The complete talk from guest lecturer Amy Myers at the ITV class September 28. Amy shared her witness of Gratitude as part of class. Check it out it is excellent. 

“Bless us oh Lord and these thy gifts which we are about to receive from thy bounty through Christ our Lord, Amen” Wow!  What an awesome prayer.
I know you Catholics are used to saying this prayer at meal time, but have you ever said it in the morning?  When you take a shower in the morning or put on your make-up or get dressed.  Try it! 
“Bless us oh Lord, and these thy gifts.”  The day has just begun.  It has been given to us from God…how awesome.  He already has it planned out.  “Which we are about to receive”.    God is ready to share it with us.  The good, the bad and the ugly are gifts that we are going to receive.  How can we get excited about the bad and the ugly…well, it’s hard?  It’s a heart matter of trust and faith and believing that no matter what happens today, tomorrow or next week, these are the gifts given “from thy bounty through Christ our Lord.”  He wants me to share my triumphs and struggles with him.  I think that’s the key.  He wants us to take our day and share it with Him.  So here’s my story. Here is how thankfulness has brought a new perspective to my life and transformed my relationship with God.

My name is Amy Myers.  I was born to Dan and Bev Haselhorst and raised in the Catholic faith.  Although I prayed every day, received the sacraments on a regular basis, it was only a few years ago that I truly began growing in my love for a relationship with God.  Before that time, I leaned on my faith and allowed life to happen and prayed my way through the difficult times.  I truly believe as Catholics we are blessed with a quiet strength in God.  Maybe it comes from the sacraments.  What a blessing! 
My childhood was near perfect!  Holiday gatherings, picnics in the park, fishing, playing softball, church on Saturday night, and enjoying family and friends are memories that stick out in my mind.  My family was happy and we were together.  That’s not to say we didn’t have hard times, but it seems that my parents instilled this genuine idea of “pray and everything is going to be okay” mindset.  When I was 16 years old, I met my future husband, Greg.  It was one those “we saw each other across a crowded room” moments and we had to meet.  He was the cutest boy I ever saw.  At the time we met, we lived different towns. So we wrote letters to each other.  Yes, this was prior to email, or texting and it was through those letters that we fell in love with each other.  Three years later, we married on June 10, 1995.  We were both very young, and thankfully, we had the patience and courage to grow up together. 
Right from the start, our marriage was happy.  We were both in school and although money was a struggle, we did our best to save, play, and enjoy those years.  The other person was a priority, and we took extra care to make sure we were happy. 
Five years after we married, we tried to start a family, but our pregnancy ended in miscarriage.  I was devastated, but put on a tough face to handle my grief.  I was angry with God.  “Not as I will, but as you will.” Matthew 26:39.  I know he had a plan for me but our plans didn’t match.  I wanted a baby and He took it away from me.  A few months past, and the grief was still very present in my life.  Not knowing how to help, Greg made an appointment with our campus priest.  During our visit, Fr. Weber encouraged me take my anger to God.  He said God wants us to share everything with Him.  Our joys, our sadness, our grief, and yes our anger.  He encouraged telling God exactly how I felt.  That life wasn’t fair and I am angry.  So, I did.  I wanted to know why he chose our baby.  Why he chose us to go through a miscarriage.    As my prayers changed from asking why; to understanding that everything has a purpose, I found it easier to handle my grief.  Loving God is not always understanding his plan for us, but is trusting that he will take care of you. 
Well, God’s plan is perfect.  In May 2003, Greg and I were blessed with a healthy baby boy, Ethan.  And in December of 2004, Kaden arrived making our family complete.  Two beautiful, healthy boys. “Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding.” Proverbs 3:5.  At this time in my life, I was still rolling along in my journey with God.  I prayed daily, attend weekly mass, and relied on my “everything is going to be okay” mindset.
 But in January 2009, everything changed.  Although I still knew everything would be fine, I also knew nothing would ever be the same.  Because of crazy work schedules, my family was not able to go back to Kansas for the Christmas season until closer to New Year’s Eve.  Instead of celebrating as a large group, we spent time with each family and celebrated on a smaller scale.  We saw Greg’s brother, then visited his parents, stopped in Dodge City to visit Eric and his family, and headed to Great Bend to visit my folks.  Although our tradition was to all come together for the holidays, that year didn’t allow it.  But I think that is what made it so special.  We spent time with everyone.  Our trip came to a close with a stop at my younger brother’s house on the way back to Texas.  Reflecting back on the visit in Kansas, I am so thankful that God’s plan is perfect.  That holiday visit will live in my memory forever.
Within one day of returning to Texas, my house returned to its normal routine.  Greg went to work, the boys played and I unpacked from our Kansas trip.  It was a busy day, but a very good day. 
That evening I called my parents.  Dad answered the phone and I immediately knew something was wrong.  When I asked what it was, dad said, “Your mother died.”  I fell to my knees, telling him no.  Telling him no over and over again.  But it was true.  The guilt grew big inside of me.  I felt like I was to blame for her dying.  Earlier that evening, I called my mom for a little advice.  She was so good at helping me look at a decision from all angles.  Anyway, we were working on a pro and con list of my decision, when the phone went silent.  I couldn’t tell if she hung up or if the phone call was disconnected.  I stayed on the line and called her name over and over again.  I finally hung up and tried calling her back.  I tried several times to call her back, but the phone line was always busy.  I called my dad at work and relayed the story about the phone going silent.  He said the phones had been having problems for a couple weeks.  I told him there was no reason for concern.  Mom sounded fantastic and she said had a great day.  With that, we hung up, but I continued to try their house line, but I had no worries.  It wasn’t until my dad answered the phone later that evening that I realized she died while on the phone talking to me.  I had so much guilt.  I felt like I let her die.  So many people asked why I didn’t call 911 or have a neighbor check on her.  I didn’t know how to handle anything so I prayed.  “Don’t worry about anything, instead pray about everything, and thank Him for His answers.” Philippians 4:6.   I prayed for my mom every minute of the day.  I prayed for my dad and my brothers.  I prayed that God would give my family the grace to heal.  It was the most peaceful time in my life.  For the first time ever, I could hear God directing my life.  I could feel Him leading my daily thoughts and decisions. “God is our refuge and strength” Psalms 46:1. I also felt the guilt lift away.  I gradually became thankful that I was on the phone with her when she died.  I am her witness to tell her husband, sons, mother, sisters, and brothers that she was peaceful and happy.  You see an anabolism is quiet and painless.  There was nothing extraordinary about my mom’s passing.  She died doing what she did best…helping others.  She was at peace. A perfect peace.  I am thankful for that.  I am thankful that she is with our Lord.  I am thankful that her pain is over and that she is whole again.  I am thankful for our weekend together before she died.  My mother’s death was a renewal in how much I love God.  He took care of me and my family when she was no longer able to.  “I will not leave you orphan, I will come to you”.  John 14:18
The rest of that year was time of reflection.  I call it the “quiet year”.  During this time I became aware of who I was and who God is calling me to be.  It is still a huge work in progress, but I feel the change and I know others can see it in me.  I am more peaceful and less worried or stressed.  I talk to God constantly and take my hopes, fears, and dreams to Him.  I do not get it perfectly right every time, but I am working on it.  I know there is true peace in Him.  I work for that every day.  “Draw near to God and he will draw near to you” James 4:8
Life continued to change that year, and we called life the “new normal.”  It was a year of acceptance.  I don’t remember ever asking God why he called my mother home so soon.  I just accepted it and tried to figure out where this new path would lead.  Accepting that I did not have a mother, accepting that holidays would never look the same, accepting that the new normal “was not bad…just new and this too was part of God’s plan”  “For I know well the plans I have for you, says the Lord, plans for welfare not for woe.  Plans to give you a future full of hope.” Jeremiah 29:11.  I became so aware of the blessings and joys in my life.  A loving family, kind friends, and lots of laughter are always at the top of the list.  I was more aware of the simple things to…a phone call from a friend, a cup of coffee in the morning, or a smile from a stranger.  All these things made me more aware of the blessings God was giving me every day.  The gifts he planned for me every day to make my day less ordinary and more extraordinary.  “Bless us oh lord and these thy gifts which we are about to receive.”  The loss of my mother helped me realize how truly perfect my life is.  Easy, no!  Full of daily challenges and obstacle? Yes!  We all have that.  My mother’s passing is a blessing I accepted during that first year.  Even after her death, she continues to teach me, guide me, and love me.  I am so thankful. 
As Christians, we believe that life continues after death.  All I can to this is “Yay, God, Your plan is perfect.”  A little over a year ago, I was sitting in adoration.  I love that I get to sit at the feet of Jesus.   He is truly present in the Eucharist.  We are literally in the same room together.  Anyway, while sitting there, I started crying uncontrollably and I was not sure why.  I left adoration and came back another time.  Boom. More tears.  I have no idea why I am crying so much.  Over the course of a weekend and visiting adoration several times, I slowly began to realize what I was sensing.  It was my mom!  You see, Jesus is present in the blessed Eucharist.  He is truly there.  My mom now walks where Jesus walks every day.  She is with him, and now He is in a room with me.  His very presence, not essence, but the real presence.  “Be still and know that I am God.” Psalms 46:10.  Once again…a totally awesome blessing that God shares with us.  He can do anything and everything. 
During the first year after my mom’s death, I was given the opportunity to follow my passion of photography.  A friend and I joined forces and started our own business.   I never expected so many obstacles.  The stress alone was turning my hair gray.  There were more downs than ups and I began to question whether the business would ever take off.  It was at this point that we decided to give our business to God.  To give God all the glory for success or failure.  We figured the successes were already his gifts to us and that the obstacles were his way of calling us to him.  To remind us that this is, his plan and we need to be open to what he wants us to .  Sometimes we would have this amazing idea only to see it flop.  Instead of getting frustrated or stressed, we thanked God for his plan and kept moving forward. “Let your hope keep you joyful, be patient in your troubles and pray at all times.” Roman 12:12.  God receives all the glory for everything.  We trust that he is taking care of us and our business even when we don’t understand.  It has been two years and Aspen Photography is a successful business.  God is always taking it in a new direction, and we are always trying to figure out what he is asking of us.  Every day I praise God and thank him for what he has done for me through Aspen.  His love is awesome, and he gets all the credit for how far we have come.  He gave me my talent and I love using it to glorify him.
Being thankful is all about keeping things in perspective.  Life is busy and it is easy to get mixed up in the emotions that are not God centered.  It is so easy to look at someone else’s life, possessions, or circumstances and become jealous.  It happens to all of us.  For me, becoming jealous is my most disappointing emotion.  It can destroy relationships.  It creates bitterness between friends, spouses, siblings and especially hurts our relationship with God.  We become angry with all the stuff we want or all the stuff we don’t have.  About a year ago, I went to confession about a jealousy issue I was having.  My priest asked when was the last time I counted my blessings…you know, the gifts given to me straight from God.  He said those blessing are perfectly chosen for me by God.  He chose me to take care of those blessings.  So, I started counting.  How can anyone be jealous when counting blessings?
My family is happy, healthy, and safe.  I am loved unconditionally by God, my family, and my friends.  The sun came up this morning and I get to glorify God. 
I recently read an article in the Guidepost magazine about a man that wrote a thank you note every day.  He thanked family, friends, and random people for their acts of kindness toward him.   So I tried it.  It is terrific.  Although I haven’t written a note every day, the ones I have written have had an amazing response.  I didn’t think for one minute that the recipient would personally contact me and thank me for making their day.  So who did I write?  A couple from church that has always been kind to me, the man at the convenient store who calls me by my first name, the owner of the gym who is constantly encouraging me to do my best, my grandmother who taught me to play Yahtzee, my older brother who inspires me and my son who recently started showering me with hugs.  These people along with hundreds of others make life worth living.  I encourage you find the little things in life to be thankful for.  These are the blessings God gave you.  It takes us to notice them, care for them and be thankful for them.  “In all circumstances give thanks, for this is the will of God for you in Christ Jesus.” Thessalonians 5:18.
Today, I am thankful that I married the cutest boy I ever saw, that my boys fill my life with joy, that my family and friends continue to grow and change, and that God showers me with big and small blessings every day.
“Bless us oh Lord and these thy gifts which we are about to receive from thy bounty through Christ our Lord, Amen”