Carousel of Time – Circle

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Circle – Circle Game – Carousel of Time

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Seemed appropriate to begin my blogging photo challenges with this as we enter a new year.

Joni Mitchell’s song Circle Game has always been a favorite.  I have always loved carousels and now as I am in the over 50 club see just how fast the years go by.

Enjoy every day.

And the seasons they go round and round
And the painted ponies go up and down
We’re captive on the carousel of time
We can’t return we can only look
Behind from where we came
And go round and round and round
In the circle game *

Opportunity

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IMG_1617It is a new year.  We are all planning, making resolutions, forging ahead in our lives with a new found feeling of hope. Why? Why wait until the calendar turns?  Why don’t we embrace this feeling daily? Why is it so hard to allow ourselves that grace?  I am all for it to be honest.  I know I fall short every single day.  At bedtime as I think about my day and say my prayers I am always a little disappointed.  I am really quite good at finding fault in myself.  The litany of “I could have handled that better”, “I should have (fill in the blank)”, “If only I had…”.  Those go through my mind and I conclude with asking God to forgive me and give me the wisdom and grace to be better tomorrow.

So here’s to each day being new.  A fresh start.  No more waiting for the weekend or next week or next month or even next year.  Join me in the now!  Opportunity is knocking.  Why make it wait?

I have this small stick with the word opportunity stamped on it.  I picked it up and got a small sliver in my finger.  Looking at it I thought, “Wow!  That is really all I need.  Just to see a sliver of opportunity.”  We have all heard the line, “Learn to listen.  Opportunity could be knocking at your door very softly.” But we need to see too!  We need open our eyes to all that is possible.  Something small and seemingly insignificant might just be our big thing!  So my prayer is to have not just ears to hear, but to have eyes to see.

If you look up the definition of opportunity it states that opportunity is a time or place favorable for executing a purpose; a suitable combination of conditions; chance; fitness; convenience of situation.  That is today!  That is right now!  Rejoice for opportunity is all around you and me.

I have been blessed with wonderful opportunities in my lifetime.  The people I have met who have been instrumental in shaping me; teachers, friends, mentors, and pastors.  I went to excellent schools, I have family and work and leisure time, and I can make decisions for myself.  These are all indeed favorable.  What about the opportunity in the not so favorable?  Here is the good news!  There is opportunity in our losses.  There is a chance to learn a new set of skills and to grow in forgiveness, compassion for myself and others, humility, austerity, generosity and so much more.

Please listen to that voice inside that is telling you to take a chance.  Open your eyes and see those opportunities that are being placed before you on your path.  And remember this is a journey and not a destination.  We will never fully arrive.  So use all your senses and grab those opportunities while you can.  This is your life after all.

 

New Year Serenity

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As I close out another year, I find myself taking time to go back over my diary, my thoughts, my posts, my work and my life in general.  I am surprised (not sure why) at how quickly another year has gone by.  They go faster and faster!  Gone are the days as a child when there seemed to be an endless wait for birthdays, holidays, summer vacation, or even the end to a boring day!  No more.

My step daughter gave me a book called Positive Matters last Christmas and for the year I have lived with a word a week.  Well, most weeks.  I did lose track during the summer.  It was fun to do this.  Choose a word.  Live with it, write about it, meditate on it.  Today I chose one just to close out 2015 and begin the new year.  The word I randomly selected is “SERENE”

The definition is bright, clear, unobscured, calm, placid, undisturbed.

So am I a serene person?  I think the outside world would say yes.  My husband, a few very close friends and my honest self would say NO.  I would like to be a serene person but I am not.  Behind the facade of a confident, educated, extrovert lies a “glass half-empty” personality that appears confident and secure.  To be even more honest, I envy serene people.  My mom and her mother before her being two.  They have a mysterious inner power that seems to radiate out of them and have a calming effect on anyone else in the room with them.  The attract people like magnets too.

So I am going to make a promise to myself as I walk into 2016.  I am going to plant a serenity seed in my spiritual garden.  I will water it.  Nurture it.  I will see if I can cultivate some within myself.

Can you really teach an old dog new tricks?  Yes I believe you can.

 

Happy New Year!

The Meaning of Christmas

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Isaiah 9:6-10

New King James Version (NKJV)

6 For unto us a Child is born,
Unto us a Son is given;
And the government will be upon His shoulder.
And His name will be called
Wonderful, Counselor, Mighty God,
Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.
7 Of the increase of His government and peace
There will be no end,
Upon the throne of David and over His kingdom,
To order it and establish it with judgment and justice
From that time forward, even forever.
The zeal of the Lord of hosts will perform this.

 

 

It’s that time of year again. December has come and with it all the joys of Christmas. But what is the real meaning of Christmas? Is it the gifts under the tree, the lights in the windows, the cards in the mail, turkey dinners with family and friends, snow in the yard, stockings hanging in the living room, and shouts of “Merry Christmas” to those who pass us in the streets? Is this really Christmas?

For many people, Christmas is a time of sorrow. They don’t have the extra money to buy presents for their children, family, and friends. Many are saddened at Christmastime when they think of their loved ones who will not be able to come home for various reasons. Turkey dinners may be only a wish and not a reality for some.

Yet, Christmas can be a season of great joy. It is a time of God showing His great love for us. It can be a time of healing and renewed strength. You see, Christmas is when we celebrate the birth of the Christ child. God sent His Son, Jesus, into the world to be born. His birth brought great joy to the world. Shepherds, wise men, and angels all shared in the excitement of knowing about this great event. They knew this was no ordinary baby. The prophets had told of His coming hundreds of years before. The star stopped over Bethlehem just to mark the way for those who were looking for this special child.

Why did He come? Why did God send His son to this sometimes cruel and hard world? He sent Jesus to us so that one day, He would grow up to become a very important part of history. His story (history) is one of truth, love, and hope. It brought salvation to all of us. Without Jesus, we would all die in our sins.

Jesus was born so one day the price could be paid for the things we have done that are wrong. The Bible says that all have sinned. We are all born with a sin nature. We do things that do not please God. Through the sins of Adam and Eve, we have all inherited that sin nature. We need to have that removed. The only way is through Jesus. Jesus came so He could die on the cross for ALL of our sins. If we believe that Jesus died for our sins, we can ask Him to come into our hearts and forgive us. Then, we are clean and made whole. We can know that heaven is a place where we can go to when this life is over.

We can truly be happy at Christmas! No matter what may be happening, we can know that we are His children. We then become sons and daughters of God. Heaven will be our home one day.

Look at Christmas in a new way this year. This is the year to invite Jesus into your heart. You will then have a “Merry Christmas.” The joy and peace you will receive will last all year as you look to God for all your needs to be met.

Jesus Is The Reason For The Season! Rejoice!

Fruit of the Spirit – Forbearance ( Patience)

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The Spirit’s fruit of forbearance is much more than patience. It is choosing not to retaliate when wronged. It’s extending terms to benefit another, instead of demanding a justifiable immediate payment. Forbearance is the long suffering the Lord has towards sinners who need Him. He knows that time away from Him eventually loses its luster and appeal.

How can we develop forbearance?
We might be tempted to say when we encounter difficulties, “I don’t feel like tolerating this situation I’m in!” Well, it not about going with our feelings but rather going by faith and going by what the word says about us. The Lord is not unconcerned about our circumstances, but he has a way out if we are willing to follow him. What steps then can we follow to develop forbearance in our lives?

 

1. First we need to learn to die to self, to our own wishes, desires and sometimes even to our own needs. It not considering that oneself is worthless or without value. We are God’s creation and we are created in his image, thus we are already persons of great worth and value no matter what our status is in life. So recognizing the value and love that God has for us we commit our needs, wants and desires to him; letting him focus on those things while we focus on the tasks the Lord has assigned us.

2. Since we are to live by faith (the just shall live by faith Romans, 1:17) then by faith we receive the strength and wisdom to forbear.

 

3. We also need to approach the situation with love of God especially towards those who are may be causing of difficulties. There are more misguided than evil. Our gentile approached has the potential to change their attitude and bring them closer to God.

By demonstrating forbearance we are able to imitate the character of God and can bring about results in our lives and the lives of others that produce peace and reconciliation that will bring glory to Christ.

I read a really great article written by Swami Bodhinatha  for a religious newspaper published in Mauritius, titled “Patience and Forbearance.” In it he gives examples of patience and how one can lead a cultured life by having self control, calmness and not reacting to difficult or challenging situations with anger, but rather acceptance. He also shares with us and gives examples on how to cultivate forbearance through forgiveness and forgetting.  Forbearance is a step beyond patience.  Modern life is fast-pased and stressful and therefore filled with opportunities to become impatient. A patient person faces these situations with calmness, self-control and lack of complaint. An impatient person on the other hand faces them with franticness, loss of self-control and lots of complaints. This is the difference between reacting to life in a cultured or a crude manner.  An excellent key to maintaining patience is having the power of acceptance: accepting people as they are, accepting events as they are happening. That forestalls intolerance and impatience.

What is the benefit of forbearance? It is always good to endure injuries done to you, but to forget them is even better. Forbearance and non-retaliation are certainly the goal in all cases of mistreatment.

In conclusion, exercise patience, restraining intolerance with people and impatience with circumstances. Be agreeable. Let others behave according to their nature, without adjusting to you. Don’t argue, dominate conversations or interrupt others. Don’t be in a hurry. Be patient with children and the elderly. Minimize stress by keeping worries at bay. Remain poised in good times and bad.

May we all have patience and forbearance in abundance this Holiday and every day!

S.A.N.I.T.Y.

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Allison Bottke has written many books.  One that resonates with me these days is “Setting Boundaries with Your Adult Children.”  It outlines six steps to help, to give hope and healing to struggling parents.  It is a powerful book and I encourage you to pick it up if you are in need of suggestions, encouragement, hope and help with your boundaries.

Here are the six easy steps to SANITY:

S – STOP your own negative behavior (especially the flow of money!)

A – ASSEMBLE a support group

N – NIP excuses in the bud

I – IMPLEMENT rules and boundaries

T -TRUST your instincts

Y – YIELD everything to God (“let go, and let God”)

 

So reading this over I am ashamed to say I have fallen out of sanity recently and need a wake up call.  No I will not sit here and beat myself up or whip myself for being human.  This is hard stuff and the lines will blur but focus is a must!  So today I pledge to re-open my book and maybe you will join me.  I will do the work necessary to get things back on track and I will enjoy this holiday season and remember all the reasons we celebrate.

 

Fruit of the Spirit – Peace

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Dwight Eisenhower, former U.S. president and supreme Allied commander in Europe during World War II, was quoted by Richard Nixon in Six Crises as saying, “In preparing for battle, I have always found that plans are useless, but planning is indispensable.” He said this because during the heat of battle, whether political or military, events never seemed to unfold the way the plans anticipated. However, the planning itself stimulated thought so that leaders could make adjustments to meet fast-changing and challenging circumstances as the battles raged. In this way, events did not become completely out of control.

Life is difficult and at times seems unfair. Events almost never turn out exactly as planned, yet a major reason we plan is to avoid the disquieting stress of things beyond our control. It is certainly understandable why we all want tranquility. But the reality of man’s history is that that tranquility is rare, whether between nations, families, individuals and at times even within ourselves. We may be quite intent on planning and striving for security within the framework of our “world,” but people and events beyond our control constantly intrude and sometimes seriously disrupt our desired order.

It is astounding to contemplate how many things that form and shape our “world” are truly completely beyond our control. It begins before we are born. We have no control over who our parents are or when or where we are born. Our parents pass on to us a set of genes that determines what we look like. Will we be male or female, tall or short? Will our skin and hair be that of the majority or that of a persecuted minority? Will we be born physically or mentally handicapped? Will we be born in a free land with many opportunities for education and wealth or will we have to endure a harsh, rock-scrabble existence? All of us are dealt a hand at birth, and God expects us to play that hand to the best of our ability.

Yet circumstances of birth and genetics are merely the beginning of things beyond our control. What kind of parents gave us the gift of life? Were they kind, generous and farsighted in preparing us to live in this world? Were they abusive or did they fill our lives with loving attention, disciplining us when needed to help form our character? Did they guide our education while gently prodding us to do our best? Did they instill strong moral values or did they just allow us to grow up like an unneeded appendage that disturbed their plans for life? A great deal of everybody’s life is totally beyond his control. Even long after birth, we still have no control over major tranquility destroyers. We have no control over whether our nation goes to war or the stock market crashes. What can anyone do about weather that produces a drought or a sudden flood? Can we halt a terrifying, life-changing earthquake that can shatter the lives of thousands of people without even a rumble of warning? Even in the intimacy of personal relationships, our control over the attitudes and behavior of others is minimal. How many of us have actually been successful in getting someone to change or to quit an addiction? If an addict is in denial, despite impassioned appeals, they will rarely honestly face the truth of their addiction until they hit bottom and bounce around a few times.

For Christians, the peace that Jesus offers comes only as the result of God’s calling by His Spirit through which He works in and through us to bring us into loving submission to the way of peace. That is the way of daily talking and walking with God, coming to know intimately His faithful, loving use of His wisdom and power to complete His glorious purpose in our lives. It produces a peace that passes all understanding because then everything is under perfect control (Romans 8:28-30).

“The secret to achieving inner peace lies in understanding our inner core values – those things in our lives that are most important to us-and then seeing that they are reflected in the daily events of our lives.”  — Hyrum W. Smith

“He who lives in harmony with himself lives in harmony with the world.” ~Marcus Aurelius

 

Fruit of the Spirit – Joy

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girl twirlingtHow appropriate!  Today I wanted to write about “JOY” and earlier today I purchased two tickets to a December Yoga-Pop called “Joy.”  I love it when you see the universe lining up.  When you look for trends of confirmation you see them!  Joy is such an awesome word.  This is a joyful season.  At least it is for some.  The holiday season is not always joyful for everyone.  Studies show that depression and suicide rates increase at this time of year.  So even though I am joyful, I pray for those who suffer and struggle to see joy.  Of course I don’t always feel joyful every moment either!  We all have days that we can’t seem to find joy anywhere.  We look under the bed – nope no joy.  Closet – no joy there either!  Maybe it’s in the bottle in the liquor cabinet – it might be there after a few cocktails.  Making a call to a family member or friend, if there is one to call.   Opening an inspirational book – maybe someone else’s words can bring up joy.  Today I choose joy!  Choose it too!  I have a few easy things that can help if you need a kickstart.  And I think I want to make a music play list today with all the songs I can think of with JOY in them.

 

 

10 Ways to Bring Joy to your Day:

  1. Smile
  2. Take a walk.
  3. Find something that makes you laugh – A show, a blog post
  4. Listen to music you like
  5. Dance
  6. Help someone else
  7. Write down three things you are grateful for
  8. Start a book you have wanted to read
  9. Call a supportive friend
  10. Treat yourself to something you like – chocolate or a cupcake

Biblical View of Joy

  1. In the New Testament, “joy” is the Greek word chara. Related to both charis (“grace” or “gift”) and charos (“rejoice; express joy”), joy is the natural response to a gracious gift. In every instance in the Bible, that gift originates with God, whether it be the arrival of the Messia, the resurrection of Christ, God’s power over the sinful world, or God’s salvation. God’s grace is so strong that even the promise of His work can elicit joy. And one of the greatest sources of joy is seeing God’s redeeming work in others. I LOVE THIS!!! Seeing God’s redeeming work in others.  We spread joy by acts of service.  A smile, a helping hand, being a caregiver.The modern world does not encourage joy in God. Instead, we’re taught to value possessions, power, and position. But true joy is not found in those things. John 15:1-11 says that joy comes from abiding in Christ’s love. In Philippians 2:2, joy flows from believers being united in mind, love, spirit, and purpose. John says that complete joy means to be united with the Father, Jesus, and other believers (1 John 1:1-4).That doesn’t mean that all worldly events are without joy. A healed illness, a hard-earned accomplishment, and even a material item can bring joy—if God’s hand in the situation is recognized. The “Kingdom of God” is the manifestation of the sovereignty and glory of God. Sometimes God displays His glory and power by healing or by placing a believer in a position of power (Esther 8:1-2). And sometimes He blesses His children with material possessions (Job 42:10-17). The key is that it is God who blesses, and although we may appreciate the gift, we rejoice that He has chosen to pour out His love, sovereignty, and power on us. We rejoice in the Giver, not just in the gift.

    This is important to remember when circumstances are less than joyful. James 1:2 says, “Count it all joy, my brothers, when you meet trials of various kinds” (see also 1 Peter 1:6). In trials, joy is not found in the immediate situation but in the promise that God’s Kingdom will be revealed through the situation. First Peter 1:7-9 says that current trials bring an assurance of faith, making the future joy even greater when Jesus returns. Similarly, James 1:3-4 says that trials will strengthen our character. We can rejoice in that trials point to a future gift.

    True joy is found only in Jesus (John 15:11). If we look for God’s work and gifts in our lives, we will always have joy. If we get caught up in temporary hardships and worldly desires, our joy will be fleeting and weak. Even in hardship, our joy remains, because it depends on God and His promises: “And the ransomed of the LORD shall return and come to Zion with singing; everlasting joy shall be upon their heads; they shall obtain gladness and joy, and sorrow and sighing shall flee away” (Isaiah 35:10).

SONGS

Snow Patrol – “You Are My Joy”
Sufjan Stevens – “Joy! Joy! Joy!”
Blackstreet – “Joy”
IAMX – “Your Joy Is My Love”
David Crowder Band – “You Are My Joy”
Smashing Pumpkins – “Joy”
Chris Whitley – “To Joy (Revolution Of The Innocents)”
The Wombats – “Let’s Dance To Joy Division”
Bright Eyes – “The Joy In Forgetting/The Joy In Acceptance”
VNV Nation – “Joy”

“Joy and Pain” Rob Base
“Joy to the World” Three Dog Night
“I Get Joy” Robert Randolph and the Family Band

Quotes

“Joy is the simplest form of gratitude.”  Karl Barth

“Find a place inside where there’s joy, and the joy will burn out the pain.”  Joseph Campbell

“We are shaped by our thoughts; we become what we think. When the mind is pure, joy follows like a shadow that never leaves.”  Buddha

Up-side Down World

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peace

The healthy are sick
The sick are healthy
Some days this is how I see the world
Healthy people with sick heads, sick thoughts, sick intentions
Sick people with strong heads, healthy thoughts, healthy desires
This is a messed up, up-side-down world
The haters hate and hurt innocent, loving people
The kind are left wounded and hurt and trying to understand the incomprehensible
When will it stop?
When will the guns, and bombs and swords be put down?
When will we look at each other with compassion and love?
When will we finally right ourselves enough to see that we are all human beings,
That all lives matter, that our differences are beautiful and to be appreciated or at least tolerated?
Let us not let terror reign.
Look up, pray for peace. Reach out to one person and encourage them to do the same.
Let’s make a new world, a right-side up world for our children and generations to come