Weekend

Be on the lookout for things

that fuel your gratitude.

Worries can be potent and mind altering.

This weekend I choose not to indulge in them at all.

" I am not afraid of storms 

for I am learning to sail my ship."

~Louisa May Alcott~

xoxo

💖

 

Discontent

In the midst of my discontent,

  a random invite to join sister-friend & her hubby for church,

a morning greeting from Ohio pops up on the phone,

an Oriole lands on the feeder,

 and my fur-kids lay scattered at my feet.

Grateful for those little nuggets today.

"If today gets difficult, remember the smell of coffee,

the way sunlight bounces off a window,

the sound of your favorite person's laugh,

the feeling when a song you love comes on,

the color of the sky at dusk,

and that we are here to take care of each other."

xoxo

💞

 

Meditation

Inching out the weeds, old pup at my side, 

I thought I'd dread an afternoon of weeding,

instead it turns out it was a great way to meditate.

" Quiet contemplation allows you to connect with yourself,

To remember who you are when the day is done,

to ground down and breathe deeply."

" I am at a place in my life where peace is a priority.

I make deliberate life choices to protect my mental,

emotional, and spiritual state."

"On the other side of a challenge 

there is a great reward.

Keep going"

xoxo

💖

 

Homegirl

Today I'm a homegirl. Content with a cup of tea, my kiddo dropping in,

the rain moving in, a breeze on the front porch, 

a good book with a side of old friends.

Here's the quote from my course the other day:

"There is a line I have drawn over which I do not allow others to cross.

This line ensures me my uniqueness, autonomy and privacy.

I am able to be me the way I really am rather than the way

people want me to be by drawing this line.

By This line I let others know:

this is who I am and where I begin and you end:

this is who you are and where you begin and I end;

we will never cross over this line 

so that we can maintain a healthy relationship with one another."

~Lance Armstrong's Live Strong~

A little side note: I don't know how it happened that 

I really never knew about boundaries, except what I have learned for my profession.

  This last year they have been a thing.

  " ...how well or how poorly you regulate you

relationship with yourself"

Geez....I didn't even know having a relationship with myself

was a thing!

If you want to learn more about Boundaries too,

here are 

some great books that I've read:

Boundary Boss by Terri Cole (fav.)

How to Establish Boundaries by Patrick King

The Boundary is You by Chany G. Rosengarten

xoxo

💖

Slow

I thought it would be a treat to relax for a while, 

being sickly wasn't exactly what I conjured up in my mind.

How fitting my word for the year (surrender) has been.

" The more you try to control something,

the more it controls you.

Free yourself and let things take

their own natural course."

xoxo

💖

 

Details

" If we don't carve out time and space for keeping 

a record of the web of events where we can trace

His handiwork in our lives-

the moments slip away forgotten."

" Life covers them over.

A month later, we can't even remember.

The details that were so fresh one day are now 

forgotten treasure."

xoxo

💖

 

Happening

" Life is simple. Everything happens for you, not to you."

"What if you assumed that everything in your life 

is working for you rather than against you?"

(book: A year of Positive Thinking)

Happening for me this morning:

Early morning joggers, the first cup of coffee,

furkids with attention seeking behavior.

xoxo

💖

 

 

Crazy

" You know how Corona Virus is contagious?

So is crazy! And they don't have a mask for that!"

Part of a sermon I just finished listening to.

This may be my favorite quote of the week!

Month maybe!

Sharing the sermon below.

(copy & paste in your browser)

https://youtu.be/7YowL9QXxyk

 Or go to You Tube and search Steven Furtick

"Be Careful What You Copy"

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

💖

 

Now

The little things have always been important,

but even more so right now.

"Life is too damn short to live in a mediocre way.

Wake up with a purpose and make the best of each day

and your short time here on this earth.

Stop saying, 'I'll do this when I have more money,' or

'I'll start when I'm more settled.'

Stop making excuses.

What if I told you that all you

need is what you have right now?

That's all you need to

just make a start.

It doesn't matter if your 17 or 50, set

your alarm for tomorrow morning

and wake up with a purpose.

Always give your best and live your best life.

Don't let the years just pass you by.

Because we don't get another chance.

This is it."

Be safe and well.

💗

 

Ollie

"Simple kindness to one's self and all that lives

is the most powerful transformational force of all.

It produces no backlash, has no downside, and never leads 

to loss or despair.

It increases one's true power without exacting

any toll."

 Love. Loss. More love.

Ollie passed away last weekend.

It's so hard.

There are all the empty spaces where he isn't any more.

Pets are definitely a gift, and I am grateful for the short time

we enjoyed this sweet little guy.

We are not sure what happened.

It happened so quick.

I still had his morning slice of banana in my hand,

petting him with my other.

Then in a flash, he was gone.

Be safe, and stay well.

💔

Scribbles

I unearthed loose notes that were

crumpled into drawers, held in place on a clip board,

stuck in pages of books or tucked into a folder.

I thought since I was focusing on simplifying my life,

why not share them on my blog, and clean out some clutter?

Couldn't think of a good reason not to.

More than I love a good note...

I love a good memory, so I am tucking in a

 few of those too.

My life lately.

My Notes:

(from the clipboard)

* Life is zooming past us. Live in contentment.

* Laugh more.

* Dance more.

* Get messy.

* Do things that make you feel good

right here. Right now.

* You can come as you are.

* Be kind:

self-compassion

actions you do

thoughts you think

things you say

* Let your intuition be your guide.

* Just adding some beauty to the world is enough.

*Don't be afraid to leave the past behind.

* Choose to listen and believe the voice of truth.

* Let things be imperfect.

* Be in the moment not escaping.

* Stop. Reflect. Check in.

* Be aware of toxic people, news, junk food, talk of others...

* Don't settle for status quo because it's "safe".

* When you don't know who you are- you run from yourself &

let other people show you who you are.  God does not see us that way.

*What God says- not what I see.  Leave it alone.

* Let go of the need for certainty.

*God always moves on the other side of faith.

* When God brings us out of something, he does not let us choose our escape route.

" He will provide the way."

* Step out of your head & into your heart.

* Take healthy risks. Do something that scares you.

* Eliminate negativity & clutter.

* Don't look back. A momentary glance can be motivating,

but a constant gaze can be paralyzing.

Our destiny is not locked in our past.

* Life is too short to live stuck.

* I used to think I had to please everyone.

Now I know it's an audience of one.

I hope you are happy, safe and well !

💗

 

Whispers

" He talks through burning bushes and braying donkeys;

he sends messages through storms and rainbows

and earthquakes and dreams,

he whispers in a still small voice.

these two, and a game of fetch in the backyard

a random get together in the backyard

yellow finches greeting me at my window in the morning

horse sneezes... a patch of white flowers....

time 

old farm equipment repurposed 

He speaks in ordinary things like 

cooking and small talk,

through storytelling, fishing,

tending animals and sweet corn and flowers,

through sports, music, and books,

raising kids-all the places where the gravy soaks in 

and grace shines through."

Praying everyone is well.

Stay safe.

💕

Continuity

"Stop running like mad 

because you don't know the music;

Lay in the wild grass 

while the stars dance instead.

Forget what they've told you about Me

and stop thinking 

it's something you have to perform.

You could spend your entire life doing that

and never know any more of Me at all.

You'll miss the point,

miss the beauty,

miss the sky I painted above you.

It's a beautiful night 

to realize what it's really like to be loved.

Stop chasing the song, child, 

and let me teach you to sing."

~God~ 

💖

Fika

[ f e e - k a ]  

Swedish

a moment to slow down 

and appreciate the good things in life.

"Coffee with friends."

" Most Swedes will enjoy at least one fika a day

as an opportunity to bond."

Taking some time

to remember who I am.

Snuggling up to the Swede in me today.

💗

Restore

" She believed she could but she was tired...

so she rested and you know what ?

The world went on and it was OK.

She knew she could try again tomorrow."

Few things better than finding a quiet place

in the country under the big oak trees,

Scotty happily running about, 

a nice breeze and a book in my lap.

~restoring~

💗

Dream

Sometimes I like to sit quietly,

and dream,

and pretend the world is always a beautiful place

where everyone is lovely and kind to one another.

And love is always true.

And then I imagine how sweet life would be

if we could all just jump in a big pool of water,

( grabbing the hand of someone near)

and have it magically wash away every trauma, hurt, and brokenness in us.

I wonder how lovesome

we'd be if judgement wasn't a thing?

And reaching out in goodness and grace was?

What if we all pulled together instead of pull away ?

Oh ...what a delightful dream.

A girl can still dream, right ? 

If not, I don't want to know ! 😉

~ dreaming out loud~

"The process of transformation for all of us

begins with each of us."

💖

Awestruck

Perched at my bedroom window

with my camera.

Eight wanderlusty pups.

Whispering "shhhh" to Scotty,

who stifles a whine.

Hoping they linger just a little longer.

Savoring every moment...

& feeling all emotional in the best possible way. 💘

Love & hugs!!💗