Would you rather...

...choose to complain about everything

that's wrong with your life...

or

count your blessings?

notes...

had a visitor this morning

I'd love to keep it close to it's home

but I worry about the girls (chickens) next store

I tried to pick the perfect spot

and got a nudge

those always turn out well

welcome to your home little one

twin fawns 

 on the way

I grabbed my camera

captured blurs as they

disappeared into the grass

so dang cute

celebrating America's 250th Birthday tonight

with the family

living well is both a discipline 

and an art

discipline your thoughts

stay present

be sold-out on your beautiful 

ambitions

be captivated by purpose

learn to follow your inner guidance

remember every step is of worthy gratitude and awe

the choice for gratitude rarely comes without

some effort

gratitude is a discipline

focus on what's lacking and experience deficiency and incompleteness

or

dwell of the positives and experience being blessed

your choice

it isn't easy

but you can control your thoughts

'On December 17, 1903

Orville & Wilbur Wright flew the first airplane

at 10:35 AM.

They saw their dream lift off the ground.

What were they thinking at 10:34?

odds

risks

physical safety

public face plant if they fail?

At 10:34

they chose to focus on their beautiful ambitions

rather than all the reasons not to try.'

be well...

xoxo

💖

"Move, but don't move the way

fear makes you move."

~Rumi

"The city of truth cannot be built

on the swampy ground of skepticism."

~Albert Schweitzer

"Who does not thank for little

will not thank for much."

~Estonian proverb

 

Through everything...

...that did or did not happen...

the pieces still come together.

notes...

cont...the feeder was on the ground,

the food was gone from the trap

 door shut

nothing

bringing the feeders in tonight

a friend drove by as Hubby was leaving

for work 

her energetic wave

a cheerful greeting

followed by her signature giggle

it made me giggle too

 trimming around the wildflowers

a truck pulls up to the edge of the yard

some of my rambunctious buddies

with their human uber

 start hollering out the window

what a fantastic surprise

a little whimsy to start my day...

this breeze has been a godsend

meditate on His love

when the mind is no longer grasping for an answer

space opens

ask for wisdom rather than direction

what seemed a hinderance

proves to be a gift

if you only do what you're familiar with

you might miss what you've been made for

don't get so comfortable where you are

that you miss where God wants to take you

trust the process

offer your moments to Him

sincerely and consistently

the fear of God 

is being terrified of ever being outside His protection

it works for you not against you

you don't have to fear when you know

whom your trusting in

breathe deep

a new day is calling you into the light...

where old ways of thinking are made right

focus on life's blessings

rather than it's shortcomings

where you point the focus of your attention

is purely a matter of choice

'the more things you appreciate today

the more things you'll notice tomorrow to

be grateful for'

decide to be a grateful human

or not to be

your choice

'tiny tweaks add

up to big changes'

be well...

xoxo

💝

"I'm accused of favoring dogs over people

when in fact I favor

whoever comes running when I whistle."

"What if you eliminated all the faults in your character

only to discover

that the faults were the only character you had?"

"Ah, happiness, lying unnoticed beneath

the business of the moment,

revealing itself only to the quiet

of our recollection."

 

Identify where...

...you want to grow or change

then start dreaming about

possibilities for getting there.

one of my favorite daily "do's" #10minutewalk

notes...

this week I'm taking my own advice

 and drinking more water

(1/2 body weight in ounces)

dinking out of a 32 oz. mason jar full in the fridge

has made it easier to keep track

 avg. 120 oz. a day

 noticing my energy level perking up

so is the house

day #3

the birdfeeders are on the ground every morning

guessing a coon 

setting the livetrap tonight

dream beyond where you are

what could you do with an extra hour today?

when you choose to be present

there is room for learning, growth,

healing and restoration

begin where you are

and make the right choices for you

what can you do to make your life better?

where are you leaking your 

energy and your time?

you won't be distracted by comparison

if you're captivated by purpose

most everything will fade into the background

if you are going to step into a new thing

you are going to have to do things

a little differently

blaze some new trails

'change is easier & offers more options

than you think'

"there are over 293 ways to make

change for a dollar"

quit limiting the way you think

about enacting change in any

area of your life

try new creative ways of

walking towards the changes you want to see

A healthy body produces energy

a healthy mind produces joy

joy does not depend on the outer conditions

of your life

'cut back on joy-reducing thoughts

increase  joy-producing thoughts'

change your mental diet

nourish and hydrate your soul

now is always a good time to start

you will learn as you go

you will find your way

take a step

the choices you make today 

will impact your future

be well...

xoxo

💓

"Your energy reflects your mitochondria.

Your mood follows your gut.

Your focus follows your blood sugar.

Your skin mirrors your liver.

Your sleep follows your nervous system.

Your body keeps an honest

record of how you live."

~Dr. Mark Hyman~

"Gratitude rewires your brain.

It enhances brain regions linked

to self-control and emotional

regulation, helping you bounce

back from stress & adversity.

Feeling thankful literally changes

how your brain responds to life."

~Dr. Mark Hyman~

 

Trust Him...

...to take your broken &

make it beautiful.

notes...

 checking on the new cows

and they were nowhere in sight.

 we set out on a search.

one just happened to peek out from under a cedar tree

and hubby noticed it

on our second trip around the pasture.

hubby forgot to bring some feed along

so we made another trip to bring

 them a treat.

 it was a good hiding spot

we could have searched all afternoon.

Summer is here.

help comes in the form of people who

don't run away

prayer shifts the focus away from your problem

to one who can handle it

those who truly love you will respect

your priorities

even if they don't understand them

pause to see the blessings

& say thank you

you go a long way toward happiness

just by thinking in new ways

remember the difference between 

news & truth

'news comes to let you know what your

dealing with'

'God (truth) comes to help you

process all you are dealing with'

it's not about you handling it

it's about you handling it with God

your offer the greatest blessing to the people

you love 

when you lean into the truth 

about yourself & them

in the name of love

slow your roll

engage

take it moment by moment

ditch crummy self-talk

get excited by possibilities &

the challenge to stretch yourself

invite newness into your life

embrace change

be spontaneous

have fun

lighten up

you won't be punished by God

you were created to be fully human

enjoy the gift of being alive

being fully human

& being who you are

have fun with life

be well...

xoxo

💝

"Don't be in such a rush to figure everything out.

Embrace the unknown and let your life surprise you."

"Life is a balance of what we can control

and what we cannot.

I am learning to live between effort

and surrender."

"Anything you can't control in life

is teaching you how to let go."