We must empty....

....'ourselves of all that fills us,

so that we may be filled with what we are

empty of.'

~Augustine

clearly His hand is in this...Luke 1:66 MSG

notes...

a gust of wind, and then the rain,

so I moved everything in again

cushions and quilt thrown on the floor

breathing in the moment through an open door

~

Beautiful reminders this morning...

(sources: Jesus Calling, Jesus Lives, The Message Bible & Charles Stanley devo.)

His ways are higher

and  He is capable of all you need

pursue a righteous life-

a life of wonder, faith, love,

steadiness & courtesy

seize the eternal life

..listen to the wind words

His heart is full of unfailing LOVE 

for you

you can relax and enjoy His presence

since you know He is taking care of you

your tendency to be anxious

grieves Him

awareness of His pain can motivate you

to break free from this hurtful habit

He is showing you the way

one foot at a time

Luke 1:79 MSG

surprise us with love at daybreak;

then we'll skip and dance all day long

Ps. 90:14 MSG

walk right up to Him 

and get what He is so ready to give.

Take the mercy & accept His help

He will take care of everything you need

He wants you to obey Him out of Love,

Joy, & Gratefulness-

not out of obligation

He wants to pour Himself into you

and shine through you

and give you a genuine Love

His purpose is never to break your spirit

or cause you pain

there is always a positive, crucial

eternal purpose in struggles

He works all the details together

for the good to those who love Him

you may not be at fault for what has happened to you

but you are accountable for your response to it

be well...

xoxo

💖

"So whatever you experience & however broken you 

may feel because of the trials that assail you,

always remember that I have a blessing in store for you.

Never give in to the thought that this is the end

or that there's a limit to My ability to redeem

even the worst, most pain-filled experiences

in your life & turn them into something worthwhile.

Accept that I know your pain,

I am powerful,

I love you unconditionally,

and I work in the unseen for you. "

~Jesus~

"When you speak to yourself, be more like a cool breeze

and less like a furnace of judgement.

Give yourself love and accept yourself exactly as you are.

Honor the journey you've been on with acceptance and appreciation.

As you wake up, think about all the things you have

accomplished.

Give yourself gratitude and love.

When you slow down to recognize who and what you are,

acceptance comes in like a breeze,

making everything better."

~Sunrise Gratitude~

 

Another freaking growth....

....opportunity.

AFGO

Those often 'frustrating, recurring, life challenges

or relationship hurdle that forces you to 

grow whether you want to or not.'

'Failing to grow into new horizons can blind you

to the beauty of life's adventures.

You become like a plant that's outgrown it's container.'

notes...

agitated, frustrated, intolerant, anxious

and weepy.

I can usually guess what's coming next.

AFGO

Tired, yes. Too much caffeine...probably...

uncomfortable and edgy...yep. 

Classic symptoms.

Tempted to eat a whole bag of Dove Chocolates

and then wash them down with a 1/2 gallon of vanilla Blue Bell 

ice-cream?

 Yep.

(side note...didn't go quite that far...)

It all fits.

It's a process I've repeated 

times a zillion.

Hate it ? yes!

Grateful ? again....yes, with reluctance.

Until I give it time...let it come up, and wait for 

the tsunami to hit, linger, and linger....

until it cleanses whatever it is...

(which I usually am aware of what it is....the "thing")

until it follows it's natural process....

I'm stuck in the precursor of the emerging "thing."

Once it's over....

and it is over...

(*Hallelujah!!)

there's a certain peace, (exhaustion) relief, and humility.

I feel it all today.

~

renew your mind with the objective truth

of the Bible

"Spirit's thoughts on paper"

there is no division between logic & spiritual

when all is said and done

it makes perfect sense

things come alive

you see something new

you will have more understanding

look for principles 

principles are timeless truths

like the laws of nature

you will know when it is meant for you

Spirit will lift something out of the context for you

read a little every day

be encouraged to ask for wisdom

instead of direction

'He who trusts in his own heart is a fool

but he who walks wisely will be delivered.'

Prov. 28:26

(principle)

the soul is healed through union with God

His words are the fuel that keeps you 

functioning properly

no matter how much you think you know

always be willing to take another step of growth

growth is a process

and sometimes it is painful

if you allow it 

it will stretch you so much further 

once you determine not to let 

your current situation define or constrain you

humility is key

"ask, seek and knock"

Let go

Listen to your heart & quiet the ego

Love can create a path to understanding

in those moments

trust builds and love grows deeper

be well...

xoxo

💞

"The true challenge we face is to look at ourselves and the world honestly.

To see what wounds there are, so we can help heal them.

Not to flinch. Not to spend our life wrapped in denial and trying to avoid pain.

Not to avoid the feelings. 

'...the most fundamental harm we can do to ourselves, is to remain ignorant

by not having the courage and the respect to look at ourselves honestly

and gently.'

Healing means living in the raw."

 

You don't always....

....have to do stuff. Or achieve stuff.

'You don't have to spend your free time productively.

You don't have to be doing Tai Chi and DIY and bread-making.

Sometimes you can just be and feel things and 

get through, and eat chips and

that is more than enough.'

notes...

 a gorgeous morning

first hoodie of the season

repairmen here early to fix a few things...

my kiddo is sick...

a special person who was a part of my life growing up

stopped breathing yesterday

off ventilation tonight

infection

there is a loss on my Dad's side 

too young

ALS

I have a bad tape running in my head...

it's not God.

My body is stressed, anxious.

I make it worse by resisting

time to be present

His voice finds it's way through my muddled thoughts

I need to walk

~

it is vital that you stay present

keeping God central in your thoughts

can discern order & design in a

seemingly chaotic world

what you do with the hard times

is your choice

if you hold a negative thought in your mind 

then your body is powered by that belief

in the midst of grief, transition, transformation, learning,

 healing, or discipline

it's difficult to have perspective

let love, light and hope guide your steps

give yourself some grace

be well...

xoxo

💕

God, let our hard times be healing times.

May we be held in your comfort and peace.

Amen

 

Anxiety is....

...a faith battle.

notes:

Our emotions are a gift from God and they carry a lot

of influence in our life.

we control them

or they control us

survey #1

anxiety is the most prominent emotion

distracted

pulled apart

what is anxiety

a feeling of dread, apprehension and uncertainty

God is not the source of anxiety

be willing to face up and deal with it

many people are physically sick from

their emotions

it is the way they think

and the way they respond to the way they think

all anxiety is a reaction to some circumstance

anxiety is against scripture

it doesn't fit who we are

if we truly believe

negative side effects:

divides your mind/distraction

slows productivity

effects your personal relationships

leads to unwise decisions

steals your joy and peace

wastes time and energy/you can't do your best

God does not want us to live in anxiety

we could all work up a nervous break-down in 

30 minutes if we wanted to

here's the plan

bring it to God and tell Him about

lay it out

or

it will keep taking it's toll on your life

have a spirit of thanksgiving

thankful for Him

God love's you unconditionally

He wants to help you

and He can

He wants the best for you

He will protect you

 you give it to Him with one hand

and yank it back with the other....

give it to Him

He wants to take it

why is that complicated?

He can handle whatever our anxiety is

let Him have it

trust Him

take your hands off

how long you keep it is the key....

as you think

the health of your body will follow

the light turns on

the smile comes back

be well...

xoxo

💝

 

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

 

Notes on Consciousness

Maneuvering through the morning slowly,

enjoying small sips of coffee, wrapped in a quilt outside.

It's overcast, and cool.

 Still.

 Peaceful.

The porch decorated in chalk dust and graffiti from last

nights "lets-go-draw-on-the-porch" moment.

Bundling into sweatpants, hoodies and grabbing quilts to wrap in.

Twinkle lights and moonlight.

Goofiness and laughter.

Simple joys with my grand-girl.

I'm re-visiting some books I read before my coaching course.

Before I went on my own journey of being coached.

I had a twinge of "before and after" ,

and a prayerful celebration of the 

things I've left behind.

Sharing this out of the book:

Letting Go

The Pathway of Surrender

by David R. Hawkins M.D. Ph.D.

3years ago...a special friend/teacher/guide shared this book with me. 

Sometimes we just need the right information to

tug at our truth, and help us to see more clearly.

We don't know, until we know.

" Apathy and depression are prices we pay for having settled for 

and bought into our smallness.

It's what we get for having played the victim & allowed ourselves to be programmed.

It's the price we pay for having bought into negativity.

It's what results from resisting the part of ourselves that is loving,

courageous, and great.

It results from allowing ourselves to be invalidated by ourselves or others;

it is the consequence of holding ourselves in a negative context.

In reality, it is only a definition of ourselves that we have unwittingly

allowed to happen. 

The way out is to become more conscious."

"What does it mean to become 'more conscious' ?

To begin with, becoming more conscious means to 

start looking for the truth for ourselves, instead of blindly

allowing ourselves to be programmed,

whether from without or by an inner voice within the mind,

which seeks to diminish and invalidate,

focusing on all that is weak and helpless.

To get out of it, we have to accept the responsibility that

we have bought into the negativity and have been willing to believe it.

The way out of this, then, is to start questioning everything."

"As we become more aware, we begin to realize that we have a choice.

We can stop giving authority to all the mind's thoughts,

begin to question them, and find out if there is really any truth in them

for ourselves."

(great book if this interests you)

Journal notes:

"You are not alone; there is a great big world out there

waiting to champion you and help you live your very best life."

'The root cause of hesitancy is due to how you feel about yourself.

Remember who you are.

You have all you need to achieve every goal before you.

You don't have to fear.

You can do this.

Stop wrestling with your anxieties and get the job done.

Begin living your life with joy, and assurance of God's 

unlimited resources.'

You are free to live your honest story in the way it was meant to be written.

"We are defined by the narrative we write for ourselves every day."

Talk to yourself with love.

Your main work is to clear out debris and clutter,

making room for your Spirit.

Release and receive.

Go through your days distracted by everything going on around you,

or live fully engaged, and look for the beauty in life.

"You get what you repeat."

...finally she decided to stop suppressing her true nature.

be well...

xoxo

💗

"If you call forth what is in you,

it will save you.

If you do not call forth what is in you,

it will destroy you."

~Gospel of Saint Thomas~

"I never wanted to be the best.

I just wanted to be the best damn me."

~Lily Tomlin~

 

Remembrance

This morning as I made my way to the kitchen to put the kettle on,

I caught the feature of the 9/11 Memorial airing on the news.

I paused to remember.

I went back to that day...the moment that I turned on the news.

 I had just returned home after dropping Brandon off at school.

I remember the air being sucked out of me. The fear. The incredible wave of sadness.

I think back to a visit back home years later,

when friends took us to see the Memorial.

And how my breath stopped.

 A huge lump formed in my throat & tears welled up in my eyes.

I remember the heaviness of my heart,

mixed with the awe of seeing something so breathtakingly

beautiful, transformed from something so dark and tragic.

I felt a connection.

I recall how strangely silent it seemed as we all gathered around.

In that fleeting moment,

I didn't feel any separation or difference, 

Instead,

It was as if we were a part of something more.

In the blink of an eye...

we all stood united.

This morning...in a blink of an eye... I felt the same way.

Brandon standing at the 9/11 Memorial

Journal notes:

He is with us always.

Even when we journey into unknown places.

"We are not advertisement for Jesus.

We are evidence of Him,

and we do this best in our weaknesses,

not our strengths."

Prayerfully seek to understand where others are coming from-

especially when their words and actions confuse or upset you.

Give others the benefit of your doubt.

You don't know what is motivating them to respond as they do.

'Pursue peace with people.

See God's understanding about who they are,

what burdens they bear,

and what they struggle with.'

Don't absorb the fear & scarcity of the culture

& keep your energy anchored in God as your source.

(note: as I wrote the last sentence: I hear a jet. I glance up as a B-2 bomber flies over...

and as it fades out of sight, a pair of doves fly above me...

you know me and my signs....💝)

'Every so often something happens that literally shakes us awake,

yanks us out of our heads, reminds us of the 

preciousness of life, the uncertainty surrounding us in 

every moment, and all the many things we take for 

granted that we could be so grateful for.'

Stop. Get quiet. Breathe into the gratitude you feel for who you are,

for the gifts you've been given, and your ability to make positive changes.

Only God's Love is strong enough to break 

the hold that fear has on us.

Unexpected events shake up our routines.

As we turn to God, He clings to our hand,

and we experience His comfort and love.

be well...

xoxo

💓

"A GREAT TRAGEDY can bring people together.

When bad things happen, some people rise to help in 

the midst of great sadness,

wanting to help alleviate the pain.

Concentrate on how you too can help and see the good

that does arise in response to terrible events.

We are not helpless when bad things happen.

Agents of change show up in unexpected ways.

Together we can bring healing energy 

to the residue of tragedy."

~Emily Silva~

Anxiety & Rhythm

Every morning, I pray for guidance and direction.

Truth is, when it comes down to finding direction,

( directionally challenged to begin with...)

 I get all heady.

I have so many interests...and things that I love...

 my thoughts can get a bit scattered,

 and I then I start to confuse myself.

*Pause *Breathe *Zoom out *Align

*Journal.

When I come here to write, it is usually something that I read about

and recorded in my own musings.

Something that stirred within me.

 Healing the nervous system seems to be the subject of  a lot of stirring lately.

This morning the majority of my journaling was about fear, and anxiety.

 Yesterday I had a chat at the table with a loved one about anxiety.,

and the 4-7-8 breath.

So ... I thought I'd make some picks from my journal notes today.

Nuggets that helped me to stay on course with my "stirring".

I'm also adding this video to my tool box.

Rhythm to calm.

They seem to pair well together.😊

Learn to enjoy life more.

The more you focus on God's presence with you,

the more you can enjoy life.

Who you are, and who you will become, 

only God knows. 

Listen for His voice.

Don't let failures define you.

Use them to inform your next steps.

" I am the way, and the truth, and the life."

John 14:6

Anxiety & worry, are destroyers of health,

wealth & happiness.

The only way to get rid of fear-

is to transmute it into faith.

Fear is the opposite of Faith.

Both register in the subconscious.

What you focus on will grow.

Believe that all things are possible.

 

Make a habit of making giant swings into Faith.

You might find that right this moment,

you have more than enough reasons to be happy 

& centered.

'You cannot accomplish anything 

you cannot see yourself accomplishing.'

'Trusting God is like walking a tight rope.

Doubt and fear cause you to lose your balance,

and fall off into lack and limitation.

It takes practice to acquire poise & balance.'

'We suffer more than we need to,

We reopen old wounds by dwelling on the past.

We live in needless dread of what tomorrow

will bring.'

'What a beautiful world this would be if

all anxiety and fear were blotted out.

The only way to neutralize it

is to walk up to the thing you are

afraid of.'

Out of the book: Can You still Trust God?

by Charles Stanley

' I encourage you today..

Refuse to allow anxiety to become a "state of being" in your life.

Believe God when He says you are worthy of His constant care.

Yield total control of every area of your life to God.

Refuse to be caught up in what others think of you.

Refuse to be trapped into operating according to the world's systems

Get your priorities in line with God's priorities for you.

Choose to live in today, not tomorrow.

And You will find yourself living with a growing,

deep inner peace,

free from fear and anxiety.'

be well...

xoxo

💖

" We don't know where we're going,

we don't know what is going to happen,

but no one can take away from you 

what you put in your own mind."

The Choice: Embrace the Possibilities

Edith Eger

Align

Find the small pockets of time to take in the beauty,

and let go of the rest.

Breathe out stress, breathe in peace.

Breathe out tension, breathe in ease.

Breathe out worry, breathe in faith.

...grand-pet sitting at my kiddo's 

Asking for total happiness is not asking for too much.

Truly listen to your desires.

Carve out little reprieves.

Trust your gut, & stop ignoring your inner compass,

worried about others emotions, or what they think.

Work on the courage to trust it, and align 

what you do, with what is true for you.

Trust God to meet you at your point of need

with His grace and wisdom which will undoubtedly

put you on the right road to recovery,

and wholeness.

God really is in the details.

Some journal notes while away...

There is no fear in love.

Protect your dream from those who do not understand.

Let trust and thankfulness stand guard.

'Love Me with all of your heart, soul, and mind.'

Matthew 22:37

"If you can't hear the voice of God,

it's time to carve out a quiet place in your life."

God will lead you, but He won't force you to follow.

'The contents of your thoughts have an enormous 

impact on your health & wellbeing.

Depression & anxiety can be because of distorted thinking.

If not corrected , it can lead to a breakdown in health.'

'Audit your life & become aware of where you are spending 

your time & who you are spending it with.'

'Understand the life you have been living & 

the life you want to live in the future.

Move closer to that version of life.

The more you invite God into your life,

the healthier & happier you will be.

Life is an inner process of becoming all

you were meant to be.

Nothing is impossible with God.

Be spontaneous. 

Fill your life with beauty.

"Follow the grain in your own wood."

'Life at it's best is not lived in the past.

It's lived in the now.'

be well...

xoxo

💖

"Anything you lose by speaking the truth,

isn't a loss.

It's an alignment.

The best cleanse you will ever do."

~Dr. Will Cole~