Resolution: The "Best" YOU ...

Hello from my heart to yours...

‎"When they ask me what I liked best, I'll tell them it was you."  ~ City Of Angels

Isn't that a beautiful sentiment? What a wonderful expression of love... for the one who loves another so deeply as to say it and for the recipient of that statement to know that someone loves them that much.... pretty simple really, and yet, so deep.... wouldn't it be so fabulous to be able to feel that?

With the year ending and with all of us trying to come up with New Year's resolutions, this is a perfect time to reflect on the "YOU" that you have been this past year.. have you been what others like "best" in their lives?  Imagine what a spectacular thing it would be to have someone say that to you... I know it's hard to be at our "best" always.. after all, we are here having a human experience, and therefore, are subject to so many outside factors .. so many challenges and tests and trials... we are always in a hurry and it becomes difficult to stop and reflect on how we are going to handle all that "life" throws at us... we try to be proactive, but most of the time, we are just reacting to someone or something...

Sunday was "The Day of the Holy Family" ... the Homily was absolutely beautiful.. too bad no one in my family was there in mass with me to hear it... yep, I was at mass alone... but anyway, Fr. Phil spoke of the obedience we have to one another.. not "obedience" in "you better do as I say", but rather in the concept of LOVE... because love involves obedience ... and obedience is about loving one another... ...  I do not think I can explain it really and these are the times when I wish I would have brought my phone into church so that I could have recorded it... but none-the-less, it did spark a light in my heart and made me reflect on "me" ... "me" as a daughter, a mother, a sister, a friend... am I, and have I been, obedient in loving God and others? well, as much as I would like to say "YES" ... the answer is "no, not always" .... 

Both Jews and Christians alike, know the "Ten Commandments" and I believe that most of us try to follow them as best we can.. the first and greatest of all, "I am the Lord, your God", invites us to accept and obey the glorious truth that He is OUR God, the One and only... if we do not, we are less likely to obey the rest of the Commandments. Personally, I am able to obey almost all of them except "Honor thy mother" ... not because I do not feel an immense love for her, but I realize that I falter because we simply do not "understand" one another really... her opinion matters to me and I am willing to change behaviors that she finds unpleasing to her, however, the fundamental core of who I am is simply "who I am" and I feel that, although I know she loves me, she does not like "who I am".... during the moments of conflict between us, I am definitely NOT the "best" I can be... I am the "worst" really because I am not obeying, and hence, not loving... and this truly makes me sad... 

Anyway, my resolution this coming year is to step back and ask myself if, in obeying what I am being asked to do, am I being loving?... (especially with my mother) ... I will ask myself if my actions will benefit another person? I will ask myself if it will build up the larger body? and ultimately, will it lead me on the path to be who I was created to be?.. the "best" me... the "me" that someone will say, "YOU" are what I liked best.... 

During this time of miracles and resolutions, I invite you all attempt to be the "best" YOU's that you can be... I humbly ask that YOU help me be the "best" ME.... let us help one another to be obedient to God and one another... let us give of ourselves... YOU are the greatest present you can ever give... let us give the love that is in our heart to those closest to us first.. our family, our friends, our co-workers... and then, let us give love to everyone we see and run into on the street or temple or church... and to everyone we share our thoughts and lives with in cyberspace.... all of the people that we encounter in the world deserve to feel the love that we can give them with just a simple smile or a hug or a handshake... we all deserve to see the "best" in each other... we all deserve to feel that we are the "best" in each other's lives ... stop and reflect... and pray and meditate about this: the LOVE fest begins with YOU.. the "best" YOU that you already are as a blessed child of God... for YOU are loved beyond measure and a cherished blessing to the world... 

I can't wait to be asked what I liked "best" so I can tell them it was YOU!

May 2014 be blessed with all things good... I see you... I carry your heart... I love you... and I salute the Divinity within YOU... from my heart to yours, Happy New Year... 
Elena

Ridiculousness

Hello from my heart to yours....

yes, the same greeting I use in my "blessing" blog... I just can't seem to find another greeting that expresses how I feel towards all of the fabulous people in the world... As you can see, I, also, changed the blog name... I thought I could write and rant and rave like a lunatic from "the other side", but THAT is not me either... I think I can be a "happy medium" though... maybe I can just tell you stories in a somewhat "blessing" form.. and/or maybe just vent a little (to prove I am far from perfect, which I am) and/or I could just BE... I don't know... we'll see... 

anyway... let me tell you about our "Little Laney" elf that arrived yesterday.. she is spectacular so far and my boys adore her... we took her to mass with us (of course, in my purse) ... the little girls in front us kept turning around eyeing her... it was so cute... my youngest keeps telling people that she is the little sister he will never have... I think it's just great how they have all welcomed her....

We have a new Pastor at our church... I like him.. he is young and very animated when he speaks.. yesterday's Homily was about how "ridiculous" we all become when there is a new baby on its way in the family... how the preparations truly go overboard... it was quite funny.. he even told his own family (36 of them) at an earlier mass, how ridiculous he thought they were...... he said the whole assembly was cracking up... I have seen this happening first-hand in my family, too... but, I am not really like this... I like my kids to have nice things, but I am pretty much of a conformist.. I don't have credit cards and believe that if I want something for myself or my children, I need to find it in my "cash" budget or save up until I do have it.. one of my brothers calls it the "poverty mentality"... that may be so, but we have not wanted for anything really... and we have traveled, in the U.S., Europe and the Caribbean, on a cash budget...  we have seen so much of the world because we deprive ourselves of those "ridiculous" things that everyone else seems to think they need... course, I will not pass judgement nor even voice my opinion to anyone about their lifestyle.. trust me when I say, "if they are happy, I am happier.." ... 

hmmmm... tangent writing... woo hoo... that's me!!! lol.... anyway, I think I learned, what I like to call "practicality" from my mother... she has to be the most practical person I have ever known.. and she tried to teach us that, in order to have more, we had to sacrifice and do with less ... so, no big hoopla's when I was pregnant 3 times... not from Ma at least, but my Sissy, (she's a "decorate our house every time the season changes" kind of girl), she wasn't paying attention to Ma's lesson... and so, for my 2nd child, she gave me a Margarita baby shower..lol... and for the 3rd one, she was there, holding my hand in the delivery room while our mother was galavanting around New Orleans with Daddy... lol.... being loved "ridiculously" by my Sissy is a great thing actually...  

Now... back to the Homily... the question he posed was "What "ridiculous" things will you do to prepare for the birth of the Baby Jesus?" .... my 16 year old turns to me and says, "well, carrying "Laney" around for 24 days is pretty "ridiculous", don't you think?" ...lol.... I suppose it is, however, this same teenager is requesting that Santa send him his own elf... he is so excited about all the shenanigans that could occur with 2 elves in the house... 

Regardless of that elf lunacy (and my other blog.. www.littlelaneyelf.blogspot.com), we weren't going to put up a Christmas tree... we keep saying we are going away... but I am a believer in Christmas.. and thanks to Laney and the Priest, I am pretty excited about preparing for the Baby Jesus in a "ridiculous" way... After all, if God could give us such a beautiful present, than we ought to be celebrating it... it is our Faith.. it is our Hope... it is our Love... I mean, what was I thinking? I am the one who converts the dining room table into a craft station every December... was I really thinking I wasn't going to do that this year? ... well, yes, I was thinking of not... but forget it... I am preparing for a new baby at Christmas... 

and so... whether or not you are awaiting the same baby... I pray that you will all be able to be "ridiculous" during the holiday season... it's about giving... giving of yourself... giving joy to others... giving peace to every one... I am getting that Christmas tree.. and I am going to play with Laney... and I am going to welcome the Baby Jesus the way that He should be welcomed ... After all, I am really good at "ridiculous" ...(at least for other things... lol..... )

May you be blessed with all things good always,
With Love,
Elena