Inspirational – Long walks and dark chocolate

Glimmer, don’t Gripe

December 19, 2013 5 Comments

christmas lights (Photo credit: harold.lloyd)

While we dream of a White Christmas, children in a dusty street dream of shoes to wear

While we stuff the turkey and then our bellies, many are digging through garbage for dinner

While we share enchanted kisses under the mistletoe, someone somewhere is suffering violence at the hands of a loved one

As we carefully wrap gifts in shiny paper a laid off dad unwraps an envelope containing a bill he can’t pay

As we go caroling and attend plays and parties, the old man down the street cries tears of loneliness, feeling abandoned

While we fill our spare bedrooms and pull out couches with family and friends, a single mom and her children sleep in the street

And as we deck the halls and our homes with sparkling lights, many are searching for just a glimmer of hope

I write all this, not to upset anyone, or make anyone feel guilty for enjoying your Christmas and family. ENJOY your family, really take the time to enjoy each and every one of them! Look into their eyes when they are speaking, pay attention and show your love abundantly. If you are among the blessed, be thankful for your blessings and don’t you dare complain!

Be the glimmer of hope for someone, whether you think they deserve your attention or not. After all, when we think about the true meaning of Christmas, isn’t it about a gift of love we didn’t deserve? Don’t let anyone on your street be hungry, hopeless or lonely this Christmas season. If we all do that, think of what we would accomplish!

Filed Under: Family and Home, Inspirational Tagged With: Christmas, Christmas lights, Holiday, Religious, True meaning of Christmas

Christmas threads

December 7, 2013 6 Comments

“Ma’am, may I ask you a question?” The persistent young lady clutching a tube of sea salt, something or other, actually matched my steps for a few seconds as I hurried past the mid-mall vendor. After my “no thank you” didn’t faze her tenacity, I tried “No thank, you I’m not interested” in a more serious tone. When that also failed to weaken her resolve, I decided to just pick up my pace and ignore her. She was intent on making a sale but I was determined to escape.

Moments later, I settled into a seat with my lunch to take a break and re-group. I found myself feeling angry. Why should my leisurely trip to the mall be interrupted by an incident that left me feeling like I’d done something wrong? I don’t like to use my firm tone of voice and I certainly don’t like to ignore people. My day begins with a prayer to show love to others, not return rudeness.

Determined not to lose my joy, I let it go, adamant in my desire to shine a little brighter for the remainder of my day.

I begin to recall memories of Christmas shopping in this very mall with my mom, my husband, my mother in law, my girls and many friends. Some of them are no longer here, but I can meander through the memories and find the moments and share them again.

The heart of Christmas for me lies in my Christian roots; the reality of the gift given to the entire world on that Christmas long ago. When we celebrate Christmas, it’s based on that love and although December can be hurried and harried, that is where the focus must remain.

As I began to look around a few stops later, I noticed the exuberant face of a little boy as he carefully selected ornaments with his mother. She spoke softly to him, love and tenderness in her voice. They were both young and creating “moments” together to be cherished for years to come.

I rounded the aisle and saw what appeared to be a family, according to their similarities in look. There was an elderly woman in a wheelchair, being pushed by a younger woman, who could have been her daughter. I paused to let them pass and they smiled in thanks. Directly in pursuit of them was a younger woman, who was very noticeably pregnant. I wondered if I was perhaps looking at four generations (one still in the oven). They made me smile as they laughed and joked about who was “bringing up the rear”, obviously enjoying each other immensely.

We have to remember during all the hustle and bustle of the season to cherish one another and to savor moments and make memories. Every moment, every event, be it large or small is like a thread, which when woven together with love, create a beautiful garment of memories, that can be thrown around our shoulders to embrace and comfort us time and time again.

And that reminds me of the comforting love of the Father – Have a blessed day and cherish those moments!

Christmas IS in the Air (silviayg.wordpress.com)
Fa-la-la-la-lineman’s first family Christmas… (thelovelylittlelinewife.com)
The Weekend Dish-Christmas Quiz (backyardsisters.com)

Filed Under: Family and Home, Inspirational Tagged With: Christian, Christmas, Christmas tree, Decorations, Family, Holidays, love, memories, moments, Opinions, Shopping

Morning dew and joy

October 12, 2013 6 Comments

rain drops on hisbicus

The only light she saw was the blue dot on the DVR player and a soft glow from the computer screen. At 2:00am, it was dreadfully dark and silent except for the sound of the ceiling fan as it followed its infinite circular route.

It was time; time for prayer and quiet reflection, time to stop suppressing the angst and the pain; time to release the fear and let it all tumble out in salty cleansing tears.

She doesn’t like to cry, especially not this kind of cry; the heart-wrenching sobs that had threatened like a black and dreaded storm cloud for days now. She likes to show herself strong, capable, and unmoved by life’s jabs and pokes and knockouts.

But deep within, she knows that to give up on self, to let go and let God is the answer. That is when the healing can begin and joy will return. Not the “ha-ha” playground laughter kind of joy, but the deep-down to your soul kind. On her knees, pouring it out in sobs that are interrupted by deep gasping breaths, she lets God right things.

Then, peace ensues and a heart at rest can finally rest. The mind stops racing, and the once elusive sleep comes quickly.

Morning breaks with a sunrise of hope and goals and motivation afresh! Yes, joy does come in the morning.

Filed Under: Inspirational Tagged With: empty nest, faith, God, healing, Health, joy, peace, Prayer, tears of joy

The little foxes

September 15, 2013 1 Comment

English: Common foxes in the snow. Français : Renards roux dans la neige. W.Kuhnert. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Mom used to repeat that long-ago penned slice of wisdom originating from The Song of Solomon; “It’s the little foxes that spoil the vines”. In my younger days, when I had never yet set my gaze on a real live fox much less these vineyards he desired to spoil, it didn’t make much sense to me. A lot of things didn’t then.

But, oh have I found that saying to be accurate and worth adding to my arsenal of proven truths.

We expect trials and tribulations to manifest in some big, easily recognizable way. We presume that when we enter throes of temptation, we will always show up, eyes wide open, prepared and completely alert.

However, it starts with the little things…

That one phrase spoken in a sugar sweet voice, laced with black, dark, hate.

That tiny wound that rages red, becoming infected with revenge.

That look of contempt, the kind where a disgusted shaking head follows.

Sometimes it starts as a barely noticeable disengaging from life, a slow giving in to despair.

A pinch of jealousy, fertilized with just the right mix of self-loathing and insecurity can turn into an ugly beast, hard to control.

One small plank thrown up to shelter a tender heart can turn into a fortress.

Yes, I am confident that a lot of the “little things” become very big things if we don’t catch them and deal with them immediately.

The little foxes do spoil the vines, but only, if we let them.

Filed Under: Inspirational Tagged With: Fox, heart, little foxes, problems, song, Song of Solomon, the little things, unforgiveness, Vine, vines

Daily Prompt: Regrets, I’ve had a few

September 6, 2013 5 Comments

What’s your biggest regret? How would your life have been different if you’d made another decision?

This prompt spoke to me in a big way this morning, causing me to reflect on my life thus far. I can’t say that I have one regret in particular and since I believe all things happen for a reason, I believe I am exactly where I am supposed to be today.

With that said, I have many regrets:

• The times I withheld forgiveness instead of forgiving freely and quickly and completely.
• The times I chose to clean house instead of making mud pies.
• Every minute I spent in the mirror criticizing my appearance, and especially the times in front of my girls.
• For the careless word spoken that wounded, sometimes deeply.
• The conversations I merely endured that should have been feasted upon.
• The years I spent running from God.
• The “I love you” left unspoken and the phone calls never made.
• Every hour wasted on hatred, jealousy, anger and strife.

And finally, the time I have spent dwelling on past regrets instead of choosing to leap past them, learn from them and strive to live out the remainder of this life with fewer of them.

This was a great writing prompt and it’s good to force yourself to think back sometimes and glean from past mistakes, to remember where you came from and who you have become. Of most importance though is to move forward and live this beautiful life out loud, with great expectations, faith and hope. May we all fully implement the lessons learned that they never influence our lives negatively again.

Filed Under: Family and Home, Inspirational, Photography Tagged With: Bible, children, Christianity, God, motherhood, regret, Religion and Spirituality, Sin

It’s a bad day, not a bad life

August 8, 2013 5 Comments

The alarm woke me up angrily as if to say there is no time to spare, not another blink of sleep is to occur on my watch! The door reached out to clobber me in the side of my head as I dragged a less than cooperative body to the bathroom. The water was cold as it bitterly splashed my awakening skin, and my eyes simply refused to focus properly; then the scale was particularly hateful.

Off to the kitchen where the red light on my keurig flashed impatiently, shouting, “refresh me or else”!

Finally seated in front of my computer, I attempted to begin my work day. Of course on days like this, fingers fail to move where your mind tells them to go and logins are incorrect.

It was as if my blood pressure was rising while my patience was waning and it wasn’t yet 6:00am.

As the day schlepped on, ever so slowly, it was one irritating thing after another. There was the way my bank (for reasons still unclear to me) locked out my online banking feature, and the only way that I could prove that I truly was who I proclaimed to be was by me knowing the amount and date of my very last transaction.

This may seem a walk in the park to you, but since I was dealing with my hubby’s business account, I knew my getting this right was as likely as him remembering to tell me he even used the card; therefore, highly unlikely. I was so amazed when the last receipt he had thrown in a crumpled up pile on the counter actually matched. I could have cried tears of joy! Yes! I had received my first miracle of the day.

Even after this turn of events, my mood continued to darken and my appetite threatened to destroy my resolve against all things unhealthy. My husband and daughter felt the tumultuous waves of my hormonal raging. I even had to make one apology…harrumph!

About this time one of my co-workers and I were discussing a timeline for a future fix and something she said shook my resolve to be angry today. I made a negative comment and she said, “hey, you’re always the positive one”. Ouch! God was showing me, crystal clear, that my attitude needed adjusting. But, I didn’t heed at that point; I was too deep in the yuck-mode.

Later, once I got off work and sat basking in the afternoon sun, remembering that today is my Friday, I looked back on today and actually smiled. Okay, I admit it was one of those wimpy, embarrassed smiles, but it was a smile nonetheless.

Somehow, at that point, I quickly repented for my negativity and forced myself to realize (once again) all that I have to be thankful for in life. I heard the words, “it’s a bad day, not a bad life” resonate from somewhere deep within.

Yes, I can blame SOME of it on hormones, but this selfishness, thinking it’s all about me, forgetting the blessings, is something I feel I will be blogging about over and over until I get it. And, then maybe I will continue until others get it as well. If you’ve had a bad day, get alone somewhere quiet, say a prayer, read a verse, breath in and out and begin to count those blessings. It will do you good!

Filed Under: Inspirational Tagged With: almost 50, Banking Services, be positive, counting blessings, Friday, God, hormonal issues, I'm sorry, menopause, moodiness, Online banking, selfishness, thankfulness, workday

Shuffling a little slower now

August 3, 2013 11 Comments

-Elderly couple comfort each other (Photo credit: Gordon T Lawson)

They walked out of CVS together, cars impatiently waiting for them to make their way slowly through the crosswalk. I watched the struggle with empathy, silently imagining what their long history together might have entailed. They both approached the car and she slowly and carefully got in the passenger side. He opened the driver’s side car door wincing, as if the mere action of pulling it open caused him pain. Then, he took his time to gently fold himself down into the seat. After several minutes, they were on their way.

My eyes see an elderly couple; the lady had white hair and a matching polyester outfit gracing her petite frame, full makeup and glasses and sensible shoes. She had a plastic bag sporting the store logo in her hand and the contents, 2 boxes of frosted flakes,were visible. I smiled. The man was stooped over, bald and moved as though arthritis or some other painful disease was taking its toll on him. I could see the vexation in his eyes as he struggled to do the small tasks that only a few years ago were likely very easy for him.

As they drove away, their mouths moving in conversation, I began to wonder if they felt as old as they looked. I wondered if there are things they can no longer do, and if that frustrates them greatly. I thought about children, grandchildren and great-grandchildren and wondered if they had any of these and if so, did they visit? Were the boxes of frosted flakes for them or their grandchildren? Were their lives happy ones or did they face each day with increasing loneliness or fear at what the future holds?

I remember a time, not long ago in the grand scheme of things, when my first thought may have been that they probably shouldn’t even be driving and I may have been one of those impatient drivers in the crosswalk, rushing about. As I grow older myself, my patience increases and my compassion grows. I am reminded once again, that life is short. We need to live out every moment and love the ones God has placed in our lives, to tell them and to show them each and every day. Life can be stressful and we are all too busy with so many things that don’t really matter. Can we show more respect, love and appreciation to the elderly in our community?

I know how it can feel like there just aren’t enough hours in the day. Sometimes you do make the time to reach out and love. You may call or visit or write, yet, the person on the receiving end doesn’t seem to appreciate it or you feel like it’s never enough.

Whatever the case, do it anyway. Make a day brighter, help quench the pangs of loneliness. For you and I, my friends, will be there soon enough.

Filed Under: Inspirational Tagged With: growing old, Old age, Relationships, Shopping, showing love

Deposits in our children

August 1, 2013 Leave a Comment

Ayda at Disney 2011

As I look back on the past 47 years of my life, I am convinced that of all of the lives I have touched, the biggest impact has been on my children.

Knowing this, I contemplate the failures which sometimes seemed as plentiful as the successes. For this, I can promise, you will fail at times, more than once or twice. You will find though, that how you handle the failures is the most important part. There is no shame to be found in saying, “I’m sorry”; this is teaching your children to do the same. You also have to forgive yourself and move forward.

I recall many times that they called me out on something that I had taught them not to do or also the times when I beamed with pride at the awesomeness of their character shining through. There were times I was impatient and didn’t give them the chance to explain, or completely misread a situation and found myself at their bedside asking forgiveness. There were also times that I know I rocked; that I gave them praise and their smile and hug told me I had got it right. Those are the times your heart feels as though it will burst.

I have found that patience is mandatory throughout their lives; not just during the terrible twos and sassy teenage years. Your complete and undivided attention is a must and forgiveness a necessity. Praise is essential and should be used in far greater quantity than negative remarks.

The words that are spoken should be carefully chosen, the looks you give always filtered by love and the example that you set should be stellar. If it hasn’t been thus far, make the rest of the years count!

Yes, there will come a time when they will make their own choices. However, you will want them to make good ones, based on the things you have taught them and shown by example. The little sponges will soak it all up, so make your choices wisely.

After all, you want to look back with more good memories than bad ones and you want to know you have done your very best.

Filed Under: Family and Home, Inspirational Tagged With: children, forgiveness, memories, Parenting, praise, setting an example

The ripple

July 30, 2013 7 Comments

Duck at Reservoir Park in Southern Pines NC

When I took the picture of this duck, I caught myself looking at the ripples. It never ceases to amaze me how that if we let God’s creation teach us, it never fails. There is a lesson in every scene.

As the duck paddled its legs beneath him, the water rippled out revealing motion. The display of the ripple varied based on his movement. When he was still and quiet, the water barely moved, but when he flapped his wings and flailed around as he took his bath, there were splashes and ripples and noise.

So, of course I began to wonder, “What is my ripple?” How does it look and what does it convey about me.

Do I thrash about wreaking havoc all around me? Or perhaps I am so quiet and unmoving that I am barely noticed at all. Or maybe, slow and steady is my way. It makes you think, doesn’t it?

I hope to be steady and sure, confident and moving forward. I pray that the impression I leave as I make my way through this world is a good one.

God Bless and Goodnight!

Filed Under: Inspirational, Photography Tagged With: birds, duck, Environment, God Bless, Goodnight, Ripple effect, water

Vultures of the human variety

July 24, 2013 2 Comments

White-backed vultures (Gyps africanus) feed on a carcass of a wildebeest in Masai Mara National Park, Kenya (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Several times a week I walk, at least a 2 mile stretch, sometimes more. Today was my “lunch walk” so I only had 30 minutes and was determined to make it count.

I was clipping along at a rapid pace, my body already on melt down alert from the blistering FL sun, when I smelled it.

It was a rotten, dead animal smell that caused me to pick up my pace even more. This was partly because of the horrid smell and partly because of the large assemblage of hideous vultures beside the road gawking at me as if I were after their dinner.

As I continued around the bend, happy to be rid of the stench and the stares, I began to think about buzzards. We all know that they are scavengers. What I didn’t know that I read today and found interesting is that a group of vultures is sometimes called a wake. Very fitting! Another note is that although they rarely attach healthy animals, they may kill the wounded or the sick, which brings me to my point and what I was pondering during the remainder of my walk.

Have you ever noticed that some people are like vultures, looming over a mess, waiting for their opportunity to run and congregate to observe catastrophe close up, feasting on bad news and then regurgitating it (like the vultures do to feed young or when scared) wherever they go. It smells even worse by then, I imagine.

Sometimes these people take a weak or injured individual and try to finish them off just to satisfy their appetite. They thrive on rottenness and death, walk all through it, supping until they are full and there is nothing left.

When someone is weak or downtrodden, they need encouragement and when every situation around them reeks, they don’t need more gossip and exposure.

They need understanding, love and a true friend; someone to defend them when they can barely stand beneath the weight of despair.

I am so blessed to have friends like that and a God who watches over His children. One of my prayers today is that I will never feast on someone else’s pain, but instead that I will come alongside and share the burden.