giving thanks
2024 has been the fastest year of my life. it’s held a lot for us.
so, i wanted to sit down - at least for a moment - to brain-dump whatever came to mind…all that i’m grateful for. stream of consciousness, if you will. here we go:
for the gift of our little family. it’s taken me a long time to get here: to surrender my vision of what our family ought to look like for His plan and intentions. it’s all been by His grace alone. more to come on all of this in another post early next year. for now i’ll say this: a family unit begins with husband and wife - you don’t have to have children to be considered a family. you already are one. and you don’t have to have children [or x number of children for that matter] to be holy.
for the gift it is to be able to own my own business.
family/personal life: i can be with Cal at the drop of a hat, i can drop her off and pick her up from school, i can attend volunteer opportunities at her school or bring her home when she’s not feeling well. with all of the healing the past 5 years or so have held between endo surgeries, not feeling well in general, growing in marriage, etc - i probs would have gotten fired if i actually had a 9-5 lol.
clients: gosh, i could go on. but here’s the point - i am so grateful to each and every woman that’s trusted me enough to let me into their health journeys. it’s sacred ground, really. and i’m humbled over and over and over again because of the beauty that God brings out of each journey + the woman that’s on the way.
entrepreneurship: it’s in my blood. i’ve always been drawn to the idea of being my own boss and putting my skills + abilities to use. it’s been the world of health + wellness since middle school + it’s wild how the adventure here has been what it’s been - filled with twists and turns. i’d always wanted to be both: mom AND business-owner [not a piddly cutesy business-owner, but one that experienced success because of hard work, systems + grace!], and here we are. [those charisms He’s given you - no one can put them to work like you can. we need who YOU are!]
for the gift it’s been to live in Texas. i honestly keep having ‘pinch me’ moments. whether we’re standing outside after Mass and i run into an old friend. or it’s hosting new friends in our home. or it’s meeting a friend at her home + taking our kids to the park to play. or it’s seeing Matt walk in the door after a few hours spent with the guys playing pickleball. or it’s the 30 minute drive to my parents’ home. or it’s hearing Cal say she wishes she could go to school 7 days a week because she loves it so much. there is so much good here. and there are so many good people here. and it makes me teary eyed to think about - the generosity of the Lord. [here’s my plug: if you know Jesus is prompting you to act - then act. even if it makes zero sense. even if it is hard. even if it involves sacrifice [b/c what doesn’t when we are following Him???] even if there are a million moving parts. if He’s asking something of you and you’re willing to co-operate - there is only good ahead.]
for our marriage. we’ve honestly been through what seems like hell and back + gosh - i wouldn’t choose another way. it has been the hard stuff that has allowed me to understand what gratitude amidst the muck really means. gratitude is more than a cute feeling - it is a real, raw reality. sometimes a posture of heart that you can choose…or not. there is nothing about gratitude that is quaint or small - and it changes everything. in fact, it transforms all that it touches into beauty. we are grateful to be able to look back in hindsight + refocus our vision on the present and say to ourselves: we did that. we climbed those mountains with Him and it sucked. yet we are here, and more alive because of it all. i’m grateful for that. for the gift of Sacramental grace. for the gift of the Sacrament of marriage itself. for the refining and the pruning and the crushing and the pressing and the new life that continues to bloom because of it all. [another sidebar: if marriage feels hard and heavy, asking for help/guidance/whatever you feel you need is appropriate. there is nothing to fear or be ashamed of. we all need help sometimes. and helping each other get to heaven - a promise we made on our wedding day - is not for the faint of heart! it really does take a village.]
for my parents. it’s been 7 years since we’ve lived in the same state and it’s been hard for my brain to comprehend the fact that they’re just down the road from us now. as an only child, Matt + i have always known that we wanted to take care of mom + dad as they grew older. in my head, i’d written off ever being close to them before they needed help. i’m so grateful to be nearby for random visits and time well spent with them again.
for the Eucharist. the past couple years have been transformative for me in a a lot of ways. it’s honestly been through the suffering seasons that led me to become aware of a deeper, more profound call to meet Him in the Eucharist more frequently - whether at Mass or in Adoration. being near to Him more consistently has changed my heart. receiving Him at Mass continues to turn me more towards Him and into the woman He created me to be. it’s like those slow motion videos you can find: the seed exists below the surface and as the time-lapse continues, you see the progression of the growth and change over time. they are subtle shifts that occur and are invisible to the eye day-by-day. it is only in time that new life can be seen. that’s what it’s felt like to me: a slow and steady movement towards Him more and more each day. it’s been Jesus truly present in the Eucharist that has held so much of me together. it’s Him who continues to mold me and hold me and bear me in His heart. it’s Him who continues to refine me and draw me into new life. it’s all Him. and gratitude really isn’t enough. so it is in thanksgiving that i offer myself back to Him.
wherever you find yourself this Thanksgiving, i pray you know how much you are loved and seen by Him who knows every piece and part of you. the good, the bad, the ugly, the in between. and He isn’t afraid of any piece or part of you. you aren’t alone and He delights in you.
know of our prayers for you this Thanksgiving + if you’re reading this - we’re thankful for you, too.
SCB.