Gratitude Journal Days 13-15

Hmmmmm.. 9 things to be grateful for. That seems like a lot, but after watching the video at the end of this entry, 9 things to be grateful for is nothing.
1. I am grateful for my home. Is is warm and safe and dry.
2. I am grateful for my bed. It is where I rest in the evenings and dream great dreams. It is like sleeping on a cloud and I love it!
3. I am grateful that I have exercise equipment right in my bedroom that I get to use before I jump in the shower.  I love the time saved there!
4. I am grateful for my working van that gets me where I need to go. I did not have the van working during the storm and I was without it for about a week and it near killed me!!
5. I am grateful for my leader, Kim, who is doing such a great job as our Double Diamond! She is joy and a great teacher.
6. I am grateful for my music minister, Jim, who is soooo talented and giving. He is a treasure!
7.  I am grateful for my connections in the surrounding communities, especially Hurricane Sandy, Helping Hands, started through my good friend, Majella LoBello.  She has done some amazing work!!
8. I am grateful for the clergy in my life and their role in growing my life of faith. I can be a tricky student and they are doing all they can to guide my faith walk and I appreciate it.
9. I am grateful for my health. It goes without saying that health is one of the most important things to have in life and I am grateful that I am healthy as well as my family, thanks be to God.
Loudly yours,
Alicia

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Gratitude journal day 10 and 11

Today I am grateful for God's little messages to me in my life. 

I have been going for a pretty big goal in my business. I'm pushing hard for it making it a focus on my life lately... but I just seem kind of stuck. Well, this morning while I was dropping off my kids at the bus today, I got a little message with a big meaning.  As the kids were getting out of the car, my son who always love to be first, shoved his sister to get in line to be first on the bus. The bus driver witnessed this and did not open the bus door leaving him out in the cold for a little longer than he is usually used to. She wanted to make a point that he was not making the right decision by shoving to get on the bus first without thinking of others before him. As soon as it happened I knew that there was some kind of message for me, but it took awhile for me to understand. 

Later that morning, with the help of one of my leaders, I was able to decipher the message.The tugging at my heart was God trying to tell me not to be so quick to be first when it come to building g my business. That rushing to get to my goal was not most important and that just like my Son, I was going to be made to wait until I focused on others first. It made me stop and really think. My Mentor also guided me into understanding that I was making an idol of my goal and that I wanted it so badly that it would not come. I had to let go. Let others ahead of me. Be patient. 
Be patient.  Not. easy. 
I am a Red/ Blue personality and I have very little tolerance for waiting. Anyone who knows me, knows I am usually chomping at the bit to get to whatever goal there is. Even if it is to church on time. 

So, what I am grateful for this 10th day of the Gratitude Journal?

God's Messages
My Business Leader
The Ability to hear the message and understand.




DAY 11

Today, I am grateful for my cleaning help...some might say staff. They are the wonderful women who help me keep a handle on my home. One lady comes twice a month and the other, every day for about a little more than an hour to help me with light cleaning./straightening and laundry. I am so grateful for their help and I could not do it without them. I look forward to my business building up enough to have them around more often! :)

I am also grateful for extended family.  I have a cousin in town visiting that I have not seen in person in a long time and I am excited to see her!  I love having visits with family who I don't normally see. It is so much fun for me.  She will be married soon and I am excited to hear about her future plans. 

Lastly, I am grateful for Community Leaders, specifically those popping up on the Barrier Islands of NJ. It is so great to see the people who can and are willing to take charge and take matters into their hands. One of them is a 26 year old, who makes it happen for the people of Ortley Beach, NJ. It is so great to have someone so enthusiastic and willing to make a change.

Check out the video here:

 http://fios1news.com/longisland/node/22826

Loudly yours,

Alicia

Gratitude Journal Day 9

Today, I am grateful for Administrative Staff and those who answer the phone.  They are the ones, who usually have more patience than others and are there to answer questions. They are the guardians of their offices and the behind the scenes people who make things work.
I am also grateful for Professionals who do the jobs they do in our lives. Where might we be without them?  I especially appreciate those that are very practiced in their craft and who deliver quality work.  When anyone sees their work, they can truly appreciate them.  One person that comes to mind is the Music Minister at my Home Parish and the Funeral Director in the next town over from where I live. They both are excellent at what they do and it shows.
Finally, I am grateful for favor. Favor that comes from up above. I can see favor evident in my life and I am forever grateful. One little aside, though. I believe that you have to see yourself receiving that favor before you can get it. You have to feel as if you deserve good favor. If you cannot see yourself receiving favor, guess what? It will never come to you.   Believing that you deserve favor is the seed you must plant in order to receive the fruit that God’s favor brings.
Loudly yours,
Alicia

Gratitiude Journal Days 5 & 6

Today, my gratitude goes towards my faith based Community. I have been very lucky to have been given the gift of music and granted the opportunity to share the gift God gave me with a Congregation who is loving, appreciative and understanding when my delivery is not perfect. I have been blessed with talented musicians who make me sound even better than I would alone and who have been accommodating in many ways.

I am also grateful that I have been fed spiritually through song when I can feel the message of God pressing onto me in my own life when I am proclaiming the psalm or singing a hymn. It is revealing to feel as if the song is speaking to me in my own life while I am reaching out to others.

I am also grateful for the patience of my Husband and Family as I am continually leaning on them for free time to go and work within the church at Masses, Funerals, Weddings and such. It is a blessing to be able to provide for the family and feed my soul at the same time.
I am grateful for my friends and those relatives close enough to me to call friends. These are women who I can lean on in times of trouble and call on many of them for advice. I appreciate their wisdom and their listening ears.

I am also grateful for the Community in which I live and for all the things that are done to help us all get together and do fun things. Like tonight, we will be lighting the tree together, singing and sharing hot chocolate. I am grateful it is not too, too cold out, so I will not freeze to death out there!

Lastly, I am grateful for the ability to juggle my crazy, crazy life!  I have been running around a lot lately, trying to maintain my current job and my 2nd job all in one. It gets hard at times. but are both fulfilling in many ways.  Both help people and many are very happy when they are done meeting with me. I love my jobs! :)
Loudly yours.
Alicia
ps- I have to share my interview with a beautiful young lady who I know is going to be a famous illustrator one day.  She was so sweet and I have fun interviewing her and getting to know her better.

Gratitude Journal Day 4

Today, I am grateful for my Cousin, Irene, who introduced me to my business. It has been so much fun working with her and seeing her on a regular basis. I have always been close to her, but being on her team and working together has been an entirely different experience, all for the good.

I am grateful today for Catholic Schools. My kids are getting a well rounded education with a Catholic flavor that I love, I love it when my kids come home singing church hymns and when they want to audition for the talent show using those songs. So sweet!!
Lastly, I am grateful for my baby birds. Yes, they are noisy, but they have been  fun companions and have taught my kids to love animals and to take care of them.

Gratitude Day 3

Today my Gratitude Journal includes:
My team of girls who have joined me thus far in my business. They are the greatest bunch of women. They are caring, giving, fun, positive and some of the most happy people, ever. I am ever so blessed to have them on my team!  My prayer is that they all grow personally, spiritually and financially along with me in our journey together! Go Team!

My 2nd entry is for my growing Ortley Beach, NJ team! Little by little, the leaders are popping up, forming a team of women (of course) who are helping others in different ways. Funny thing is, we have never even met it person.  They are dedicated, loving, concerned, forward thinking women! I am proud!! :)
My 3rd entry is for the family that has been created in NJ with the larger It Works team. What a great group of women and men they are!  I am proud to be a part of a family that works together for the betterment of all!  We are going far!!

Hooray for teams!!

Our Trip Bushkill Falls Part 2

Our trip to Bushkill Falls, Pa continued after the boys decided they wanted to take off on their own.

Letting them go gave us the chance to stop for a while and enjoy the scenery and take lots of pictures with the girls.

Oddly enough, there were not a lot of wildlife at the falls and even the birds were kind of quiet.  I did not want to see any bears, for sure, but a squirrel or deer would have been nice.
The whole trail took us about 2 1/2 hours and about half way through, we got to the bridal falls, the masterpiece of the park.

There were a lot of different kind of waterfalls including brooks and streams....

 

 
 On our walk back from the Bridal Falls, we chose to take the hiker's path back to the end of the trail. Bad move. My knees were hurting by the time we got the end and were begging for flatter ground! It will be the normal trail for us next time, for sure!

 The last two waterfalls were massive. the power of the water was just incredible, and the sunlight hitting the water was nothing short of magical looking!  What a beautiful end to a beautiful day!

 Over all, the trip was great and worth the $73 price tag for our family of 8. (We are really 9, but were missing our eldest Son.)  We can't wait to go back again. Hopefully, we will make it in the Spring. 

Loudly Yours,

Alicia

Our Trip to Bushkill Falls, Pa Part One

It's a ride out to PA for about an hour, give or take. Just a relatively short ride to see some of nature's beauty. We chose this time of the year to go to see the leaves and because October weather is usually so conducive to hiking. Just cold enough to keep you from sweating while you walk, but warm enough that you are not freezing. We tried to make this year's trip with most of our neighborhood gang, but as life has it at times, it did not work out completely, but we were able to spend the day with one of our neighbor families and it worked out great!  So, the largest family and one of the smallest of Mt Tabor sojourned together to the falls. We arrived around mid day and the sun peeked out from the clouds as soon as we arrived.  We piled out of the car, paid the fare and checked out the trails. We opted for the biggest route and got right to hiking. We quickly realized that the boys were not going to keep the pace we were moving, so we made a decision to let them run ahead. It was a good decision. We would have held them back and we would have heard complaints the whole way through. We took out time, stopping to take pictures at will. We got a lot of good ones!  It is ironic how serene the woods can be while at the same time have such brute strength in the power of the falls.

Loudly Yours,
Alicia

My Dinner with a Billionaire...in the making...

Yes, Billionaire.....with a B.
Seriously.
I did.
I made dinner and shortly dated a man who is now a Billionaire. Just made the connection yesterday, about 22 years later.
He was the last man I dated before I married my Husband.
I met him through a close friend I had from the gym.  I was Condo sitting her place and invited him over for dinner. No hanky panky, just dinner and maybe some snuggling. Alright, maybe a little more than that, but nothing rated R, if you get the picture.

I remember I made him Curry Chicken for dinner and took pains to make every ingredient just perfect. I was so excited to make everything look amazing. Candles on the table, table cloth, cloth napkins, lights down really low, dessert made.....just perfection. I knew he had money and I wanted to impress.

The door bell rang, my heart skipped a beat.  I ran to the door and slowed down as not to be out of breath. I answered the door and there he was, with a super smile and dressed casually, and with just the right balance of fashion and comfort. He had on great shoes, too.  I allowed him in and we headed to the kitchen to check on the food and he helped me up on the counter to get something I can't recall, but I remember we had a chuckle about how I was too short to reach that item I needed. He helped me bring some the food into the dining area and we drank some wine and chatted candidly about things going on in our lives.

We sat at the dinner table and the conversation continued. I was pleased as punch that he liked the dinner and felt like such a success.
The evening continued at the kitchen where he helped me clean up the dishes (which impressed the heck out of me), then when we were done in the kitchen, we headed to the living room to watch a movie on the couch.

I have no idea what we watched and the night ended when he left to go home. I was not the one night stand kind of girl and I was not sure where this relationship was headed. So, I let him go.....and I never saw him again.

I heard from him after that. He called and we spoke....but he was just too busy to ever take my call as he was building his business....and build it he did.

He built it to the tune of 23 Billion (yes billion) dollars. Hmmmm. that is a lot of money.   A LOT of money.

Shortly after I realized that it was not going to work out with Mr. Got Rocks, I started dating my Hubby. I knew He was the man I was going to marry soon after we met, although I did not believe it at first. He did not own his own car, he was still living at home and worked retail. Not the worldly ideal; but what he does have is a Billion Dollar heart and that is what attracted me to him the most.  Do I regret me decision not to pursue Mr. Got Rocks? No. My children are treasures worth more than gold or riches and so is my dear husband.

It is interesting to think of what life might have been if I had kept on Mr. Got Rocks. It would be a super spoiled version of me. Not too sure I would want to be in the room with that.  It might not be too pretty. How knows? Maybe I would. I would like to think that I would have a heart big enough to share with a lot of people in need, with all of his money.  Maybe. Then again, I look to people who had nothing, and made all the difference in the world, like Blessed Mother Theresa.
This morning, when I woke up, I heard a whisper from God, telling me that He has blessed me with treasure beyond measure in my children and that they were more that all the riches in the world.

Yeah...what God said.

Loudly yours.

Alicia

Finally have a chance to breathe...

Doing work you love is hard, but when you love it as much as I do, it seems mostly effortless.  The only down side is that it takes up much of your time and life seems to fly by so very fast. Take for instance, my blog.  My diary to my family, today and tomorrow, and to the world (not that the whole world is interested, but that it is open to everyone in it who is curious enough to look)

 Summer is officially over, so there are a few things I want to jot down so I will not forget they ever happened.  This Summer, I had some changes in my life; one was to say good bye to my accompanist, Maddie, who went to Notre Dame University to bigger and better things than playing at our sweet little chapel in the woods....

(My apologies for the sideways movie clips, I just could not for the life of me, figure out how to change it.  If you know, you could leave me a comment or  link to see how! :) Thanks)

Here is one of our last pictures together.  She was a very, very sweet young lady, who did a great job providing music for our Masses every week. 

Another change in my life was that of work.  I am still dedicated to my wonderful Precious Metal position, but am beginning to feel a shift in the industry in the area of gold buying parties.  To create an excitement to my hostesses, I brought on It Works, Global on board as a sister business to create a stir, and it has.  I have been buying gold and silver and wrapping bodies all summer long. 

 

I have also cut 9 inches off my hair....

 

I

Enjoyed the kids in Children's Day, VBS, and on Open Mic Night.....

 

Of course there was our annual trip to the Shore and Casino Pier, then we spent some time at Tabor Lake....

Other highlights include the Baptism of Sonny where we got to see some old friends....

and finally, the beginning of school to get things back into order....

I 

I am still singing weekly at Mass and a Funeral or 2 every month as well as Weddings now and again.  I had a special treat when I got to see my Catholic Elementary School Principal, Sr. Ascenza, who I love very much. It wasn't the best picture, but you can see how happy we are to see each other. :)

 

Overall, it was a great Summer and I am happy that fall is here to bring on new adventures in our loud, crazy life!

Loudly yours.

Alicia