Learning to Focus on "What Is"

I had the privilege of speaking at Community Church of God in Phillipsburg.  It's a good thing I've had some experience sharing my story and my platform this year.  It never gets easier to look out into the audience and see faces of people you have known most of your life.  It's somehow harder to share details of your story with those who watched you grow up.  But, even though the anxiety increased, they did such a great job of making me feel welcome and loved.

I was the morning speaker during their Sunday morning service.  The service started with praise and worship and a puppet show.   It hardly seems fair to make me follow a puppet show.  How could I ever compete with that?  :)  The church then did something absolutely amazing.  They provided activity bags to keep the kids busy during my talk.  What an awesome idea!!  Maybe I should pass out activity bags to all ages of listeners at all my events.  :)

Beginning of puppet show

I got to share my story and my platform speech.  Since I was the morning speaker at a church, I added some supporting scripture like I Thessalonians 5:18 :  "In everything give thanks" (NKJV) and "Thank God no matter what happens." (MESSAGE)  I got to talk about how I have especially learned the lesson about "Maintaining an Attitude of Gratitude" since my car accident and how I am still continually relearning that lesson as life continues to happen.  I am also learning to focus on "what is" and not on "what if."  It does no good to spend time wondering "what if."  We need to spend our time focusing on the "what is" and finding things to be thankful for.

I ended the morning by opening it up for questions and discussion.  I think I will always rather have discussion than lecture.  I learn as much or more from the people at my events than they learn listening to me.  It is definitely a two way street.  The pastor and his wife took my family to lunch following the service and the great conversation continued.  There was much more laughter and fewer tears during this part of my day.  :)

Here are some pics of my favorite time of any appearance--getting to talk with those in attendance.

Thankfulness for today:
Cell phones
Purple
Cameraman
Changes already being made
Power chair
Interlibrary loan
Finding the perfect celebration

"In ordinary life we hardly realize that we receive a great deal more than we give, and that it is only with gratitude that life becomes rich."
                         Dietrich Bonhoeffer