'Merry Christmas!

"Maybe this is the year you get everything you want! Or maybe this is the year to appreciate everything you have."  Teresa de Grosbois 

The last years have been very difficult with the pandemic, wars, world wide weather disasters with floods, fires, eruptions, earthquakes, hurricanes, tornadoes, and financial issues.  We can't change what has happened but we can appreciate what we do have.  We can find much to celebrate when we look around and find our family and friends, neighbors and our communities reaching out to each other with love and peace. 

The two goals that have the greatest impact:  Love God, and love others as we love ourselves.  Everyone is suffering in some way.  The care and concern of others can make our own burdens easier.  

"Humble means recognizing that we are not on earth to see how important we can become, but to see how much difference we can make in the lives of others."  Gordon B Hinkley                                                       

I wish you humble and meaningful holidays filled with the wonder of loving and sharing our lives with others. 

Please check out my artwork and books on my website illuminangels.com                                                                                          

      After We Are Thankful

"Oh, Heavenly Father,

We Thank Thee for food and remember the Hungry.

We thank Thee for health and remember the sick.

We thank Thee for friends and remember the friendless.

We thank Thee for freedom and remember the enslaved.

May these remembrances stir us to service.

That thy gifts to us may be used for others. 

Amen"

Dear Abby column

I hope that we remember there are many ways to share love for the holidays and the rest of the year.  We can reach out to the hopeless, homeless, friendless, those who are disabled or sick, and anyone we observe who are sad or lonely. It takes time and effort to meet these needs that are not able to be purchased. It is the type of gifting that melts the heart and makes us feel that we are making a difference.  I hope that you have "melt the heart" holidays.  Physical gifts are forgotten but gifts of the heart are remembered and cherished.  

Please check out my website, illuminangels.com for inspiration.  There you will find original artwork, and books, and framed and unframed vinyl prints. 

 Holidays and Politics

It is a tough time with many of the polarized political views.  It is difficult to discuss intense feelings associated with politics such as mandates for Covid, taxes etc.  We all want to be together but it is stressful to enjoy each other unless these hot-button topics can be shelved until the end of the holidays.  How wonderful if we can enjoy the moment and truly love each other with open arms.  

"Today me will live in the moment. Unless it is unpleasant.  In which case me will eat a (Christmas?) cookie."  Cookie Monster, Muppet

"Next time you are discussing an important issue with someone, ask yourself,  'Is this a monologue or a dialogue? Personally, I'm only interested in the latter."  Reese Witherspoon, Actor

Anger and frustration is the absense of love.  It is not possible to love when angry! Make the most of this life and spend more time loving than hating.  The two greatest commandments:  Love God and love others as you love yourself.  I hope you love yourself alot!!! 

Happy Thanksgiving!! Thankful people are happy people.  We can find so much to celebrate if we look for the good in life!!

Check out my new website for an art gallery, sales of original artwork, vinyl prints, and framed vinyl prints. illuminangels.com  

 "The most wasted of days is one without laughter." E. E. Cummings 

It is hard to find something to laugh about when things are not going well in our lives. I remember when my daughter was about three years old.  I had a newborn in my arms, a two year old and a five year old.  I was feeling overwhelmed with the reponsibilities associated with four young children. I went to change the baby and when I came back, I found toilet paper all over my house, from one end to the other.  

I felt like crying as I didn't think I could handle one more disaster. I asked my three year old daughter why she chose to toilet-paper my home.  She looked up at me and said, "But mom, I just wanted to see how long it was!"  I couldn't help myself when I started laughing slowly at first but eventually I was feeling the tears and the shoulders shaking. It was not the answer I was expecting, for sure! My stress level was slowly declining as I shook with laughter. It is much better than crying, I decided.  

Life is too short to short-change a sense of humor.  My daughter is 48 years old now and that moment is still fresh in my mind because of finding the humor in life, on incident and one day at a time.  When you have the opportunity, try laughing instead of crying! 

Check out my original paintings, vinyl prints, original photos and my books at illuminangels.com.  My email is illuminangels@gmail.com.  

 "The day you stop running is the day you start moving forward."  Kierkegoald

Many of us are procrastinators.  It is much easier to ignore the the issue than to face and conquer it.  I know because I have been afraid of following my dream. It takes concentration and patience for me to tackle anything involving a computer!  

When I postpone something that appears to be overwhelming, I am constantly thinking about what I have been avoiding until my self-esteem plummets.  If I took the wasted energy I used to emotionally "run away", I could get the job done quickly and as efficiently as possible considering my lagging computer skills. 

I have been writing and illustrating my own books.  I have two completed books and one in process.  My home is filled with various artwork projects.  It is exciting and frustrating at the same time.  I have had to stop running and start facing my fears and inadequacies.  

Life is what we make it.  It is our life, our choices, our responsibility and we can choose to move forward. Wasting time blaming others for our situation takes away from our ability to control our own destiny.  

Take charge of your life and make a difference for others!  Be bold and lift up yourself and others with an attitude of graditude! 

Check out my new website!  illuminangels.com  I have original artwork, vinyl prints, framed vinyl prints, framed photographs and books for sale.  

 "Have patience with all the world, but first of all with yourself." Saint Francis de Sales

Covid has impacted the entire world.  It has caused deaths, heartache, financial difficulties, shortages of everything, physical and emotional interactions with others, caused isolation and lack of work.  It has changed our use of Zoom and the internet for work, school, training, social networking, virtual doctor visits and participation in activities.  

It has also taught us to depend on God, our neighbors, friends and co-workers to survive until this on-going crisis is contained or resolved.  It has created conflicts over treatments, masks, social distancing, social contacts, medical issues and hospital beds. It is easy to blame the current situation on political leaders and politics in general, world conflicts, media portrayals of information/misinformation.  

The bottom line is that the entire world has been impacted with an illness that can affect all ages, races, lifestyles and social groups. It has, in effect, slowed the world down and it grabbed our attention. We have been forced to be patient while waiting for this illness to abate so that the world can start over and regroup. Life as we know it will never be the same.  

Life is what we make of it.  Everyday we can choose to be content, find inner peace and hope for a better tomorrow. By finding the positives in a dismal situation, we can help ourselves to get through the worst and reach for the future. Families have had time together, good or bad, to survive.  

Look back on the last two years and I'm sure you can find something positive that has impacted you, your family and friends. We have to find peace within ourselves before we can offer it to others.  Send out a positive ripple in the ponds of life to become a source of strength for others. Find a way to serve others, and you find a purpose in your life.  

Remember to first have patience with yourself then offer the gift of patience to others.  We are all in this together!

Please check out my new website with my artwork, book and vinyl prints.  illuminangels.com