When you open...

...your mind,

the beautiful parts become more evident.

notes...

Trying to think of a name for the squirrel that

flattens out on or under the wicker chair...

Flat Stanley?

The coon is back. 

I read it is not good to relocate them,

 I love animals....

I decided to leave a dish of food out.

I was sitting on the porch

 writing in my journal,

 and something flew up and brushed my arm.

A bird landed on the pillow behind my back,

it startled me...and I startled it when I jumped.

I'm pretty sure I made my best loaf of sourdough this morning.

I decided to make a fresh "start" last week...

my last loaf was definitely meh.

Love sees the perfection in the person

& in the moment

take time to be still and

consider how beautiful

life really is

the more you give and receive love

the more you'll see truth

you are hugely responsible 

for creating your own reality

'you don't know how your story will end

or where a chapter will take you

don't let the unknown keep you from 

living

give it everything you've got

your story is written as you live

so live fully.'

love the people around you authentically

grow more into the person you want to be

tomorrow

your self-concept 

influences your attitude toward life

"Your true self-worth is based only

on what God says about you,

not on how you feel about

yourself."

filter out the junk that steels your joy

dance with God,

knowing that whatever you need 

one way or another

will always come

love can change a flawed perception

love is it's own reward

unity is our protection

you choose your conduct

your happiness & health are 

up to you

retelling old stories can 

hold you back from healing

you don't heal the past by dwelling there

you heal by living in the present

thank your hurts for all they taught you

be gentle with yourself

your in charge of noticing

that life is really in charge

you are not what others think of you

you're not even what you think of you....

you are an original masterpiece

whether you understand it

it is the truth

be well...

xoxo

💝

"Nature makes us aware of the preciousness

of life.

Nature tells us that life is precious

not only because it is,

but also because it doesn't have to be."

"Speak to yourself as you would to the one you love

the most.

Honor and respect your mind, body, and soul.

Take care of yourself by catching negative self-talk

and reframing self-judgements.

You deserve kindness, love , and approval.

Say something loving to yourself each morning.

With practice, your thoughts toward yourself

and others will change.

Love will emit from you powerfully

and you will become irresistible."

~Emily Silva

 

To celebrate...

...is to delight in the gift

and to show gratitude.

Celebrate the lessons from the past

and the love.

Enjoy the beauty.

Celebrate all that is your life

 and all that is good.

Celebrate you!

notes...

We celebrated America's 250th

and our 11th Anniversary.

We kept it relaxing & simple.

The clouds have been so gorgeous lately.

Summer is flying by....

"....It has been and exciting 11+ years.

The next 11 will be even better....."

~Hubby

you do not have to try harder,

be better,

be perfect, 

or be anything you're not.

Your beauty is in you,

just as you are,

each moment.

be thankful on a daily basis

love the people around you

connect to the truth of your own heart

make inspired heartfelt choices rooted in love

not fear

true belief is more than something we say

it's a path we follow

write your own love story

move toward what you want to experience

say yes to the right things

and no to the wrong things

back off and look at the way you

have been thinking about your life

create space for the light to get through

do your best at whatever is before you

you feel what you dwell on

whatever holds your attention

molds your intention

when you go negative

you cannot produce anything positive

fix your mind on blessings

be well...

xoxo

💖

"Some things take longer than others.

The end goal may not be the reward;

perhaps the process is.

We can learn many lessons along the way.

Growth, insight, and perseverance are some

of the results we can see

throughout the process.

If something is taking longer than 

expected, stop and reflect on what you

stand to gain during the wait.

Be patient and thankful, even if it 

seems though.

Transitions generate discomfort and help

us achieve a new 

level of comfort."

 

While you are waiting...

...don't put your life on hold.

notes...

this weeks repeat listen..

'God sometimes has to work on you 

before He works on the solution.

There is a natural delay between planting 

and harvesting.

You don't plant and harvest

 in the same season.

There is a war between good and evil

and you are caught in the middle.

....the dart of doubt, discouragement, 

disappointment, depression.

A delay is not 

a denial.

You are being prepared for a blessing.

He is more concerned with your character.

Troubles test your faith.

When you're going through hell...

keep going.

You don't want to stay there.

Waiting is always a test.

Write down the lessons your learning.

He wants you to learn

before the seed will sprout.

We wonder...we worry...we whine....

Waiting is the time your develop the habits

and skills needed.

Keep praying

 asking

searching

seeking

God cannot steer a parked car.

Trust

His plan is good.

His timing is perfect.

Sometimes you think you are waiting on God,

but He is waiting on you.

Don't give up.

"I will not let you give up.

I will beat you!" '

be well...

xoxo

💖

"Decide that no matter what is going on around you,

you are not going to let it change

what's going on inside you."

"Don't ever let anyone convince you

that your intuition is nothing but insecurities."

~unknown

"Your beliefs don't make you a better person.

Your behavior does."

 

 

Let go of...

...the need to control.

Let go and be freely who your are.

Don't hide your light. 

notes...

family and friends gathering together

love and laughter filling the space 

...she asked if I ever thought about doing

something with my photos

I've learned so much over the last

few years

the path I had in my head

looks nothing like the path I'm on

deciding to lean in

to trust (that was a hard one...)

& believe

 has lightened my load

the best antidote 

is always love

everything speaks to you

trust His goodness

let go and see what bread crumbs 

come for you to follow

it's all about timing

'you'll miss the blessing

if your refuse to open your heart

to Him fully'

sometimes what you're asking for

doesn't fit with His plan for your life

and He has something better

believe He has a plan

quit adding to it

thinking there's a different plan

'you live your life best

where your passions & purpose 

& your capabilities intersect'

use the gift He gave you

and love the people around you

no matter where you turn

you'll find Him already there

if your looking

you grow on the way

love no matter what

be well...

xoxo

💖

"Stay in the moment.

The practice of staying present will heal you.

Obsessing about how the future will turn out

creates anxiety.

Replaying broken scenarios from the past

causes anger and sadness.

Stay here in this moment."

"Sometimes all you can do is accept

there's not much you can do.

And sometimes all you can control

is how well you let go of control."

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."