With Thanksgiving now behind us, and the Black Friday shopping madness kicked off this weekend as well, the holiday season is now officially in full effect. Part of my Thanksgiving was spent in quiet reflection, prayer and praise for the many things I am grateful for this year. Among my long list of things I gave praise and thanks to God for was you. Yes...YOU!!!
Allow me, if you will, to share a little of my backstory of the last four years since Inspirational Love Notes first began with you. It will give you a better understanding of why I started doing this and how by doing so has brought me to appreciate all of you so much.
I created this blog in August of 2010. It was a Spirit inspired Divine Idea and a life rafter from God. I say that because I truly believe the idea to create Inspirational Love Notes was God's way of giving me something to float on and keep my head above the turbulent waters of life, I felt like I was drowning in, at that time. The idea to start this blog came during a time I felt life had blind folded me and tossed me into the middle of the ocean with no warning or swimming lessons. And I was desperately trying to find my way back to shore mentally, emotionally, physically and spiritually.
If you live here in the United States I think it goes without saying that 2010 was a rough year for most Americans. We were still in the thick of our struggling economy and almost everyone in our country was being hit badly by the recession....including me. I was experiencing my second lay-off over a two year time period that summer. On top of that, our Government was going through a lot of conflict with President Obama during the second year of his first term. And for some reason, still unclear to me, they decided to put a freeze on distribution of all unemployment funds, which was the only income for thousands of laid-off Americans...again, included me. That decision resulted in many Americans, myself included, suffering for months without receiving unemployment benefits at a time when finding new gainful employment was nearly impossible.
As if that wasn't enough to endure, that same dreadful year, my Father made his transition from this life unexpectedly. So, despite the fact that I was going through a serious financial hardship situation at the time, I had to figure out a way to get back to my home town in Michigan and be with my family as we laid my Dad to his final rest. That was in June 2010. Then just six months later following my Father passing my Spiritual Mother,whom I had a very close relationship with, made her transition from this life as well in December 2010.
She was my anchor, my "go to" person, my confidant, my spiritual teacher, mentor, life coach and very dear friend. She was the first person I always went to for comfort, love and wisdom to help get me through all the other challenges life threw at me over the twelve beautiful years I had known her. There was no one in my life at the time who could compare to the bond I had grown accustom to sharing with her. Needless to say, I was devastated by the news of her transition from this life. Yet, I am grateful that I was able to be there by her side during her final days.
However, at the time of her passing, I was also going through a personal health situation that resulted in me having an out-patient medical procedure. So I wasn't even able to attend her funeral because my medical procedure was scheduled for the same day as her funeral service. Losing my Spiritual Mom, especially on the heels of losing my Dad, was the blow to my heart that hit me the hardest. It was also the breaking point of my emotional pain tolerance. It was the worse of everything else I had already endured that year. Because she was the first, and main, person who would have normally been there to help me overcome the other series of devastating events that unfolded back to back all within that same year.
Needless to say, I was drowning in an ocean of emotional turmoil and despair. I've always been a deeply spiritual person of strong faith. But I had never experience that much, or that kind, of loss, hurt, disappointment and pain all at the same time in my entire life. I desperately needed an outlet, a place I felt emotionally safe to express what I was feeling at that time and allow my heart to heal.
Then I remembered, my spiritual practices have taught me that the best and fastest way to receive from the universe what you're most in need of is by giving that very thing away. So after countless nights of endless crying, grieving, and constant prayer for healing I was led in spirit to create Inspirational Love Notes for the following several reason.
First, I created it as a means of using my talents and gifts in a way that would honor God through service to others while waiting for my personal prayers to overcome my intense grief, restore my broken spirit, and heal my severely bruised heart to be fulfilled. Secondly, since my childhood, I have asked God to use me in a way that allows me to be a source of inspiration to other's. And to allow my unique talents and gifts to touch somebody else's life in a positive way.
Lastly, I created Inspirational Love Notes because I wanted to help others who may be going through some of the same painful experiences I went through in 2010, or worse. I wanted to encourage others to hang in there and keep the faith when life gets rough. More importantly, I wanted to do my part to ensure that no one going through such painful and difficult times in their life as I did, in 2010 and other times in my life before and after that dreadful year, to ever feel like they're gong through it alone. I wanted to help other's heal their wounded places within and in their relationships with others by awakening the love light that is innately in all of us and has the power to heal all things.
So, I started this blog and named it Inspirational Love Notes. My intention was for this to be a spin off of my radio show, Love Notes, that I created, produced and hosted here in Atlanta, Georgia in 2003-2004, that had the same concept of encouraging and inspiring others only through music rather than the written word.
Without a doubt, I have gone through and overcome a great deal of painful experiences over the last four years since I created this blog and began sharing my Inspirational Love Notes with you. Yet, as the scripture says in Romans 8:28, "...we know that all things work together for good to those who love God." This is one of my favorite scriptures that has stood the test of time. And it has proven true repeatedly in my life. I have come to realized that none of what I went through in 2010, the last four years since then, or my entire life, has been in vain. Nope...None of it! Because all of it has led me right where I need to be and prepared me for what I now realize I've been called in Spirit to do. All that I have gone through has brought me to this moment in time sharing the wisdom and lessons I have come to learn from it all with you. And for that I am so deeply grateful.
Sharing my daily inspirational messages with you has allowed me to inspire others while heal my severely wounded heart and soul. It has allowed me to give my gift to the world by doing what comes to me so naturally. While spiritual growth is an ongoing process, I can say with great certainty, that since I started this blog and began sharing my daily inspirational love notes with you, I have received in return, the blessing of evolving spiritually and seeing my talent as a poet and writer grow as well in ways I never imaged. And for that I am also deeply grateful.
I never thought when I began sharing my daily messages of love with you on my Facebook Group, Inspirational Poetry & Love Notes, that I would have the positive response from so many people as I now do. But it has been a two way street.
You all have been just as much a blessing and source of inspiration to me as many of you have let me know I have been to you. Your feedback is important to me. And many of you have shared with me how my positive articles, poems, and quotes have been so helpful to you while coping through your own personal life struggles you are working to overcome. So this Inspirational Love Note is a special dedication to you to express my heartfelt gratitude for letting me know we have been growing and healing together.
As a result of your continuous support, by sharing my daily Love Notes with your Facebook family and friends, I am excited and delighted to share with you that I now have followers on my Facebook Group, Inspirational Poetry & Love Notes, from all over the world. For this reason, the time has come for me to expand the way I share my Love Notes with you. I have recently created an Inspirational Love Notes Page on Facebook that allows me the ability to reach more people.
With that said, I salute you and thank you for your continued support over the last four years. I look forward to continue growing with you and serving you. Most importantly, I look forward to continue being a source of light, love, and inspiration in your life and to the world through each and every one of you who read my daily messages and share them with someone else. Together we can heal hearts all over the world...one Inspirational Love Note at a time.
So rather you're a new follower or already an established member of my Facebook Group, please click the link below and Like my new Inspirational Love Notes Page on Facebook to continue following me.
https://www.facebook.com/InspirationalLoveNotes
Until next time...I surround you all in Love & Light!
A One Love Production
By Anna MsPoet Hendricks
Copyright November 2014
No comments:
Post a Comment