count your blessings

hope you all are having a beautiful sunday afternoon in june :) 

today as I was driving home from lunch with a friend, I was coasting along PCH which runs parallel to the ocean and can't help but thinking about how blessed I am in this life.

its not to say, everything has been handed to me exactly how I wanted. in fact, if you know even a little bit of my story, my testimony, you know, it was quite the opposite. its been a hard journey but I honestly wouldn't change one thing.

I've been used and abused and have done the same to myself, other people, drugs, food, sex, whatever, you name it. 

the friend I had lunch with today knew me right in the midst of my wild days in hollywood. when I quit college, I was already spiraling in a bad direction and my teacher saw it but there was so little he could do.

we hadn't spoken in probably 4 years until today. it was a random out of the blue facebook message he sent me saying he was going to be in LA and wanted to get together. I always liked him, admired him and so I agreed.

he's been going through really tough personal times in his own life. his story is not mine to tell or share but he's been in a dark place.....

so he came to me.

ME? why? I was confused.

he told me he's seen me grow and watched me help others online, including him. he spoke about one video I did that he said changed his life, and made him start taking steps towards a better future.

he's no longer working at the college I went to, he's not working at all....but I gave him my advice and told him just to take from my story what he will.

the best piece of advice I could give anyone, the one piece of advice that changed my life is this....

SEEK THE LORD, AND LEAN NOT ON YOUR OWN UNDERSTANDING.

Jesus is my savior and He is yours too. He is always there for you and always will be.

get on your knees and pray every day. pray for forgiveness, strength, love, hope, happiness, health, thanks, just pray and pray again. 

God will see you through everything and God will always provide.

I wrote that I was driving along the beach back to my home in the sweet little town I live in, in a car I've always dreamed about having with leftovers from an amazing upscale restaurant.....but here's the thing, those things were not the blessings I was thankful for.

in fact, I always thought once I had money, I'd be happy. 

its not the case.

I've been rich, I've been poor, rich again off sin money, poor, rich, etc....and who knows what tomorrow will bring.

but I'll tell you this. money does NOT equal happiness.

being poor. you think if you had enough money to buy things you want or nicer cars, you'll be happy. you won't be.

being rich, you think having money will get you friends and find you love. it won't.

you have to look into yourself and find what makes YOU happy. 

forget the material bullshit.

forget where you're living.

all you have to remember is if you're being the best person you can be. are you serving God's purpose?

I found my own happiness by church. I go to church every Sunday and my soul is happy. I feel refreshed, I feel inspired to share God's word with the people.

I love what I do. I thought I stumbled upon youtube to entertain you all but I realized that I stumbled upon youtube to INSPIRE. to do good for OTHERS and not just for me.

today I realized I was blessed by the gift God has given me. the gift to reach a mass of young girls and INSPIRE them to do better, be better, want more, and be more. to not fall trap to the devil and a life of sin but to be what God intended, beautiful daughters of Christ. to shine in his Name.

COUNT YOUR BLESSINGS.

do you have wonderful parents? children who love you? do you provide for someone? visit a friend? take care of the sick? teach our children? help others? do you cook for your family? do you inspire someone? do you lend a ear to friends in need? do you give great advice? are you an amazing hugger? do you smile at strangers or wave to your neighbors?

everyday we are blessed with air in our lungs and that is no mistake. God woke us up for a reason this morning. to go live a purpose driven life.

acknowledge your blessings and share them with the world.

and remind others how truly blessed they are.

know that....

YOU ARE BLESSED.

and don't ever forget that :)

you were meant to live a wonderful life. 

ox

Trish