Merry Christmas 2015

Merry Christmas 2015

Christmas 2015 brings some reflections for the year.  I wanted to share important lessons in life I have learned over this year and lifetime.  I hope that you enjoy these lessons.

Lessons in life

1.      Always and I mean always put God first in your life.  Life has a way to teaching us lessons and challenges but with God first, you have a firm foundation to fall back to and he will never leave you or forsake you.

2.      Never break a promise. I have four grandchildren and I try very hard to follow through with the promises that I make to them each day.  I try to stay impeccable with my words.  Fulfilling promises as an adult is hard but it brings about lasting relationships.

3.      Celebrate each day and holiday as if it was your last.  Dance in the rain, weep when you feel the need, laugh all the time, smile at people on the street, help someone in need.  It will uplift your spirits.

4.      Enjoy and embrace the special memories you make with family and friends. Spend time planning and implementing those special moments.

5.      Be trustworthy and honest.  Even if the people around you are not it is important to our health and well-being to be honest and others can trust our feelings, actions and words.

6.      Love yourself.  Be honest with yourself, trust yourself and finally respect yourself.  Hold your head high and fall in love with you.

7.      Embrace change it is inevitable.

8.      Reach high for your dreams and goals. Set your dreams high and always work towards fulfilling your dreams.

9.       Remember that all good things come to an end, grieve, cry, share memories and then it is easier to move to the next phase.  Do this with the understanding that you will never be the same person again.  Loss changes us forever.  There is a better door waiting as we push through the grief.

10.  Embrace the blessings and accomplishments no matter how small.  I thank God every day for each blessing he has shown me.  Sometimes it’s a penny, sometimes it is a child that has accomplished more than they dreamed possible by riding one of the ASPIRE horses, perhaps it is a donor that has a loving story, sometimes it sharing a song with my granddaughter, sometimes it is sharing a special moment with my grandson, sometimes it is sharing a special moment with animals, sometimes it is cherishing moments with friends, sometimes it is setting quiet and listening to the sounds of nature, and sometimes it is rising to the beautiful sunrise, sometimes it is sitting by the lake and reflecting on the times you remember so dearly.  Embrace these moments.

11.  Remember to take good care of your body.  Live well, eat well, exercise often and reduce stress, breath and slow down.  Take the time to take care of you.

12.  On this Christmas remember the reason for the season.  We celebrate Christmas to remember the birth of Jesus.  Spend time with family and friends but remember to make some time to celebrate the reason for the season. Celebrate with peace and letting your light shine.

On this Christmas 2015 I will celebrate at Christmas by the Lake.  I will enjoy all this year has brought from special memories with grandchildren, honor my faith and spirituality, I will be thankful for the blessings I have received in 2015.  I will cherish the many memories with the animals and humans that have passed before us.  We are so fortunate to be in a place to touch literally thousands of lives.  It is a blessing to watch a children accomplish so many goals atop our beautiful horses.  It is a blessing to watch a senior reach out and love on Pixie and Cody.  It is a blessing to give a senior the last wish of seeing a horse.  It is a blessing to provide a camp to so many wonderful children.  It is a blessing to have the community and beyond to support our programs.  It is a blessing to have so many dedicated volunteers helping in every way they can find time. 

I will close with saying thank you to my husband, my children, grandchildren, friends, volunteers, riders, and families, board of directors and all those seniors and children’s lives we have touched the past years.  Thank you for allowing me into your homes, allowing me to spend time with you, allowing me to be part of your children’s lives.  Thank you to all the wonderful donors that have made it possible to make a difference. 

Thank you to all the staff for helping this year.  Special thanks goes to AARP and our staff person for the great work that he does in the barn. 

Please know that I am blessed and grateful for everyone that has touched my life this year. I have learned many life lessons.

Thank you to Sonny, Bo, Snickers and Blue.  You are running free and I am grateful for the memories.  Thank you to our human friends that have touched my life and now are feeling the hands of the angels and feeling the beauty of heaven. 

Thank you to the beautiful horses that have dedicated their life to ASPIRE: Benny, Ginger, Maverick, Cody, Pixie, Sarge, Rika, Erika and Chex. Thank you to our beautiful barn cats Mouse, Bob and Sassy.  Thank you to our energetic dog Josy.  She has challenged us and taught us many lessons.

I wish you a very Merry Christmas and Happy New Year. 

Marilyn and Don Moore and ASPIRE