The Farmer

My man is technically a farmer in good ole Huron county. 

He’s also a bus driver for the Catholic high-school and he is a hired dairy man who likes to dabble in landscaping. And just like that, you have probably made assumptions about him. Because that’s just our nature. When you mix our nature with stereotypes about different occupations and the personalities of those doing them, you make assumptions. While you might guess he is definitely not a tech wizard, you might be surprised he likes working on his own equipment and that he loves sports, and it doesn’t matter which sport.

Just like the rest of us, he has layers that people see and don’t see, some they expect and some they don’t. But without fail, he lives the mantra, "What you see is what you get." He is the real deal in every sense. For me, it sometimes feels appealing to keep a few of my own layers hidden or invent new ones that aren’t really me if I think they will make you like me more. Most times I care very much. I want you to like me, so much so, that I am willing, most times, to be someone I am not.  And heaven forbid you turn out to be someone like Mr. Darcy who stated, "My good opinion once lost is lost forever".  Ohhh, the effort I could expend on you!

So while I own this, I also know I just don’t have the energy to bend over backwards for people’s opinions, anymore. It’s exhausting, and frankly it doesn’t work anyway. Opinions are like shadows, always changing depending on the angle of the sun and where the person stands. So while I haven’t yet, licked this people pleasing thing, I am learning to turn my face from those hopscotching shadows and towards the constant Son. When I do this, I find His light reflects from me to others, and I love better.

I’m called to love people whether or not they are all that lovely to me. Really, I’m called to especially love those who aren’t so loving in return. Remembering this helps me focus on what I’m created to do: Focus on people’s hearts, not their opinions. My faith can then rest in the good opinion of my Father, the One who has my heart. Besides, He's much easier to please anyway!

Blessings

my havenly respite

ah yes!

it's finally complete. after waiting almost two whole years, i finally have furniture for the gazebo. last year i actually found something i liked, but took too long in trying to decide if it was the right set, because when i went back with wayne to pick it up it had been discontinued ...ggrrr... talk about frustrating! so this year i learned not to wait too long in trying to decide what it was that i wanted. and when i found this lovely set, i bought it. no waiting this time.  i did not want to spend another summer without using the gazebo.

i am looking forward to spending many sunny afternoons, sitting here, sipping lemonade, journalling and enjoying the much needed respite this will give me.  you're most welcome to join me!

Blessings

!!! 25 !!!

It's her birthday! and a special one at that. She's 25 on the 25th!

And even though we decided no more gifts I knew that I couldn't let this significant occasion pass by without something appropriate.  So, I gave her the Willow Tree angel "Mother and Daughter" as a reminder of our special bond.

Krystle; There are so many things to say and yet as I pause to think of you, I fill up with tears at the love that overflows from my heart. Our first child and only girl - you have so many gifts: your desire to serve God with all your heart, soul & mind; the talent you exhibit at playing the piano; your creative genius; the ambition you have for higher education; your genuine love and care for others, your willingness to lend a hand when needed. And the fact that you love me unconditionally even though I've made my share of mistakes are just a few of the reasons I love you. I know I've said this many times and it's probably grown tiresome, but I am SO proud of you and am honoured to have you not only as my daughter, but also my friend. Love Mom

Blessings

A common.... what?

Alice in Wonderland is the 1951 animated feature produced by Walt Disney. This 13th Walt Disney Animated Classics series is based primarily on Lewis Carroll’s Alice’s Adventure in Wonderland.

Do you recall the scene when Alice walks through the garden of flowers and this conversation takes place:
Alice: I beg your pardon, but uhh... did you... oh, that's nonsense. Flowers can't talk.
Rose: But of course we can talk, my dear.
Marguerite: What kind of garden do you come from?
Alice: Well I don't come from any garden...
Marguerite: Oh, do you suppose she's a wild flower?
Alice: Oh no, I'm not a wild flower...
Rose: Just what specie, or shall we say, genus, are you, my dear?
Alice: Well, I suppose you call me a genus, humanus, eh... Alice!
Marguerite: Ever seen an Alice with a blossom like that?
Snap-dragon: Come to think of it, did you ever see an Alice?
Marguerite: Yes, and did you notice her petals? What a peculiar color!
Snap-dragon: And no fragrance!
Marguerite: Hahaha! Just look at those stems!
Snap-dragon: Rather scrawny, I'd say.
Rose bud: I think she's pretty!
Rose: Quiet, bud!
Alice: But I'm not a flower!
Snap-dragon: Aha! Just as I suspected! She's nothing but a common mobile vulgaris!
Flowers: Oh no!
Alice: A common what?
Snap-dragon: To put it bluntly: a weed!
Alice: I'm not a weed!
Tulip: Well, you wouldn't expect her to admit it.
Lilac: Can you imagine!
Marguerite: Well, goodness!
Lily: Don't let her stay here and go to seed!
Other flower: Go on now!
Rose: Please, girls...
Violets: We don't want weeds in our bed!

According to dictionary.com the definition of a Weed is 1. a valueless plant growing wild, especially one that grows on cultivated ground to the exclusion or injury of the desired crop. 2. any undesirable or troublesome plant, especially one that grows profusely where it is not wanted: The vacant lot was covered with weeds.

Since I’ve been working over at the greenhouse, I been handling a lot of plants. Like geraniums, impatiens, euphorbia, potato vines, petunias, torenias, salvia, verbena, lobularia, ostesperums, licorice, gazanias, calabrachoa, bacopa, marigolds, snapdragons, but oohh {shudder} not those sweet nasty little violets or pansies, you see I am afraid of them. It’s ok, go ahead, laugh, everyone else does. But if you’ve ever seen the garden of flowers movie scene from Alice in Wonderland, you’ll understand why.

But here’s the thing. What I want to know is how does one determine whether or not a certain flower is or isn’t a weed? You see here is my dilemma. I picked these flowers. {sorry the picture is blurry}

They tend to grow somewhat wild along the side of the road where I take my daily walk and they only last for a short time. Now according to the definition from the dictionary these would be classified as weeds. But here’s where I would have to disagree. With these flowers sitting in the vase I think their definition has changed, from common mobile vulgaris to a beautiful bouquet of phlox.

Do you agree or disagree with me?

Blessings

Gardening 2.0

Gardeners have an itch that can never be scratched. They daydream of blooms & birds, trellises, trails, stone paths and shady respites. They hatch plans year round for hardscapes and perennial beds, the biggest and best veggies, and how to perfect what will never be perfect. They love the smell of compost and they aren't afraid to get some dirt under their fingernails. Their work is never done. And they wouldn't have it any other way.  

Confession: I am not a gardener.

Having said that, however, I will admit that we do in fact have a garden. 

After last year's disaster, we decided to try again.  Through no fault of our own our garden just didn't do to well last year.  With the below average temperatures creating the shortened season and with it being the first year as a garden (since it was grass the year before) our garden did not produce the anticipated veggies we were aiming for.

While I do enjoy the benefits from the garden I do not enjoy weeding, watering, getting dirt under my nails, or really anything else related to the garden.  Quite frankly, if the produce didn't taste 100% better, and that Wayne does most of the work, I probably wouldn't have a garden.  Despite the fact that some might find it therapeutic to work in the garden, I'd rather spend my time on something else - like reading, blogging, or just soaking up the sun.

Blessings

mean girls

Remember the movie “mean girls” with Lindsay Lohan?

Here’s what imdb.com says, “Raised in African bush country by her zoologist parents, Cady Heron (Lindsay Lohan) thinks she knows about survival of the fittest. But the law of the jungle takes on a whole new meaning when the home-schooled 16-year-old enters public high school for the first time and encounters psychological warfare and unwritten social rules that teenage girls face today. Cady has just returned to the United States with her parents after growing up in Africa. As a teenager, who has been home schooled her whole life. Her first day in class as the new girl will be her first encounter with the public school system. As the new girl, where will she fit in? Cady first makes friends with two geeks. Then she makes friends with the most popular and beautiful girls in the school, known as `The Plastics'. Cady wants to fit in and now she has friends from two different worlds. To keep them as friends she must do things she has never done before, such as being deceitful, scheming, and finally untrustworthy. She discovers who her real friends are in the end.”

We’ve all dealt with mean girls and right now there's a girl in my life who just won't cut me slack. 

I try hard and she says, "not good enough."

I put on my cutest outfit and she whispers, "nice, but not as good as hers."

I mess up and take a tumble in life and she smirks, "i knew you couldn't do it."

Who is this girl? i know you'd like to email her and tell her to stop being so mean to me, right?

I'd like to do the same for any mean girls in your life.

So here's the secret identity of mine...get your emails ready.

It's me.

Yep, i’m my own worst critic.

Maybe you too?

People say, "give yourself grace." yep, sounds good. I've even tried it. it just doesn't work. i think that's because we're never meant to give ourselves grace. it's not about just saying, "that's okay. it doesn't matter."

It's not about giving ourselves grace. instead it's about receiving grace from God. that sounds more like, "yes, i messed up. but I'm forgiven. And this is about what i did - it's not who i am. i am still a loved, chosen, cherished daughter of the King. I'm going to get back up and stand tall for Him again."

Only grace can change the voice within us that pushes us toward burnout. only grace can reach out and embrace us so that we come back to where we belong again. only grace tells us the truth about who we are.

Whew.

It's time to quiet ourselves and instead listen to truth again.

shhh...what do you hear?

Blessings

it's off to work i go

for the past several years and only for the month of may, i have been employed at huron ridge acres to help with retail during their craziest month of the year.

as i was walking over i started humming the 'hi ho, hi ho, it's off to work i go' song from snow white and the seven dwarfs. as i really started thinking about those dwarfs my mind as it usually does while i walk starts to think a little more deeply and here's what i came up with.

each of the dwarfs have their own personalities, passions, faults, etc. these characters played a huge role in the story and regardless of how you feel about them, they become just as important as snow white.

in fact we are no different than those goofy fellas. we all have our own personalities, passions, and faults that often makes us look a bit...  well… dwarf-y.

So I thought it would be appropriate to write a post about the 7 dwarfs of personality.

Bashful: this is the humble person. he is reluctant to draw attention to himself. he’s shy, always looking down on himself and lives on the “woe is me” mentality.
Doc: this is the “smart” person. he thinks he has the answers to all of the world’s problems. he tends wears some stylish glasses and always walks with his chin up while looking down at everyone else. nobody knows more than him.
Dopey: the youngest, sweetest, and silliest of the seven. he’s the one the others laugh about. he’s always joking around and he annoys doc. this is the immature person, who will have a laugh at any ones expense.
Grumpy: this is likely the grouchiest person you’ve ever seen. even though he’s portrayed as an older person, sometimes younger ones can have the same qualities. he is the one that is always talking about his “scars” and the difficulties of his life and tends to have very little friends.
Happy: this is that happy person. he is always smiling and always jolly. he is the perfect fit for anywhere. he's the one everyone wants to be friends with.
Sleepy: this is the “lazy” person. he’s always tired and weak and falls asleep during conversations. he tends toward laziness and would rather be resting somewhere and let everyone else do the work.
Sneezy: sneezy is always interrupting everything. he sneezes at the most inappropriate moments. This is the person that feels powerless, is afraid nobody cares about him and is unable to express anger and/or disappointment. he likes to manipulate people by his weakness so he can be noticed or taken care of.

keep in mind that though each of the dwarfs have some issues, they all play a very important role in the lives of those we all come into contact with (as did the 7 dwarfs in snow white). what is particularly important is that they all worked together.  i think we can say the same with life today. we all have different characteristics, passions, faults, but we can work together.
“But God hath chosen the foolish things of the world to confound the wise; and God hath chosen the weak things of the world to confound the things which are mighty” 1 Cor. 1:27 so the real question is which dwarf are you?

Blessings

His birthday

We celebrated Darcy's 22nd birthday today.  How can that be, you ask?  I know it doesn't seem quite possible.  But the facts are what they are. 

With Darcy living out on his own it seemes a bit weird not to make his birthday dinner and celebrate with the family. But as Bob Dylan says "the times they are a changin'". and change they do.

So it was just Wayne & I that went with Darcy to The Docks, for the best wings in town.  As we're celebrating with him I get overwhelmed with emotions the more we talk.  About his life, his choices, what he's doing, where he's going and everything in between. 

Darcy has always been quite independent and a free-thinker. Not wanting to conform to the ways of society he takes his own path as he journeys through life. What a blessing he has been and will continue to be as he continues to gain his own independence. He has given us so many joys.....

It's such a joy to have a close relationship with him, in fact, we have a close relationship with all our kids, and I am so very grateful. So while we didn't celebrate in the tradional way, we still were able to bless him with a gift and of course some of my famous homemade chocolate chip cookies.

Blessings  

just because

who doesn't love getting a present? whether it's for christmas, birthday or just because. it's probably the 'just because' ones that tend to mean the most. most people and i am no exception. tend to expect presents for christmas, birthday, valentines, thanksgiving, canada day, easter, and the hey don't forget st. patty's day {smirk}. do you think I like getting presents?  it's those 'just because' unexpected ones that can really move me to to tears. 

today, my mom gave me this 'just because' gift.  anyone who really knows me, knows what this scripture means to me. for those of you who don't, well the simple version is; i struggle sometimes alot with my self-worth and what exactly i am doing in this life.  this scripture helps bring everything back into focus and gives me the reminder i need and the boost to keep going.

thanks mom,  on a day when i really needed it, you blessed me!

Blessings

Good Intentions

Normally I love 'doing' the books. I get excited balancing to the exact penny, even though the accountant says I don't need to.  

So it is with good intentions that I sit at the computer trying to get the books started.  Yes, started.  I realize that we are already almost halfway into the 2012 year, and yes I know that I have yet again fallen behind.  Why then, when I should be doing bookwork I am totally distracted by blogging, facebook, googling and anything else I can do to prevent me from starting.

I used to think of myself as a fairly organized person but these days for every step forward I've taken, it seems I end up taking two back. I'm not going to get very far ahead that way, am I? With the endless cycle of lawn to mow, flowerbeds to maintain, garden to weed, oh yeah and add in house to clean, laundry to wash, meals to be cooked, errands to run, how does one ever stay ahead? And I don't even have a full-time job.  >.<

So, how does one manage it all?

Those of us with perfectionist tendencies struggle with 'perfection is the enemy of happiness'. Slowly I am learning that 'we're not perfect and you know what? we don't have to be'.

For those of you who do not struggle with perfectionism, you probably cannot empathize with me, but for those of you who check off one of these:
1. I'm constantly aware of what I eat.
2. I think less of myself when my home is cluttered.
3. My fear of doing a project poorly sometimes prevents me from getting started.
4. I find it difficult to forgive people who have wronged me.
5. I feel guilty taking time away from my children to do something special for me.
6. I find it hard to make big decisions.
probably understand how I feel.

I have a Type A personality, which Wikipedia describes as "Type A individuals can be described as impatient, excessively time-conscious, insecure about their status, highly competitive, over-ambitious, business-like, hostile, aggressive, incapable of relaxation in taking the smallest issues too seriously; and are somewhat disliked for the way that they're always rushing and demanding other people to serve to their standards of satisfaction.[1] They are often high and over-achieving workaholics who multi-task, drive themselves with deadlines, and are unhappy about the smallest of delays. Because of these characteristics, Type A individuals are often described as "stress junkies."

YIKES, that was a little harsh, and unfortunately true!

well, that's enough procrastinating, I better get to the books ... . .. mhmm maybe I should go and get the mail. {smirk}

Blessings

A day for mom

Today is a day in which we are honoured as moms and to honour our own moms. 

For some reason I cannot get this video to upload, http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LW7tXZSd9Pc&feature=related so here is the link.  This is a youtube video to what a mother would say in a 24hr period.  I am sure most of us if not all of us have said most of this from time to time.  Enjoy!

As a little girl I remember being asked what I wanted to be when I grow up, I'm sure many people were surprised that I would answer 'a mom'. There is so much pressure on women these days, to have to choose between a career, or be a stay-at-home mom. I remember when I decided to stay at home, there wasn't much support. I always felt that I had to defend my decision. Therefore I've become an advocate for the stay-at-home moms that I am in contact with, to support them with their decision. Society doesn't seem to acknowledge Motherhood as a profession. sad, isn't it.

I love being a mom to Krystle, Kyle & Darcy, for the opportunities that each one has given me. They've taught me so many things, to love unconditionally, to stretch my faith, to test my patience, they've given me more joy than I could ever imagine, and to laugh, oh how we laugh! They've given me some of my best memories. I am more than blessed to have these three wonderful kids call me mom, there's nothing more precious than that.

Blessings

The Value of a Nap

Wayne is a habitual nap-taker. He takes one almost every day and has for years. To be honest it used to drive me crazy, that is until I did some research.

Then I discovered many other successful people who also were nappers:
Leonardo da Vinci took multiple naps a day and slept less at night.
The French Emperor Napoleon was not shy about taking naps. He indulged daily.
Though Thomas Edison was embarrassed about his napping habit, he also practiced his ritual daily.
Eleanor Roosevelt, the wife of President Franklin D. Roosevelt, used to boost her by napping before speaking engagements.
Gene Autry, "the Singing Cowboy," routinely took naps in his dressing room betwen perfermances.
President John F. Kennedy ate his lunch in bed and then settled in for a nap—every day!
Oil industrialist and philanthropist John D. Rockefeller napped every afternoon in his office.
Winston Churchill’s afternoon nap was a non-negotionable.  He believed it helped him get twice as much done each day.
President Lyndon B. Johnson took a nap every afternoon at 3:30 p.m. in order to break his day up into “two shifts.”
Though criticized for it, President Ronald Reagan famously took naps as well.

Could these successful leaders know something I don’t?

Then there are the benefits.

A nap can restore alertnes.
It’s recommended that a short nap of 20–30 minutes “for improved alertness and performance without leaving you feeling groggy or interfering with nighttime sleep.”
A nap prevents burnout. In our always-on culture, we go, go, go. However, we were not meant to race without rest. Doing so leads to stress, frustration, and burnout. Taking a nap is like a system reboot. It relieves stress and gives you a fresh start.
A nap heightens sensory perception. Napping can restore the sensitivity of sight, hearing, and taste. Napping also improves your creativity by relaxing your mind and allowing new associations to form in it.
A nap reduces the risk of heart disease. Did you know those who take a midday siesta at least three times a week are 37 percent less likely to die of heart disease? Working men are 64 percent less likely! Taking a nap could turn out to be an important weapon in the fight against coronary mortality.
A nap makes you more productive. Numerous medical studies have shown workers becoming increasingly unproductive as the day wears on. But a study recetly demonstrated a 30-minute nap boosted the performance of workers, returning their productivity to beginning-of-the-day levels.

After all that I decided to shift my own thinking about naps. People who take them are not lazy. Even though it still might bug me, I’ve learned through all this that those who take naps regularly might just be the smartest, most productive people I know.

Blessings

Front porch sitting

As I sat on the front porch and enjoyed the scenic view with a glass of zinfadel, I paused. You know what? Life is good these days. It’s sweet and beautiful, and even bountiful. It’s really amazing how things can go from being dark and grey to cheerful and bright in the matter of a single moment. It’s wonderful!

Why is my life going so good right now? To be honest, I am not sure.  But I think it comes down to a decision to not let the little things (which there are alot of) get to me.  However, through these good times, I’ve not forgotten to give thanks to the One who makes my life what it is. I’ve been blessed, and in those blessings, I must remember to offer thanks; not only to God for His many ways of blessing me, but also to those around me who add good things to my life. As the Good Book says, “In all things, give thanks…”.

But how do we do that? How do we properly remain thankful beyond simply saying a “thank you” here and there? I’m glad you asked!

I’ve come up with three simple ways to show your thanks for a well-endowed life. They may seem rather “DUH!” to some, but then again, we can all use a reminder from time to time, yeah? I thought so.

Smile
Wait…what? THAT’S RIGHT! YOU HEARD ME!
If you’re happy and you know, let your face show it (have you got that Sunday school song stuck in your head now…)! What better way to signify the satisfaction your life has brought forth than to simply smile? Absolutely none.

Live in the Present
If things are going awesome right now, accept those good things and cherish them AS THEY ARE HAPPENING. Don’t waste time hoping things will be good in the future or wondering why they weren’t as good in the past. Life is about living and you can’t do that while wondering what could have been or what might be. Be thankful for your present day and make the most of it, no matter what.

Spread the Goodness
Life treating you good? Then don’t keep it to yourself! Share the good things you’re experiencing by spreading them around to the people in your life! Keeping it to ourselves is selfish.  You never know whose life you can influence with your liestory. Give to those who aren’t having as good of a time with life as you are, and I guarantee you’ll be even more abundantly blessed with the good and wonderful things life has to offer.

Take these three simple tips and remember

Try applying these to your everyday walk through life and just see if you find yourself even happier and more fulfilled.

Blessings

Grumbling

Oh, you can be sure I notice things, alright. I notice the smelly barn clothes laying on the backroom floor. And dirty dishes by the sink, and that the lawn needs to be mowed.  AGAIN. And the list goes on.  I cannot tell a lie: those dishes in the sink annoy me. As do the clothes on the floor. As does the lawn. I sigh too loud and grumble too long.

When it comes to walking with God, there is no such thing as instant maturity. God doesn’t mass produce His saints. He hand tools each one, and it always takes longer than we expected.
Charles Swindoll I hate complaining about stuff that really doesn’t amount to a hill of beans. But, I still do it. Could dirty clothes on the floors and cups by the sink be God’s hammer and chisel used to slowly, deliberately scrape away my heart’s hard parts? Opportunities to practice grace? To live it out? It makes sense because He cares infinitely more about a clean heart than a clean house. And when I get to heaven’s gates, it’s the state of my heart that will be under examination, not the state of my house.

When I pick up the laundry and put away the dishes, I can let grace work like a broom and sweep the offence out the back door of my mind. Oh, you can be sure it doesn’t feel good at first. Chiselling hurts and it takes time. But I hear Jesus ask, “Will you let this harden you or help you?” and I am encouraged to trade what feels good in the moment for what moves me towards maturity.

It’s easy to become discouraged, isn’t it? We’re human afterall. Disappointment is an everyday part of life. Some of us have learned to live with it and adapt, while others feel the need to allow their world to be shaken to its core. When the disappointment and discouragement become too much, we sometimes lay down and surrender. It’s simple, and there is little fanfare involved - but we often end up regretting such cowardice. Instead, we must walk on.

Each of us has a purpose, our own path to follow.

You have yours and I have mine. I chose to press on through rough times and hard circumstances until I found a place where I was content in what I do. With that in mind, I’d like to offer you the encouragement you may need to walk on.

You may be down and you may be discouraged, but you were given your gifts, abilities, and desires for a reason, and they are to be used for a specific purpose. Things may not be looking up at this moment, and you may feel as though success and contentment will never be yours, but I ask that you read these words and softly accept them in to your heart.

Poem by Russell Kelfer
You are who you are for a reason.
You're part of an intricate plan.
You're a precious and perfect unique design,
Called God's special woman or man.

You look like you look for a reason.
Our God made no mistake.
He knit you together within the womb,
You're just what he wanted to make.

The parents you had were the ones he chose,
And no matter how you may feel,
They were custom designed with God's plan in mind,
And they bear the Master's seal.

No, that trauma you faced was not easy.
And God wept that it hurt you so;
But it was allowed to shape your heart
So that into his likeness you'd grow.

You are who you are for a reason,
You've been formed by the Master's rod.
You are who you are, beloved,
Because there is a God!

Remember you are doing as you should. And if you’ll stay the course and refuse to yield, you will break through, fulfilling the dreams and destinies you’ve desired. With His help, you can overcome these worrisome times. The valley in which you walk may be steep, but press on through to a better tomorrow.

Simply, walk on.

Blessings

Time for me

There was a time when I was not very good at building margins and space into my life. In fact I used to struggle with such guilt when I would intentionally take time for me.

With my people-pleasing, perfectionistic, and prideful ways it tends to crowd out any real possibility of healthy margins and breathing room in my life.

When I lack the space to just be, even when my time is filled with everything I love, a crash-and-burn is inevitable.

Been there. Done that.

It takes intentionality to build space into my life. But when I do, my heart is better for it. A little bit of space goes a long way.

A healthy life rhythm has space built in.

If you ask people what they want, they’ll mention things like this:

More time
More efficiency
More speed
More simplicity
More convenience
More leisure

And likewise if you asked people how they feel, they’d mention words like these:
Busy
Stressed
Worried
Rushed
Distracted

Building space into our lives means paying more attention to what and who drains us, as well as what and who refuels us.

But it takes discipline.

Stopping reminds us that we aren’t defined by what we do.

We need to intentionally create space in our lives, forcing us to pause, slow down, pull back, and rest. When we do, life is more full. Not just busy, but abundant.

Blessings

Lessons Sasha has taught me

If my dog was the teacher, I'd  learn things like:

When loved ones come home, always run to greet them.

Never pass up the opportunity to go for a joyride.

Allow the experience of fresh air and the wind in your face to be pure ecstasy.

Take naps.

Stretch before rising.Run, romp, and play daily.

Thrive on attention and let people touch you.

Avoid biting when a simple growl will do.

On warm days, stop to lie on your back on the grass.

On hot days, drink lots of water and lie under a shady tree.

When you're happy, dance around and wag your entire body.

Delight in the simple joy of a long walk.

Be loyal.

Never pretend to be something you're not.

If what you want lies buried, dig until you find it.

When someone is having a bad day, be silent, sit close by, and nuzzle them gently.




DOGS

Live simply.

Love generously.

Care deeply.







We could all learn a thing or two.

Blessings

Rest

Are you the type of person that gets scared of silence?

Do you find yourself feeling a bit tense when you're in a conversation with someone and neither you or the other person has said something in a few seconds?

I'm pretty sure most of our society is like that. How do I know? Well, just look at all the ways we're being forced into constant entertainment. Constant noise. Constant activity. It's interesting to think that one of our greatest fears is silence.

We've been unfortunately conditioned to think that silence = awkward. That silence = a waste of time. That silence = boring.

Over the past month or so, I've been realizing that this is definitely not the case. In fact, my fear of silence is beginning to be lifted from me.

Here are a few "revelations" I've had:
(a) It's okay to have a pause in a conversation
(b) It's okay to sit in my house for some time in silence and just think
(c) It's okay to step out of the busyness of life and just relax

For the longest time, my idea of productivity was that it involved lots of running around and the ability to check things off of a list. But what I'm now learning is that sometimes productivity is not always tangible. Sure I can write a blog, clean my house, read a book and those things would be considered productive but so can sitting in silence. I used to think sitting in silence meant that I sat in front of the TV for a few hours. Nope. While I may have believed I was truly experiencing silence, my brain was still being entertained and crowded with worldly noise.

I am in NO way promoting laziness. What I am saying is that if God himself shows us the example of taking time to rest, shouldn't we seek to do the same? I used to think God was disappointed in me if I wasn't super busy and constantly occupied but now I see that there is so much fruit that comes out of times of rest and silence, which makes it productive in it's own way.

When you rest, rest.

So profound right? But seriously, just rest. Get out of this noisy world and put yourself in silence. It may seem awkward at first but I've realized how amazing this has been for my walk with Christ.

Savour the precious moments of silence and you'll see how beneficial it will be to your life.

Fear not, silence is okay.

Blessings

New layout

Confession: I am not as technological as I'd like to be.

Since Blogger has a new layout - I must confess I am not as quick to blog.  I find myself getting overwhelmed with trying to figure out how to create posts, update sidebars, and generally do anything since it's all so different from the way I used to do it.

It's not that I can't figure it out, it's that I am from the old school that if it's not broken don't fix it.

I started blogging five years ago. Since that time, I have written over 600 posts. During that time, I have learned a great deal about blogging: I’ve had times when I felt creative and the posts flowed - and times when I couldn’t string two sentences together.

I’ve had times when I loved writing and didn’t want to stop—and times when I hated writing and couldn’t start.

I’ve had times when I thought about starting a second or third blog - and times when I wanted to quit the one I have.

I think I have just about experienced it all.

But I keep going, one post at a time. Why? Because blogging has benefited me in several different ways:
Blogging has helped clarify my own thinking. This is the single biggest benefit of blogging to me. It’s probably why I started blogging to begin with. Writing helps me untangle my thoughts.

Blogging has provided me a way to connect with my family. My commenting system allows family & friends to respond to my posts and helps to sharpen my own thinking.

Blogging has resulted in a treasure trove of content.  I love re-reading my posts and value the words written.

Blogging has provided a way to contribute to others.  This is the way I share what I have been given. When I hear or read something stimulating I want to pass it along. For me blogging is my thing.  It's just one of those things that makes me, me.

One of the best parts of blogging is that you can learn as you go. Not every post has to be perfect. The important thing is to start. And, if you have started, keep going even when you're frustrated with the layout.

Blessings