December 20, 2024

I have pushed the hermit mode button.

A gift I gladly give and receive for myself on this day.

I was worn down yesterday.

(update...Mom is still caring for her dog.)

As I was brewing my first cup of coffee this morning,

a story of KC Chiefs Isaiah Pacheco was airing on the Today show.

(I am becoming a die hard fan, despite my lack of football knowledge, or love of sports.)

The message was inspiring.

I shared the link below.

I tried to share the video...

but my technology skills showed 

their true colors on that one.

So I went with plan B.

 Tried the link. 

It worked. 

It reminds me of what's right with the world, and how

much better life can be when we choose to have the right mindset.

https://www.today.com/video/teen-diagnosed-with-rare-cancer-meets-chiefs-star-isiah-pacheco-227577413512 

My journal notes seemed to pair well with the theme of the day....

here are a few of my favorite picks.

"Sometimes saying 'No' at the right time just makes more 

and more space for the pleasure of saying 'yes'."

In the end, what really matters is the right state of mind.

"She finally knew that her outer security came from her

alignment with God, from a receptive, abundant state of mind."

~Outrageous Openness~

"Let yourself be what you think you need,

one way or the other it will come."

'If you dwell in fear, doubt and constriction, 

that you will undoubtedly attract.'

You must learn to love yourself before you can

truly love others.

Tend to your own spiritual needs.

"The best sermon is a good example."

We can all be more loving.

"Don't be so preoccupied perfecting the cracks in you 

that you fail to realize the light that comes through the cracks."

"Not everything that appears to be broken needs to be fixed.

In fact, some of us are strong at the broken places."

~Earnest Hemmingway~

"Your perceived imperfections are the source of your beauty.

Love yourself exactly as you are, and so, too, will others."

"The law of electricity must be obeyed before it becomes man's serrvant.

When handled ignorantly, it becomes man's deadly foe.

So with the laws of mind."

"Let go, and take your mental hands off,

put it in God's Hands."

Learn to stand still.

Do you trust God more than you do yourself?

Our choices show whether we do or not.

We either say "yes" to Him,

or rebel, choosing our own wisdom over His.

It is a choice.

It ultimately reveals what we truly believe about Him.

"Happiness depends on ourselves."

~Aristotle~

And then this Quote seemed fitting as well.

"Choose to have an awesome day. Let your mind dwell

on possibility instead of negativity.

By choosing to find possibility, 

you will infuse your day with hope.

This optimistic approach will make you feel lighter.

Challenges are unavoidable,

yet our outlook is the only thing we have

control over in such times.

As you rise, spread brightness on what is dark."

~Sunrise Gratitude~

be well...

xoxo

💝

December 18, 2024

 

Up earlier than usual.

 Text from Mom at 5:15.

Her dog has been failing, and she thinks it's time.

A couple of appointments first,

then a short road trip to head her way.

Polly

"How sweet life can be when you allow it to be easy.

Letting go of resistance and embracing the lessons

that come with each struggle and reveling in victories

are part of the ride.

Learning to allow things to come and go can be one of the hardest lessons

 because we crave control.

But the lesson shows us that surrendering to what is

makes life richer.

When you feel the urge to resist,

remember that on the other side of the resistance 

is a  new  level of comfort."

~Sunrise Gratitude~

This mornings journal notes:

"When you are plagued by a persistent problem-

view it as a rich opportunity."

'An ongoing problem is like a tutor by your side'.

Learning possibilities are limited only by

your willingness to be teachable.

"Once you become grateful for a problem,

it loses it's power to drag you down."

"God uses difficult times to purify & prepare

people for greater things."

Learning, growth and understanding can only

be measured by doing.

As you learn, your behavior changes.

Practice the thinking and the behavior of the greater good.

This builds new pathways in your brain and your life.

Be well...

xoxo

💖

December 17, 2024

I was looking for a photo to post today, and

as I was downloading it, this song streamed from my YouTube channel.

Better yet. 

It's an old favorite.

It's giving me goosies.

Hubby's appointment went well,

and my kiddo closes on their new house the 9th.

It passed inspection today.

Yay! 

We are thankful.

Journal dump:

Take loving care of yourself.

Be thrilled with the small, daily changes you can

make in your attitudes & actions.

"Surrender is like dancing with a partner.

If both try to lead, it gets messy and confusing,

with little forward movement.

But when one partner who follows can relax &

let the other do all the steering,

both can flow easily across the dance floor."

God knows best how to satisfy our soul.

"Love and good-will destroy the enemies within one's self."

"There is peace on earth for him who sends goodwill to man."

"Be certain any answer to a problem God solves 

will always be one in which no one loses."

Be still.

Don't be too busy to listen.

He brightens the world around us.

Listen like one being taught. He opens our ears and helps us.

"If  you do not run your subconscious mind yourself,

someone will run it for you."

"Resistance is Hell, for it places man in a state of torment."

"Man can only get the right idea of non-resistance,

through spiritual understanding."

"So long as man resists a situation,

he will have it with him. If he runs away from it,

it will run after him."

Lot's wife looked back & was turned into a pillar of salt.

"The robbers of time are the past & the future.

Man should bless the past, and forget it, it keeps him in bondage,

& bless the future, knowing it has in store for him endless joys,

but live fully in the now."

Begin the day with the right words.

Thy will be done this day.

Look at wonder at that which is before you.

Honor people and their process.

Trust and respect others enough to let them live their own lives.

Trust that you will know what to do in every situation.

Joy is a powerful antidote to fear.

"Your willingness to love others must never depend

on their ability to give back to you."

You don't have to give up on your hopes and dreams-

God is not limited by your lack of imagination.

You don't have to understand everything.

Some things aren't your business.

"If you need help it will come.

But first, you know, you do have to make the damn call."

Here today gone tomorrow.

"When you learn to handle things, it's beautiful."

We came here with nothing. We leave with nothing.

I don't know what I'm supposed to do,

but I know what I'm not supposed to do.

Raise the moment. Not how you want, but how you can make it better.

You learn to believe by believing.

You learn to love by loving.

"You don't fear change, you fear the unknown. If you knew the future

would be great, you'd welcome the change to get there.

Well...the future is great. Proceed."

"Facing the emptiness inside you is simply

the prelude to being filled with God's fullness."

It's a perfect day to depend on God with 

childlike trust. Persevere in dependence.

The pain you feel can be a bridge to a deeper

relationship with the Father.

"If holding on is disturbing your peace of mind,

it makes sense to let go."

"Whenever you are questioning your own capability.

The answer is always yes,"

You cannot experience your full potential

unless your willing to take risks.

I am willing to be a bigger person

so that I might have a bigger life.

Where there is love there are miracles.

Move through the world with an open hand and an open heart.

"If we want to stop the vicious cycle of unhappiness,

we must learn new ways of living, new ways of relating to each other."

I will dare to be myself.

Be well..

xoxo

💝

December 16, 2024

Maybe it's my meditating habit, maybe it's the work

I've been doing spiritually, or perhaps just being dang grateful

for my life for a change.

I looked back over some pictures from over the last 

10 years (piling up in my phone gallery),

and it hit me how many blessings I've been given.

My photos are a way of revisiting the timeline of my life...

and all along, I have definitely been grateful.

 That was always the prompt to take the photo in the first place.

 It was a desire to capture and hang onto the moment I was grateful for.

However....the unhealed victim mentality I have had to 

learn to let go of...(still...)

well, it sucked juice out of the blessings...

and that is a fact I am well aware of today.

Old friends. This weekend in
Monett. We go back over 40 years. 

I wrote these words this morning after my meditation.

They just came up.

"Always when...

then it will be better.

Wishing away the moments before me.

Trading in the now & investing presence, time, and energy

for a tomorrow of uncertainty.

Looking back, wishing I invested more in a time gone by."

I may not be voted Miss Poetic anytime soon...

but my heart feels happier, and I'll take that !

"People come and go throughout our lives.

We make friends and lose friends in cycles.

Some people are meant to be in our lives for a season

and others for a lifetime.

Each type of relationship valuable,

because each soul we encounter is a gift,

offering a lesson.

Reflect on your relationships today

and give thanks for the lessons and for the souls

you've been able to meet in your lifetime."

~Sunrise Gratitude~

The last few days have been packed full of journaling notes.

I'll share a collaboration on my next post.

For now this is enough.

Hubby has a Dr. appt. in the morning.

It's a cancer screen.

Please hold him in your thoughts and prayers.

xoxo

💝

 

 

Santa

I unearth this photo every Christmas hidden amongst the decorations.

I sure loved that sweet boy.

The goat, not Santa.

Well, I love Santa too.

Oliver with Santa 2018

Today, may we all... take a deep breath, slow down, 

 believe in miracles,

awaken to a sense of wonder and awe,

and trust that love makes it possible to believe in all things.

Grab a cup of your favorite warm beverage, sit down & enjoy for a moment.

"Yes Virginia there is a Santa Claus"

by Francis Pharcellus Church 

Published in The New York Sun

1897

"Yes Virginia, there is a Santa Claus.

He exists as certainly as love and generosity and devotion exist,

and you know that they abound and give to your life it's highest

beauty and joy.

Alas! how dreary would be the world if there were no Santa Claus!

It would be as dreary as if there were no Virginias.

There would be no childlike faith then,

no poetry, no romance to make tolerable this existence.

We should have no enjoyment, except in sense and sight.

The eternal light with which childhood fills the world

would be extinguished.

Not believe in Santa Claus!

You might as well not believe in fairies!

...The most real things in the world are those that neither

children nor {grown-ups} can see.

Did you ever see fairies dancing on the lawn?

Of course not, but that's no proof that they are not there.

You tear apart the baby's rattle and see what makes the noise inside,

but there is a veil covering the unseen world which not the

strongest {grown-up}...

that ever lived, could tear apart.

Only faith, fancy, poetry, love, romance,

can push aside that curtain and view...

the beauty and glory beyond.

Is it all real?

Ah, Virginia,

in all this world there is nothing else so real and abiding.

No Santa Claus! Thank God! he lives, and he lives forever.

A thousand years from now, Virginia, nay, ten times ten thousand

years from now,

he will continue to make glad the heart of childhood."

I believe...

xoxo

💝

Little Drummer Boy

Gifts are great when they come from the heart.

I think we all get a little too stressed out & try

too hard to make everything perfect,

and we let the meaning of Christmas

slip right through our grasp.

In trying to keep my nervous system in a happy place,

this year I decided to slow down.

 I have really enjoyed, and been more appreciative of the little gifts tucked into each day...

all with a greater sense of awe.🎄

Gifts of:

Peaceful surroundings

Wonder

Communication

Undivided Attention

Creativity

Enthusiasm

Simple seasonal pleasures

Tenderness

Beauty

Good cheer

Joy

Love

💝

My journal shares today:

God can do anything-there is absolutely

nothing impossible for Him.

Submit to Him without yielding to feelings of doubt or fear-

especially when it comes to moving forward on important decisions

 or facing serious challenges.

Be confident that God will fulfill every promise.

Trust Him. 

Do not falter in unbelief as time passes.

"Little faith says, 'God can.'

Great faith says, 'God will.'

But perfect faith says, 'God has done it.'"

"God only gives us three answers,

'Yes'

'Not yet'

or

'No, I love you too much.'"

Be well!

xoxo

💖

December 11, 2024

Life has seemed more fragile lately.

We came upon an accident Sunday night while we 

were returning home from Christmas shopping.

A woman lost her life.

It has left a lingering sadness within me.

My kiddo has been in the area for work.

He came over one afternoon and we baked

our traditional Swedish spritz cookies together.

Yesterday we met for a nice chat and lunch before he left.

During lunch, I was nudged to do something kind for a stranger.

I listened to the fear that would rather I question my heart.

Fear and doubt.

But I ended up following my heart, (after I shared my feelings with Brandon ).

No big deal really, but also a very big deal to me.

I'm learning to listen to that quiet inner voice...my intuition. 

It absolutely turned my whole day into a series of synchronous occurrences.

I even ran into a long lost friend that I have been trying to connect to,

as I came out of the Walmart bathroom...and she was on her way in.

(ending up at Walmart also being an occurrence...for both of us.)

It's been years.

We couldn't quit hugging.

And if that wasn't a big enough takeaway for the day....

finding a parking spot right next to the door is worth noting.

Life still feels fragile.

We hear of another loss almost daily.

Friends and family are going through rough times.

Constant shifts and several changes in our own world.

But even among the craziness of life,

my life is pretty damn sweet.

So I'll savor these moments,

the ebbs and the flows.

Afterall...it's all we have.

Some quotes from my Journal today...

Hurry is not God's nature

Take a break from trying to figure everything out.

"In a sane culture children would learn to follow their 

inner guidance from the beginning.

Nothing to fear & everything to gain."

"The city cannot be built on the swampy ground of skepticism."

~ Albert Schweitzer~

"Move but don't move the way fear makes you move."

"God doesn't always call on us to win.

Sometimes He just calls us to try."

xoxo

💝

 

December 9, 2024

The whole month of November I dated

all but a few of my journal entries the 9th month.

One day it came to my attention, that my birthday falls on 

the 10th month. 

And I do remember celebrating that.

 So why am I writing 9?

Weird.

I still find myself wanting to, and it's December.

Today is the 9th...so I celebrated it by looking up the symbolism of #9.

(I'm all about signs...)

#9 represents, completion, wisdom, and spiritual growth.

"Letting go and stepping into a new era."

"In life, it represents the liminal space of an ending

 & new beginning just around the corner."

"It is time to release & put something behind you -

to create space for new beginnings."

"Dreams beyond your wildest visions can come true."

I wrote 3 pages of information in my journal,

 and bottom line...

it pretty much matches up with all my feels lately.

"Life is short- celebrate everything.

The small stuff matters just as much as the big stuff.

Celebrate all of it- often."

Be well...

Happy Nineth!

xoxo

💖

 

December 6, 2024

Sometimes I just need something simple & delightful

to get my energy up, and boost my joy,

and to make the day a little more magical.

I dried oranges for the first time,

finished removing old(70's), loose wall paper border from our bathroom,

finished my shopping, and have a roast in for dinner.

My friend Ang is coming for an overnight stay.

 We'll catch up, and celebrate

the 60th anniversary of Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer

and small wins for this week.

And, as an added bonus, Frosty afterwards!

Bring on the popcorn, and all things twinkly, cozy & magical.

xoxo

💖

Hygge:

(hoo-ga)

n. A simple, comfortable time with those that you love.

An atmosphere of warmth, coziness, and being in the moment.

The act of slowing down and taking your time.

Is  not weather- or seasonal-dependent.

 

December 4, 2024

There is a simple way to create a space for 

peace in my mind.

 To be perfectly OK with not knowing.

It opens my heart and my mind to learn

what I need to know.

As a new year is approaching, I am mindful

of what grew this year, and what

has wilted.

I'm grateful for both.

I'm celebrating the changes.

Releasing what needs to go, to make room

for what is to come.

I have been meditating for 10 min. daily since the end of October,

and this morning, there was a spark.

Or maybe many.

A sparkler moment.

Visions or feels...

(trying not to analyze here...).

None of it made a whole lot of sense, 

and yet it all made perfect sense.

In my heart lives those pieces, 

like that of a puzzle...

Home, nature, connection, family, nostalgia,

animals, books, health & healing, journaling, God, roots, belonging, comfort, Hygge,

The simple, little things in life, photography, learning, love. Wholesome. Organic.

Free.

These pieces have been there all along....

and at times, they start to connect.

(that's usually when I "think" I have the answers, and try a DIY plan).

 Truth is...I don't have the full picture. Never had it.

Don't know. 

But I know who does.

He didn't create me directionally challenged just for the fun of it.

Or did He ?

Either way...

I trust Him.

This morning I am feeling extra grateful for:

Sparks of inspiration that have me kicking butt

on my household aesthetics and repair to-do list.

More regular check-in-phone chats with my peeps.

Streaming Oldies 93.5 Columbia & Green from back home.

Seeing the Christmas tree at Rockefeller Center on TV...

after having a moment to snap a photo of it in the yard where it lived, while I was back home.

Being in sync with my girlfriend on nostalgia, and days gone by.

Sparks within.

The wind blowing through my chimes.

Daisies and a puzzle on the table.

Timeless classics.

xoxo

💖

 

December 2, 2024

This capture totally sum up my thoughts this morning.

The chatter in my head has been haunting me with a horrible case of the SHOULDs.

 I "should" be...

doing more with my coaching, making things happen,

figuring things out, researching, setting up something on social media,

moving forward, even when I really feel the need to be still...

to push pause....

yadda, yadda, blah, blah, blah...!

It's annoying!

Truth is... I have so many topics that I care about deeply,

that I can't devote to all of them.

And I'm not sure what I want to do!

I'm waiting for the dust to settle...so to speak.

Gradually the path seems to be narrowing.

Then it expands again.

It's complicated.

There are definitely certain things I know 100%, without a doubt

that I want and will work toward.

But where I am going with it?

*crickets*

I'm still getting to know myself.

  Making healthier choices.

Focusing on the things I want in my life,

rather than what I lack..., or give into the SHOULDS.

It's a better system for me.

Journal notes to self today...

It is in stillness that I experience God's Love.

I will wait for Him.

" If you don't have a dream, keep learning while your waiting.

Get into God's word, and God's dream will get into you."

~ Chase The Lion~

I will spend time focusing on what makes me unique.

I will break out of the habit of worry and wondering.

I believe God is absolutely sufficient for whatever

I require today.

What I learn to do, I learn by doing.

I will focus on making the most of whatever God provides.

My make-things-happen-habit is falling away, &

being replaced with a more relaxed, trusting openness to

answers as they arise.

" Show me your ways O' Lord, teach me your paths,

guide me in your truth and teach me,

for You are God my Savior and my hope is in You

all day long."

Psalm 25:4

I listen deeply.

Making decisions based on God's will for me is

far more rewarding in the long run,

then making them based on other people.

Decision making is one of life's great adventures.

He will perfect that which concerns me.

Psalm 138:8

Be well,

xoxo

💗

 

November 30, 2024

Things are unfolding exactly in the way they should,

at the rate and timing they need. 

I am learning to relax from the endless pushing,

and relax into a calm curiosity about where

the flow might go.

Rather than try to plan, I'm going to trust the process.

I need to remind myself continually to 

practice "Keep it Simple".

I am getting better at it.

Thanksgiving moment with Price

I got a nudge this morning, to read a book that my nephew recommended

quite a ways back.  

I reached out to see if he still thought it would be a good read for me.

He recommended "Chase The Lion"

by Mark Batterson instead.

"He speaks to people like us."

he added.

He wasn't wrong.

It had me at hello.

" The Lion Chaser's Manifesto"

"Quit living as if the purpose of life 

is to arrive safely at death.

Run to the roar.

Set God-sized goals.

Pursue God-given passions.

Go after a dream that is destined to fail

without divine intervention.

Stop pointing out problems.

Become part of the solution.

Stop repeating the past.

Start creating the future.

Face your fears.

Fight for your dreams.

Grab opportunity by the mane

and don't let go!

Live like today is the first day

and the last day of your life.

Burn sinful bridges.

Blaze new trails.

Live for the applause of nail-scarred hands.

Don't let what's wrong with you 

keep you from worshipping what's right 

with God.

Dare to fail.

Dare to be different.

Quit holding out. Quit holding back.

Quit running away.

Chase the lion."

Thank you Brent.

You always guide me on the right path.

xoxo

💝

 

November 20, 2024

Two things I'm pondering this morning:

"The future doesn't really exist."

&

"You don't have to believe every thought you think."

Which pretty much sums up my whole pondering experience.

Barrington Tunnel

Maybe it's just me, but isn't that mostly what we think about?

The more mindful I become, the less I want to think.

At least about the future.

Notes for today:

Spend more time in the present

Live more fully in the now

Something new is awaiting to enter your life.

Let it be.

Take responsibility for yourself &

give God permission to supply your wants and needs.

When you want something, write it down, affirm it, pray about it,

let it go. Give it to God and see what happens.

" Let life happen to you. Life is in the right, always."

be well,

xoxo

💝

 

November 19, 2024

I an not for sure...

but yesterday I decided to have a mug of

organic coffee, made with Chaga mushrooms,

and Lion's mane, and the next thing I know,

it's 8 hours later, and

the living room I've spent 13 years

trying to rearrange,(that always arranged back to it's default mode).

Was completely moved around, cleaned up, decorated and everything

looked perfect!

So...it was either God, or my coffee.

I'm guessing both.

Blondie 💖

• Word for the day:

"You are meant to enjoy life. 

Nothing is permanent.

If you are going through a transition, 

think about the joy that will come when you get through

whatever you are dealing with.

Your soul becomes stronger with each change.

Find adventure during this time.

Enjoy the new vistas and memories

you are making.

Happiness is always available to you.

Let go of the way you think things need to go

and relax into the journey."

~Sunrise Gratitude~

Journal notes:

I rely on Him completely

Roll in the clover, kick up my heels, & celebrate being alive.

Seek a richer, more meaningful life.

Take risks, face fears, make changes, speak up.

Turn stumbling blocks into stepping stones.

"Troubles are often the tools by which 

God fashions us for better things."

Anything that is of value in life 

only multiplies when it is given.

be happy & well,

xoxo

💝

 

November 18, 2024

Remind yourself how quickly things pass,

to ensure you enjoy things while they last.

Bday at Dana's

Think of your life as an adventure.

Focus on the path just before you,

and keep your mind wide open to being surprised.

Be receptive to a miracle.

Walk in a softer way and allow your heart to lead.

Loving...

a dark rainy morning

 the warm glow of twinkle lights

Laughing so hard yesterday my ribs hurt today

sparkler candles

Yellowstone on Sundays

my kiddo is house-shopping

keeping things simple

grace

be well..

xoxo

💖

 

November 17, 2024

I'm on an integrative pause.

 Keeping things simple and light.

Shasha's 


A poem for today.

"Right it on your heart that every day is the best day
in the year.
He is rich who owns the day,
 and no one owns the day who allows it to be invaded with 
fret and anxiety.
Finish every day and be done with it.
You have done what you could.
Some blunders and absurdities no doubt crept in.
Forget them as soon as you can.
Tomorrow is a new day.
Begin it well and serenely,
 with too high a spirit to be
cumbered with your old nonsense.
This new day is too dear with it's hopes and invitations,
to waste a moment on the yesterdays."

~Ralph Waldo Emmerson~

 Journal notes:

Get quiet and listen.

Sit still. Listen. Heal.

View choices through the lenses of health and balance.

Let others touch your mind and heart.

My focus creates my reality.

Breathe in gratitude.

Feed & support my own happiness.

Be easy and gentle with myself.

Practice mindfulness.

Each focused step brings me closer to my goals.

Spend time in nature.

Be in a state of grace.

This morning I am grateful for:

My first cup of coffee when it's still dark outside.

A simple string of yarn, and a cat.

A hug from my kiddo.

Grand-dog visits.

Hubby fixing bacon.

Charles Stanley sermons.

xoxo

💗