Exciting New Project Underway
Hi, there!
I'm so glad you're here. This blog is a way for me to tell my story, but I'm excited to hear yours, too. If you have a story to tell, please email me and share it. Who knows? It might lead to the next exciting project.
Speaking of projects...there are two that are very near and dear to my heart. Some of you may know that my son, Matthew, died last year. Matthew had Polycystic Kidney Disease (PKD) and had been on dialysis for three years. One of the projects I'm working on is to find ways to support the National PKD Foundation through sharing his story and finding ways to help raise funds. Stay tuned for information as it becomes available.
The second project is related to the one above. As I've been grieving my son's death, I've come in contact with so many others who have lost a loved one and struggle with expressing their grief.
I recently read the following quote and it really sparked something inside:
"You have to train yourself to find the blessing in everything."
Yes, it is training ourselves to look for the good in life. Finding the bad, the disappointing, the shockingly terrible...is easy. It abounds and hits us every day through the news media particularly, and just in living this life. But how do train ourselves? We take time to stop listening to all the voices telling us how bad things are, how terrible things are, how disappointing things are. Do we become unsympathetic or turn blind eyes and ears to the suffering of others? Of course not. But we protect our hearts and minds and remind ourselves that good things do happen in this life. This is especially true when we're going through a hard time like the loss of a loved one, disappointment in the loss of a job, a house, a relationship. Yes, life is hard and there are struggles for all of us. But we take time to remember that life is good, too, and worth living. Looking into the faces of my grandchildren reminds me that life is good and full of hope. What does that for you? Maybe getting up early and watching the sun rise or enjoying a beautiful sunset over a lake. Maybe looking deep into a flower to see it's delicate inner parts, brilliant color, and smelling the fragrance. Maybe it's just sitting quietly and listening the still small voice of God that whispers "You're not alone." There are blessings to be found. We just have to look for them sometimes, and encourage each other to look.
As a writer, I believe everyone has a story to tell. Even in the business world, companies have stories to tell...they call that marketing. Writing is a gift that God has given me. I also have a passion to tell people they're not alone in walking this life. Even if there are times when we don't have a person in our lives, Christ is always ready to walk with us. As I mentioned in the beginning of this post, if you have a story to tell and you think it would encourage someone else, please let me know. It doesn't matter if you think you can write well or not. We'll figure that out together. The point is to take the first step in sharing your story. I think you'll be glad you did.
Until next time,
Penny