Adaptability

 We try to distance as much as we can, and still enjoy

each other's company.

So it's box fans, and old wash tubs filled with icy water

and iced peach tea on the front porch.

Treasure your friendships. 

Make time to have tea, and giggle.

Let your hair down.

xoxo

💖

 

 

Laughter

Sometimes I just need to sit back and have a good laugh!

Michael Jr. is by far my favorite for that sort of thing...💗

" I love people who make me laugh. 

I honestly think it's the thing I like most, to laugh.

It cures a multitude of ills.

It's probably the most important thing in a person."

~Audrey Hepburn~

xoxo

💖

Focus

"Focus on the beauty in life, and that is what you 

will most often experience.

The opposite is also true."

" What you choose to focus on becomes your reality."

xoxo

💗

 

Subtle

When I lose my focus,

and get to rambling around...

the sound of a jet in the distance, 

a slight breeze that comes to brush against my face,

or the song of the Mourning dove,

always bring my awareness back to the Present.

I think we all like to look for something real,

something tangible, for signs of God's Presence.

Those quirky little things do it for me.

Each one was born out of a difficult time...

& while I happened to be deep in prayer.

So I stop at those touch points during the day.

I refocus, pause and maybe even apologize if

my thoughts have gone rogue.

It helps me to self-correct and puts me back on track.

Not always. I wish.

But at least it's something.

side note:

Hubby gave me some beautiful windchimes for our Anniversary.

So the breeze now has a song, 

which provides yet another sign, 

and it's here...right at this very moment.

xoxo

💗

 

Devotional

Feeling thankful that I have worked on my spirituality

all these years.

 Helps to feel the light in the dark.

Sharing something I read this morning.

And read again. And again.

It made my heart flutter a little...

maybe it will for you too?

"The Heart Surgeon"

"Grace is God as heart surgeon, cracking open your chest,

removing your heart - poisoned as it is with pride and pain -

and replacing it with His own.

Rather than tell you to change, he creates the change.

Do you clean up so He can accept you?

No, He accepts you and begins cleaning you up.

His dream isn't just to get you into Heaven 

but to get heaven into you.

What a difference this makes!

Can't forgive your enemy? Can't face tomorrow? Can't forgive your past?

Christ can, and He is on the move,

aggressively budging you from grace-less to grace-shaped living.

The gift-given giving gifts.

Forgiven people forgiving people.

Deep sighs of relief.

Stumbles aplenty but despair seldom.

Grace is everything Jesus.

Grace lives because He does, works because He works,

and matters because He matters.

He placed a term limit on sin and danced a victory jig in the graveyard.

To be saved by grace is to be saved by Him-

not by an idea, doctrine, creed, or church membership,

but by Jesus Himself,

who will sweep into Heaven anyone 

who so much as gives Him the nod."

                                                

~God is With You  Max Lucado~

xoxo

💗

Morning

Listening to the Dove coo, my journal and devotionals, a cup of coffee, 

an old dog, and an older cat.

Mornings are by far my favorite.

" I hope there are days when your coffee tastes like magic,

your playlist makes you dance, strangers make you smile,

and the night sky touches your soul.

I hope there are days when  you fall in love with being alive."

xoxo

💖

 

Moment

At this moment 

I am currently....

Reading: Take Me With You by Catherine Ryan Hyde

Wondering: how I can make things better

Appreciating: a nice rain shower this afternoon, so I didn't  have to water.

Anticipating: girl date Monday

Listening to: Olympic gymnastics on TV

Feeling: full and sleepy.

Quoting:  " The only thing more important than

who you are today, is who you become tomorrow."

xoxo

💗

 

Loss

We got Bun 7 years ago before Brandon left for college.

She has been shared between our homes,

 and loved fiercely by us and our other fur-kids.

Yesterday she passed.

 Our hearts are heavy.

 Love and loss.

💔

xoxo

Treat

I cleaned out some messy cabinets,

and made treats from the recipe on the back of the cereal box.

Grape-nuts flakes

Power Bites

Ingredients:

1/2 cup Grape-Nuts Flakes cereal

1/2 cup shredded coconut

1/2 cup preferred nut butter spread

2 tablespoons honey

(optional toppings: crushed Grape-Nuts Flakes, cocoa powder, shredded coconut)

Directions:

Mix all the ingredients together.  

Shape tablespoons of mixture into small balls. 

Roll into topping.

Place bites in refrigerator to allow them to firm or freeze for later.

Results: 

I doubled the recipe and made about 20-25.

My treats were about the size of a  meatball...so not small.

I used sugar-free peanut butter.

I rolled half of them in cocoa, and half in coconut.

A little messy to handle.

I put them in the freezer, and eat them from there.

They make a Very tasty treat.

Hubby likes them too.

Will definitely make these again!

Tip: if you roll the treats in cocoa powder...and you go in for a bite...

eat over something! Especially if you are wearing white! 😉

xoxo

💗

 

Friend

 We chatted over salads and coffee,

then to the park where we listened to the rain under the gazebo.

Decided we need to do this more often.

" but whoever drinks the water I give them will never thirst.

Indeed, the water I give them will become in them

a spring of water welling up to eternal life."

John 4:14

xoxo

💖

Connection

Sometimes I feel like we all got on a separate bus headed in 

different directions.

Then there's an invite

to gather around the pool under the shade tree,

 giggles & chatter & the occasional splash of water droplets, 

while we sip on our raspberry sherbet floats...

 to stitch us all together again.

" We all have an impact on each other.

We are all connected in so many unseen ways.

Which possibly explains why one of the simplest & quickest

routes to happiness seems to be to make someone else happy.

The reason to be selfless is selfish.

Nothing makes ourselves feel better than not thinking of our selves."

~grateful for her hospitality and love~

May you find some happy today!

💗

 

 

Pathways

Sometimes the best thing I can do, 

is pull myself together & get back on track. 

" Perhaps the biggest tragedy in our lives

is that freedom is possible, yet we can pass our years

trapped in the same old patterns...

We may want to love other people without holding back,

to feel authentic,

to breathe in the beauty around us,

to dance and sing.

Yet each day we listen to inner voices that keep our life small."

Sending love,

I hope you are staying well.

💖

 

Shift

Sometimes all I need is a phrase or a sentence,

or a moment ,

to change my outlook...

to shift my attitude.

Today it was both.

'You are good enough! Hanging onto people

who treat you like you're not, 

does nothing but rob your soul of the magic

& the beauty in life.

People are permitted to have their opinions of you

& you Don't have to meet them there.

Send them love, and raise yourself up in love.'

 Know that you are absolutely good enough !💖

" Society: Be yourself.

Society: No, not like that."

I hope you are well.

Sending love.

💗

 

Restore

It's such a sweet time for me to see my family,

share our memories, and make new memories.

It restores my faith, and belief in myself.

It reminds me of where I started from, where my roots are,

and how incredibly deep they go...

 It's been a little bit, since I've been on here.

Going through a little transitional stage in my life.

It's a constant for me.

I am always reaching for the stars.

Sometimes I get stuck in the clouds.

Going back home to be with my family,

 and ground myself in the soil of where I started, filled my soul.

It warmed me with love and contentment.

I was reminded of how much God loves us,

and how we can experience His Love anywhere.

Through any thing.

I believe He wanted me to soak up and experience all that organic love of family,

and the comfort of childhood friends, and all things familiar,

to be reminded that with Him it is within me anywhere I go.

I needed to be reminded. 

I needed my people.

Journal entries lately: (quoting God's words as I read them)

" Do not try to fathom My ways, instead, spend time enjoying & experiencing my goodness."

" Trust and take refuge in Me."

" Determine today that you will let Me guide you, & that you will not resist My leading in your life."

" Nurture your relationship with Me, so you can hear my direction."

" You gain confidence through knowing that I am with you."

" Do not despise your tears, My child, they are precious to Me."

" Just as water is necessary for seeds to grow into plants, your tears help you grow into a stronger Christian."

" As you follow Me, I lead you along paths of newness. "

" Don't worry what is on the road ahead. Find your security in knowing Me."

" I am the way, if you submit to my way, everything will work out."

" Let me show you My way for this day."

" Concentrate on staying close to Me."

" Discipline your thoughts to trust Me."

" Allow Me to lead you down roads you have never dreamed of taking, discovering the freedom of grace in the process."

" Don't give into resistance pushing against your vision."

" When I don't comply with your plans, you grow angry and disheartened."

" My purpose in allowing you to face a challenge or need is, first, for you to rely on Me."

" Have faith in Me, even when you can't figure Me out."

" When your spirit grows faint within you, it is I who knows the way."

" You cannot find your way with out help from Me."

" If you are feeling weary and confused, you can choose to look away from those feelings & turn wholeheartedly toward Me."

" Pour your heart out and rest in Me."

" Instead of assuming that you know the next step of your journey, train yourself to make your plans in My Presence."

" Ask Me to guide you."

" Stop looking on your own understanding."

" I already have a plan for this situation you are facing."

" Don't let the battle that you are afraid to fight keep you from the victory that's already won."

" You have nothing to be afraid of."

" I want to bring restoration to every part of your life. Spirit, soul & body."

" You weren't meant to go through life weak, tired, anxious or bitter."

" There is no wound, no pain, no sickness that I cannot heal."

" When your heart is broken I can mend it."

" I may not always heal you exactly how you want, & you will have to take steps to get there, but my plan for you is the very best and it's worth it."

" Don't spend your life angry at people who hurt you. Release them, let the offense go, drop it."

" If  you stand on the inside, I will take care of the outside. If  you do what you can do, I will do what you cannot do."

" I long to make your life a glorious adventure, but you must stop clinging to old ways."

" Stop opposing yourself, and beating yourself up."

" Exactly where you are is where  you need to be."

" You can only be where you are, & it's up to you to make the best of it. Learn all there is to learn where you are."

" You miss the gifts being offered right where you are, because you are preoccupied with where you want to be."

" Listen to me above the clamor & voices trying to distract you."

" Refuse to stop hoping in Me."

" Believe in My word more than your feelings."

" Take one self-honoring, self-loving step at a time."

" If you want to do better today than you did yesterday, you simply must believe you deserve it."

" Reject negative thoughts as soon as you become aware of them."

" Keep your mind in My Presence & your feet on the path of peace."

" Be devoted to trusting Me, doing what needs to be done, working toward the best possible outcome for your best interest."

" I do not promise you an easy journey, but I promise to be with you every moment."

" When you seek my face, put aside thoughts of everything else."

"When you wallow in the past or worry about the future, your awareness grows dim."

" I am lovingly watching over you."

"Purposely choose to think right thoughts."

" Learn to do things afraid."

" When you are real with Me, I am able to bring out the best in you."

" My Presence can eliminate much of the struggle you experience in life."

Sometimes life feels like it's all dark and cloudy,

but what if we really make up our minds to look for the brighter and happier things in life?

Look for the lessons in our troubles?

Do what is in our power to do?

When troubles come, we have the choice to let them destroy us or transform us.

Be willing to walk through the darkness with God,

  He will guide us, and strengthen us, and lead us to a new life.

Over and over again.

I hope you find some inspiration and comfort in His words.

Much love.💗