HOW OUR GIVING TREE WAS BORN

"Trials, just like a part of life's journey, remain a mystery until it's come to pass. We can either choose to grow through it rather than simply going through it. Growth mindset lets us develop our characters and strengthen our weaknesses, so that we are ready to take on the next phase of life. It's really one of the most effective ways to earn our promotions to life's bigger and better blessings." -says the Watsons

No one would have thought that losing loved ones could result in something beautiful. We never did. Not until recently anyways.

It's like we're at an impasse, a place in life where everything appears to be at a standstill. No progress. No way out. Stuck. Then, along comes life's natural tormentors - things can't seem to stick together, constantly falling apart. Then, like making a sandwich, life tops us off with losing loved ones, one after another. Maybe time will make things better, but how much more time? After having lost six loved ones, it's clear that time is not the answer.

The first touch of light hit us when we learned about forgiveness and what it really means to forgive. Forgiveness is a beautiful gift to those who receive them, but no one really wants to be the one giving the forgiveness. We hold on to the hurt, the pain, the resentment without realizing that we're imprisoning ourselves. Being unable to forgive hurts us more than the person needing our forgiveness. Maybe in a sense, it is "selfish" to forgive, but this is a great opportunity for us to practice self-love, which unfortunately, is what the world lacks today. We're working on loving ourselves the way we're loved by God.

Then comes learning new perspectives and effects of words. We have been looking through the wrong lens for so long that we have failed to see the works of God in our lives. We have failed to count our blessings for so many other things that we've gotten accustom to taking for granted. Words have power like no other. Like we reap what we sow, we eat what we say. There are only two kinds of words we can speak: blessings or curses. The Lord will not bless that which we curse. And very much like the law of the universe, what we receive is what we've been attracting, be it intentionally or not. We want to speak the language of love, giving, compassion and kindness because we want our hearts and home to be filled with only these things. It's also the same language that the Lord speaks.

Lastly, we have an awakening and feel like for the very first time, we could think and see clearly. There's such calm and inner peace - we didn't think possible. In the midst of all this comfort, we're sparked by a strong, immense emotion of giving. What is it that we have been blessed with that we could share with those who are in need? What is it that we are so passionate about that we could stay up at night working on in both sickness and health? It's photography, no doubt.

The last two weddings we have covered gave us a unique insight on the overlooked needs of struggling couples who are getting married. A couple's wedding day is one of the most important days of their lives, and they should at least have a high quality picture to hang up on their wall for their children and grandchildren to admire for years and generations to come. Our minds have been made up.

Hello Giving Tree.