34 Reasons to Be Thankful

As I turn one year older and one year wiser, I am reflecting on the journey. During my last season I posted "33 Things I've Learned." Transitioning from 32 to 33 was quite an introspective period of time for many reasons. From that season I have have blossomed in so many ways, hence, I am THANKFUL for...

1. God presenting me with a man who loves me unconditionally - who wants me to be his wife and the mother of his children. So glad I made the decision to "Man Up." Love you RK and can't wait to officially become KCK!



2. Good home training - yes and no thank you go a long way



3. Friendship with amazing individuals - the nucleus of keeping it real and humorous at the same time.



4. My sister, whom I don't always see eye to eye with but whom I'm glad we can challenge each other in our differences.



5. My big sister/friend/mentor for many years of wisdom and growth. Tough love has made our relationship stronger.



6. The soon to be in laws that show love to me in the same way they do to my fiancee. It's pretty fresh to have more family to grow with.



7. My godmother, who stepped right in after mommy and daddy passed and picked right up. Such a diva :)



8. My CCC family - Pastor and Minister O have planted spiritual seeds that will last a lifetime.



9. My TOM Girls - prayer has changed so many things in our lives...Here's to keeping it going whether near or far.



10. My trainer who is kicking my butt while telling me stories about England and his own struggles with maintaining a healthy lifestyle (so relatable).



11. Opportunities



12. The three men in my past adult relationships that forced me to grow emotionally and spiritually because they prepared me for the love of my life...(I pray the deposits I made in their lives helped them to mature as well).



13. My conversations with the good doctor have catapulted me to close chapters, unearth and work through emotions while setting goals in areas that I didn't know I had to.



14. Repairing and growing my relationships with my extended family - what a journey to healing and developing on new ground!



15. My four legged babies Jello & Nina have taught me so many lessons about myself. Mama loves and needs your presence...MEOW :)
    


16. Common sense and the ability to think from a macro approach and not a myopic perspective.



17. My BA degree- straight up! Graduating from college in 4 years didn't feel like a given at that time of my life, but I made it, and Dad lived to witness it.



18. BG Unlimited - God put it on my heart years ago and I'm finally accepting my responsibility to bring the multi-platform vision to pass



19. Resources



20. Gifts, talents and abilities



21. Memories too many to remember...too many to forget!



22. The power of the written word to shape, heal and transform



23. My Blackberry - gotta love messages and thoughts on the go



24. Hair accessories - OMG - pony tails, wigs...I heart being able to flip my look



25. Experience - beyond it being a good teacher, it's one heck of a prop to boost confidence



26. Laughter



27. The color of the sky at sunrise and sunset



28. Grey's Anatomy



29. The lessons I've learned along the way...it's the little things



30. Houston's spinach dip - satisfies my cheese fetish and my green veggie requirement :)



31. New York - so much to do...so much to love



32. Faith



33. My car - exactly what I envisioned, blessed and manifested in the right season



34. Love expressed unconditionally, selflessly and unlimited

**And my wish for my 35th - To continue to grow and strengthen my relationship with God, knowing and understanding His word while exhibiting His spirit in everything I do...a journey of patience, dedication and consistency. **

When You Lose What You Love

When they walk through the Valley of Weeping... They will continue to grow stronger. -
Psalm 84:6-7 NLT


When you lose what you love you go through five stages:
(1) Denial - "No, it can't be happening."
(2) Anger - "God, why are You permitting this?"
(3) Bargaining - "Please make it go away."
(4) Depression - Silence and withdrawal.
(5) Acceptance - "Not my will but Yours be done."


Whether it's the loss of a child, a parent, a job, your health, a relationship, etc., when you turn to God He'll give you the grace to embrace it, grieve it, express it, release it, and go on to become stronger. Sometimes we seek quick relief by releasing it before we've gone through these stages. That's because we fear the process. We've been taught that any show of emotion is a show of weakness, so we stuff it. But we only stuff it into our emotional rubbish bin, then spend all our time and energy sitting on the lid, trying to keep the contents from spilling out. "You shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free" (John 8:32). It's knowing and embracing the truth, including its painful aspects, that sets you free. You must be willing to forgive. But until you come to grips with the enormity of your loss, including any injustice of what was done to you, you are not ready to forgive. When you rush to forgive, you forgive only in part and you're released only in part.


Are you running from pain today? Are you trading it in prematurely for some other feeling? That's not God's way. Jesus said, "You will weep and mourn… but [eventually] your grief will turn to joy… and no one will take [it] away" (John 16:20-22 NIV).

----
This really spoke to me for a variety of reasons when Patti sent it to me. I have dealt with loss - deeply. I consider myself to be an expert of sorts because of the magnitude of my grief. I have not met anyone who really was a kindred spirit to me -walked a mile in my shoes type. That's cool because I've never desired for anyone to feel the deep sense of pain and loss that I have felt anyway.

Needless to say, I am so in the thick of the wilderness right now and God is showing me His face in a very real way these days...Probably because I am healing in a new way. I couldn't be more scared and excited about the journey that I am on. I've recognized that not everyone is equip to roll with me let alone confront these parts within themselves. It's not easy by any means, but it is so very necessary. Hindsite is truly 20/20, but everything happens for a reason. But I know I am blessed and encouraged and that my breakthrough is right around the corner. So I'm taking it all in, observing the sites and putting me and God first.

Obedience is key...This faith walk is real....the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things unseen. :) Believe That!

It's GREAT to be Inspired

I wrote this piece at the height of personal inspiration in 2006. I presented it publicly only once and for my friend's wedding, then polietly stored it in my archives. I was pleasantly and quietly surprised and reminded last night that inspiration comes in many forms at unexpected times. :)


I AM LOVE
I've dreamt of you long before I knew you.
I've thought about you even before I saw your face.
Your warmth surrounded me and catapulted me to different heights and another place.

It was those little flurries that first occupied my every in between thought.
Those crush on you butterflies that kept me on my toes, shy, hoping I wouldn't get caught.
You were standing there smiling...
Eyes wide open to the possibilities
Unconditionally, you spoke of yourself
No judgements, no pretenses, just you...
There, observing the naturalness of existance.

We were naked in our essence
Exposed.
Barely knowing if what we were feeling was real because it was unlike anything we had ever known.

We had come together to explore.
We had been brought together for more...
More than this moment
More than this thought of
What if?
If we allowed fear to enter in, we may have never met.
If we had turned away, we would not have acknowledged what God has sent.
As an imperfect person, THIS is an unconditional commitment.

When...the sun rises across the water.
When...I see you smile again.
When...the cool night breeze brushes ever so gently across my face
I'll remember...

Staring at the moon, brightly lit in the sky
No need to ask why.
There are no more questions
There is no more doubt.
The stars are all aligned and on top of this hill that we mount
Up upon our dreams,
We look forward to the future.
We plan our lives together.
Knowing
Feeling
Believing
Desiring
To comprehend, to embrace, to receive...

ALL that you are
ALL that I am
I know
Because i believe that I can -
Step into this reality that feels so surreal.

One foot on the ground,
One hand outstretched toward the sky.
I don't look back, I look ahead
At a reflection of my heart in the mirror.
It couldn't be anymore clearer.
I know you
You know me
I sacrifice
We surrender

I AM LOVE

-Kimberly N. Cooper