I AM GRATEFUL...For 2009

Squeezing one last blog in as 2009 comes to a close. In this final entry for the year, I would like to make a list of the things that I am grateful for and love from 2009. Everything from favorite music to appreication for humanity and anything in between. In no particular order, except for number one...

1) FAITH
Faith has been THE BEST thing to enter my life. It has allowed me to find purpose in my own existence and has brought me more happiness than ever before. I can love more because of the love that God has given me. His Grace and Beauty has pulled me closer to Him and closer to the rest of His children. The bond between me and the wonderful people that have entered my life has been made stronger. Faith has allowed me to view life with a different eye. I have put my life in God's great hands and look forward to the many amazing things that He will bring into my life. I know that the best is yet to come. I will forever be grateful and loving for this!

2) MUSIC
Music plays such an important role in my life. It expresses what I am too weak or afraid to express. It can change my mood and bring positivity. It can make me forget about the stresses of the day. Some artists and albums that I have come to love from 2009:

* Jason Mraz, "We Sing, We Dance, We Steal Things"
Technically, this album was from 2008 but my love for it grew in 2009. It is such a happy album! his feel good "happy little hippie song" can make a happy little hippie out of anyone! Every song on the album makes me want to get up and dance and leave all the stresses behind. jason's outlook on life is inspiring. I have had a blast adopting his ways of being love and expressing gratitude.

* Phil Wickham
I can't give enough praise to this incredibly gifted musician. Beautiful. Amazing. Poetic. Uplifting. Inspiring. His music and lyrics have made me fall even more in love with Jesus Christ. He has been given the gift to bring praise and glory to the Lord. Phil's song "Safe" has been a saving grace to me these past few months. It can pull me out of any troubles that I may be feeling and reminds me that I will always be safe and never alone. I will forever be grateful for his music.
There are so many more artists and songs I love from the year but fail to think of at this moment. So I will just give them props!

3) Humanity
I am more grateful than ever for the people that are in my life. Faith has helped me grow so much closer to friends and family. I have also met some absolutely beautiful people this year...people that may have helped change my life even if they may never know it. I love seeing the good that can come out of our society and the good that faith can bring to one's heart.

4) Experience
I had the most wonderful opportunity to give back to my community this year. A good friend and I were able to provide stockings for Aid For Friends this holiday season. It was so great to share the experience with someone who has the same passion as me to give to others. The rewarding feeling of selflessness and love was unforgettable. We also received a beautiful gift from God that night after we had dropped the stockings off. We were the witnesses to a herd of deer not too far from us. We watched from the side of the road as the deer peacefully stared back in wonderment. it was amazing and a sight to cherish.

There is so much more that I am grateful for from this past year. It would be impossible for me to remember everything. So I will end on this note...I am grateful for all the goods and bads, all the ups and downs, all the toss and turns that 2009 brought. I pray that it only continues to go up from here. Goodbye 2009!

Until next year...
Tonia <3

86,400 Seconds To Change

Hello December! I am making TIME to write all that has been on my mind. Here we go...

Wake up. Hit the shower. Rush to work. Meet deadlines. Provide customer service. Return home. Eat dinner. Bed. Start over.

We live in such a fast-paced society surrounded by the ever-so-popular phrase, "I don't have time." The truth is, time is all we have. It is not like money. We can't earn more of it. We can't spend some and get change back. We can't take a prized possession into the local pawn shop in exchange for a few extra minutes, hours, or days. Time is not like a cell phone plan. The minutes that we don't efficiently use in one day can't rollover to the next day. The only thing to do is spend our time wisely and cherish every second of it, literally.

There are 86,400 seconds granted to us in a single day. Somewhere between the first second and the 86,400th second we must love, appreciate, and breathe. If you want to make a change, you must start with now...this second. Don't waste a day to addictions or bad habits that may have come to define us. We can't afford to steal time away from love, knowledge, or compassion. We can, however, afford to steal time from hate, destruction, and arrogance. Accomplish what you want to accomplish and leave behind the failures of time gone by.

When you wake, take time to say "Good Morning" to the loved one that wakes up beside you. Take time to sit down to a real breakfast with family. Take time as you drive to work to look around and appreciate the beauty that surrounds you. Notice where you can make a difference in your community. Take time to say "hello" to that familiar face, or even that unfamiliar face. You just may make their day. Take time to be sincere and compassionate. Take time to share love and express gratitude. Take time to go on a date with knowledge and faith. Schedule some time to change the world one small step at a time. The time is NOW. Don't waste a moment of it.

What are you "not having enough time" for? Where can you afford to donate some of your time?

With love and plenty of time!