“Mental prayer is nothing else than an intimate friendship, a frequent heart-to-heart conversation with Him by whom we know ourselves to be loved.”
-Saint Teresa of Avila

JOY.

"Joy does not simply happen to us. We have to choose joy and keep choosing it every day!" -Henri Nouwen

"What is capable of restoring enthusiasm and confidence, what can encourage the human spirit to rediscover its path, to raise its eyes to the horizon, to dream of a life worthy of its vocation – if not beauty?" - Pope Benedict XVI

I was just reading some of the posts on The Life You've Given Me and thinking about how I hardly ever take the time to think about all the blessings I've received that day or to thank God for the little things (and often the big things too!). So I've resolved to write down at least one thing I'm thankful for each day as a way to make my self more aware of the blessings in my life.

Today I'm thankful for time to relax and be crafty and spend time with friends.

“It is the gift of your whole heart that God most desires, a heart without pretense or posturing, a heart in all its honesty, beauty, passion, and brokenness, a heart pulsing with love, joy, sadness, delight, doubt, pain, anguish, even anger. True love expresses all emotions, and true love—God’s true love for you—accepts them.”