#Joyride2016

I just discovered that there have been a LOT of people visiting this blog lately!
Apparently my graphic (above) is very popular on Pinterest,

and it's bringing readers to this post from 2014.
I had no idea!

Honestly, I was just about to click the 'unpublish blog' button because I never post here anymore... 

but if something I shared is providing inspiration to you, I'll leave it up!

So let me just offer a quick update on this New Year's Day:
each New Year, I do the 'One Word 365' thing...

no resolutions, just one word that exemplifies my intentions and focus for the coming year.

2013 was 'Simplify'. 

2014 wasn't 'enthusiasm' as that popular post implied - it was 'Create'.
2015 was 'Peace', and oh, did I need peace....

Truth be told, friends, I am just glad that 2015 is over. Honestly.
It's been a really REALLY hard year, 

which is one reason that I took a sabbatical from blogging here and left my job at Disney.
My Dad was fighting a fierce battle against cancer this time last year, 

and I just wanted to focus on helping him and Mom as much as I could.

I am SO glad that I did that...
as hard as it all was, as much pain and loss and grief and fear that we went through,

my sisters and I helped Mom care for Dad here at home

until he slipped softly into his eternal home on Easter Sunday morning at dawn.
We spent some very special moments with him, 

and have precious memories that will last us a lifetime.
Since we know that Dad is in the presence of his Lord and Savior Jesus in Heaven,

we can rest in our faith that we will see him again one day.
That brings peace like nothing else can!

It's finally time to say goodbye to the pain, the grief, the sadness that have surrounded us.
Mom and I (I live with Mom as her 'Personal Assistant' & companion)
are ready to embrace new lives, new directions, new experiences now.
I am so grateful that I am here, with her, and we are such good companions.
It is a blessing to treasure, and we know that.
God is Good, all the time! 

My Word for 2016 is JOY

My intention is to find joy, to be filled with joy, 

to let joy captivate me, to live and breathe and speak and be joy, 

to shed the sadness and grief that has wrapped me up for four years now 

and just look at life through some rose-gold colored glasses 

and to 'see the joy, be the joy, share the joy'...

When I announced that on facebook,

my friend Barb commented 'yeah! a JOY ride! Let's do it!'...

Well, that really got my mind spinning!! 

So I came up with an idea to get everyone I know to participate in a *virtual JOYride*, 

where we focus on JOY and share it to encourage one another - 

just the way we would if we all piled into a huge old convertible with the top down, 

the music blaring, with smiles on our faces as we headed down the road of life on an adventure...

The goal is to 'SEE the Joy, BE the Joy, SHARE the Joy!'

I launched it January 1, 2016, and here's how it works:
When you post photos of things that inspire you & make you grateful on social media, 
simply include the hashtag ‪#‎JOYride2016‬ !  

That's it! 
It works on facebook, Instagram, Pinterest, Twitter, Tumblr 

(and a bunch more I don't even know about!)  
There's no sign up, no cost, 

and it's not to advertise, promote, market, get more traffic, or anything else. 

It's just to SHARE THE JOY! 

Join me, won't you?

Happy New Year, friends!

(btw, I am blogging again on my decor blog and my retail blog...)