touchdown, we have to be on guard for Satan’s attacks. He has a game plan designed to divert us from leading the life God intends for us.

I’ve been on Jesus’ team for many years. Although I know the victory is His, there are many times in my life when I can’t see that in the physical world, and it is hard for me to believe—due to tragic world events or what is going on in my personal life. I’ve learned to trust Him no matter what.

So the question I am posing today is not necessarily who are you rooting for in the Super Bowl, but more importantly, whose team are you on? When the 2-minute warning goes off, whose side are you going to be on? The side for eternal life or eternal death? It’s not a difficult choice. Check out the video below produced by the Seahawks, and then you can decide.

P.S. I don’t think God is siding with the Seahawks or the Broncos for a victory at Sunday’s Super Bowl game, but I sure hope we find some favor with the referees this time around. 🙂

Updated 2/2/2014: Seahawks win 43-8 over the Broncos! What an unbelievable victory! The first words out of QB Russell Wilson’s mouth, “God is so good.” Yes, He is! Thanks for bringing the Lombardi Trophy home to Seattle. Thanks for displaying such a wonderful walk of faith and grace under pressure.

Seahawks QB Russell Wilson post Super Bowl comments, “Why not us?”

1 Comment

by ardisanelson on February 1, 2014 • Permalink

Posted in Faith & Hope

Tagged Christianity, God, hope, identity, lies, Satan, Seattle Seahawks, Super Bowl, trusting God

Posted by ardisanelson on February 1, 2014

https://ardisanelson.com/2014/02/01/what-team-are-you-rooting-for/

Stop, Look & Listen to God

On New Year’s Day 2014, I attended mass at a local Catholic Church. I suppose it may seem like a strange thing for a Protestant to do, but it has become commonplace for me on special occasions. It was the perfect time for God to show up and remind me of what brought me here in the first place, and to give me direction for the New Year.

The Fruit of Spiritual Growth

It was three years ago this month that He put the wheels in motion for my first step into this church. Within weeks God brought about the amazing revelations and healing that led to my writing “Walking My Mother Home” published in Journeys to Mother Love. So I sat in church reflecting, and taking in the significance of how God has aligned so many events and brought so many people in my life these past several years that led to my unique walk of faith.

One place of my reflection and prayer in Spain on the island of Mallorca, July 2013.

There are too many to thank here, but they know who they are: pastors, support group leaders, and men and women of faith, here and abroad. They encouraged me to follow where God was leading me, to reclaim my identity, and to live missionally. They planted seeds of righteousness in me. They fertilized my dreams of bringing Glory to God through my writing and my voice.

After 13 years of actively seeking spiritual growth and ten years of recovery, they have supported me in my journey to turn my weakness into victory, and my brokenness into a personal ministry of compassion for the poor in spirit.

A Word from the Lord

“What’s next, Lord?” I asked during a moment of silent prayer in church. The word He immediately gave me was ‘STOP’. It wasn’t to stop serving or reaching out to others. It was more like ‘stop, look, and listen’.

In all of my excitement about going to Spain last year, it wasn’t unusual for me to get ahead of God or to start acting on something that really wasn’t the right time. Case in point, I thought I was supposed to speak in Spain and eagerly jumped into setting up talks and honing my speaking skills.

“Not now,” He lovingly told me. “But, but, but…” I knew I had to let go and trust Him.

The other word that God gave me for 2014 was ‘reflect’. That doesn’t sound like a hard thing for a contemplative to do. I spend hours in prayer every week; so what’s the difference this year? God reminded me recently of a scripture that He gave me when all of these amazing things started to happen. It was Luke 2:19, “But Mary treasured up all these things and pondered them in her heart.”

I have gotten away from that posture in the past two years. I was so excited about traveling to Spain, being a first time author, and Pedro’s music success, that I haven’t slowed down much to just take it all in. It is a normal part of my life now, but there are times that I forget to do as Mary did. Don’t act on it, just treasure it.

Treasures of the Heart

God made some pretty big deposits in my heart these last few years. He has given me new dreams for the coming year and beyond. This year I want to be more deliberate in noticing when to stop, look, and listen for His guidance. I want to abide more and react less. Maybe that even means not being so bold on my blog, sharing so much, or so often.

Whatever it takes, I want to be in alignment with God’s will for my life and to wait for His perfect timing. Hopefully by the end of 2014, I can attest to His building the fruit of patience in me like never before. And I’ll have more things to treasure in my heart for the coming year.

What is your focus for 2014?

8 Comments

by ardisanelson on January 15, 2014 • Permalink

Posted in Faith & Hope, Identity, Spiritual Growth

Tagged Catholic, Christianity, encouragement, following your dreams, gifts, God, hope, identity, letting go, obedience, prayer, Protestant, spiritual journey

Posted by ardisanelson on January 15, 2014

https://ardisanelson.com/2014/01/15/stop-look-listen-to-god/

A New Year, A New You

I’ve been busy, busy, and more busy with a new internet project that involves two of my favorite passions—writing and spiritual matters. Unfortunately, it hasn’t left me with much time to publish a post here. In the meantime, I’m proud to show it off to my blog subscribers.

I recently developed a website for a recovery ministry where I serve with a tremendous team of Christ followers. Our blog was launched last week.

I will be regularly contributing to that blog. So if you like my writing, especially my posts related to recovery, I invite you to subscribe to that blog as well.

Below is my latest contribution to the blog for CelebrateRecoveryOnThePlateau.org. I hope you enjoy it reblogged here.

A New Year, A New You.

2 Comments

by ardisanelson on January 8, 2014 • Permalink

Posted in Healing & Recovery

Tagged 12 step, Celebrate Recovery, Christianity, encouragement, God, healing, hope, transformation

Posted by ardisanelson on January 8, 2014

https://ardisanelson.com/2014/01/08/a-new-year-a-new-you/

Treasuring Christmas in our Hearts

Thank you Lord for giving us the birth of your Son as a reminder of what You are capable of. May He give us His perspective so that we may treasure up all these things and ponder them in our hearts beyond this holiday season. (Luke 2:19)

Journeys To Mother Love

At this time of year as I try to set aside the holiday rush and connect with the real reason for the season, I find myself wondering what it was like to be a witness to what God was doing in the lives of Mary and Joseph. The Bible doesn’t say what their immediate families thought about Mary’s claims to be a virgin with child. The only glimpse of unbelief comes from Joseph when he considers divorcing Mary.

Looking at how Mary and Joseph kept their faith in the midst of such possible ridicule and shame helps me to see how God operates in our lives. Here are a few ways that God reminded Mary and Joseph what He was capable of:

An angel told Mary she would give birth—as a virgin.
Mary visited Elizabeth and received confirmation of what the angel told her.
Mary carried Jesus in her womb as a…

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You Can’t go Home Again, or Can You?

Have you ever longed to go back to your childhood home—one that your family left many, many years ago? Did you dare drive around in the neighborhood or maybe even knock on the door in hopes of connecting with the new residents and maybe getting a chance to go inside? Or maybe your childhood memories were too painful to even think of doing such a thing.

This kind of chance of a lifetime recently presented itself to me—and like so many of these life coincidences; I took it as a sign from God to follow where He was leading me.

In the Neighborhood

It was on my 54^th birthday—also the day that my driver’s license was expiring. So a trip to the Department of Licensing became a high priority on this day—not something I really had time for or wanted to do. I made the best of it though, even deciding to wear a special outfit so my ‘mug’ shot might have a chance of being pleasantly memorable.

When I pulled into the parking lot, I took more than a mental note of where I was. My childhood home was around the corner. A few weeks earlier, I had pulled out my memoir, still unworked on since last year’s NaNoWriMo. I began the painful process of re-reading it, but stopped after the first chapter, the chapter about my mother’s nervous breakdown and living in this neighborhood. After that reading, I felt God nudge me to contact the one last neighbor who I knew still lived in the neighborhood. But I didn’t act on it.

Or can you?

Although this wasn’t the home or neighborhood I was born in, I knew God was giving me another nudge, on my birthday, to pursue this last link to my childhood. I’d been to this neighborhood before several times as an adult. It was one of the first places I visited when my husband and I moved to the state of Washington about 25 years ago. At that time I went so far as to meet the residents, the people who bought the home from my parents in 1966.

This day’s visit was to the neighbor’s house though. The name on the mailbox was still the surname of a childhood friend. Maybe, just maybe, I would get some more insight into the day my mother had her nervous breakdown and our life on that street.

I knocked on the door. There was no answer. I was torn. Should I leave a note under the door? I just couldn’t believe that God brought me to this doorstep without as much as an answer.

My Childhood Home

So I took the bold step of going next door to my former home. An elderly woman answered the door. I told her a bit about who I was, a writer, etc., and asked about the neighbor. I was surprised when she invited me into the home and even offered me a seat in the living room.

Hiding behind the 50-year old landscaping lies my childhood home.

It was surreal. I had just written a post about the events of JFK’s assassination on that day—my birthday—50 years ago. And here I was sitting in the same room where I watched the unfolding of those horrific events in our nation’s history. I shed a tear or two in the retelling of the significance of that home.

The couple was quite kind to me. They gave me free reign of the house, asked me things about the property, and what it was like back in those days. The house seemed much smaller to me than I remembered, but that isn’t unusual in light of the fact I was a mere 3-6 years old when we lived there.

Regarding the neighbor, I found out that he had sold the house and moved out a month ago. Too bad I didn’t follow that nudge back then, I thought to myself. But his dementia would’ve precluded his ability to help me anyway.

The street sign may have read ‘DEAD END’, but the events of the day proved otherwise.

What Lies Around the Corner?

It was all so unanticipated—to stop by the neighborhood, to knock on their door, and most assuredly to be invited inside. Their invitation and interest was a precious gift to me, one that I’m not sure they were really able to fully comprehend. Out of my gratitude for their kindness to me, I gave them a signed copy of my book.

Plan as we may, we never really know for sure what lies ahead in our lives from day to day. What if God is calling us to something just around the corner? Would you heed to His nudge? Would you blindly do something that to outsiders may look foolish or presumptuous?

Some may say I have a habit of doing those things. Others see it as obedience and trusting God when I embrace these chance encounters. I’m just grateful that He cares enough to give me these little kisses from above, and that others may be inspired to do the same—turning their healing into hope.

In the end, I really was able to go home again. And that really was the proverbial icing on the cake for my 54th birthday.

1 Comment

by ardisanelson on December 12, 2013 • Permalink

Posted in Faith & Hope, Healing & Recovery, My Writing Journey

Tagged 11-22-1963, birthday, childhood memories, gifts, God, God's timing, healing, hope, memoir writing, obedience, wounds of the past

Posted by ardisanelson on December 12, 2013

https://ardisanelson.com/2013/12/12/you-cant-go-home-again-or-can-you/

Not Just Another Wives’ Tale

The year was 1983. It was a very memorable year for me. I got married, my husband graduated from chiropractic college, we moved to his hometown back in Illinois, bought the family home, and started his chiropractic practice in the rural town of Sandwich, Illinois. It was an exciting and stressful time in our lives.

The Chiropractic Wife

While studying for the CPA exam, I was also working with my husband to build his practice. I was learning about chiropractic, how to navigate the ins and outs of insurance billing, and how to manage the front desk operations. Unfortunately I didn’t pass that exam, and I took it more than once. I gave up my dream of being a CPA and caught my husband’s dream. I became the typical chiropractic wife—devoted to chiropractic and to my husband’s business.

For the early years of our marriage we led a blissful life, working long hours to build the practice and traveling across country to chiropractic conferences. His second year out of chiropractic college, he decided to change from the more traditional manual (hands-on) adjusting technique to a more gentle technique called Activator Methods. From that point on he has devoted nearly all of his patient treatment to the Activator technique.

30 Years Later

We no longer live in Illinois, and I no longer work for my husband, but have done so at varying times of our marriage. We live in the suburbs of Seattle, Washington where my husband started another practice based on the Activator technique. He is an Advanced Proficiency rated doctor. Way back when my husband started using the Activator technique I knew that someday he would be up front teaching. Someday is here.

My husband, Dr. Curtis Nelson, teaching at the Phoenix Activator seminar.

I am so proud of my husband and the platform teaching role he now holds in his profession. (He has been an assistant teacher for many years.) His new teaching role started last spring. Last month, I got to travel with him to a conference for the first time in years. I wasn’t the typical chiropractic wife, but I knew it was time for me to step back into the role of wife to my husband, who just happens to be a chiropractor. The timing couldn’t have been more God anointed for me.

Weekend in Arizona

A chiropractic couple we’ve known for those 30 years recently moved to Seattle and is starting over with a practice here. The husband, Dr. Ed Shepherd, has been teaching at Activator conferences for years. So we joined the Shepherds for a weekend trip to Phoenix where the men taught and the women played. My friend Cheryl and I explored the Red Rock Country of Sedona one day and the Chihuly Exhibit at the Desert Botanical Garden in Phoenix the next. Breath-taking views abound. The heat reminded me of Spain, but the views were definitely the Southwest.

Cheryl and me on the way to Sedona.

On Saturday night, spouses were invited to join the teaching doctors for dinner with the co-founder and CEO of Activator Methods, Dr. Arlan Fuhr, and his wife, Judi. I was torn. I wanted to explore Sedona and have a leisurely dinner with Cheryl. Cheryl, who works with her husband, wanted to return to Phoenix and join the chiropractic dinner party. Sedona would have to wait until another trip.

When seated at the dinner table, I had the unexpected honor of sitting closest to Dr. Fuhr (aside from his wife). An introvert by nature and not up to date on the status of the chiropractic profession or advances in Activator, I felt a bit awkward. With a heart for Spain, I asked him about Activator in Europe, and specifically in Spain.

Dinner with the Fuhr’s and the other chiropractic instructors.

I was surprised to learn that the Fuhr’s were on their way to Madrid in just a few days. I was even more shocked and excited to hear he was teaching Activator to the first chiropractic graduates in an accredited program in Spain. Naturally I brought up my summer travels to Spain, and in time, how my story in Journeys to Mother Love is connected to Spain.

In God’s Timing

By the end of the weekend, Dr. Fuhr had an autographed copy of my book in his hands for him and Judi. It brought a tear to my eye to give away this copy of my book. I know it landed in good hands. I know it is an indirect expansion of my Spanish connection. I know it was not coincidence at this point in my life to have this encounter. It felt like a kiss from Above.

Dr. Fuhr and me, expanding my Spanish connection.

It took 30 years for my husband to step into his role as an Activator instructor. My role is no longer as a business partner in his practice. It is now as a spousal supporter of his professional career. I have my own career now in writing and indirectly in ministry to the people of Spain. The two intersected in a restaurant in Phoenix in a way that only God could’ve orchestrated.

It’s not just another old wives’ tale. God’s timing was once again, perfect.

Cathedral Rock, Sedona, AZ

Chihuly glass art exhibit at the Desert Botanical Gardens.

2 Comments

by ardisanelson on December 5, 2013 • Permalink

Posted in Faith & Hope, My Spanish Connection

Tagged Activator doctor of chiropractic, Activator Methods, encouragement, gifts, God, God's timing, gratitude, hope, Journeys to Mother Love, Sedona, trusting God

Posted by ardisanelson on December 5, 2013

https://ardisanelson.com/2013/12/05/not-just-another-wives-tale/

A Grief That Can’t be Spoken

“There’s a grief that can’t be spoken. There’s a pain goes on and on.” No truer words were spoken with the loss of a child. Or sung. (Empty Chairs at Empty Tables, Les Miserables).

Journeys To Mother Love

When my birthday rolled around this year on November 22, I was reminded again of the significance of that day in history. It was on my fourth birthday in 1963 that President John F. Kennedy was assassinated, and I remember it well.

I hadn’t heard the word “assassinate” before that day. The sorrow that gripped my family also gripped the nation. I didn’t like it. I wanted it to go away. But every day the television was awash in news stories as the nation prepared to bury our president.

Four days in history. Four days in mourning. Four days that shook our nation and the world, now commemorated 50 years ago.

My birthday link to the Kennedys left me with a fascination for this public family. I collected books and commemorative magazines over the years. The grief of the nation and the grief of the Kennedy family didn’t end with…

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Practicing an Attitude of Gratitude

Is the glass half empty or half full? That rhetorical question is commonly asked to determine if you are an optimist or a pessimist. If you responded that the glass is half empty, some would say you are a pessimist. If you answered that the glass is half full, common opinion would indicate that you are an optimist.

Half empty or half full?

In either case, I bring this question up in light of the Thanksgiving holiday when Americans proclaim what they are thankful for—generally around a family feast.

You don’t need to reserve your gratitude for an annual date on the calendar. For those of us who live our lives around the 12-Steps and Recovery Principles, gratitude is a way of life. However, it is not something we generally felt when we entered recovery.

Developing an Attitude of Gratitude

Most people start recovery far from being grateful for the situation they find themselves in. They may walk through the door of their first meeting because they are desperate for answers to the circumstances they are experiencing in their lives. Or maybe they are at a bottom, like I was. Whatever the reason, gratefulness probably isn’t on the list of character traits that friends would say they have–or at least not near the top.

I was a pessimist for most of my adult life—until I entered into the recovery process. Now at times it is hard to keep me quiet about my gratitude for recovery (specifically Celebrate Recovery), and what the Lord has done in me and through me.

You don’t have to be in a recovery program to develop an attitude of gratitude. The change doesn’t happen overnight. It is a process that builds inside of us, as we consciously choose to change our thinking. (The lesson on gratitude is taught as part of Step 11—We sought through prayer and meditation to improve our conscious contact with God, praying only for knowledge of His will for us and power to carry that out.)

Start small. Take baby steps. God will slowly give you glimpses into people, events, and things He has placed in your life that you can be grateful for.

The Benefits of Gratitude

Here are just some of the benefits of developing an attitude of gratitude (based on an acrostic for the word gratitude):

G-ets us out of our heads

R-eminds us of His gifts to us

A-djusts our attitude in a positive direction

T-ransforming power

I-ntegrates God’s love in our hearts

T-hankful despite our circumstances

U-tilizes our gifts for His Kingdom

D-raws others to us

E-ternal perspective

So it doesn’t matter if you identify yourself as a pessimist or an optimist, you can become a genuinely grateful person when you start to practice an attitude of gratitude.

Practicing What I Preach

In light of that, I’d like to say that I am thankful for the followers and readers of my blog, and for each purchase of my book. I am grateful to be able to share my writing and trust that God is using it to inspire others.

I am grateful for this season of my life—the highs and the lows. I am grateful for my family and my circle of friends who encourage and support me. They lift me up at times when I can’t. I am very grateful for my Spanish family and their generous hospitality to me. I am forever grateful to my heavenly Father, who got my attention eleven years ago, brought me to my knees, redeemed my pain, and blessed me in ways I never dreamed possible.

I hope and pray this Thanksgiving will be the first day of an ongoing commitment to develop an attitude of gratitude in your life. You can start now by posting what you are grateful for in the comments below. Have a blessed Thanksgiving!

2 Comments

by ardisanelson on November 27, 2013 • Permalink

Posted in Healing & Recovery, Spiritual Growth

Tagged 12 step, Celebrate Recovery, Christianity, feeling defeated, God, gratitude, healing, recovery, Thanksgiving

Posted by ardisanelson on November 27, 2013

https://ardisanelson.com/2013/11/27/practicing-an-attitude-of-gratitude/

JFK Assassination, One Girl’s Grief

You don’t have to be a history buff to know that Friday marks the 50^th anniversary of the assassination of President John F. Kennedy (commonly referred to as JFK). The magazine stands at the grocery check-out counter are filled with commemorative editions of that painful time in American history. Television programs are airing with their historical accounts as well.

One of many magazines and books I’ve collected about JFK over the years, 1988.

50 Years Ago in Dallas

It was a day that changed America; maybe not much different than the events of 9-11 are for this generation. Kennedy’s assassination also marked the loss of a sense of safety and security in our lives. It was a time when Americans came face to face with evil in our country—the first signs of terrorism on our soil, so to speak.

The assassination of JFK sent shock and grief into our nation and the world. All eyes turned to America. In 1963, television news wasn’t the 24/7 force that it is today. It was in its infancy stages. In fact, the first televised presidential debates were held between John F. Kennedy and Richard M. Nixon in 1960.

For four days in our nation’s history, November 22-25, 1963, people were glued to their television sets. We watched clips of the unfolding of the story: the President’s body flying back to Washington DC, people filing past his body lying in state at the U.S. Capitol, the horse-drawn carriage of the flag-draped coffin slowly proceeding to Arlington National cemetery.

JFK, Jr. models courage and honor at the tender young age of 3 years old.

In the midst of this sorrow, we also watched the assassination of Lee Harvey Oswald, the suspected assassin of JFK, by Jack Ruby on live television. Then there was the emblazoned image of little 3-year old John F. Kennedy, Jr., saluting the coffin as it passed by in front of him. It was definitely a grief that shook our nation.

50 Years Ago in Seattle

What if that day was also the much anticipated birthday of a bubbly 4-year old girl? Maybe the grief of the nation was also the grief that shook this young girl who desperately desired and wanted the attention and love of her own parents. Instead her wants and desires were overshadowed by the grief of our nation.

Kennedy’s body lies in state–a grief that shook the nation.

What if the disappointments that surfaced on that day for that little girl went on to fuel and magnify other losses, and the belief that she was unimportant and unloved? What if a few years later, that same little girl, watches as her mother is taken away after suffering a nervous breakdown?

What if she keeps longing for answers to what happened and why, but she doesn’t get resolution? These are sad things to think about, for sure. I know because that little girl was me.

Unanswered Questions?

I, like the rest of the world, will probably never know the real answer or motives behind what happened 50 years ago in Dallas, Texas on November 22, 1963. Yet as my 54^th birthday quickly approaches, I’m getting answers to some questions that my 4-year old Ardis has been longing to know. It is a gift from above to finally get more clarity on my life and move forward with it.

Eternal flame and burial site of President and Mrs. Kennedy, Arlington Cemetery

So I look at the passing of another year’s reminder of the assassination of JFK through a different lens. It is through the lens of someone who carries 11-22 as a joyful marker of her birth, while also still processing the reminders of a painful childhood. I’m grateful that the Lord is giving me the ability to hold both of those realities in the palm of my hand and know that He is turning my healing into hope.

3 Comments

by ardisanelson on November 20, 2013 • Permalink

Posted in Faith & Hope, Healing & Recovery

Tagged 11-22-1963, dealing with disappointment, God, gratitude, grieving our losses, healing, hope, JFK assassination, saying goodbye, struggle

Posted by ardisanelson on November 20, 2013

https://ardisanelson.com/2013/11/20/jfk-assassination-one-girls-grief/

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I'm an author, writer, speaker, mentor & mom. I've struggled to find my voice all my life as I lived in the shadows of a mother with mental illness. Thankfully that was not the legacy that she handed down to me. It took a lot of recovery and deep healing work to rise above it.

I am thankful to God for Making Me Bold in the process. Now I use my writing and speaking voice to help others on their journey to turn healing into hope.
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