Joy in the Moment

Joy comes wrapped in the simpliest things like spending time sharing a family tradition. In the midst of a snowfall, wrapped up like a scene from "The Christmas Story" we find joy. Laughter is the sweetest of sounds.

Merry Christmas to all and we pray you find your joy this season and many reasons to be thankful.

Teresa Gale

Joy in Accomplishments

One of my most joyful moments was witnessing my daughter receive her diploma from Ursuline. She works full time, married and expecting a baby here and managed to graduate. The joy in her accomplishment thrills me to this day. I am so very proud of her. Love you so much.

Teresa Gale

Joy in Celebrations

There are so many celebrations in life. One of them is celebration of birthdays. I celebrate the life of my husband. There is joy in having him in my life, I am so thankful for him every day. He brings me much joy and love.

Jumping for Joy

On a recent family vacation, I watched from the safety of the boat dock as my grandson jumped with abandon into the water. I was blessed enough to have him repeat this so I could capture it on film.

It's a great feeling to let go and jump right in and children seem to do so without fear while we adults tend to hold back, consider the waters before we jump in.

Watching my grandson jump in with so much joy inspires me to not "fear the waters" but to jump into my own life.

May we all today be blessed with enough child-like joy to Jump for Joy!

Teresa Gale

Joy Part 2

I posted a photo last Friday depicting joy of my mom and her great grandchild, Logan. As I sat writing for NANO this morning, I thought of joy and how often it escapes us and can go unnoticed.  Today I found this photo, one of my favorites of two daughters and see the joy so clearly on their faces.

The story I am writing has been a journey into so many places, one of them being finding the joy that is alive in myself. I had so long pushed it away, to busy to take notice, too serious to allow myself to play.

I am blessed to have found joy in my life and my new desire is that I take hold of it daily. I no longer wish to push things away until that perfect time. There is no time like the present.

My blessings in joy have been my children. As a mother, my heart overflows with joy that God allowed me to share in the lives of such beautiful people. He blesses me with six and continues those blessings with grandchildren.

I pray today, we all find those moments of joy and live in those moments. I pray each of us finds the joy God has created in every one of us and lets celebrate in it.

Teresa Gale

Just a Single Moment: Joy!

There are single moments in life that need to be treasured. Pure Joy!

Write Time

I have been spending the last eleven days in the trenches of writing. It has sure been awhile since I challenged myself to tell a story. Although this story is not my best, it has been a very liberating writing. I am on this incredible journey with my writing right now, unearthing things I had long wanted to release.

I pray that God leads me to deeper truths and that after this challenge is over, a new journey will begin. So while I have been exhausted from work, writing and all that it entails, I am also excited about how good it feels.

Life is short, too short to waste time not enjoying those things you love. Life is meant to be lived, to love and to experience so much more. Life is about letting go and allowing God to work in your life. In my life I have held on to things far too long. I have held on to stuff that has held me back. God is leading me to a new place and a new awareness of life.

This early morning, I struggled to wake and write. I made the coffee and took the dogs out to find snow on the ground. Not much, but snow. At first I groaned about it, but the crisp air entered my lungs and woke me up to an awareness of the beauty in this white stuff. It is a new day, a new season and I am alive.

Take time today to enjoy life. Take a moment and think of something you truly love and then go do it. May this day be filled with the rich blessings in life. Go out and play in the snow.

National Writing

It's that time of year again and I am more determined to finish this year even if my unfinished novel is jibberish! I want to write and have allowed so much else get in my way. So this year I am facing this challenge and going forth.

I will keep you all posted as much as I can.

Wish me luck.

Teresa Gale

Just A Single Moment-Sunrise Over the Falls