My Abundant Life 2-27-26

On By Heather HoustonIn My Abundant LifeLeave a comment

February 27th, 2026

Committing to Your Spiritual Awakening

“I don’t believe; I know.”

Carl Jung (Swiss Psychiatrist and Psychoanalyst; July 26th, 1875 ~ June 6th, 1961)

“If you consciously work to bring more gratitude, simplicity, order, harmony, beauty, and joy into your daily life, your world will be transformed whether you believe a Higher Power is guiding you or not. But if you commit to your spiritual awakening as the most important part of the process, something marvelous will happen. Life will not feel as fraught, as frazzled, or as fragmented as before because you’ll realize that the spiritual, the creative, and the practical can’t be separated. They each count. They each mean something. They’re all connected.”

“…ready ourselves with spiritual openness. …Spirituality is the sacred center of which all life comes, including Mondays and Tuesdays and rainy Saturday afternoons in all their mundane and glorious details.”

Christina Balwin (Author; April 16th, 1946 ~ )

My Bucket List

Spiritual Awakening
Hike Toketee Falls in Oregon

“Before my story began…” (Heather Houston 2-27-22)

1972 Me…at my Aunt Carrie’s Baby Shower

“I am excited to discover myself newly while at the same time love the being I already am. My thoughts today are on the people of Ukraine. I also have a pang of fear wondering if my son has been deployed to bolster the Ukrainian cause. If so, I send him all my protective motherly love to keep him safe. I love you Porter!”💝 (Heather Houston 2-27-22)

“Seems full circle as we began bombing Iran and hoping my children are not deployed anywhere near the Middle East. The “Sacred Center of Life” is the BEing present within the moment. My husband made Pho and the gloriousness was not just the first bite. It was the intentional shopping, the smell of the cooking beef bones, the cooking of the aromatics, and the final boil of the broth…all leading to the first sip of soup that unfolded the sacred beautiful creation. Relish the daily routine intertwined with the beauty of living in the moment.” (Heather Houston 2-27-26)

–Ban Breathnach, Sarah. “Simple Abundance: A Daybook of Comfort and Joy”. Grand Central Publishing. (1976). Kindle Page 61 of 501.

I challenge each of you on this blog series to post comments so we all can grow together.

Daily Gratitude 2-26-26

On By Heather HoustonIn 5 Daily GratitudesLeave a comment

February 26th, 2026

  • “I am thankful to have spied 2 nesting eagles circling over my car with a full wingspan.” (Heather Houston 2-26-26)
  • “I am grateful to get in 6 walks around the block to give me self-care breaks, sunlight and fresh air.” (Heather Houston 2-26-26)
  • “I appreciate little traffic on my commute home so I could reunite with my loving husband.” (Heather Houston 2-26-26)
  • “I am blessed to have fish tacos for dinner…SOOO GOOD!” (Heather Houston 2-26-26)
  • “I am thankful my husband cares and supports my sleep needs. My sleep hygiene is EPIC!” (Heather Houston 2-26-26)
  • “I am thankful that when I took my car in to have the tires looked at due to the low inflation indicator in my car, Les Schwab found a crew in the rear passenger tire.  It was repairable and no charge.” (Heather Houston 2-26-22)
  • “I appreciate Les Schwab checking my brakes and advising me that the front calipers and pads look new and that the rear calipers were having freezing issues.  One never wants to learn about auto issues, but now I can shop around for a reliable European mechanic to begin a relationship for future needed work.” (Heather Houston 2-26-22)
  • “I am thankful that when shopping for the ingredients for the Sri Lanka Chicken Curry dish we planned to make for dinner that all the needed ingredients were available.” (Heather Houston 2-26-22)
  • “I am grateful to be my partner’s sous chef when we make a new dish.  I love cooking together.” (Heather Houston 2-26-22)
  • “I am thankful to have designed a new cocktail to compliment our dinner that had a Sri Lanka flavor profile…Sri Lanka Summer.” (Heather Houston 2-26-22)

My Abundant Life 2-26-26

On By Heather HoustonIn My Abundant LifeLeave a comment

February 26th, 2026

Real Life Begins with Reverance

“Let knowledge from more to more

But more of reverence in us dwells;

That mind and soul, according well,

May make one music as before.”

Alfred Tennyson, 1st Baron Tennyson FRS (English Poet; August 6th, 1809 ~ October 6th, 1892)

“Reverence is that altered state of consciousness when you feel awe and wonder because you know you are in the presence of Spirit. Reverence enwraps you in perfect peace because there is no past or future, only the present moment, and you are one with Heaven and earth. There is no distinction between body and soul. Meditation can sometimes spiritually induce this special moment of Wholeness, as does creating something beautiful, whether it’s a meal, a painting, or a flower bed. Concentrating on one task at a time with care and attentiveness can invoke reverence as well.”

“…gratitude is the gateway to experiencing more reverence in our daily lives.”

“If the only prayer you say in your life is ‘thank you’ that would be enough.”

Eckhart von Hochheim OP (known as: Meister Eckhart or Eckhart) (German Catholic Theologian, Philosopher and Mystic; UNKNOWN)

My Bucket List

REVERENCE
See a show at Red Rocks Amphitheater

“Before my story began…” (Heather Houston 2-26-22)

1972 Me…at my Aunt Carrie’s Baby Shower

“My daily gratitude gives me access to reverence. I also have begun to focus on one task at a time versus multi-tasking. In doing so, I have noticed my productivity and effectiveness has improved greatly.” (Heather Houston 2-26-22)

“BEing present is the juice! Reverence comes with being enraptured with the what so of the now. Not an intention, but to be actually in reverence of the moment you are experiencing. Whether it is running back to the car to pick up my saved shopping bags or whether I am watching a sunset…both have reverential experiences in each one. The access to the rapture of every instance or occasion is the magic of LIVING.” (Heather Houston 2-26-26)

–Ban Breathnach, Sarah. “Simple Abundance: A Daybook of Comfort and Joy”. Grand Central Publishing. (1976). Kindle Page 60-61 of 501.

I challenge each of you on this blog series to post comments so we all can grow together.

Eagle Sighting 2-26-26

On By Heather HoustonIn My Sacred LifeLeave a comment

February 26th, 2026 @ 7:45AM

Bald Eagle, photo by Mick Thompson

Driving to work westbound, I spotted a nesting pair of eagles circle over the highway and waterway between Factoria and Mercer Island. They were flying low with full wingspan stretched wide and flying low enough for them to be seen through my sunroof. Fabulous sighting! I feel so blessed and in the “FLOW”.🦅🦅

My Storied Life 2-25-26

On By Heather HoustonIn My Storied LifeLeave a comment

February 25th, 2026

1968 Top 10 Highest-Grossing & Award Winning Films

“I enjoyed watching this film and I have seen it several times before. Interesting how the director did not do very much research on space as Charlton Heston was smoking a cigar in the spaceship. Even after they had a water crash landing, he somehow pulled out a cigar and lighter on their trek through the desert. Heston seems like the John Wayne of the late 60s. It is so odd that when Heston was caught and couldn’t speak he didn’t use the universal hand signal for writing and just grabbed at his voice box. The director needed to be more observant. One of the most impactful scenes was the statue of liberty buried in the sand. Glad I got to see it again.”

Daily Gratitude 2-25-26

On By Heather HoustonIn 5 Daily GratitudesLeave a comment

February 25th, 2026

  • “I am grateful to wake up every morning with the opportunity to fall in love with my husband newly each new day. Gosh I love him!” (Heather Houston 2-25-26)
  • “I am thankful that even on Hump Day I have a sense of humor when the day at work is dragging on!” (Heather Houston 2-25-26)
  • “I appreciate how many meals we got out of the Malawi Mango Chicken dish.” (Heather Houston 2-25-26)
  • “I appreciate having a speedy commute home from work,” (Heather Houston 2-25-26)
  • “I am blessed that my husband is such a loving partner.” ❤️(Heather Houston 2-25-26)
  • “I am thankful that when an error was found in the scheduling application, that it was not my error.  Sometimes, I second guess myself.” (Heather Houston 2-25-22)
  • “I am blessed to have gotten nearly the whole month of March appointments reentered into the calendar before I stopped work for the day.  Only 1-week to go!” (Heather Houston 2-25-22)
  • “TGIF” (Heather Houston 2-25-22)
  • “I am thankful the new MINI Cooper has a huge gas tank and gets great gas mileage.  Instead of filling up the tank twice a week, now just once gets me all 7-days.  YEAH!”💲🤑💰 (Heather Houston 2-25-22)
  • “I appreciate not having to think about making dinner tonight as my partner and I went out to get Whibbly Burgers…YUMMY!”🍔🍟 (Heather Houston 2-25-22)

My Musical Life 2-25-26

On By Heather HoustonIn My Musical LifeLeave a comment

February 25th, 2026

#42 Theme From ‘Valley of the Dolls (Dionne Warwick) 👍🏼

Lyrics:
Gotta get off, gonna get
Have to get off from this ride
Gotta get hold, gonna get
Need to get hold of my pride🪄
When did I get, where did I
How was I caught in this game
When will I know, where will I
How will I think of my name🪄
When did I stop feeling sure, feeling safe
And start wondering why, wondering why
Is this a dream, am I here, where are you
What’s in back of the sky, why do we cry🪄
Gotta get off, gonna get
Out of this merry-go-round
Gotta get off, gonna get
Need to get on where I’m bound🪄
When did I get, where did I
Why am I lost as a lamb
When will I know, where will I
How will I learn who I am🪄
Is this a dream, am I here, where are you
Tell me, when will I know, how will I know
When will I know why

My Abundant Life 2-25-26

On By Heather HoustonIn My Abundant Life2 Comments

February 25th, 2026

Reordering Your Priorities

“Learn to get in touch with the silence within yourself and know that everything in this life has a purpose.”

Elisabeth Kübler-Ross (Swiss-American Psychiatrist; July 8th, 1926 ~ August 24th, 2004)

“…the centrifugal forces of today.”

Anne Morrow Lindbergh (American Author and Aviator; June 22nd, 1906 ~ February 7th, 2001)

“I find it helpful to think of priorities as the wooden frame upon which we stretch the canvas of our days so that we may apply color and form to the work of art we are creating without the entire painting collapsing in the middle.”

“Quiet time alone, contemplation, prayer, music, a centering line of thought or reading, of study or work. It can be physical or intellectual or artistic, any creative life proceeding from oneself. It need not be an enormous project or great work. But it should be something of one’s own. Arranging a bowl of lowers in the morning can give a sense of quiet in a crowded day…What matters is that one be for a time inwardly attentive.”

Anne Morrow Lindbergh (American Author and Aviator; June 22nd, 1906 ~ February 7th, 2001)

“Today make getting in touch with the Silence within yourself your first priority. As you do, you will be amazed at how everything else seems to find its own order.”

My Bucket List

Blackfeet Warrior (Drawing w/Charcoal Powder); By: Jason Tako
Discover the magnificent, turquoise tiered waterfalls of Kuang Si, Laos

“Before my story began…” (Heather Houston 2-25-22)

1972 Me…at my Aunt Carrie’s Baby Shower

“I wasn’t very good at finding the Silence within myself today. Work was very stressful and after a 9-hour shift without a break, I was pooped. TGIF!” (Heather Houston 2-25-22)

“My priority is sustaining a loving and happy marriage with my husband. We create one another each day newly and then live into the day as the best date/party ever. Truly, it is a remarkable life and way to live. I cherish also my inward attentive moments like now when I read and reflect on a daily devotional. Giving back to myself fills my ‘Battery’. Loving my husband is my most beautiful work of art!”

–Ban Breathnach, Sarah. “Simple Abundance: A Daybook of Comfort and Joy”. Grand Central Publishing. (1976). Kindle Page 59-60 of 501.

I challenge each of you on this blog series to post comments so we all can grow together.

Daily Gratitude 2-24-26

On By Heather HoustonIn 5 Daily GratitudesLeave a comment

February 24th, 2026

  • “I am always thankful when I get to spy an eagle on my commute.” (Heather Houston 2-24-26)
  • “I am grateful my husband supports my well being by making me a yummy breakfast to eat after my rowing workout.” (Heather Houston 2-24-26)
  • “I am thankful I was able to secure the gift bag items for the SW Appreciation Luncheon well before the event on March 18th.” (Heather Houston 2-24-26)
  • “I am grateful my commute only took 30-minutes as I was already 30-minutes late in leaving.” (Heather Houston 2-24-26)
  • “I am blessed my husband created a magical dinner of ragu…which I had never had before. OMG…it was the bomb!” 💣💥(Heather Houston 2-24-26)
  • “I appreciate Kiva always following around in the early morning hours to secure his “goodbye” pet and love from me.  What a joy to start the day with love…pure and honest.” (Heather Houston 2-24-22)
  • “I appreciate NPR to listen to on my morning commute.  It get’s me caught up on world news and engages me with the happenings locally and around the world.  I am fearful for Ukraine’s current plight.” (Heather Houston 2-24-22)
  • “I am thankful to live in a democratic country.” (Heather Houston 2-24-22)
  • “I am grateful for my indigenous heritage.”  #IAmNotInvisible (Heather Houston 2-24-22)
  • “I am blessed to have inherited my paternal grandmother’s skin and hair.  Not doing too shabby for nearly 54 years old.” (Heather Houston 2-24-22)