God – Long walks and dark chocolate

Removing the barnacles

March 6, 2013 5 Comments

This picture was taken from our dock and you can see all of the barnacles on the piling; the longer they are allowed to grow, the greater their adhesion. We have to remove them from the boats because they will slow us down and cost more fuel.

I think on occasion there are things in our lives that resemble barnacles, slowing us down, causing a “drag” so to speak, that can feel like a large noose around our neck. Sometimes, these can be what the bible describes as hindrances, weights, or besetting sins. At other times, it’s just something that shouldn’t be a priority in our life, but we’ve fallen into bad habits, or we know something is bugging us, but it’s in our power to rectify it (this one is often one of my issues due to procrastination) and we haven’t.

If your goal is like mine, to live life to the fullest, to run this race with all you’ve got, then at times we have to take inventory. We have to look at our lives with eyes of faith and a sense of our purpose and recognize and accept when change is necessary. Sometimes, we even have relationships with people who are spewing forth cynicism and gloom and doom, bringing us down. In this area, of course, we must handle with love and kid gloves and always try to help and encourage first. We don’t want to hurt others, but we can’t forever be the receptacle for all things negative, either.

Spring is on it’s way and is always a good time for cleaning house (inside and out)! So, I guess it’s time to get out the gloves, pressure cleaner and the scrapers and get busy.

Filed Under: Photography, Uncategorized Tagged With: Barnacle, boats, changes, faith, God, love, purpose

The day I became a Nana

February 27, 2013 7 Comments

Stop and smell the flowers

Yesterday I was mom, aunt, daughter

A friend, cousin and wife.

Today I became a Nana

I never could have guessed the way I would feel

You changed my life on February 28th, 2010

The day I became a Nana

Those other grandparents tried to warn me

They spoke of a new and different kind of love

About how hearts turn to mush

But I just didn’t get it

Until the day I became a Nana

Happy 3rd Birthday to my baby girl 🙂

Filed Under: Poetry, Uncategorized Tagged With: Facebook, Family, God, grandparent, Home, Mother, Nana, Parenting

Love until it hurts

February 25, 2013 4 Comments

Who will tell them they are loved?

All the weary, worn and broken.

Will we merely pass them by?

Words of healing left unspoken.

No, Not I. I said, “I’ll go.”

And heed their silent cry.

Take my hand and join me.

Let’s touch a life that’s gone awry.

Matthew 25:45 “And he will answer, ‘I tell you the truth, when you refused to help the least of these my brothers and sisters, you were refusing to help me.’

We all know someone who could use a hug, a smile, some love and if we don’t it’s easy enough to find out. This is just a reminder to myself and to others to give back, share your heart and whatever else you have to share. Blessings!

Filed Under: Poetry Tagged With: brokenness, God, Gospel of Matthew, Health, hurt, Jesus, Matthew, needy

A word fitly spoken

February 22, 2013 8 Comments

I am enchanted by words. I always have been. Words allow us to express our innermost thoughts in written and oral form. They are bountiful and can be captivating, refreshing and motivating and without them we would feel frustrated when trying to make a point.

Words can nurture or destroy, hurt or heal, soothe or stab, wound or caress, tear down or buildup and curse or praise. They can spew forth venom or honey, love or hate, admiration or disgust, lies or truth.

We forget their magnificent power and influence. I’ve been contemplating that power this week, keeping my eyes open for illustrations and proofs of that power. We truly wield a mighty weapon or a gentle touch depending on our use of them. Words last….once spoken they aren’t easily forgotten.

Sadly, I watched stricken faces, fear, tears of hurt, heads hung low and shoulders slumped due to mere utterances.

Thankfully, I’ve also encountered smiles brimming up from deep inside a happy heart, having felt the love and encouragement behind a simple phrase.

The other thing I’ve reflected on is how our words present us to the world. We say a lot about ourselves, our personality and our beliefs by our actions, but our words have a great impact as well. As the bible says, our words come from deep inside and reveal much about us.

When my granddaughter was younger and would try to express her frustrations, wants and needs with grunts, shrieks and screams, my daughter would remind her, “Use your words”.

I’m going to steal that phrase and add one more important word to it.

Use your words WISELY. You will be remembered by them.

Filed Under: Uncategorized Tagged With: encouragement, God, hurt, Language, love, praise, Word, words

Next season please

February 7, 2013 2 Comments

To everything there is a season,

A time for every purpose under heaven:

A time to be born, and a time to die;

A time to plant, and a time to pluck what is planted;

A time to kill, and a time to heal;

A time to break down and a time to build up;

A time to weep, and a time to laugh;

A time to mourn and a time to dance;

A time to cast away stones, and a time to gather stones;

A time to embrace, and a time to refrain from embracing;

A time to gain, and a time to lose;

A time to keep, and a time to throw away;

A time to tear, and a time to sew;

A time to keep silence and a time to speak;

A time to love, and a time to hate;

A time of war, and a time of peace. Ecclesiastes 3: 1-8

I’ve been thinking a lot about seasons this week. It’s so funny how they do parallel our lives. The bible even says to everything there is a season.

When I’m asked what my favorite season is, I often say fall and winter. I think this has always been due to the accompanying holidays and knowing I’ll be spending quality time with family and friends.

However, after contemplating it more carefully, I have realized that my favorite season is the one that’s around the corner. The one that isn’t quite here yet, the one I’m currently longing for.

Take right now, for instance. We’ve had our fill of winter (some more than others, depending on our locale); the cold, dreariness, the bare trees and raggedly looking lawns and landscapes. We are ready for spring. We desire something new; the flowers, the birdsong, a change in the weather, some refreshing showers.

I remember at the end of last summer, I was dreamily desiring the arrival of fall. I could almost taste the fall flavors of pumpkin and apple cider and smell the cinnamon and feel the slight dip in temperature. In my mind were visions of scarecrows and carvings and leaves turning and descending to the earth. It was something to look forward to and thinking about it filled me with anticipation.

When the temperatures began to drop and I began my Christmas shopping, I was already giddy with excitement for winter and the hopes of seeing snow (if I traveled out of my home state). Bring on the sweaters and scarves and boots. The love of Christmas and thoughts of enjoying more time with those I care about made me anxious for this glorious season.

And around it goes, year after year, season after season. I guess the old saying is true, “we always want what we don’t have”. We eagerly anticipate the next chapter, the next season.

It’s like our Creator to know this would suit us; the changing. We change; our lives are lived out in seasons. Our short lived attention spans and longing for more is somewhat satiated by the change in seasons.

So on this last day of winter, I say, bring on the spring! May yours be filled with a spring in your step, March madness and April showers, Easter and excitement over things to come and abundant love, joy and peace!

Filed Under: Christian, Inspirational, Uncategorized Tagged With: change, Easter, fall, God, joy, life, love, peace, seasons, spring, summer, winter

If I should die before I wake

February 4, 2013 2 Comments

If I died tomorrow, what would people to say about me?

I think it’s helpful sometimes to think of your life this way. My parents, my kids, my friends, those who don’t even know me well, the ones I meet at the grocery store, on the plane, at the sports event. How would they remember me, what words would they use to describe me? How was I perceived? How did I treat people on a day to day basis?

If we look back even in the last week and consider this, it brings what our personal legacy will be into focus.

When people think about a legacy, they often think in terms of money, prestige or power. None of that matters to me. What matters is that people see me as a virtuous, compassionate person, someone who would listen to them, love them, offer advice, give second chances, encourage them and live the life I so highly recommend, the one with Christ at the center.

When I reflect on the past week of my life, I can already see glaring failures. Opportunities missed.

I am challenging myself to think this way more often; to realize that the little, seemingly inconsequential things, really do matter. We can merely look at someone in the wrong way, or not allow our look linger long enough to show our interest in them. What about when we half-hardheartedly listen while conversing because our heart isn’t in it? There are the times we are tired and grouchy and speak before we think. We can be callous in our topics, not taking into consideration the entire audience and things some of them might have been through or we neglect people and make them feel left out.

On a positive note though, we can also seek out opportunities to smile, to tousle that little ones hair and tell them they’re awesome, to pat that elderly one on the back and ask about their health or their grandchildren. We can tell that teenager that many have given up on that they can do it. We can seek out that single parent and see if there is anything we can do to make the load a little lighter, let them know that we really do love them, that they’re in our prayers.

Think about your own life, about all the little things that gave you strength when you didn’t think you had any left. Think about the people who spoke goodness into your life and gave you hope or a hand up from the mire. Those are some of the sweetest memories. Those are the people that you remember fondly. Just a small amount of kindness might mean the world to someone.

I know I fail often, but by the grace of God, I will grow into a more considerate, loving and giving person.

Filed Under: Uncategorized Tagged With: Christ, Christianity, God, God's Grace, Grocery store, Parenting, Religion and Spirituality, Single parent

To watch or not to watch

February 3, 2013 3 Comments

Maxine comics

Are you watching the Super Bowl today? I am not unless my family is home and watching it and I just happen to be in the room (translate as I will watch with my family if they want to because I love them). I used to, but along with all the other wonderful freedoms that come with age and maturity, I don’t feel compelled anymore to follow the crowd. I wonder how many people out there today are planning to watch and really wish they were doing something else? Been there, done that.

The bigger question for me is when did any type of event start to always turn into a huge monstrosity of a party for so many.

We can’t have sweet, simple little birthdays anymore. Those become events when the child is around, let’s see…one. We have to hire a circus, dancing monkeys or something just as fabulous to keep up with everyone else. I’ve done it too; I’m not judging. I just remember a simpler time and I miss it.

The new holiday items are on the shelves before we finish buying for the last holiday. Everything is so commercialized and there is so much STUFF out there until when you do buy a gift anymore, even for a small child, you have no idea what to get because they really do have everything.

The electronic revolution has helped catapult us into approaching every new holiday or event with the mentality of honoring it with the best post, funniest tweet, most awesome pinterest folder, most unique desserts, best costumes and decorations and gifts. We are prodded and poked with ideas, pictures, suggestions. Even if we had a good idea of our own, we probably couldn’t eek it out of our already overstuffed brains sometimes.

Does anyone else agree? Am I getting old or cynical? Or am I realizing that while there are people starving and devastated and lonely, I am spending too much time on materialistic trivialities to bother taking the time to pray for them, to think of them, to do anything to help.

I am grateful for all of the ways we have to communicate nowadays, I really am. My prayer is that I would use them to encourage and uplift others and to spread the word about truly meaningful events.

I do believe we have to have fun, relax and all of those things – I’m not “dissing” anyone who is truly enthusiastic about watching the Super Bowl today – may your favorite team win. I’m just reflecting on my own priorities and wanting more than ever for them to line up with God’s will for me. I want to place the correct and proper value on things and events, not the value that everyone else says must be placed on them.

Filed Under: Uncategorized Tagged With: Entertaining, event, faith, God, Holidays, Home, Super Bowl, world hunger

Change can be good

January 22, 2013 Leave a Comment

What if we could look at things differently sometimes?

We are all on that carousel of life going round’ and round’, involved in so many different things.

What if we could stop it and step off and take a good open-minded look at some of our situations? We’re great about observing other homes and lives and making what we think are wonderful, albeit sometimes critical observations. What if we looked at ours from that same point of view?

Take a deep breath and look at your home, your family, your job. Look from the outside instead of from where you are. What are the things that are working? What isn’t? Could any changes be made for the better?

I find that the more time I make for prayer and reflection, to slow down, find a quiet place and think, the more likely I am to recognize or realize problems, to see the areas I need to work on, to allow my Creator to whisper solutions to me.

We have to be able to admit it when things need to change, that we aren’t always right and that we don’t always have the answers. This is the hardest part for me, the surrender. I have to surrender all of my earth-bound dreams and desires and goals and ambitions to the lover of my soul, the One who knows the best route for me, the One whose plans are perfect.

Sometimes I feel like a stubborn, know-it-all child who doesn’t want parental intervention. Surely, God sees me that way at times. As my walk progresses and my faith is strengthened, I find it easier to “let go and let God”. I’m finding that when I do this, this life is a glorious one to live.

Filed Under: Uncategorized Tagged With: Christianity, Creator deity, God, Jesus, Prayer, Religion & Spirituality

Daily Prompt: It is a Truth

January 5, 2013 Leave a Comment

Today’s Daily Prompt

Take the first sentence from your favorite book and make it the first sentence of your post.

IT is a truth universally acknowledged that a single man in possession of a good fortune must be in want of a wife. (Jane Austen, Pride and Prejudice)

This quote is from one of my all-time favorite books and authors. I love a book that escorts me back to much simpler times. Yes, there were some strange societal rules and it would appear odd to most American women that the primary goal of the Bennet mother and daughters was marriage and the wealthier, the better. However, to the delight of the reader, you were exposed to the entire love-package as well in Mr. Bingley and Mr. Darcy.

Personally, I think the goal of marriage and motherhood a very worthy one (even if that is the primary goal). Yes, I just said that and perhaps you would call me old fashioned. I consider myself very blessed to have been married for a very long time and have two beautiful daughters, one of whom is now a mother herself. I also work full-time, but my jobs as wife, mother and even domestic engineer are the most important ones to me and also the ones I’ve found to be most fulfilling.

My highest calling in this life has been to my family; to love and nurture them to the best of my ability with God’s grace and guidance.

Filed Under: Uncategorized Tagged With: Bingley, Darcy, Family, God, Jane Austen, Mother, pride prejudice

Weekly Photo Challenge: Resolved – No Looking Back

January 4, 2013 Leave a Comment

My precious granddaughter, Ayda

I don’t really make resolutions as I believe every single day is a new day, filled with grace and opportunity. However, one thing I want to remember this year is to stop looking back at what could have been or might have been or how I could have done something different and press forward toward all that I am called to be. So, I guess the resolution would be “no looking back”. I want to put my efforts into the future and not waste strength and energy on the past.

Brethren, I do not count myself to have apprehended; but one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind and reaching forward to those things which are ahead, I press toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus. Philippians 3:13