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How Do You Have Peace In A Storm?!
No One Said Easy, not sharing Answers, sharing a Perspective. Helping Build Bridges Across is a Buffet Table, take what can be an asset and leave the rest behind. "When", not if a storm hits, you are left with what lives inside. Exercising Peace within may never be mastered but we all have a choice to Exercise. Exercising Peace allows Calmness in the midst of a storm to find "Resolution" How Do You Have Peace In A Storm?! There is no answer, but my shared perspective is to seek and to find what you are willing to die on because that belief, that focus will determine what you are you willing to live on. That focus will determine your conversations, your words and your actions "daily" No One Promised Us that Tomorrow will Look the Same As Today and for "some" it determines how we live daily No One Said Easy and now that we know that we each decide daily our Focus.
#MakingGratitudeContagious was, is and always will be the intent
 Can We Dance? Can we dance in our differences Can we dance in having different experiences Can we dance with “love” as our foundation Can We Dance? Can we dance appreciating the “vibe” of someone else that is not the same Can we dance "listening" more than talking in conversation that offers a different view Can we dance that there will always be distractions that are always attempting to steal our focus and joy Can we dance knowing that we will not agree on everything Can We dance? I may not understand I may not resonate with your steps I may not know Your Story behind your Smile or Anger I may not know Your Why But I respect that you have a voice Can we just dance knowing that we all have to decide on... The dance partner that we choose to be along this journey Bringing Joy, Peace, Laughter and Love to any room or space we encounter Always A Choice Can We dance? We get one along this path, always a choice to be An Asset or Liability Not Sharing Answers Sharing a Perspective Can We Dance? Dance of Love Dance of Compassion Dance of an Empathetic Heart Dance of one who recognizes the "Hourglass" along this journey Can We dance? Can we dance in our differences Can we dance in having different experiences Can we dance with “love” as our foundation Can We dance?  "Choosing to Dance" #MakingGratitudeContagious is always the intent
Written and spoken by Donyale "Change is Found Where..." ~ Full Audio ~ Change is found where?! The loss of any loved one creates a broken heart and taken at the hands of injustice brings another level of grief, including anger, to a family and to close friends who will walk in the ripple of that grief for the remainder of life’s journey. My husband of almost 20 years was murdered, he was shot in the back with an assault rifle, by a 17-year-old black boy, a Craigslist Predator with history who was allowed to roam the streets, who at the time was a year older than our oldest black son: The full story and predator being sentenced in court is found on the Homesite, Helping Build Bridges Across.com, it’s found under "Living in my Truth" Change is found where?! From that encounter, from that moment, from that season, did it make all black teenage boys a predator?, which if defined as a black teenage boy being a predator, that would include at that time my sons?! ***From my view, from my perspective, from my pain it offered an opportunity to take the pain and to do something with it, that makes a difference in the life of someone else, to take the energy to intensify sharing, not just in a sandbox, but as working and planting seeds of Gratitude everyone my feet, my voice travels. The place where change is vitally needed is in “the heart”, “the heart”, that alone brings my heart fulfillment, that removes the title for me of just being a “victim” and titles of defeat, hopelessness, does not work well for me. Life and future generations is too precious to lie down with that, choosing to do nothing, to live in open wounds. Helping Build Bridges Across.com intensified after my life was altered, it changed my view, it changed my focus and it put me in a state of working in a garden. Making Pain Purposeful, Along life’s journey, for the remainder of my days. My perspective is that we are always working in a garden, we’re always deciding where to plant flowers and where to pull weeds. Walk with me for just a moment, listen to my heart, I will continue to share my story because my husband Todd was here and his life meant something to us, to our family, to many dear friends, and my Faith gives me hope beyond a grave and for that I’m grateful, it is God’s Grace that carried me through a very difficult time, that arrived in an instant. That same Grace allows me to give my heart, my time, my hope and prayers that changes of the heart will harvest along my travels, along my journey. My faith is what allows me to live inside out, never mastered, but to exercise, to exercise, to exercise peace within I have life, for me that means I have an opportunity to share my story and I will continue to share, not for sympathy, while a kind heart expressing kind words is always appreciated, but it is not the reason for my share, it’s not the reason, it’s not the reason, it is not the reason for my work. My share is an invitation for change, for connecting with hearts filled with compassion, believing that love always wins and that empathy allows maybe not a complete understanding of each other, but a respect to listen, not to judge or to assume. My share is for the heart that is in pain, for the heart that may be in a dark room to know they are not alone, my invitation is for those who want to connect and who want to be a part of the work in this garden, planting seeds called Gratitude. Change is found where?! Planting Seeds of Gratitude is a daily work, decided in the moment, by words and actions, by sharing, by commenting, by exposing and bringing awareness to Helping Build Bridges Across. This is an invitation for the heart who wants to be a part of planting seeds of Gratitude, who wants to answer an Eagle Call in an area that fits their heart and fits their fulfillment. In this community, it is not one size fits all, simply get in where you fit in and is the place best for you. An Eagle Call is a way to connect, to join in the work ‘if led to” An invitation is not a requirement, it is not an obligation, it is bringing awareness and the choice is always your own. Thank you for all that you have done, by listening, reading, sharing that is connecting and that is a form of “doing” and any of what is on your heart to do wherever, and whenever be it here or anywhere if it is planting seeds of gratitude, or words and actions wrapped in kindness. That is “doing” Change is found where?! There are no answers to provide, grief comes in waves and each one experience is unique to their own journey. Helping Build Bridges Across is an open door while someone grieves and could use encouragement from a heart that knows, it’s an open door for those who appreciate inspiration, it is an open door for one who may be just curious, it is an open door for the one who knows the gravity of planting, in this community planting seeds of gratitude, recognizing whatever we plant will grow.  Change is found where?! My heart, my work, my fulfillment now extends beyond my doorstep, finding its own way to any heart around at any given point at any given place. My heart is lodged with many things and like an artist, I release it, where it goes is God’ Business. Only He knows the heart that could benefit from whatever is shared. This is “my why” Gratitude is vital, it’s not just a word or a slogan, T-shirt, or a campaign at least here at Helping Build Bridges Across. Gratitude is an extension, an action of Love and it plants seeds in the hearts of many, by actions, by words in a moment, not a destination, not an event but in daily travels, an action, words and with any seed, a harvest grows that can live for a lifetime, that can extend for generations. That is a beautiful legacy that is an opportunity for each of us. Living in Love, expressing Gratitude, allows the majority of moments to be filled with laughter, love, just silliness and togetherness. Life’s Journey shared with someone or walking alone, we know all days are not blue skies and joyful, of course not, There are hard places, frustrating, challenging seasons a part of life’s journey, but it was and it is an exercise, maybe never mastered, an exercise. an exercise. As a woman of Faith, I took time to ask God, to cry out, to grieve, to gain my footing, to catch my breath so that I could continue and to be the parent my sons needed. That was my Pause during an unimaginable season. This allowed when the Storm disrupted my life, altered my family’s life, left Yes with a grieving season, which travels in waves and leaves you with a tattooed heart but this Gratitude, this Taking a Pause “allowed” me to “robbed” the Thief Named Regret. How? This journey online started in 2014, it was a sandbox, a journey to travel together, I shared what I lived and in my home, it was not waiting, it was sharing what I was thinking, doing what i could do in the moments to express love. Not everyday as in any home is a great day, but that means space, not confusion, a choice, an exercise. “No One Said Easy” In an instant when life changes, you don’t get a second chance to say I’m sorry or to rearrange a decision, In an Instant, means it done, what was said has been said, what was done, is done and it will be left in the heart and thoughts for the remainder of the journey. I pray that if that is you, please know, there is healing to that and to reach out to get help if needed, a local church, trusted family or friends and if needed professional help. The sucide hotline is available 7 days a week, 24 hours a day, please don’t hesitate if you need that, if you have life, you have purpose, a reason to be here. Suicide Hotline: 800-273-8255  Change is found where?! We don’t know the road ahead, the journey, we don’t know every detour, or challenge that we may face, living in this current season of an unprecedented time is a great example, who would ever imagine in our lifetime facing a pandemic, where loved ones have been lost, but when we live daily with a Grateful Heart, even in challenging seasons we understand the journey in a different way. Pain for some has become purposeful, a shift, a focus, a work in the season that we have been afforded. A choice, if we share nothing else, no common belief, opinion, viewpoint, or perspective, we do share one thing around this world, “this life” will come to a close. We will no matter our current team, t-shirt, or organization, our chapter will come to a close and we leave behind the seeds we chose to plant along the journey. That alone should give us pause… My perspective is that some are filled with love and compassion and with that same measure, “Some people are just evil and filled with hate, It makes sense now, and has for some time including what happened to my husband Todd, my heart, my foundation is “love” mainly because I recognize how short my season of life along this journey is, my heart is that I have two wonderful young men that I will depart this life leaving behind, praying throughout that enough has been instilled for the remainder of their journey, their road ahead. Change is found where?! From a heart that knows, when that storm in an instant alters life and we are only left to access the damage, while grieving is the process,we fight regret by doing, by being the best version that we can be. My husband and I celebrated moments and even in moments not great, my response was a “peaceful silence” not words or actions that I may never have the opportunity to take back, This was and is an exercise of how I “choose to” live” that is the work and that is my fulfillment. I’m sharing my truth, not for applause, not for sympathy, and not for follow or likes. My heart shares for “that one” grieving, that one feeling alone, that one feeling hopeless or confused, that one who just needs to know there is a fragment of “love” left in this world. The work is to exercise living inside out, pausing before just saying or doing anything, the work is to rob the thief named regret, there is a freedom in that, “when” not if, but “when” life change Change is found where?! It is an injustice beyond words to express when someone or “anyone” has the audacity to take the life of someone else in situations where there is no immediate threat, that in itself is a level of anger or hate, or disregard of human life that I do not understand, except to title it as evil. Change is found where?! You can’t write a blog post like this and not mentioned the current climate, a man, Mr. George Floyd, my condolences to his family. My share is that no one, no matter what color, no matter what they have done, should not lose their life on the street. We have courts, we have a system rather we believe it to be just or not that allows a human being to have the right to due process. No man, no person, not even an animal should lose their life with a knee on the neck for 08:46 seconds and for anyone who wants to take a moment, or find a way to understand the gravity of that… Set a timer for that 08:46 and sit still and consider a knee on your neck, with your arms behind your back in cuffs, with someone kneeling on your legs and allow the timer to count down, don’t move, don’t say a word and then consider if that is an Injustice? Change is found where?! My husband killed by a Craigslist Predator who had history with this crime, Mr. George Floyd killed by a police officer trained to protect and serve the community...the thought I have is “how many lives” were killed unjustly by just these two examples, by two men we don’t know, how many lives that we don’t know about that lost their life on the street. My heart knows an injustice, by the murder of my husband yes, but also as a granddaughter of my father’s father, who was killed by racist hands in Covington, TN When you have a history, a moment of hate and an injustice, only you, only I can decide to continue the hate, the vigilante justice on the street or we can do the work every single day. Until when Donyale, from my heart there is no end, the end is when journey, my chapter comes to a close That will be my departure from the garden that I was left to tend, but the harvest to be worked will continue because there will be many hearts in the field. We all have a place, we all a part, we all have a pebble to throw in the water  #MakingGratitudeContagious is always the intent
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