"Do not dwell...

...in the past, do not dream of the future,

concentrate the mind on the present moment."

~Buddha~

praying mantis:

 patience, stillness, mindfulness, and good luck.

This little one wasn't so lucky...it's little prayer limbs were

missing. I read about them....and it's common,

and they do grow back.

notes...

still dark, lightning flashing in the west,

cow moo's coming from a nearby farm,

coyotes that sound too close,

a cool breeze on the porch 

the trio of crickets, Polly purrs, and an owl hoot

wrapped in my NY blanket...

with my cup of coffee

having a moment

create some space to contemplate 

the mysteries of life

every event in your life provides opportunity

to learn the deepest lessons

act in your best interests and being true

to yourself

let go of the need for approval 

approve of yourself

in the end that's the only approval that counts

be open to healthy options for taking

care of yourself

"Meditation should be a daily priority

 for all believers."

~Charles Stanley~

peace is a quality of the Spirit

that is everywhere present

all of the peace that you could ever desire

is already within you

you contract this peace through prayer 

and meditation

quietness and trust accomplish far

more than you can imagine

your not looking for popularity or applause

you're in search of purpose

don't spend your time obsessing

about what others are doing

traveling your own path is all consuming

meditate on scripture

apply the word to your situation

through prayer and meditation

free yourself from wrong thinking

honor the mystery of each moment

be well...

xoxo

💖

"Relax. You are enough. you do enough.

Breathe extra deep, let go, and just live

right now in this moment."

"Stay in the moment. The practice of staying present

will heal you. Obsessing about how the future will turn out

creates anxiety.

Replacing broken scenarios from the past causes

anger and sadness.

Stay here, in this moment."

"Clear your mind.

Your heart is trying to tell you something."

 

Very random thoughts...

....and a letter from the past.

dinner, a selfie,...and if you look close...a cat on my head....💝

I feel the winds of change. 

Sticking close to God and

trusting in Him for direction.

I have this wonky energy of standing at a starting gate,

 waiting for the gun to fire...

while attempting to wait patiently...

and wait...

and wait.

I watched a movie with Hayley Mills and Diane Keaton 

the other night. Love them both.

Hayley Mills? 

I developed a bit of a girl crush...

she is 80 and so freaking adorable!!!

Both are a light.

Our chicken neighbors have been popping over the fence

for a visit from time to time.

The other night, one went missing... so we hunted in the dark.

 Later I received a photo text of

 a big speckled chicken sitting up in the tree.

Ellie May looks pregnant

the thought of little kids hopping around next door

makes me happy.

Can't wait!

My neighbor is baking Brandon and Molly's

wedding cake. 

She brought over a practice cake for us to try.

I may have teared up a bit.

Brandon made an express trip into the area 

I met him for dinner, and to bring him

some cake.

He told me he started writing his vows...

 I told him I was going to be a blubbering mess.

He said his friend N.. will be OK unless he sees someone

cry. 

Warning to N....don't look my way.

I'm about to mosey into the advanced class in Tai Chi.

My classmate battles with Parkinson's .

He's advancing with me....or I won't go.

Yesterday we were stretching up on our toes like a ballerina,

and I said, "I'm too wobbly today..."

and he said,

"I have a hard time even making my feet work."

and we both laughed

He has a good spirit.

He seems to move more smoothly during practice.

There's something to it.

I've been filling up journals like a madwoman

16 pages....14 pages....stuff is coming up,

ideas, direction, non-essential....quotes,

memories, flashbacks....

a lot. 

waiting....waiting....studying...

practicing...

patience.

I am combing through my journal notes from the last month.

Pilfering... sleuthing...

revisiting highlighted sentences, starred & underlined areas

while highlighting more as I go.

I'm under investigation,

by me.

Putting the pieces together...to start coaching

and taking steps forward as I take in more...

I am in the flow...

yet....still not fully ready to launch.

This morning, I read a letter that formed on the 9th of last month....

it was on a Sunday...

I had just prayed for patience...

wanting to default into DIY and help God out.

Let's go!

And also wanting to wait for His perfect timing...

no easy task.

I know I am still processing....

& there is a lot going on.

I seriously trust that He has a better plan than mine anyway...

so with that said...

I'll place my trust there.

.....

'Dare to begin to be happy. You will go forward in the way before you,

you will soon receive the promise,

I will give you your heart's desire.

I understand perfectly things about you which you have

yet to discover. Open your heart fully to Me.

You will experience My boundless Love.

I want your life to bear fruit.

No one can go it alone Spiritually.

I will lead you to a place I know you will thrive. Be obedient to wherever 

My Spirit leads you.

Stop worrying, fretting, and being anxious.

I will help you through this.

Get real with your mess-ups, and don't act like you have it all together.

I am more concerned about you faking it than if you blow it.

I want you to know I see you, and there is nothing you can do to

make Me love you more!

Don't go into hiding. Keep it real.

Let me enter into your failures with you &

watch what happens.

Do something with what you believe & fight back against boredom of a 

faith without activity.

Faith without works is as useless as a pen without ink.

I don't need your help.

I want your heart, and you will understand more about Me

the more you engage in your faith.

You will be alright, for you are still learning what it means to be strong.

Keep going.

Find a place to rest.

Then rise up and begin again.

Have a blast today.

Search for little signs, take a walk, but

find your adventure in Me and express your faith

in love and in action.

Talk to Me all the time. 

This single habit will improve every area of your life.

Hear Me say,

"That's my girl!"'

~Jesus~

(compilation of notes....)

be well...

xoxo

💞

"There is a lesson to be learned from reading biographies,

it is that no one enters this life with a plan."

"To know all the facts about anyone is to be considerably

more informed on the subject than they are."

"You cannot change tomorrow by changing yesterday,

that is what today is for."

Go with the flow...

....'be water my friend.'

"Empty your mind, be formless.

Shapeless, like water.

If you put water into a cup, it becomes the cup.

You put water into a bottle, it becomes the bottle.

You put it in a teapot, it becomes the teapot.

Now water can flow or it can crash.

Be water my friend.

~Bruce Lee~

notes:

grateful for: our window cleaner who

relates to protecting a spider

(there's a story)

synchronicities

Chinese medicine

inspiration by Bruce Lee 

rain in the forecast

fall cleaning and purging

flow....💖

water just moves into place naturally

immediately 

simply

water that doesn't flow becomes stagnant

an open mind that doesn't get hung up on anything

not stuck in a feed-back loop

keep the mind fluid

like water

simple and direct

no limitations

remove (hinderances) things that block your flow

first you need to be aware of them

let go of your rigid training & look

upon yourself & your art with fresh eyes

pivot

train

learn to accept the ever changing nature of life

&  to work with it rather than against it

find the perfect pockets to slip into

'it is the moment, however small,

in which a choice is made.

In this tiny gap lies the moment of decision,

of action, of reflex, of thought.'

this tiny gap is where consciousness & unconsciousness meet

true flow-

you are moving within the oneness

develop a sense of what works best for you

perception is the way of truth

perception you must uncover

no one can give it to you

you choose how you want to participate in the rapid

unfolding of life, with a growing sense of ease

let naturalness become the norm

simply be

fully present

wise

and responsive in every moment

simply practice...

practice....practice

don't get bogged down by the approach

before you practice

simply begin

practice

& hone

hack away the unessential

so that the truth will be revealed unobstructed 

this is being whole

oneness

true flow

trust in God with all of your heart and

He will make your path straight

"Show me your ways, Lord,

teach me Your paths.

Guide me in truth and teach me."

Psalm 25: 4-5

perspective will come with retrospect

let whatever is being worked out in you take it's course

Be

feel 

go through

allow

being is enough

be well...

xoxo

💗

"The knowledge and skills you have achieved

are meant to be forgotten so you can float comfortably

in emptiness, without obstruction."

~Bruce Lee~

"In building a statue, a sculptor doesn't keep

adding clay to his subject. 

Actually, he keeps chiseling away at the nonessentials 

until the truth of his creation is revealed

without obstruction."

~Bruce Lee~

"It takes great courage to grow up and

become who you really are."

~E.E. Cummings~

Day by day...

...God's peace is found in the spaces in-between.

In the pause. In the quiet. In the stillness.

'Slow down to notice the spaces where 

peace naturally flourishes.

It is a gift of grace.'

sandpiper: living in-between spaces, adaptability & flow,
persistence & purpose, vigilance & mindfulness

notes...

the blank pages of a new journal 

a big sneeze from the drop-off line at school

that echoes over startling the cat

trees swaying in the breeze

a pause to walk along the waters edge

a small blue heron feather floating on the shoreline

& the sandpiper leading the way

accept each day exactly as it comes to you

the journey is just as purposeful

as what you accomplish when you get

where you want to be

pause to take a look around

take time to savor special

even ordinary moments

see how much more you glean from them

when you are fully present

allow your heart to be wooed into thanksgiving

and praise for what has been given you

gratitude generates enthusiasm

there is a plan for your life

& it unfolds slowly

let go of your need to figure things out

to feel in control

allow things to happen

enjoy the moments of your life

even the bumpy moments

respect time as a valuable commodity

you have been told that all things shall work out

for your good 

put simple trust in that truth

events will unfold as they should

be well

xoxo

💞

"Let the beauty of what you love be what you do."

~Rumi~

"When enough of God's people are overflowing

 with the life of Jesus Christ,

this crazy, mixed-up, sad, searching, hungering,

thirsting, yearning, violent world of ours

is going to say, 'I want that. I want what you have.'"

~Charles Stanley~

"You don't find peace. 

You choose it, by what you ignore,

by what you release, by what you stop giving energy to."

~Bruce Lee~