A New Day that allows this Heart to be Grateful
Even
In the Midst Of 
What surrounds my day

Most of you know that this heart does not provide answers, instead shares a perspective of what I’m considering, what I'm working through, or have learned firsthand, and it is then shared with you, which my Dear Friend, has become my fulfillment. 




You and only you, can decide what can be an asset from this Heart Buffet, only you can decide,
and
Select what to carry along forward with you.  




This Journey H.B.B.A.
Is not about being Easy
And
It is not focused on being Hard


​

It is walking out “a new day” focused on decisions made in the moments, that have brought this heart the greatest joy.  It is a Heart Buffet "shared", filled with stories, images, and videos, allowing your heart to select what makes your day a little brighter, to remind your heart to focus on “what matters” every single day. 
​

For the past few days, I’ve considered, the power of link, and the Image above
Fit the Topic Accurately.



"Link Defined" for Topic; a ring or loop in a chain.

Similar words
Loop
Ring
Connection
Connective
Connector
Coupling
Joint



The Similar words speak volumes




The image represents to this heart “Moment to Moment” decisions that can offer an opportunity to “link” what Heart Matters.  



Like a book that has an opening
And
Offers an End



Beautiful are the Pages in the Middle that allow us to Link, create, to connect, to join together “what matters”



Making Gratitude Contagious is always the Intent,
infecting as many hearts as possible.



Gratitude allows us to live more on the Mountain Tops,
Even in the Seasons in the Valley, exercising Gratitude allows the Heart to Focus on the Hills,
the Focus is living in the Moments,
Creating the Moments
Moment to Moment
of what Heart Matters.



From a Heart that Knows
Exercising Gratitude Daily 
​"Robs Regret" 

Exercising Gratitude
Linking Daily to
What Heart Matters


An Exercise that Starts Out Small

But

Before You Know it
The Little that Started 
​Will Always Become Much Bigger

This Heart is no where close to having it all figured out.
In Fact,
This Heart knows that I will be seeking and learning for a Lifetime.


As a Woman of Faith
I'm walking out daily what matters for the Road Before Me
Asking, Seeking, Looking for a Closer Relationship with My Creator


This Heart has So Many Questions
and
Grateful to Know a Living God
A Creator that offers a Relationship
One that has been experienced
and 
Continues to offer an Open Door
A relationship
That Has Walked this Heart through Many, Many Difficult Places


This Heart is not Interested in a Ritualistic Religion
This Heart has Experienced and Continues to Experience
A God
Who Loves beyond Measure
Who Shares Wisdom when asked
Answers Given not on my schedule 
But
​Always On Time

A Relationship with a Living God
Who does not judge this Heart 
Based on the Many Questions Asked
Confronted with Difficult Conversations and Concerns

How does one Checked their Love Walk?
My daily routine of Gratitude
Includes
A Devotional Time with a Living God that I Know
That includes asking Questions
Studying a Topic
Searching for more answers
My Faith is that Love Matters
and
Choosing to Live Grateful 
even 
In the Midst of

No Matter Where You Are 
The Faith You Have or Don't Have

Lets Take This Time to Meet In the Middle 

Lets put away our Defense Mode
Allowing This Heart to Share
And 
You Take from this Moment
This Share 
From this Heart Buffet 
What "can be" An Asset for Your Journey Forward

Beautiful is Having a Conversation
Even
If we depart in Agreeing to Disagree
Love Matters
​Love does Not Judge
Love allows the Respect of Having a Conversation

You are invited on this Devotional
This Heart is Checking the Love Walk

It Begins with my Study
on 
​This Topic
​You are Invited to Walk it out with This Heart

13 And now these three remain: faith, hope and love. 
But the greatest of these is love.

My devotional starts with 
Yes, my foundation is 
Faith
Hope 
Love

But this says that the "greatest of these" is Love?!

The Greatest is Love?
With that
My study, my devotional needs to take the Next Step 
What is Love Defined?!
What is the outline associated to My Faith?!

Now 
This Heart Needs to Define Love
And
Then Measure Where I'm At
And
Continue to Work On
Where I can Improve

I Corinthians 13:4-8 
​"Love Is" Amplified Bible, Classic Edition 



4 Love endures long and is patient and kind; love never is envious nor boils over with jealousy, is not boastful or vainglorious, does not display itself haughtily.



In my Study,

What is Boastful Defined:
adjective
Showing excessive pride and self-satisfaction in one's achievements, possessions, or abilities.



What is Vainglorious Defined: 
vain·glo·ri·ous
adjective
Excessively proud of oneself or one's achievements; overly vain.


​
What is Haughtily Defined: 
Adverb. haughtily
In a haughty manner; with excessive or unwarranted pride.



5 It is not conceited (arrogant and inflated with pride); it is not rude (unmannerly) and does not act unbecomingly. Love (God’s love in us) does not insist on its own rights or its own way, for it is not self-seeking; it is not touchy or fretful or resentful; it takes no account of the evil done to it [it pays no attention to a suffered wrong].



6 It does not rejoice at injustice and unrighteousness, but rejoices when right and truth prevail.



7 Love bears up under anything and everything that comes, is ever ready to believe the best of every person, its hopes are fadeless under all circumstances, and it endures everything [without weakening].

​

8 Love never fails [never fades out or becomes obsolete or comes to an end].

13 And now these three remain: faith, hope and love. 
But the greatest of these is love.

If the Greatest of These is Love
I recognize the Areas 
That this Heart Needs Work In

This Heart Wants 
All that is possible 
For the Road Before Me
And 
My Devotion
My Gratitude
Allows This Heart to Recognize
Another area to Put in the Work 

This Heart Travels with Many
But
I've Learned that "I will always be accountable to one"

As Villagers know and if this is your first visit to our village, please know that…

This heart doesn’t share answers, instead shares a heart perspective, sharing what is being considered and exercised in my own life from my own experiences and environment. 
​This is a Heart Buffet, please take what can be an asset for your journey.

Exercising Gratitude is a great exercise, it allows the heart to put things in perspective. It allows an opportunity to Take a Pause, to remind yourself daily of what really matters.  

In fact, anything that we exercise in, or consistent with, we become stronger and it can become a foundation block as we build forward.

One of the greatest hurdles along life’s journey is our Thoughts and many times they can serve our life and can be an asset to our journey.  They can offer joyful memories and even provide lessons on the road behind, including dark places that were and are beyond our control. Thoughts can fuel our pursuit and aid in our perseverance through most things. 


Thoughts can also create confusion, they can drain our joy, they can tell a story to us, that has no truth, and in some cases, the deception, the lies of some thoughts can allow us to respond based only on assumptions. Thoughts can become a weight or define our possibilities, they can define the potential of the road before us and even set up a roadblock for the pursuit of what fulfills our hearts.

From my perspective, 
An exercise of any kind can become a habit, a reflex, or a go-to direction, it is a focus on the resources available for our heart and can determine where we place our pursuit, where we build upon our fulfillment. 

Only we can decide what thoughts to dance with, to allow our heart gate to welcome in,  to allow roots to be planted, from this heart that knows firsthand and continues to experience, that our faith can pull weeds based on the truth that we know, that comes from experiences of times pass and in fairness, that road can look different for all of us, dependent on where we are in our journey of peace within.

In the midst of all that we do, pursue, enjoy, we should be aware of the thoughts that whisper and many times our emotion provides a clue.  

Thoughts weighted
Thoughts hopeful
The Race our Thoughts Run can travel in many directions

But

Gratitude Matters at least for this Heart
From a Heart that Knows Firsthand


Living in this way
Has Allowed this Heart to Rob Regret
​Numerous Times

As the New Year Begins
Continued Blessings and Peace to You and Yours


From a Heart who understands
A New Day in a New Year 
Doesn't make things Disappear
or 
Challenging Areas become Non-Existent


What it can offer Us
Is a Fresh Perspective on How to Approach  
Whatever Changes that surround Us
Whatever is in our Midst
A Perspective determines our View




We can Intentionally Choose Our Focus
For
The Hopeful Road Before Us
For us to be reminded
That we should begin each day
With
 Just Being Grateful "to start"



There is always options
when we 
Exercise Gratitude
Gratitude allows us to Appreciate
What we do have "now"



Gratitude Removes the Focus
of
Always working from the Negative side of things
Looking always at What is Missing
Instead 
Of 
What we Have



We begin the New Year
These Days forward
with
Peace Within as our Foundation
With Great Things before us
With God's Expected Continued Blessings
In our Life
and
In the Lives who Surround Us
Expectant
Hopeful
Grateful
PEACE WITHIN


The Village of Gratitude
Exercising in it Daily
It will allow 
Our Hearts To Appreciate 
All that surrounds Us
Now
This Day, this Moment



We can locate the Options that are available
When we operate from the place called Calmness



"Gratitude Matters"


Great Things are before us

​
Hugs,

Yvette "Donyale"