Web Hosting!

It's been a very exciting week for me.  I launched my first officially hosted website for an organization that I am thrilled to be a part of.  I designed, purchased, and published the website all on my own.  I made the announcement earlier this afternoon and now I'm waiting to see how the public reacts.  I'm incredibly excited.  I also launched twitter and facebook fan pages , as well as a Google+ Page with it to sync the information across as many social networking sites as possible.  So far today I have had over 70 page visits.  It may seem small scale, but I'm still quite proud of it.  Hopefully I can get some feedback and know what changes need to be made and what direction to take things in the future.

To the Stars Retreat

I honestly don't even know where to begin this post.  Last weekend I had the opportunity to attend the To the Stars retreat in Topeka, Kansas.  The people that were in attendance were absolutely fantastic.  I feel more at ease with myself than I have in a long time.  There was good food, great information, and so much love.  First and foremost I have to say thank you to the Ad Astra Grove, lead by Amanda Thomas for hosting this event. It was an honor to be able to attend and I am looking forward to seeing this event grow and prosper over the years.  I also want to thank both Drum and Michael Dangler, who were our travelling clergy to this even. It was fantastic to get to meet you both and the information that you shared with us is absolutely priceless.  Now, my personal experience.....

I started this weekend expecting some relaxation and socializing and ended up getting so much more.  I have to be honest here and state that I am generally not an incredibly social person.  I am very shy and tend to stutter and feel like a fool when I'm put on the spot.  I have somehow found myself in a leadership role and it's pushing those boundaries in an unexpected and very appreciated way.  I found myself socializing with almost 30 people, many of whom I had never met before.  I got to know other people in the region that I may not have known otherwise and had an amazing time.  The most surprising of all was the amount of love, appreciation, and compliments that I received from the people there.  I often feel like what I am doing isn't good enough or appreciated, often I feel like a burden.  I suddenly realize that what I am doing IS beneficial and good.  I went in expecting people to not have a clue who I was, and was instead approached by strangers and given compliments.  I was caught off guard in a great way. It made me feel really really good. 

The event itself was absolutely amazing.  The workshops that were presented taught me so much and allowed me to hear the experiences that others have had and share my own.  We learned how to build an effective prayer, and the different reasons we may pray or do devotionals.  This is something that I have struggled with for a very long time, so it was nice to get some ideas on how to to use prayer effectively.   

We then did a workshop on connecting with your ancestors and I know it was very beneficial for a lot of people.  Many people have tense family history, so getting information on how to connect with this Kindred.  It was very heartwarming to hear the stories from people and know that we all have individual struggles that we can get past. 

The third workshop was information on the basics of a ritual, the difference between private and public rituals, and important things to consider.  I've never been one that is incredibly comfortable with formal ritual, so I think this workshop was probably the most beneficial one for me.  It showed the importance of gestures and movement, as well as some historical thoughts on why things are done the way that the are.  

Overall, I had an amazing time.  I made some new friends, got to spend a lot of quality time laughing and sharing thoughts with amazing people, and spend a lot of time talking with Drum about life and our thoughts and ideas.  He impressed me so very much.  He has an amazing heart and warmth to him that means you can't help but want to be in is company.  I am very much looking forward to attending this and other events in the future, which is honestly something that I could not have said last week.  Who knows what other changes this event may bring?  

Happy 4th Birthday, Orion!

Today my baby boy turns 4.  I have no idea how that is possible.  I remember so clearly the first time he said "mama" and watching him waddle himself along the floor on his hands and feet because he didn't like the way his knees felt on the wood floors.

How is it possible that the same little boy is already able to sprint and tell me that "Tyrannosaurus is a carnivore that eats meat and carrion"?  He is such an incredible light and brings joy to the lives of everyone he knows.  He always has a smile on his face and a random comment to put a smile on mine waiting in the reserves.  All day today I have been receiving birthday wishes and declarations of love for this little boy.  I'm so incredibly grateful and overwhelmed at the amount of love that is being shared with someone so small.  I am completely sure that this is all because of him.  His warm smile, his witty sense of humor, and his loving heart all manage to enlighten even random strangers into talking to and about him.  I'm so impressed by him each and every day.  Happy birthday Orion.  Mommy loves you so so much.  You have made me a better person and I learn from you every day.