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It may be more accurate to call this post "confessions of a blogger" than counselor confessions to be honest. Recently reflecting upon priorities, choices, and actions to determine which ones align with my highest goals and which ones border on self-destructive sabotage contradicting my top values. Moving my domain GratefulGwen.com from the FREE blogger host to the paid WIX host is one of those decisions I am reevaluating at this time. The reason I share this thinking out loud with you is because it may save you money if you are considering making a similar move. At this point I have already invested enough time, money, and energy to stay put for a while. However, knowing what I know now (hindsight being 20/20 like it is) the best plan for my content and purposes would've been to remain on a free site to journal online to my heart's content. I will say that this (WIX) platform provides a lot more options and is fun to use! For someone truly interested in setting up a successful business I highly recommend it! But for a simple "Dear Diary" girl like me, it is more [expensive] than I need to process my lifelong learning experiences online. As it turns out, I have no interest in selling anyone anything. Selling is not one of my giftings, whether it be products or services as proven time and time again after several weak and vain attempts. So investing in advertising on any forms of social media including this one is a waste of my precious income and resources I have been entrusted with to steward for my Master. I have also learned that viewing social media prompts exposure to advertisements from accounts working hard to convince me I NEED their products and services, which then dominoes to me purchasing items which often contradict the following Top Ten goals I have personally prioritized for my life: God First (First of two greatest commandments) Quality Time w/Family (Friends are family too) "Washing Feet " (being of service--second of two greatest commandments) Minimalism Financial Peace (includes tithing) Mindfulness/Gratitude/Sobriety Retirement Planning Time/Mobility FREEDOM Health/Fitness (contrary to popular beliefs, does NOT require a bunch of fancy equipment/memberships/processed supplements) Serenity Until my current 3 year payment plan commitment runs out, I shall remain here with those of you who may be interested in chatting, reading, encouraging, relating, wondering, sharing, or finding a safe space to connect and be heard at this blogsite. And until I am required to start paying to upload videos onto my YouTube channel I will be happy to continue to provide FREE content there for my precious granddaughter Kalani and YOU, if you're interested in reading with us. I'm here if you want to chat. May you be well, calm, and living out your highest priorities today.

Maybe we can be anything we choose to be! Maybe we were created and chosen for such a time as this! Maybe we are discovering our carefully crafted purpose one day at a time! Maybe instead of "manifesting" my "vision" with the help of the "universe," my GOD is giving me the Psalm 37:4 desires of my heart because I delight in HIM! Just MAYBE... Even if this YouTube channel only serves the purpose of sharing beautiful bedtime stories with my precious granddaughter Kalani across the Atlantic Ocean, it is enough for me. If others happen to enjoy the stories with us, that is icing on the proverbial cake! As for me, I will continue to pray like it depends on God, and work [serve] like it depends on me! Because in my experience, both are true! Do what you love. Love what you do. I happen to love reading, writing, editing, photography, creating reels on Instagram, dancing, swimming, playing, nature walks, educating, counseling, dreaming, praising, petting pets, singing joyfully, mindfulness meditations, yoga, prioritizing peace, loving God and people to name a few of my favorite things. What do you love? What are a few of your favorite things? How often do you get to do them? Are you satisfied with your life choices so far? If not, how can I help? Take my hand. Let's chat! Do you struggle with anxiety or fears? WHY do I share part of my Daily Dancing with you via Instagram Reels? Because it is one of many ways I express my gratitude, praise, and joy for what my God has done in my life! He has healed my broken heart, plantar fasciitis, spiritual malady, depression, and so much more! My Higher Power has redeemed, restored, renewed, and is in the power of now bringing revival for the lost, broken, anxious, and hurting who have ears to hear. So I will DANCE and SING and SHOUT OUT with grateful glee comfortable in my own skin FINALLY! May you be healed and be able to sing "It is well with my soul" after your own sweet surrender friends, family, and foes.

Recently got the pleasure of listening to motivational speaker Kevon Lee from the local "hood" in San Bernardino empowering our students to FINISH STRONG! His inspirational words resulting from choices to overcome difficult life circumstances contained wisdom beyond his years. My personal favorite came at the end of his talk when he asked the students "What are the two most powerful words in the English language?" His answer "I AM!" Kevon asked the students to fill in the blank and complete the sentence with positive affirmation statements such as "I am strong!" "I am a hard worker!" "I am capable of great things!" "I am going to be President and improve the state of this country!" You get the idea. To be clear there was absolutely nothing "religious" about this secular presentation at a public school setting at all, respecting separation of church and state wholeheartedly. However, reading between the lines from my unique perspective, I listened... and what I heard with [Matthew 11:15] ears to hear was all about him being on fire [Luke 3:16] calling students to finish strong [1 Corinthians 9:24-27] and the G.O.A.T. [Greatest Of All Time] I AM [Exodus 3:14] empowering students with [Philippians 4:13] strength to finish this school year strong! Breathing deeply, inhaling peace, and exhaling the chaos of this broken world... If "over-posting" on social media qualifies as a character defect, then add that one to my inventory please. Because I am clearly guilty of that sin. Yes, I do realize a few of my most beloved ones shake their heads embarrassed on my behalf at the excessive media publications through a variety of forums---often times impulsively displayed publicly. And I have decided to be okay with that. Breathing deeply and taking inventory once again... Not only on material possessions, but also spring cleaning media storage space to create room for sharing personally prioritized values which may be useful for others as well. Created to Dream as a lifelong learner with a growth mindset, I regularly take steps to clean my proverbial house, organize priorities, and hit the reset button on my life choices. "If it ain't broke, don't fix it" is a wise old adage. However, if it could be improved, why not do it? At least that's my philosophy. So in this moment, in the power of now, praying to improve the choices I am making, gradually producing more meaningful, creative, quality content along the way with strength from my Shepherd for his glory and good pleasure. Work in progress to practice more mindfulness when it comes to quality vs. quantity, posting as often as The Spirit leads or I choose to share just for fun or educational purposes. Live your life. You only get one in this temporary Earth suit. Make it a good one! May you BREATHE DEEPLY, move because it's FUN, and eat when you're hungry! "Give us this day our daily bread... " Maybe you know the rest and can take it from there friends. The Art of Being:

Whether it's noticing the lovely heart creatively foamed on the top of your favorite latte, intuitively knowing what your body needs in this moment, or reading a book which captures your imagination that has you appreciating the imagery in cloud formations above; noticing is a peaceful, useful practice of curiosity allowing us to see the beauty in others and the world around us at large. Not too long ago, I read this exquisite children's book, by the same name as this post, on my former YouTube Channel. Since then I have deleted that channel for reasons related to ego and lack of a streamlined focus. The replacement channel began with sharing beloved bedtime stories originally displaying that name. Then it evolved into Grateful Gwen Good Reads overtime adding videos more geared toward adult enlightenment and self improvement such as Practicing Mindfulness and Intuitive Eating. Not that there is anything wrong with those good reads, but it was not the original intention for this channel. As a result, my Higher Power directed me back on track: TODAY I am genuinely excited to share with you... NOTICING! As much as I would love to share all of the wonderful meditations and mindfulness mantras from this helpful book below with you; reality has announced "out of storage space" with Wix managed site until plan is upgraded. Life is full of choices. Choose wisely. May your God-given intuition serve you and others well today friends.

From Oxford Languages: in·tu·i·tion /ˌinto͞oˈiSH(ə)n,ˌintəˈwiSH(ə)n/ noun the ability to understand something immediately, without the need for conscious reasoning. "we shall allow our intuition to guide us" I don't know about you, but it has only been in recent years that I am finally learning to trust my *intuition. In some ways, I suppose you could say I am a bit of a "late bloomer." Another often quoted expression one could use to describe my naïve gullibility is "ignorance is bliss" coined by the English poet Thomas Gray in 1742. Granted, some of my "ignorance" is by choice, opting out of watching daily news in order to guard my heart, peace of mind, sanity, and overall well-being. This morning I was powerfully reminded of three important facts: God protects me. Joyful dancing and gratitude come from complete trust in #1. Surrender, acceptance, and judgement-free curiosity allow me to peacefully coexist in this chaotic self-destructive world while simultaneously living not of this world. Psalm 23 from The Holy Bible is often quoted to provide comfort, confidence, blessed assurance, guidance, and peace. Today I am grateful to fear no evil as I walk through the valley of the shadow of death in communities in which I work, reside, and serve. In addition to learning to trust my *God-given intuition when it comes to intentionally placing myself in certain environments, surrounding myself with other humans, and wandering through the wilderness progressively (imperfectly) thanking God for the "manna" provided without grumbling; I am also educating myself and others [Matthew 13:9] regarding Intuitive Eating in a series of videos linked below. If treating your body, mind, and spirit with kindness and compassion is something that appeals to you, please join us for this series. May you be well-- mentally, physically, and spiritually, exercising your intuition to make wise choices throughout your month with the weekly intentions recommended one day at a time in this book by Evelyn Tribole. I Spy Diet Culture all around us... Do you?

When you think of what a CONFIDENT person looks like or acts like, what images or descriptions come to your mind? Merriam-Webster defines Confident as the following: confident adjective con·​fi·​dent ˈkän-fə-dənt -ˌdent Synonyms of confident 1 : full of conviction : CERTAIN confident of success confident that conditions will improve 2 : having or showing assurance and self-reliance a confident young businessman a confident manner When I think about descriptions for confident people I respect, these are some of the thoughts that come to mind: Does not find it necessary to explain, defend, or boast about oneself. Original. Able to be emotionally vulnerable and honestly transparent when appropriate. Accepts responsibility for errors and makes amends to make it right whenever possible. Trustworthy. Keeps it simple with an easy does it no need to be like anyone else presence. Authentic. Welcomes constructive criticism, recognizing the fact that there is always room to grow and improve. Humility. Faith-filled and Faithful---Philippians 1:6 Confidence and Philippians 4 Peace, Joy, and Contentment in any circumstances. "Free to be me" is a wonderful mantra to build confidence. There is ONE who has all power who loves you enough to die for you. Should you choose to listen and believe in this confidence and love for you, you may actually learn to love yourself and others in a similar way. Perhaps you already do. May you love like someone who knows confidently they are loved. May your cup of joy overflow...

These are my confessions... As a school counselor, I mindfully observe people daily. In much the same way as a horse smells fear on its rider often mirroring the jittery nervous energy, adolescent students sense when a teacher [or substitute] doesn't like or respect them. They tend to react in kind. Likewise, they also have a tendency to respond respectfully with kindness when treated with both kindness and respect. Sometimes there are exceptions to this and those cases are usually triggered from deeper underlying issues, most often hurt and lack of trust from past trauma. The other Counselor Confession I choose to share with you at this time is THIS one: As I observe those beautiful swan students who appear to glide effortlessly along, standing out among all the other awkward ducklings stumbling clumsily through the masses; I am keenly aware of the deep pain many of those "swans" are carrying, adamantly refusing to let it show. Honored and privileged to be entrusted with their "confessions," I pass them in the hallways and silently lift them up in prayer for healing restoration while offering them a sincere smile and warm greeting to encourage them on this battlefield of life. Secretly, I already know how the story ends. The battle has already been won. The victory is ours for the taking. Hallelujah. Amen. These are my confessions... May you be calm today my friend, full of peace and gratitude. Selah.

As a professional counselor I work with helping others build and repair relationships daily. This morning during the commute to work I started contemplating important connections with others inherent in sharing genetic material or relationships by blood. This line of thinking led me to the anticipation of Easter observed and celebrated on the last day of this month of March 2024 where we remember the relationship by blood with The One who shed His own in exchange for ours on the cross. Personally this happens to be my most important and valuable relationship by far. It may seem odd to those who don't know Him personally that I would prioritize this relationship above the tangible relationships bonded by genetic material, law, love, or common interests/struggles/values, but I do. One of the reasons for this free-will choice on my part is that in doing so, this priority improves my relationships with all of the above, whether they realize it or not. It's perfectly okay if you don't understand. You don't have to understand. You don't have to agree with me. You don't have to approve of my priorities. That's the beauty of free-will. Life is full of choices... Both for this one as well as the choices impacting your eternal life... John 3:16-17. The choice is yours. My prayer today is THIS one: "Give me your eyes" (link in image) Dedicated to my Dearest Sweet Royal Princess Kalani... Grandma loves you and your Mama to the moon and back!

That's right! I am a "human being," not a "human doing." This is a concept I have read about before and perhaps you have as well. This philosophical photo journal The Art of Being Recapturing The Self by Catherine Laroze currently available HERE is a powerful reminder of the importance of this notion: Through mindfulness meditation we can relieve some of the pressure to "DO" or perform by society's standards. We can choose to simply "BE" breathing in the serenity of each moment deeply inhaling peace and exhaling perfectionistic expectations. Will you join me in this exercise of simply BEING in the power of NOW? Also, in keeping with the New Direction of this blogsite sharing "Counselor Confessions" as a professional counselor; it is important to note here that deep breathing exercises can lower your anxiety and restore your sense of calm. More practical tips for finding your calm in this video below:

"The time is always right to do what is right." Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. In honor of MLK day this three day American holiday weekend, I wanted to share a little bit with you about the dream God has for my life. Unfortunately when I changed my domain [GratefulGwen.com] over from the FREE Google hosting service platform "blogger" to the paid host "Wix" I lost all of my previous blog posts including one titled "I Have A Dream." It included this photograph of me after my high school graduation where my Mom gifted me with this framed poster I wrote in Kindergarten about my dream to become a teacher. By the grace of God, and some efforts on my part that dream became a reality. This past Thanksgiving after reading the entire book "Created to Dream" by Rick Warren, author of "The Purpose Driven Life" during our flight home from Michigan to California; it reframed the way in which I now interact with this famous inspirational MLK quote "I have a dream." NOW instead of pursuing my own dream, I am seeking to fulfill the dream God has designed me for and has designed especially for me. Doing precisely what I was born to do fits like a glove, doesn't require any justifications, rationalizations, financial failures, or uncomfortably forced sales pitches to convince anyone else to buy what I'm selling. It simply feels right. And once again "The time is always right to do what's right." MLK jr. If there is a way I may assist you with discovering and living out the dream God has for your unique and beautiful life, please message me so we can work together to make all of your God-given dreams come true! Perhaps we will read this book together on the channel linked in the image above soon. Are you living your dream?

Lately I find myself purposely avoiding writing blog posts, creating YouTube videos and even slapping up a quick post or reel on Instagram or Facebook. No, it is not writer's block or difficulty creating content. It's actually a result of the following reasons: 1) Enjoying the free time living my REAL LIFE privately. 2) Evaluating data and recognizing the overwhelming lack of interest in my content. 3) Choosing NOT to deliver the type of content this world values most according to the research and statistics. 4) Desiring to do God's Will over my own. 5) Offering empowering emotional support that truly matters, either in person or via the chat/message options available here on this site; hence the title of this post "Take My Hand." Keeping it real as I mindfully live slowly learning how to best implement my purpose; including hopefully helping you to embrace your own unique purpose. Take my hand, tell me your story, and know that you are not alone on this challenging journey called life. If you are contemplating ending your life, PLEASE call or text 988 available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. Top Ten Life Lessons so far for this lifelong learner: Talk Soon :) Gwen

What comes to mind when you read that title? Is it a woman who is well? Is she well mentally, physically, spiritually, emotionally, financially, or all of the above? OR Is it the Samaritan woman at the well based on the book of John chapter 4 called out for having had 5 husbands and living with a man who is not her husband? This same woman is offered Living Water Her life is transformed forever as a result of this brief exchange with the Messiah. She can't wait to share her experience with anyone and everyone who has ears to hear the message. I am the well woman. Perhaps not quite as many husbands, but I am her and am eternally grateful for the Living Water HE has provided to quench my thirst and satisfy my soul forever. May you be healed, comforted, and made well today friends.