give thanks for her journey to the end

Give thanks for the way the roses bloomed when they haven't bloomed that way in years

For the gifts that made her smile and reminded her that she was thought about and loved  

For the way family came together and had moments to smile and laugh in between the tears

For the signs that appeared providing comfort on this unknown journey

And for the way she rose up with the sun

The journey has not been easy
Forever she will be missed
But she has surrounded each of us with love and kindness
We have one another to lean on
We have grown closer together
And savor our memories of her
For she is within each of us
She has taught us so much
And will forever be our guide
We give thanks for the memories we have
The moments that were shared
And the love that she infused with us

love notes postcard project

The Love Notes Postcard project is back for it's final installment for 2015 and I cannot wait to begin.  My mailbox has been feeling lonely since the last round of Love Notes has ended.  There was so much goodness and joy that spread throughout the world in July and I am excited to watch that unfold again.  Are you ready to say yes, click HERE to sign up.  Not sure, read below for more information.    

Is your mailbox feeling lonely?  
Have you only been receiving bills and mailers?  
Do you long for a little handwritten bit of sunshine to surprise you?  

Look no further than the Love Notes Postcard Project

This FREE  project only requires:

• Three postcards
• Three stamps
• And an open heart

Next round begins October 4th

Here's how it works:

• You will get paired up with another participant
• Each Sunday for three weeks (beginning July 12th) a writing prompt will arrive in your email box
• Simply respond to the writing prompt on your postcard and drop it in the mail before Thursday
• Keep a look out in your mailbox for a postcard from your partner
   

That's right, simple and fun!  Click HERE to sign up.  

Pop on over to the Love Notes Postcard Facebook Page to say hello and check out below for some of the postcards sent in previous rounds on Instagram #lovenotesjb

on the road you travel

On the road you travel you will find that you will not always know where you are going
You will have to make a choice on direction
And hope that it was the right one
You will need to trust
And listen deeply to your intuition

On the road you travel you will find that you will get lost
This is ok
Embrace this unknown moment
And see out the unexpected
These charted roads may have a thing or two to teach you

On the road you travel you will find yourself again and again
Always you are re-emerging
Growing, shifting, changing
Great yourself kindly
And open up your arms to this expanded version of yourself

On the road you travel you will carry things with you and let things go
If you are feeling weighted down do not hold on to long
Let go
This will free you up for exactly what you may need
And you will learn how to live without what was always cherished

On the road you travel you will make new friends and say goodbye to others
As you grow into yourself you will realize what ignites your spark
And you will not want those around you that do not fuel this excitement
It is ok to say goodbye
Carry with you what you have learned from them and part ways peacefully

On the road you travel you will discover
Yourself
How strong you really are
A new way to make it through
A better sense of what you truly want in this world

Be open to this road
Embrace everything it throws at you
For these are the roads of your life
They will help guide you and unravel you
Give thanks to these roads for leading you on an adventure of a lifetime

What will you find on the road you travel?  Share in the comments.  

I encourage you to write it out.  Begin with the word "On the road you {I} travel you {I} will find...."  See where the words take you.  

#fallingopen

It is the way the leaves change color
And then they release
Spilling open to the ground
A new life
A different opportunity
A freedom to not have to hang on

This visual encourages me to spread my wings
Let go  
Shift into the possibilities of what can be
It feels powerful
Fresh
Brimming with hope

There is no reason to hang on for to long
Sometimes you need to just walk away
Allow the openness to engulf you
Savor the new opportunities
Take time to play
And see where the road leads you

This is falling open
Releasing into the unknown
And bravely stepping in to the next phase
Seeking out the hidden chance
Not looking back
But carving a path ahead

This is what fall feels like to me
A chance to release
Try something new
Be brave
Stand in my own voice
And move fluidly throughout the season

As we dive into this next season I intend to capture the moments where I fall open through the hashtag #fallingopen   I do not want to let them slip by.  I want to savor the freedom.  Sink deep into this new beginning and fall open into all that is around me.  

The leaves are my inspiration, for they do it so well.  They hang on just long enough and then they  release.  The release is never easy but it is in that shift where a whole new world opens up and you never know what beauty may be there.  

I invite you to fall open with me by tagging your photos #fallingopen.  Together we can encourage one another and witness that shift that occurs with change.  How will you fall open?

journaling will open you up

When I was younger I would tuck my journal underneath my bed so that my brothers would not find it.  There were deep thoughts in there about my current crush and the butterflies I got in my stomach when I saw him.  I filled those pages up, writing long after dark and safely tucking it away under my mattress.  Oh how I would have been devastated if someone were to have found it.  That tiny little notebook contained my heart.  All of the honest words that I couldn't speak to friends were spilled out onto the page.  It was an outlet.  A chance to really set free and be exactly who I was. 

Writing in that notebook gave me courage to take risks.  To ask him out and have a place to turn to when he said no.  It was all ok because the page helped me sort through it.  It pushed me to live body in a world where I was so timid.  It encouraged me to spread my wings just a little bit more and see how far I could go.  The page held the heartbreak, the tears, and the struggles and made them seem not so bad once I wrote it out of me.  Having this to turn to was a gift.  An extremely precious gift I turn to time and time again.  

I hear so many people say that they are not a writer.  They think there words have to be pretty and packaged up.  A neat story contained between the lines with a beginning, a middle, and a beautiful ending.  But that is not what journaling is all about.  Journaling is the freedom to tell your story from wherever you are standing in it in this very moment.  The feelings may be raw.  The emotion unprocessed.  That is ok, because the page does not judge.  It simply catches your words and holds them for you so that you no longer have to carry them around with you.  

There is no right or wrong way to journal.  Spelling does not matter and there does not even have to be one cohesive story.  Sometimes are hands will jump from one moment to the next and we never know what story may emerge.  The beauty that comes with journaling is in watching it all unfold organically.  In giving our hearts permission to just write whatever comes up.   

Yes this is journaling.  The roaming, the wandering, the adventure.  Spilling it all onto the page and not looking back to see where you can take it, but rather letting it take you where it wants to go.  We all have stories inside us.  From places we have been, people we have encountered, moments that have changes us forever.  These stories want to be told and only you can set them free.  

Journaling gives your heart an opportunity to heal.  A chance to tell the story again.  
So see it from a new perspective or to spill deeply into where you are in this very moment.  It is a gift.  A gift that only you can give yourself when you grant yourself the permission to show up and spill open.  The page will never judge and neither for you.  For any emotion you feel in any moment is yours and it is ok.  It doesn't meant that is how it always has to be, but for that moment we must acknowledge it so we can move forward.  

Allow your writing to help you move forward.  To forgive yourself and others.  To take a leap.   To gain confidence in yourself.  To have the courage to keep going.  Allow the page to hold it all for you and reflect back how strong you really are, how much you really know, and how courageous you really can be.  

I invite you to join me from Sept 9th - 29th to bravely step into journaling and grant yourself permission to release your words and see where our stories take you.  

lift your head up to this moment

Lift your head up to the sun
Feel the warmth
Soak in the goodness
Savor the moment
Yes, this moment
Wherever you are right now
Pause
Take a deep breathe in
Feel the air around you
Notice the sound of the passing cars
Listen even closer to the silence in between
You will only get this day once
What will you do to make it meaningful
Who will you share your love with
What kindness will you bring
Say what you feel in your heart
Do not hold back
Let the love pour out of you
It will makes someones day
Even though the moment feels ordinary
It is a very special moment in time
Live with your heart wide open
Live deeply in this moment