Okay so first I need to say, I didn’t skip day 8 lol. This blog challenge has been fun. I actually did day 8 on my business blog. I am going to insert the link here, so you can check it out.
I slept in this morning and for that I am very thankful. I also had a text from someone close to me saying it was Thankful Thursday. They told me how thankful they are for me. What they didn’t know is that was my blog choice of the day!
I am thankful for so many things, places and people in my life. I am thankful that 3 years ago on this very date, God didn’t allow things to go too far so that there was no second chances in life.
I am thankful that though my heart has been broken more times than I can count, I serve the ONE who mends the broken hearted.
I am thankful that over all the years of life, God has never let go of me. There are many times I tried to get out of His reach, but His arm never runs out of length to hold on to me.
I am thankful that I have 2 amazing children. I am thankful that God hand picked their spouses for them and for me. I am thankful that God has blessed them with absolutely beautiful children.
I am thankful that even though I made many mistakes as a mom, God has always had my children in His hands. His grace and love has kept them.
I am thankful that I have a home now that is big enough to have 18 people in my living room for a baby shower. My daughter is having a little girl in April and I got to host the shower.
I am thankful that I am living in the quiet small town of Welch. I always said it would be a cold day in hell before I moved back. Oh it was hell alright that brought me back. However it was God who kept me here. I have been able to SEE this place through His eyes and not past hurts and pain.
Well that about sums up today. I could sit here all day and write my list.
I would love for you to comment back with a few of your own
Three years ago, my heart that was barely holding together from years of hurts, was shattered into pieces. My dream marriage had turned into a year of some amazing times, some not-so-amazing times, to living a full-blown traumatic nightmare.
As the weather and seasons change, I have a physical injury that remind me of the last major waking nightmare. Sometimes when you have an injury it never heals all the way or scars so deep that it is sometimes irritated by the atmosphere or actions it is used in.
My elbow still gives me fits when the weather changes or I use it too much. My elbow was injured when the man I was about to go do ministry with rung it out like a dishrag. We were packing to go do ministry and ended up in a knock-down drag-out, leaving the dreams and hopes I had of help for us shattered into pieces. It wasn’t the first time for physical abuse; however, it would be the last! It went too far and got too dangerous. The sad thing is I told many women don’t ever let them hurt you twice. Get the hell out! Literally get out of that kind of hell. Did I do this? No! I stayed for a year. The marriage was great when it was great. It was hostile and violent when it wasn’t great. There was no arguing without explosive anger. This created a constant state of fear and hard to breathe or know when to approach things which left me in a constant state of feeling like I had to hold my breath. This alone traumatizes a person and leaves physical, mental and emotional scars. Especially when you loved someone so deep you didn’t know where they ended and you began.
Just like the elbow injury, there are deep scars that can be triggered by an anniversary date, a memory, a smell, a thought, someone else reminding you of a person or even someone else’s traumatic event, or the good mixed into those years or seasons that you terribly miss.
Don’t get me wrong I made mistakes in this marriage where I caused some of my own scars; regrets from some of my own actions and reactions, to things said and done. I have had to heal and forgive myself as well as that person and others involved in that time in our lives.
I know some people don’t understand why I share these things but you SEE… I refuse to allow the hell the enemy tried to destroy me with not be used for Gods glory!
You say where is the glory in this??
Right here! I survived after my heart was totally destroyed beyond human repair. BUT God is in the Mending business.
I survived yet another one of my decisions that caused me harm! It’s now made me make life-altering decisions with more prayer and caution. Sometimes I just don’t make them at all and God and I are working on that lol.
I survived domestic violence in a Christian (Ministry) home! I didn’t give up on God when I wanted to give up on Him and me!
I’m forgiving myself as a person, who is human. I made mistakes as a wife, a friend, a daughter, and as a mom in my life. BUT I am learning I did way more right than wrong. The Devil likes you to keep that scale tipped to the wrong self-hate side. I am learning to forgive others by one second and one memory at a time! It’s not easy to forgive. It’s easy to say the words but the real action is only done with GODS GRACE AND FORGIVENESS.
There are days I don’t recognize my own self. Some from the extreme grief and hurt that’s stirred up anger in me and reactions I will say were not God. BUT there are days I say who is that girl with boundaries and a boldness to not allow toxic people into my life!!!
I have been able to help others walking through things that I have survived!
I have been able to be on my own with Jesus. Not co-dependent anymore!
I spend more time alone than ever in my life before. I used to not be able to handle silence or being alone in my life. (Somedays I still don’t lol. But I am an extrovert). But there were years I couldn’t function without being around people.
I used to be so codependent on others in my life that I had no idea who I was!
Guess what… I am Cassie Gilman.
I am a mom and not as bad of a mom as I told myself I was for many, many years!
I love small towns and back roads.
I love traveling to big cities and drinking coffee at coffee shops, but I am and will always be a country cowgirl at heart and roots.
I love my style of clothing and don’t care what others think about it.
I love my fire pits.
I love grilling outdoors.
I love fishing because I enjoy it AND NOT to impress a man lol!
I love certain ministers and authors and don’t giving a flying rip what others think. I’ll continue to walk the walk I need for Cassie to thrive.
I love to travel and I am not afraid to do so alone. (I struggled some with this for about a year since I moved back here).
There is so much that I USED to adjust for others and their needs and opinions.
I no longer volunteer so much of me that my kids and grand-kids don’t even know who I am or what I look like or heck didn’t even know myself lol.
So this is why I know that I have changed for the better.
Even though I am still overcoming many heart issues and behaviors, I am stronger than ever.
I may not be where I need to be but thank God I am not where I use to be!
Day 7 of my challenge is a get to know me style. I would love for y’all to respond back with 3 of these questions and let me get to know you as well. ♥️
1. My favorite color is____Turquoise.
2. My favorite book is_____ Well I am going to give two answers to this one. The Bible because it is full of God’s love and promises. Then I would have to say any of the Sisterchick books by Robin Gun.
3. My favorite cartoon character is_____ Hmmm this one is not as easy. Okay I am going to go with Spirit the horse. I am not sure if that is considered a cartoon lol.
4. My favorite sport is ____ Rodeo of course.
5. My favorite flavor of cake is____ German Chocolate.
6. If I had to eat one food for the rest of my life what would it be?____ Mexican food
7. I’m really good at ____ encouraging others to pursue their dreams.
8. I love to ____ sit in front of a fire pit early in the mornings or at dusk.
9. The best song to dance to is ____ ROFL I do not dance. I am going to go with Dan Seals song Bop, Rofl. Only song I remember liking the dance moves to. I think it was called the box line dance.
10. If I could be a dinosaur, I would be a ____ Sauropoda
11. ____ is my favorite thing to do ever. Hanging with my kids and grandkids.
12. Everyone thinks it’s funny when I ____try to DANCE ROFL
13. This summer I want to ____ get in shape, lose weight, go hiking, and travel to airbnbs so I can blog about it.
14. The best super power to have would be____ God’s Love flowing out of us. Nothing is more powerful than that.
15. I want to learn how to ____do social media marketing and run a non profit ministry.
16. I wish____I was already doing number 15, because my body is not dealing well with the physical labor on a daily basis.
Okay now it is your turn out there. I love getting to know my readers.
Mix Graham cracker crumbs, 1 tablespoon sugar, and melted butter or margarine.
Press Graham cracker crumb mixture into the bottom of a 9″x13″ pan. (You do not need to grease the pan.).
Mix lemon Jello with 2 cups boiling water until Jello is dissolved.
Add cream cheese to Jello mixture, breaking cheese up with a potato masher or the beaters of an electric mixer.
In a chilled bowl (glass or metal work best) whip with electric mixer chilled evaporated milk with 1 tablespoon sugar until small peaks form. (Getting peaks to form is much easier if the bowl and milk are cold.).
Add Jello mixture to evaporated milk and continue to beat until well blended.
Pour over Graham cracker crust.
Chill until firm.
If you want to add a little more green to make it more fun, springing green sprinkles from the bakery section on the cheesecake.
