Hi!!  I’m here and alive!  A blog isn’t much of a blog if you don’t blog on it, huh?  Time to get this going again…

So, this blog is supposed to be about my own life and spiritual journey.  So how have things been lately?

Whew…  Life!  There’s always something, isn’t there? 😉

Life has been as overwhelming as ever lately.  Raising two pre-teens and a toddler on top of school, work, marriage, and adulting, and it can be an intense ride sometimes.  We have good times; we have not so good times.  But we work through all times with love and gratitude.  Even in our worst times, we are so blessed.  I’m so grateful for my little family.  Our life is definitely different than most, with split households, living away from family, switching schools a lot, etc., but we’ve all grown so much going through it all together.

However, we’re definitely ready for a little bit of calm and stability which is why I’m excited to say that both boys have been accepted into Franklin School of Innovation for next year!  It’s a local charter school only about ten minutes from our house.  They’re brand new – only opened in August 2014.  They used to only serve grades 6-9, but next year will be the first year serving 5-12.  So the boys will be able to start next year and stay there until they graduate high school!  It seems like an amazing school that’s just getting started, so we’re all really excited to be part of it.  (They even have a couple of teaching positions open that I’ve been eyeing….)

In other exciting news – I am officially registered for my last two graduate classes to finish up my master’s this summer.  7 years after I enrolled in the program and after a 4 year hiatus… lol.  By August, I’ll have the piece of paper that will qualify me for a lot more opportunities in my field.  It will also make me eligible to pursue a local doctoral program in Educational Leadership, which I’m considering.  It’d be a big step, but I think I’d really love it.  Perhaps one day…

As always, we’re flowing through this life, taking the challenges we face day by day.  We’re seeing a lot of bad stuff right now.  A lot of sad, terrible things are happening to people all around us.  Sometimes I feel like no one is able to catch a break.  But we all keep going, don’t we?  We don’t really have much of a choice, huh?

I know I always preach positivity and being optimistic – that good thoughts will bring about good things and bad thoughts will bring about bad things.  And yes, that is true.  However, we must also remember that there are things that are out of our control.  Call it karma, divine will, God’s plan, or whatever you want, but there are parts of our lives that just happen.  They’re part of our story for one reason or another.  We may not understand that reason now, but all will be revealed in time.  Personally, I believe that we choose the life we live, and that when we enter this world, we know what we’re getting ourselves into.  I believe in reincarnation and that when we die, we can choose to come back and live another life if we want.  (Or, we can stay in what I view as “heaven” – where you return when you die, reunited with Divine Source.)  If we choose to come back, we choose who our parents are, where we will be born, and the major events that will shape our lives.  For me, being able to view the world, spirituality, and life after death like this helps me through the hard times.  I remember that all has a time and purpose under heaven – Divine order (God’s will) is at work.  When you’re able to trust that, you can flow through these season more easily.  (That, and of course the knowledge that you are always divinely protected and cared for.)

So take a deep breath, remember the cycles of life and recognize that you may be in a shitty one, but then still find something to be grateful for.  Like this great article called “Give Me Gratitude or Give Me Debt,” be grateful for those little things.  Who cares if your refrigerator is 15 years old – you have a refrigerator!

Next time you find yourself criticizing and feeling down, find the small things to be grateful for and bask in that gratitude.  We don’t have to like or be grateful for everything that’s happening in our lives all the time.  But the more we accept just how truly blessed we are, the less of a burden we’ll feel on our shoulders about life.  We can’t change what happened in the past, and we can’t predict or dictate what will happen in the future.  All we truly have is now.  So acknowledge the present moment as the only thing that exists, and revel in your gratitude for that moment.

How do you handle the tough times and feelings of overwhelm?  What strategies do you use to get yourself back to center and find your joy and peace?  I’d love to hear your comments.

With love, light, and a grateful heart,

~Kim