Stop trying...

...to figure everything out!

I wrote in BIG capitalized letters

on the top of my journal page this 

morning.

Lean on, trust in, and be confident in the Lord

with all your heart and mind and do not rely

on your own insight or understanding....

seemed to keep showing up.

(Proverbs 3:5-6)

 

I waste a LOT of time trying to understand

 things out that aren't mine to understand.

I've pondered this a lot today.

notes....

trust in Me with all your heart and lean not on

your own understanding 

x5

the main culprit of the struggle is

 the minds appetite 

for understanding

and a strong desire to feel in control

of your life

you want to trust

but you feel stuck

believe that this is training you

wait confidently to see results

'despite how the snow globe of your reality

might get shaken up

it only occurs in order to guide

your journey in an 

exciting new direction'

allow the wisdom of you heart

to become your

inner compass

even when the odds seem stacked against you

it is only a brand new chapter of growth

obedience is about doing what you don't want

even when you don't fully understand

you may never shake the tendency to dissent

when you don't get what you want

you just act better

those are the moments when your faith

is put to the test

it's when you actually find out 

who you are

hang tight when things get tough

it's training ground for the next adventure

this is where it gets good

don't drink other peoples poison

even when it's offered with love

God can soften hearts, change circumstances

beyond your control

provide resources &

untangle messes

He's just waiting for your call

there's a difference between not getting what you've

asked for

&

not asking for what you need/want

sometimes you need to let yourself be & trust

that clarity will come later

in retrospect

it will all make perfect sense-

later

stop straining to know what you don't know

see what you can't see

understand what you don't yet understand

trust that being is sufficient

and let go of your need to 

figure it out

set aside time

to be quiet & secluded

call Him

be well...

xoxo

💗

"In the end, there doesn't have to be

anyone who understands you.

There just has to be someone that wants to."

"Sometimes we can't find the thing

that will make us happy,

because we can't let go of the thing

that was supposed to."

"The realist sees reality as concrete.

The optimist sees reality as clay."

 

Focus on...

...the elements of your life

that seem to be going really well

at the moment while

downplaying your existing

dissatisfactions.

notes...

one moment I'm on the porch enjoying my part-time dog,

& getting ready to open my devotional...

then...

 I'm writing in my journal on the way to the farm

doing the chores early to beat the heat

 and taking Jesus along

for the ride. 

persist

turn down the chaos of everyday life

when the noise around you fades

tune into the soft whisper

align your heart with love

your feelings change after your focus changes

if you feel terrific about life

that's a reliable indicator

that your most recent thinking has been 

healthy and constructive

make wise decisions

you can make today whatever you 

want it to be

you have the power to create 

your own reality

do not be afraid to be different 

from others

the path you are called to travel

is exquisitely right for you

see yourself clearly

notice your reactions

go within

nourish yourself

appreciate the blessings

let go of what you don't need

so what you do 

can show up

make space

the good can't get in 

if it's blocked by junk

release it

listen

don't miss God's activity

direction & intervention

in your circumstances

and miss His

 joy

peace 

power 

love & wisdom

and the very purpose

for which you were

created

dark thoughts keep you

away from beauty

darkness isn't always destructive

sometimes it's just distracting

hope is always eager to burst

onto the scene

but you need to be there

to catch it

you can't be all run & no stop

practice being a better listener

only your choices and

perceptions can determine

the quality of 

your experience

trust yourself

 life

and God 

let today happen

be well...

xoxo

💖

"Never mind searching for who you are.

Search for the person you aspire to be."

"Usually, when you can't overcome

the obstacles in your path,

it's not your path."

"You can hope for a miracle in your life,

or you realize that  your life is the miracle."

 

Your flaws...

...make you unique.

They are part of your custom design.

notes...

you are wonderfully complex

'look at every dimension of your life

make the most of what's been

given

we are all unique

there are things you've been dealt in life

you didn't choose them

there are things that made you 

you

everything is broken

play the hand you've been dealt

to the best of your ability

and make the most of what you've got

your genes have flaws in them 

to make you unique

the cards that make you... 

you.

DNA

Relationships

you are a product of your relationships

Circumstances

the things that happen around you and to you

you are a product of the traumas and troubles

that shaped you

Consciousness

how you talk to yourself

how do you think about you

you tell yourself things that are just not true

Choices

your choices make you

you have the choice to choose

the freedom of choice is your greatest blessing

it's also your biggest curse

because you make stupid choices all the time

your choices is your WILD CARD

your choices can determine all the other cards

your life and your destiny is determined by 

the choices you make

you can choose to think differently

you can choose to get healthier

you can change the controllables

Awkward won't kill you

there is no fear in Love

the fear is always worse than the reality

let love be your highest goal

life is about learning how to love

you are not allowed not to love

every detail is worked out into 

something good

you can rewrite your adult brain

feed your brain with truth

more negative thoughts than positive

is depression

blah is better than depressed

happiness is a choice

your as happy as you choose to think

it's never too late to start over'

be well...

xoxo

💖

"You can change your brain.

It is elastic .

It is not in concrete.

And your brain can change

and it can be rewired."

"Change your brain, change your life."

"Don't copy the behavior and 

customs of this world,

the the habits and their patterns of

thinking...."

~Romans 12

'You're worthless. You don't amount to much.

You're not smart. Your not coordinated.

You're not athletic.

Blah blah blah 

wah wah wah.....'

~Lies~

 

If anyone...

..."is magically going to appear

and just suddenly make your life 

better,

just know that 

person's always 

going to be

you."

notes... 

sometimes one gets separated from her herd

and I feel a certain ache

we couldn't get her to follow us to the herd

so we got her herd to follow us to her

surrender fully 

day by day

'God does not show favoritism

we're all tied for first

in His view'

discern what is highest and best

in how you should make your

decisions

sometimes it doesn't take much

the most minuscule unexpected

change can shift everything

put your priorities first

don't pick the wrong things to dwell on

dwell on uplifting things that are working

dwell on the good stuff

sit quietly or take a walk and 

dedicate those moments

to focusing your attention

on God

it will likely be a rewarding break

trust in yourself

don't look back at your shortcomings

your past experiences do not define you

stop telling yourself that something

is wrong with you

you are capable of navigating your life

don't let your life get sidelined

by the things you can't control

allow yourself to be uncomfortable

and don't shrink when you feel uncertain

have faith

it is all preparing you for something

better

random unexpected things can come up

when you least expect it

 to push you along

put your heart in the lead

grow upward

be well...

xoxo

💞

"An open heart is a good thing,

just remember to be 

careful with it."

~Pa to Laura

Little House on the Prairie

"The introvert empath:

Sometimes they want to be left alone.

Sometimes they want to be included.

But most of the time they want to be included

with the option to be left alone."

~unknown

"I wish I could show you,

when you are lonely or in darkness,

the astonishing light of  your 

own being."

Value what is true...

 ...and right

simply because it is true,

not only because it happens

to feel true.

notes....

it feels so good to have an unrushed morning

there's a lovely Wrenn song on the porch

 the chimes are gently blowing in a refreshing breeze

& hubby's checking the rain gauge from last nights light shower

I love getting away

I love coming home & catching up 

and I love those moments when it all settles down again

into a more natural rhythm

some parts of the day are for stillness & listening

others for sowing

make room for both

find your own rhythm

anything is worth doing if it's done

with love

and nothing is worth doing if

it comes at love's cost

hold your priorities up to love's

test

throw yourself into anything 

that passes

when you feel inadequate to serve God

remember that what He expects from you

is different from what you think

fact-check your beliefs against God's word

you don't have to have your daily steps

figured out

every second of the day

be attentive

He will show you His will

He teaches you how to do so

He will redirect you if you make

a wrong turn

do not fear going forward

No matter how badly you mess up

He will take the broken pieces of your

life and glue them back together

with His unconditional Love

if you never push through your discomfort

you will never find the understanding

& wisdom that awaits you on the other side

discomfort is a gift

it brings a  deeper meaning to life

growth occurs after a difficulty

you become polished through pressure

not ease

focus on one thing at a time

focus on what you enjoy about what you do

& the spaces in between the doing

instead of feeling weighed down by it all

decide that you live a sweet life

there's the rushed pace of the human-made world

&

 there's the natural world that invites you to be still

take the invitation

"Now these three remain;

faith, hope, and love.

But the greatest of these is love."

1Corinth 13:13

what you do with your love is 

what you did with your life

trust that the timing of everything

will come together in the 

way it is meant to

be well...

xoxo

💞

"It's what we know that ain't true

that causes us so much trouble."

"Balance isn't fitting everything in.

It's starting with what's important

and letting the rest fall as it will."

"Mental health is sooo important.

If you  need a day, take a day.

Find something to relax you.

Bubble bath, nature, writing,

painting, etc.

Just do it."

It will go by...

...in a blink of an eye.

Mississippi River

Reggie

 Huckleberry Finn & Tom Sawyer

Love locks

You cannot do everything

only some of it.

What do you truly want or need?

Find your some.

Know your limits.

Life doesn't have to be frantic and frenzied,

just full.

notes...

an invitation to go camping for a week

I chose to join them on their fist stop 

to be there for her birthday

we explored caves

  & soaked up all the history, myth, and legend

we could in one day

then they headed to Wisconsin

I headed home

Happy 73rd dear friend.

xoxo

stay connected

be faithful for the path laid out 

before you & take your next step

not someone else's

stay on your path

often the next "right" action

in life can be felt

as a palpable inner pull

you may not know what the correct route

will be tomorrow

but in the moment 

if you listen

you'll be shown step-by-step

the way to go

don't pay attention to the opinions 

of others

believe God for greater things

don't make it too complicated

love people right where they are

do things that will last

if you have to choose between

 projects or people

pick people every time

people will remember the way you

made them feel

of all the things you accomplish in 

this life

only love remains

go big on love

& let the rest work

itself out

focus on what's present & working =gratitude

or what's absent & ineffective =anxiety

your choice.

there's only one place to start

and that's right where you are

the place you begin

is with you

immerse yourself in good things

bypass worry

cherish life for what it is

a gift

be well...

xoxo

💝

"Small streams don't plan to become

mighty rivers.

They just run in the direction they

were created to move,

and their creator decides what they'll

become."

"Good friends, good books,

and a sleepy conscience:

this is the ideal life."

~Mark Twain

"Twenty years from now you will be

more disappointed by the things

that you didn't do than by the ones

you did do."

~Mark Twain

"Keep away from people who try to belittle 

your ambitions.

Small people always do that,

but really great make you feel

that you, too, can become great."

~Mark Twain

"You cannot succeed, in anything which

you do not like,

because you must be interested

before you can succeed."

~Molly Brown

"I don't know what my destiny is,

but it isn't to be sunk in the sea

or blown into the air."

#titanic

~Molly Brown

"Sometimes at night, in a new hotel,

I put myself to sleep by listing all 

the people whom I really love;

and all the people who I know trust

and love me;

the little list I'm working on of people

I allow myself to need."

~Molly Brown

 

Organically grown....

...established by decision,

nurtured with right thoughts

and time released.

Fiercely tested,...

 but fully developed

it cannot be taken away.

#Joy.

notes....

deciding last minute

on a whim,

high water levels

and sun filtered through trees

a blanket thrown on the rock

pups with zoomies and sticks

their human swimming

and belting out along

with Cody Jinks tunes

&

 moments when simply showing up 

is enough

show up for yourself & for the people

God brings your way

with love & intention

the stories you tell yourself

about the unknows

are always worse than the future

that unfolds

your circumstances teach you

how to sit and let things be

the longer you sit there

the more you notice

everything that went unnoticed

practice peace in your daily life

remain present in your moments

and keep breathing

if you believe that God has great plans

for you and your future

it changes things

big time

joy is not a distant destination

it's a path you choose to travel each day

joy must be deliberately cultivated

your example speaks louder 

than your words

living with joy is your birthright

lasting solutions are surprisingly simple

joy is within you

it must be released

show up day in and day out

without judging how it's going

if it's going at all

that's enough

remember:

this is your one shot at life

be well...

xoxo

💝

"Remember, being happy doesn't mean you have it all.

It simply means you're thankful for all you have."

~Unknown

"I don't care much for things I can't take with

me after I die.

Give me love.

Moments.

Purpose.

Things that'll settle the soul."

"In the end, people will judge

you anyway.

So don't live your life impressing others.

Live your life impressing yourself."