I've Learned a Lesson

There was a time when this photo really spoke to me. It wasn't long ago when I seemed to be bombarded with the idea of "solitude."



....while reading a book, there it was
.... a devotional would speak of the need
.... a quote would come from nowhere.
.... but most of all, I'd find myself wanting to run away for a day, or a week, not understanding what was driving these thoughts.


When I found this photo, I had a longing to be there, to have that book be mine. To have the cup bear my lip print. The photo made me feel comfortable. I decided I needed to write about it on my blog.
But that was then.
Now as I try to express my feelings, I can't. I should have done it when the mood hit. It probably would have made for a more interesting post.

Matthew 14:23 ...He went up into the hills to pray. Night fell while he was there alone.

Letter to Different Time

Dear Suzie,
I wish I could sit down with you at this stage in your life…the year of this picture. If only I could be with you to teach you some important things about yourself. Soon, after Mom dies, you will leave Buffalo and move to Mineral Point with Grandma. It will be a good move, creating some of the happiest years of your childhood.

As I look back over those years, I realize you will wander through life not really being aware of who you are. Not the superficial “who you are”, but the deep-down-inside “who you are.” As far as I can remember, no one ever taught you how to live life to its full potential. I feel I’ve also failed in this area with your future children. I really believe, Suzie, that after all these many years, I’m only now learning "who we are."

I want to talk to you about an incident that will happen the day you begin the fifth grade. Unfortunately, you will not be able to respond to it in a positive manner. And, considering that I have it in my memory today, it will be something that you will carry with you for the rest of your life.

A boy, new to the school, will come to your classroom. His name is Harvey. Nice boy, son of the new minister in town. His father will leave him in the classroom and Harvey will run to the cloakroom window to watch him go. He will cry. Kids will laugh at him….but not you. You will hurt for him. That’s because you will know how he feels. You see, you experienced the same thing just the year before when Dad took you away to live in Milwaukee. But happily you returned to Mineral Point after that year was over.

Unfortunately, you will be too afraid to go to Harvey and try to comfort him. You will be too young to know how to do that…and much too shy. But it's okay. There are so many lessons to learn.

Harvey, I’m sorry I didn't help you that day.

Sheets Revisited

Just wanted to share the birthday card daughter Dana made for me yesterday. This card was created because of a conversation our family had last Thanksgiving. Check out my post from November 2008 entitled "Sheets."

A merry heart doeth good like a medicine. ~~Found somewhere in the Bible :0)

The Simple Life

Remember the phrase, “biting off more that you can chew”? Perhaps I’m about to do that. In this post I plan to make a statement about the purpose of life. Me!...a middle-60’s woman without a completed college degree is about to address a subject that has been discussed by the greatest philosophers throughout the ages.

Until just recently, I believed there was something "great" that God wanted me to do with my life. This thinking was especially vivid after being healed of cancer. There was a purpose for this healing…he had a special plan for my life. I just needed to find it. I’m sure I am not alone in this quest to find a purpose.

Well…here I am after four years…still wondering what the “great thing” is!

Recently I’ve been reading books by Donald Miller, Jim Palmer, Rob Bell, and the Bible. They all seem to point to the same thing. It’s a simple thing, really. As Jim Palmer puts it in his book Wide Open Spaces: “God’s purpose for me, for you, for everyone is to know him.” That's it.

Look what the apostle Paul says in Philippians 3:10…”For my determined purpose is that I may know him [that I may progressively become more deeply and intimately acquainted with him, perceiving and recognizing and understanding the wonders of His person more strongly and more clearly.]” (Amplified version)

To carry it a bit further, I think it all boils down to the two commandments that Jesus instructed us to do. I appreciate the way William Young (author of The Shack) puts it on his blog…”Love God, love your neighbor as yourself, and love yourself. Then go help people because you love them.”

I’m beginning to believe this is the purpose for my life. Excuse me while I go to chew on it for awhile.



Jesus himself said, (John 17:3) Now this is eternal life: that they may know You, the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom you have sent.”

Blessing Takes a Strange Form

Sometimes God uses the most unusual circumstances to speak to me. Perhaps it’s because when I’m wrapped up in the norm, I fail to see His leading. Such was my day yesterday.

As an artist, there are days that I just can’t get it together. No matter what I produce, I see it as crap. I experienced a day like that in class yesterday. My reaction to failure was so extreme that I wanted to pack up all my art supplies and sell them at a garage sale.

I went from that attitude to…”what is the purpose of my life anyway? Nothing I do is worth anything.” God healed me from cancer four years ago and I feel that I’ve wasted those years. What monumental thing for God have I done during those four years? NOTHING!

It’s at those emotional times I head out to walk the mountain in our neighborhood. I have two special places I go to talk to God. After arriving at my “prayer rock” I laid my hand on the huge boulder and cried “Lord, I need to know my purpose…I need to know the direction you want me to go.” As I was standing there in the silence, I began to hear a strange sound…a humming that grew louder and louder. I looked up and saw a cloud of insects heading straight towards me. My first thought was of the “killer bees” which we have here in Arizona. All I could do was stand totally still hoping they would pass and not notice me.

After they passed I realized they were headed in the direction of the path that would take me back down the mountain. I wasn’t about to go that way just in case they were lying in wait! Instead, I decided to take an unknown trail in the opposite direction. I remember telling God that I hoped the direction I was taking would take me where I need to go rather than up to the top of the mountain. Eventually the path began a downward slope, and I saw I was headed down to the parking lot. In that moment I understood He will lead me, even if I don’t realize He’s doing it.

As for the purpose of life….That will be my next post.

Melody of Mirth

Today I found another message on the wrapper of a Dove candy piece. It's funny how these messages speak to me. This one says "Lose yourself in a moment."

I was reminded of a special moment a few days ago. It was one of those days when I wasn't feeling quite like myself...spirits down. The morning sun was shining through the open window accompanied by a refreshing breeze. A beautiful golden glow showered the room. Those things alone should have been enough to lift my spirits, but they didn't.

Suddenly, an all too familiar sound caught my ear from just outside the window. A mockingbird song. The melody of the mockingbird is delightful, cheery, and sometimes even funny. I found myself chuckling quietly. The smile felt good to my face. All it took was one small bird to release me from my heaviness. I was definitely "Lost in the moment."

Draw Beauty from every flower and Joy from the song of the birds. Listen to a bird. Take the song as a message from My Father. Let it sink into your soul. It will be given back to the world again by you in the form of a smile or a loving word or a kind thought or a prayer. Laugh more, laugh often. Love more. I am with you. I am your Lord.
~God Calling, March 11

"The heavens declare the glory of God; and the firmament proclaims his handiwork." ~Psalm 19:1

I really must wear my glasses

I read today on my yahoo page that those killer tomatoes are at it again. The headline read "Midwest tomatoes destroy homes...some roads flooded." But on closer examination, I realized they were tornadoes, not tomatoes.

Where are those glasses when I need them!

How often do we think of this?

From a reading in God Calling....
"How little man knows and senses My need! My need of Love and Companionship.
I came "to draw men unto Me," and sweet it is to feel hearts drawing near in Love, not for help, as much is for tender comradeship.
Many know the need of man; few know the need of Christ."

"Behold, I stand at the door, and knock: if any man hear my voice, and open the door, I will come in to him, and will sup with him, and he with me." Revelation 3:20

Taken from God Calling, February 29

Photo compliments of my camera

Need I say more?

James 4:14 "How do you know what will happen tomorrow? For your life is like the morning fog--it's here for a little while, then it's gone."

Photo compliments of the wrapper from my DOVE dark chocolate candy. Thank you, DOVE, for the reminder.

I Think I'm Hooked!

I'm constanting discovering interesting things on the internet, with the latest being art journaling. Just enter "art journaling" into Google search and see what people are doing. I've experimented with it in the past, but usually didn't know what subject or theme to journal about. As of last night, I've become serious about it.

I use the devotional book God Calling often since my bout with cancer and have highlighted many sentences that touched me spiritually and emotionally. Last night, I became inspired to take those passages and represent them visually in my art journal.

Well, I've been working all evening, and although it's past midnight, I need to report my excitement. What fun I've had creating. The picture here is part of the page I created... the portion which represent the year past. The following is the text from which it is taken:

(January 1) I stand between the years. The Light of My Presence is flung across the year to come - the radiance of the Sun of Righteousness. Backward, over the past year, is My Shadow thrown, hiding trouble and sorrow and disappointment.

Bury every fear of the future, of poverty for those dear to you, of suffering, of loss. Bury all thought of unkindness and bitterness, all your dislikes, your resentments, your sense of failure, your disappointment in others and in yourselves, your gloom, your despondency, and let us leave them all, buried, and go forward to a new and risen life.

I encourage you to try art journaling. You don't have to be an artist. You don't have to make a pretty picture. The only requirement is ... you must have fun!

You can find God Calling here:

http://www.twolisteners.org/January%201%20-%2015.htm

Words Adrift

A chilly breeze met me as I rounded the stern of the ship during my daily walking exercise. It was a routine that I had established to buffer the guilt of knowing how much I would be eating during the coming day. Cruises are like that.

From the corner of my eye, once again I saw the same gentleman jog by whom I had just seen at the other end of the ship. He was in a mode like me, but he put much more effort into the exercise routine. This time though, something new caught my attention. Maybe there was more to his efforts than just the need to exercise.

Did I hear correctly?

Yes I did. He had said the words "I love you, Helen."

Immediately my imagination took hold.

Who was Helen?

Was he newly married? I doubt it. She'd be by his side if that were the case.

Maybe she was his lover who couldn't commit to him yet, or possibly divorce was in his future.

I dismissed the idea that he was recently widowed, preferring instead to believe she was still available for him.

In any case, I'm assuming Helen was really special to him...special enough for him to audibly speak the words within earshot of me.

My imagination didn't end there. In my story, Helen will someday sail the same ship, and as she reaches that very spot, her ear will catch the faint words that have been drifting on the breeze since they were spoken. Maybe he will be there with her, but if not, will her heart be touched as she hears those same words? I hope so.

How many other spoken words are drifting out there, just waiting for a listening ear?

No Ordinary Day Book

I'm not a disciplined person, so I don't make New Year's resolutions. What's the point?

But I've been thinking lately that I need to organize my life. Well, maybe not my life, because I don't have much to schedule, but maybe to organize my thoughts. I became inspired by looking through the many monthly organizers now on sale at Borders. But they were all so BLACK and boring. Hey, I'm an artist. Just a plain organizer wouldn't do. But then, searching the bottom shelf, look what I found. No just an ordinary organizer, but one that was calling my name. And each day had just a few lines to record...what?....oh I don't know; but I knew this is the one I had to buy.

So...now I have it at home and am anxious to put the pen to the first page. What I'll write is a mystery, but I'm determined to fill each of those few daily lines with something. My goal is to fill my "no ordinary day book" with tidbits of information proving that each day is No Ordinary Day.

This is the day the Lord has made; let us rejoice and be glad in it.
~Psalm 118:24

Sheets

So often, as a mom of young children, I would try to write down the funny things the kids would say so we could remember and laugh about them when they were grown. Unfortuantely, many of the comments would go un-recorded because I didn’t have pen and paper in hand. Try as I might, I could never remember them later.

Now all of the kids are grown, and some have little ones of their own. We still enjoy the funny remarks from the little ones, but the grown ones, too, continue to keep us laughing. I’ll let you listen in on a conversation that took place after Thanksgiving dinner while my two 30-something daughters were discussing the Black Friday sales advertised in the paper. I became aware of the conversation after Emily mentioned that there was a sale on "Dora" sheets for children's beds. They were laughing hysterically because Dana stated she would like to have some Sawyer sheets. (LOST is a favorite TV show of hers.)

Dana: “Mom, who would you want on your sheets?”
Emily: “Maybe Alf?”
More laughter.
Me: “I want two different ones. Considering my age, I would pick Robert Redford and Sean Connery. One on the bottom, one on top.”
Dana: "You mean you want to be sandwiched between them?"
More giggles erupted as we discussed who would be under me and who would be on top.
Finally my son-in-law Steve casually threw a question our way without even taking his eyes off an ad for a large screen HDTV.
“Don’t you think they would find it a bit awkward when you weren’t there?”

That's when we all lost it!


I just had to write this down before I forgot it.
Oh…I’m so thankful for our wonderful family!

Pictured above: Dana, Emily, Steve

Bless the Little Beasts

Ooooh! Fresh clean air... cool... camping midst the scent of pine. To a desert rat like me this is close to heaven.


We swapped the heat of Phoenix last week for a refreshing stay in the mountains of Northern Arizona. Lazy is the best way to describe our days among the tall trees. Even the wildlife must have been relaxing hidden in their woodsy home. We didn't see much except a cute little grey squirrel that ventured into our campsite one morning.


It was the morning I discovered our peaches had been stolen from the table. I thought they would be safe wrapped in a plastic bag and placed in a tupperware-like container. But NO! I found one half eaten still inside the bag and another about ten feet away with enough eaten away for the ants to descend on it and have a feast. But....there had been three. Where was the other?


Later, the squirrel reappeared zig-zagging across our campsite and finally scampering up a nearby tree. It's so seldom that we see a cute little creature like it, that we had to laugh at its antics as it disappeared on the far side of the tree high above our heads. We waited for it to appear again, and finally, after some time, it didn't disappoint us. But WHAAAT!!! That little stinker perched itself on a limb and casually began to knibble on OUR OTHER PEACH! I imagine he had stored it in the tree just so he could bring it out for this moment. It was almost as if he wanted us to know he was the thief. I think he also enjoyed our laughter as we realized he got away with it.


God has created such a beautiful world. Hope you all get a chance to appreciate it this summer.

ABC's of a Successful Life

Accept differences
Be kind
Count your blessings
Drink in nature
Express thanks
Forgive
Give freely
Harm no one
Imagine more
Jettison anger
Keep confidences
Love unconditionally
Master something
Nurture hope
Open your mind
Pack lightly
Quell rumors
Reciprocate
Seek wisdom
Touch hearts
Understand
Value truth
Win graciously
Xeriscape
Yearn for peace
Zealously support a worthy cause

The Stress of It All

It was a tragic day. Emily lost one of her good friends. It was to be expected, as it had been a long time in coming. Emily's bosom buddy, Bra, collapsed to its ultimate demise on Monday, March 31, 2008. With all of the weight...the stress it was constantly having to endure...it was only a matter of time. It happened so quietly, so peacefully as the girls sagged lower and lower. When they finally reached Emily's belly button, we knew it was gone. In a peaceful ceremony, Bra was laid to rest on Friday, April 4 in Emily's top dresser drawer.

The girls (Boo and Bea) and Emily have been tirelessly searching for a new home for them for a couple of days. Finally they thought they had found a permanent address. The place had all the top notch amenities: pretty colors, lots of living space, a sturdy frame and even a great security system. It looked so promising. But, alas, it was not meant to be. The girls had found their way out by the end of that first day. Again, they are homeless and looking for the perfect fit.

I'll let you know if they find it.

Contributed to this website by my daughter, Emily.

Nature Sings

I walked the mountain in my neighborhood this past weekend. The wildflowers are at their peak.

ART LESSON
Complementary colors are Blue/Orange, Yellow/Purple, Red/Green. When complementary colors are placed side-by-side, they create an excitement. They sing!

GOD LESSON
Next time you are out in nature, notice that most of the wildflowers are either yellow, purple, orange, or blue. Oh...and today I saw a rock with lime green and rust (dark red orange) lichen on it. God paints in compliments. His nature sings! Listen to it through your eyes.



"Arise my love, my fair one, and come away;
for lo, the winter is past,
the rain is over and gone.
The flowers appear on the earth,
the time of singing has come."
Song of Solomon 2:10-12

I Get By With a Little Help From My Friends

After re-reading my last post, and considering how long it's been since I posted, you probably thought I fell off the tip of that branch... KLUNK.... never to be heard from again.

Well........I'm back!

Thanks for the input in the comments from “The Journey” post. You are beginning to make me think, which doesn’t come easy for me at times. Actually Joe said I’m probably the first person he has ever made to think. Way to go Joe.

My thoughts regarding decision vs. destiny…
I have to approach it from my Christian point-of-view…Just cuz that’s who I am.


Obviously decisions do affect a life, and that life can take many different avenues. As a human being, my knowledge of God is miniscule, but I know God has given us a free will and does not manipulate us as puppets on a string. Psalm 139 says he knows everything about me, even my very thoughts. He might have a specific direction for me to take, but he still leaves the choice up to me. Of course it helps if I ask him. Duh! All to often I take off on my own.

He knows which direction I will take even before I do. Some of these decisions might be wise and take me down the road to peace and contentment, but others can be foolish and might eventually lead me into an uncomfortable situation. Still, wherever I find myself, He will be there. And I know that wherever I am at any moment, God will have a plan to use me and guide me ... if I’m willing.

All in all, I’d say that my belief is that decision wins out over destiny. But whatever the decision, God is there to laugh with me, cry with me, rejoice with me, and hold me in the shelter of his arms.

That’s enough. I don’t want to overwhelm you….or more probably, myself.

So, I send many thanks for the input to Sharon, sparrow's song Joe, i-am-me, BLMOM, SSC, and my daughter Tracy.

I really must go now and rest my brain.

Oh…but first………..

{{GROUP HUG}}

The Journey

Have you ever considered all the decisions that popped up throughout life bringing you to the place you are today?

The first major decision that steered me in the direction of where I am now was made not by me, but by my father when I was four years old. He decided I was to go live with my grandmother in a small town in Wisconsin, hundreds of miles from my birthplace.

Throughout the years I can see one decision after another directing me this way or that. I picture it as an ant climbing a tree deciding which limb to explore, which branch to exit on. Eventually the ant reaches the tip, possibly forty feet from the opposite side of the tree...and a view he will never experience.

Where would I be if not for the decisions made by me or someone else close to me? Or, of even more importance.....WHO would I be? So many people have influenced my life…helped me become who I am today. What if I had never met them?

I said before, “The first major decision”, but perhaps, maybe every decision we make is a MAJOR one.

Hmmm.......Just something to ponder.


"My frame was not hidden from you when I was made in the secret place. When I was woven together in my mother's womb, your eyes saw my unformed body. All the days ordained for me were written in your book before one of them came to be." ~~ Psalm 139:15,16

Consider the Lily

When given warmth and nourishment, the budded Lily awakens.




So it is with humankind.





"Look to the Lord and his strength; seek his face always." ~~Psalm 105:4

The painting "Lily Awakened" courtesy of my paintbrush :-)
From a photo by Russell McGeorge