By April Tribe Giauque
2021
Dear 2021,
Thank you for being the year of AMPLIFICATION.
In all honesty, the amplification I imagined would be for all of you, my readers. Now, I think that it happened and that others were helped along the way, but the Lord had a variety of course corrections for my amplification. He turned some of the learning back on me. It’s been a humbling and exciting ride.
Oh yes, before I forget, here is my word for 2022 (not to say that one word is the word for your life, but I’ll play along again): AMPLIFIER. I’m giving it more of a focus on whom I can Amplify, individually. You know me, being a Beacon of Light to all is the Goal, so this is one step closer to that.
Let’s go old school! Ranking my list from 10- 1 has stretched me. Ouch! Dang it, it looks like I really need to start my workouts again.
My top Ten Lessons learned
(there were about a billion, but who has time to read all that?):
Lesson 10:
I found out that I am physically weaker than I have ever been. boo. I could run, hike, and walk, but lifting things I did last year and trying to this year, WOOOO! I have a set of weights and resistance bands. Now it's time to do these upper body strengthening exercises at least 3 days a week.
It’s time to get back to my physical health. Making a plan for that at least 3 days a week is not as easy as it was. But there we are (see lesson 6), I need to make a choice too.
Lesson 9:
Truth comes when I am quiet and when I’m still. Working on how to make that happen daily. Mornings are best. However, there is a small window from when I tuck my girls in, and when I walk downstairs to tuck my boys in that there is a bit of quiet inspiration.
Lesson 8:
In all of my actions throughout the day, I have a prayer in my heart to stay connected and try to listen to His will and not my own—gaining improvement on this.
Lesson 7:
I can lay flooring, cut wood, paint, sheetrock, move walls and doors without falling into PSTD (the smell of wet freshly cut wood and construction used to trigger me into fear. That was the smell I associated with my abyss of abuse). Not any more. How? I chose not to fear it anymore. I chose to pick up the wood, the saw, the brush, the tape measurer, the pencil, and I went to work.
Lesson 6:
We have a choice in everything we do; however, we still can’t choose the consequences of it. The secret of life is making a choice to live it.
Lesson 5:
Going to Church has such a deeper meaning to me; more than ever before in my 47 years of attending the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints. We have 12 churches or wards here in Twin Falls. (Quick background: are organized geographically and members attend worship services near their home. Each member belongs to a ward or branch. The lay leader of a ward is called a bishop. He is a member of the congregation who has been asked to serve as a volunteer in this position).
Our ward boundary is the Harrison Ward, but we make a 30-mile north-west commute to Gooding Idaho every Sunday morning and Wednesday evening so that our deaf girls can know the gospel from other deaf members. That is the closet deaf branch. Heavenly Father guided us to attend the Gooding 3rd ward for the needs of our boys, my husband, mine, my deaf girls, and my other teenage and adult children (they are not attending at this time, but my heart is filled with love for them and not anger, disappointment, or my weak pettiness—this too is new.
This might seem crazy to do, but there was a time when churches closed and we were given permission to hold the Sacrament ordinance in our own home. It was a time to learn and to do our best to be one with the saints while being physically separated. I remember saying in my heart that if we ever got to return to normal attendance, I would do whatever it took to be with the saints again. Well, we are doing that now.
Lesson 4:
The refining process with God’s light and amplification resulted in intense growth. Growing pains were huge this year, and when the pain was at its worst, I made a choice. Prior to this, my victimhood (that is my Comfort Cage) was my first go-to place. But this year everything shifted.
How? I made a choice to not go there. I walked past the bars of fear, shame, and pain. The Shame Shadow was silenced and I stayed in the light, while the storm raged. It was not my so That is a huge win for 2021.
Lesson 3:
My husband is really amazing; he is self-taught and saved our new home by replacing all the electrical. He took it upon himself to know all about this, and now I feel so safe and that I’m home. (He also did like a million other projects). He created that feeling for me, and it helps me to appreciate him more and more.
Lesson 2:
I can hear God’s voice and I can follow it. My Heavenly Father guided us to a new state, a new city, new schools, new home, new jobs, closer to my home back west, and more business opportunities than I could ever foresee.
He even moved me closer to mom and when she announced she had breast cancer, I really didn't know how I was going to make the 7-day trip more than 1 time a year, and that would not be enough. I love my mom, and I wanted to be so much closer. Well, Heavenly Father made that possible too!
Lesson 1:
Serving others
means serving your family. This year I did not have to look too far to see who my neighbor was. Sometimes I have not served my family well because I was always looking for the man walking to Jericho who fell among thieves, while I stepped over the hurt souls of my own family. This is my greatest lesson learned in 2021.
Call to ACTION!
So what do I do with these lessons? I use them like the Fresnel lens to focus on my light to shine out for others. I also am a lens to others to help them reach their potential. Why? Because like Sam said,
“There’s some good in the world, And it’s worth fighting for.”
Here is a picture of the Fresnel Lens.
Austine Fresnel understood that light is a wave and can bend and be focused. Do you see how the lens does that? It focuses the light to bend into one place concentrating it into a spotlight. He invented this in 1819. We still use the same lens pattern today. The amplification is due to how the lens bends the light. I believe that we are this lens for other people as we stand, support, and love one another, we are the lens to amplify their light.
How can I Amplify your light?
By the way, to help you find your light join my three-day challenge to find, fuel, and amplify your light!
If you need to help someone out of Domestic Violence and you don’t know how to be a supporter, click here. The Supporter’s Toolkit is for you.
If you are new to my page and want to know more about me, my Pinpoint of Light: Escaping the Abyss of Abuse is for you in two formats: Book and Audiobook
If you have left abuse or trauma and would like a healing hand, my book Out of Darkness will help you to find, fuel, and live in Your light!
If you have left abuse and have a story to share, I am your writing coach.
If you need someone to hold your hand and write your story for you (GOHSTWRITING), I’m here to help.
If you would like to see my writing portfolio of amazing clients click here
If you have finished writing your story and you want help to Launch your book to the world, I can help you with that as well.
If you are a published author and need your book of hope amplified, join me here!
If you would like to be an author on the podcast, please fill out the form
Welcome, 2022!
AMPLIFIERS are us!
Comentarios