If I focus on the glass as half-empty instead of half-full, giving thanks this year really requires me to dig deep.  If I focus on the “appearances of things,” I can barely see just how much the universe blessed me because the sorrow that I endured clouds my judgment. Fortunately, my favorite scripture is John 7:24, which says judge not by “appearances” but judge by righteous judgment. This means that we have to look beyond our circumstances, beyond the world around us, beyond physical challenges and open our eyes to see the presence of God.

Sometimes we are so busy focusing on our losses that we fail to see our gains.  We are so busy feeling sorry for ourselves that we fail to realize just how magnificent we are.  We are so busy examining our deficits that we fail to celebrate our strengths.  We are so busy mourning the loss of our loved ones that we fail to open our hearts to those who are right within our midst.

When the year began, one of my family members lost their job and another was diagnosed with cancer, which caused a great deal of stress – taking its toll on my mind, body and soul.  Judging by the appearances of things, I forgot to give thanks that I wrote a new book entitled Seeing Myself As God Sees Me, a journal created for the express purpose of re-defining our experiences – not based on what we see but on the full power and purpose of who we are as spiritual beings.

I forgot to give thanks for spontaneous moments of joy, like the winter day when Raquiba and I painted, allowing ourselves to release all inner inhibitions and go with the flow of the co-creative energy of the universe.

In the spring time, Marlon and I turned 57.  At least I didn’t complain about age.  I was on my proverbial death bed at 17, so I give thanks for every year.  This year blessed me with 40 years since I graduated from high school, something that a few of my close high school classmates cannot do because they have made their transitions.

I give thanks for knowing my dear friend Kenneth Jones and also Karen Smith and Karen Emmanuel, grateful for once bonding with their awesome souls.  I was so focused on my imperfections that I forgot to thank God for the continued opportunity to be blessed with this life, this love, and this lasting body temple.  In the Spirit, we are all perfect beings of light.

In the Spirit, we are so much more than the size we long to be or the money we long to have or the relationship we long to be in.  We are the power of God, expressing as each unique breath that forms and shapes our flesh, our focus, our fine, our fierce, our fantastic, our free.

I was so busy moving forward to respond to the daily demands of work, church and home, that I forgot that I was able to hire a number of people for the City in the spring and thus was part of the catalyst that allowed them to improve their lives and add value to their professional development.

I forgot to give praise for the confluence of events and the divine calling that urged me to expand my ministry of diversity and inclusion to NYC’s Bravest, a powerful opportunity to bring divine ideas to an agency who already does so much good and continuously makes incredible strides to serve more, give without ceasing and be even better.

I give thanks for those who helped me achieve my goals and who continuously provide mentoring, friendship and support.

In the summer, my dad passed away at 95 years old.  As Marlon and I raced back and forth to Michigan, I forgot to thank God for safe travels and wonderful visits to Niagara Falls on the way.  Thank you Marlon for having the time and the strength and the wisdom and the compassion to always be there, every step, every instant, every mile of the way.

I forgot to thank God that although my mom fractured her ankle, I caught the beginning stages of her stroke and thus the doctors were able to stop it without any side effects.  I forgot to thank God for the wonderful funeral and show of support from friends, family and job and the ability to move my mom within a few weeks to a much better apartment complex.

I was so busy focusing on not reaching my fitness goals that I forgot to thank God for adhering to my usual 4-6 day workout regime and for John, Vaughn and all of my fellow gym buddies who provide a supportive presence.

I forgot to be glad that I have been 100% well all year, without an ache or pain or even a cold that I can remember (I must have had one).  Thank you God that I have never had a hot flash or any other symptom of being nearly 60 years old, that I am an ageless goddess who defies limitations and boundaries, who moves forward as the power and presence of Spirit.

Several other friends and colleagues lost their parents and loved ones, which made me forget to thank God for all of our loved ones who are here.  Thank you God for giving me the means to attend Cynthia Adam’s 7-year celebration of being a cancer survivor at her 50th birthday party at the Ritz Carlton.  Thank you for those wonderful spa treatments and the divine fellowship of so many sisters doing great things.  We partied for two days in full recognition of the awesome power of God.  Thank you for planting the seed in these festivities for a 2017 God is a Brown Girl Too retreat in Hawaii.
Thank you God for leading us through a year of continued Metaphysical Bible Study – since 2013 — and for just now arriving in the Book of Proverbs.  Thank you for our continuous growth in ministry, for Marlon’s ordination and leadership, for Raquiba, Liz, Cassius, Harold, Nan, Raymond, Denise, Kia, Mark, Paulette, Latanya, Sandy, Sonya, Bernadette, Vanessa, Frankie, Fern, Winifred, and so many others’ support.  Thank you for getting us up each Saturday morning at 7 A.M. and every Monday night at 8 P.M. to pray for the miracles that are always ours to welcome into manifestation.  Thank you for the meditation blog that somehow I manage to post each day.

Thank you for 9 years of Spiritmuv.

How awesome it was God, to be a presenter at the national Metaphysical Bible Conference organized by Mark Hicks at Independence Unity in Independence, Missouri.  It was amazing sharing the podium with such great teachers as Eleanor Fleming, Tom Thorpe, Gloria Holt, and so many others.

I look forward to teaching at our 2017 conferences.

Thank you God for allowing me to live-stream on Mark’s amazing www.truthunity.net website.

Thank you God for the opportunity to do my part in contributing to truth teachings in this great nation – regardless of who is President or who is in Congress because I know that Spirit not politicians, businesses or even grass roots organizations are in control.  Spirit, Divine Mind, the Kingdom in us, the universe is in control – not limited by the appearances of things but unlimited in the only power that there is which is the grace of God.

Thank you God for all of the blessings that have brought us thus far and continue to lead us on your way.