Prayer

My mornings always start out right,

I wish I could hold onto that focus for the rest of the day.

Dear God,

I am full of wishes,

full of desires,

full of expectations.

Some of them may be realized, many may not,

but in the midst of all my satisfactions

and disappointments,

I hope in you.

I know that you will never leave me alone

and will fulfill your divine promises.

Even when it seems that things are not 

going my way,

I know that they are going your way

and that in the end your way is the best way for me.

O Lord, strengthen my hope,

especially when many wishes are not fulfilled.

Let me never forget that your name is Love.

Amen.

~Henry M. Nouwen~

Hugging you today!

Be well, stay safe.

💖

 

Ollie

"Simple kindness to one's self and all that lives

is the most powerful transformational force of all.

It produces no backlash, has no downside, and never leads 

to loss or despair.

It increases one's true power without exacting

any toll."

 Love. Loss. More love.

Ollie passed away last weekend.

It's so hard.

There are all the empty spaces where he isn't any more.

Pets are definitely a gift, and I am grateful for the short time

we enjoyed this sweet little guy.

We are not sure what happened.

It happened so quick.

I still had his morning slice of banana in my hand,

petting him with my other.

Then in a flash, he was gone.

Be safe, and stay well.

💔

Morning

It's a gorgeous Fall morning, and I am

sitting here snuggled in my hoodie,

and slippers, just finishing up my coffee

while it's still warm.

Getting ready to head outside, with a slobber cloth and a big ol' babby bottle. 

Normally I'd stay all cozy and warm with a book...

but there have been a few alterations to my morning, since we brought Buddy home.

He's our little bottle calf. 

I am smitten.

This is a very gratifying alteration.

I've always loved the farm life,

it seems to suit my passions.

So anytime I can bring a portion of that farm-feel home...

everything feels right in my world.

 Some words I wanted to share....

" What we see will violate what we know 

unless what we know dictates what we see."

~ on trust ~

" When you succumb to fear,

you are under the illusion that you

can predict the future."

" God wants you to be happy today and everyday.

He doesn't want you to merely exist, but to enjoy being alive."

" Live with more passion; laugh more, relax more, smile more;

and simply enjoy more."

Enjoy your day!

Be safe and stay well. 

💗

Gratified

The song I want to share...

A quote that makes me feel all the feels.... 

" Fall in love.  Maybe it doesn't have to be with someone.

Fall in love with music, art, dancing in the dark,

car rides at 1 AM., the glistening of the stars,

the colours of the sun as it rises, the smell of flowers,

the feeling of adrenaline that takes over your whole body

and suffocates your lungs with joy,

good friends who bring out your best, silence, noise,

fall in love with the little things that make you feel most alive

and find purpose.

Fall in love with life."

A few journal entries lately:

*Look inward at your own attitude.

*When you are unhappy it's usually because of some wrong thinking on your part.

*Live wisely, pay attention to the way you spend your time & make the most

out of every opportunity.

*When you feel low, use wisdom & get the rest you need, 

do something fun for your emotions, & don't make big decisions.

*Check your heart, not your emotions before making a decision.

* Keep you thank-tank full.

*Do all things without grumbling & faultfinding & complaining.  Phil.2:14

*I will satisfy the weary soul, & I will replenish every languishing

 and sorrowful person. Jer. 31:25

*Trust God enough to let things happen without striving to predict

or control them.

*Live fully in the present.

*You and God are more than adequate together.

*Be love and you can't go wrong.

I pray you are staying well, and safe.

💗

 

 

Promises

I was looking through my sketchbook at some of

my doodles and such, 

and I found this list of promises.

I'm making a few of these promises to myself.

Maybe there are some promises that you'd like to make

to yourself too..? 💖

  'Promise yourself....

...to be so strong that nothing can disturb your peace of mind.

To talk health, happiness and prosperity.

To make all your friends feel their specialness.

To look at the sunny side of everything, and make your optimism come true.

To think only the best, and expect the best.

To be enthusiastic about the success of others, and your own.

To forget the mistakes of the past.

To wear a cheerful countenance at all times.

To smile.

To focus so much time on improving yourself, that you don't have time

to criticize others.

To be too large for worry, too noble for anger, and too strong for fear.'

To meditate daily.

To be grateful for the little things that remind you of the miracle your life is.

To do some sort of exercise daily. 

(walk, run, yoga, dance, cycle...)

To keep on learning.

To find the time to be creative.

" But if you have nothing at all to create,

then perhaps you create yourself"

Be safe and well !!

Have a happy weekend.

💗

Fifty-eight

I celebrated my 58th birthday recently.

My dear hubby took the day off,

and Brandon planned on spending the day with me too.

The gift of time. Priceless.

My plan was to do as many happy-making things as I can.

Keep it simple.

Enjoy the company of my two special guys.

Go with the flow, and just enjoy the moments.

Nailed it !

Today I am...

Reading:  Anne Lamott, Traveling Mercies

Watching:  Debates, for the first time ever!

Highlighting:  " Use your imagination, follow what feels right,

play, push yourself, let it rip, and get good at making new, 

exciting choices that bring as much beauty into

the world as possible."

Loving:  my people a little more than usual.  Appreciating them so much, for

who they are, what they do, and how they have made me who I am.

Hating:  That I am not in New York this year visiting my family, 

and being awed by the New England Autumn.

Discovering:  That a lot of the things I've worried about,

things I've tried to "fix",

things I've tried to figure out...

pretty much just ate up precious moments of my life.

Enjoying: My bottle calf (Buddy) ,

cooler nights,

Mourning Doves 

trees changing color

girlfriends and flower crowns

learning more about politics from Brandon

(he's so stinkin' smart)

reading in the sunshine

Ollie binkies in the back yard

the last of my flowers

Thinking:  I could go on forever about the things I'm enjoying.

Hoping for:  The hurricane to miss Lake Charles this time.

My family to be safe and well.

Listening to: Crickets under my window. A lawnmower in the distance. 

A Blue-jay squawking.

Smelling:  Autumn breeze blowing in.

Thanking: God for it all

I hope you are safe and well!!

💖