Tag Archives: Life

Begin at the Beginning

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“In the beginning God….” Genesis 1:1a (NLT)

Begin at the Beginning

The beginning of a trip is always difficult. There are preparations to be made, suitcases to be packed, things that must be left behind, and you actually have to take that first step to be on your way. Our life journey leading to see our true selves is not so different: We spend time preparing, carry A LOT of baggage to bring along (most of mine has been gathered, carefully folded, and packed away by yours truly), there are definitely things we’d like to leave behind, and stepping into who we’re meant to be often proves to be a little daunting. But, if we’re going to get anywhere, step out we must.

“So God created human beings in his own image. In the image of God he created them; male and female he created them. Genesis 1:27 (NLT)

When looking in a mirror, how often do we say to ourselves, “Wow! I am the spitting image of God!” I don’t know about you, but I’m not sure that’s ever been my response as I’ve analyzed the reflection staring back at me. Why is that?

“Then God looked over all he had made, and he saw that it was very good!” Genesis 1:31a (NLT)

Did you catch that? God didn’t look at humankind and say, “I guess they’re ok.” And he didn’t even describe His creation as “good”; no, God looked upon all he’d made, including man and woman and declared them to be VERY good! Again, there are few times that I stand in front of a mirror and describe what I see as “very good” and I have a feeling I’m not alone.

So, when did we (OK, me) begin to look at ourselves and focus only on the unruly, curly hair (or freckles, weight, sagging skin…you get the idea) instead of seeing the image of God? What causes us to point out all the negative things we pick up on rather than leaning in closer to find the reflection of Christ? And why do we feel we must try harder, work longer, achieve more to make up for our perceived shortcomings when “In the beginning God…”

We can spend so much time believing we’re not enough that we forget that God IS. This is where my journey, and yours too must begin! When we travel to learn more about who God created us to be, we’ll be headed toward a destination where old thoughts and ways can be left  behind, extra baggage we’ve been carrying will be unpacked, and we can confidently step into who we’re meant to be. Exploring new places (especially within ourselves) can sometimes be difficult. There may be wrong turns, detours, dead ends, and if you’re like me, we’ll ask, “Are we there yet:” (probably more than once); but from the beginning, God invited us to join Him on the open road and sent Jesus to help get us to our journey’s end:

“But whenever someone turns to the Lord, the veil is taken away. For the Lord is the Spirit, and wherever the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom. So all of us who have had that veil removed can see and reflect the glory of the Lord.  And the Lord-who is the Spirit-makes us more and more like him as we are changed into his glorious image.” 2 Corinthians

Yes, with the Lord we are changing! Step by step, He teaches us to trust His plan, how to lighten our load, and to leave worrying about our old selves (curly hair, wrinkles, and all) behind. From beginning to end, our journey to becoming more like Christ is leading us to a place where we’ll finally learn to look at ourselves in the mirror, see the “glorious image” He sees, and truly believe, “It is very good!”

Joining today with other writers in TWO places! You can learn more at http://www.fiveminutefriday.com and https://anitaojeda.com/welcome-to-the-write-28-days-blogging-challenge/ This week’s Five Minute Friday prompt is “Life” and the prompt for Day 1 of the Write 28 Days Challenge is “Begin”. I know you’ll enjoy reading the offerings on both sites! As always, I hope you know how much I appreciate the support you give me by being here! 

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"There is more than enough room in my Father's home. If this were not so would I have told you that I am going to prepare a place for you? When everything is ready I will come and get you, so that you will always be with me where I am." John 14:2-3 NLT

“There is more than enough room in my Father’s home. If this were not so would I have told you that I am going to prepare a place for you? When everything is ready I will come and get you, so that you will always be with me where I am.” John 14:2-3 NLT

I got up this morning, poured my cup of coffee, and sat down in my chair at the window to watch the activity taking place at the bird feeders.  This is my routine pretty much every morning I’m home, however, this morning was a little more exciting (in the bird world, at least) because the Wrens are back and building a nest in the bird house.  It’s an amazing thing to watch as the tiny bird approaches the small opening in the bird house with a GIANT stick, often three times their size and yet, it still manages to maneuver it through. All the while the other half of the couple is chattering anxiously and excitedly flitting here and there. It’s hard work creating a home one stick at a time!

Home……it’s what’s been on my mind lately.  I recently traveled to help my mom prepare to move into a new home.  It’s a lovely condo with lots of light and storage. But even though it’s a positive move it has still caused her feelings of doubt, anxiety, and heartache.  At the same time, she’s experiencing excitement about redecorating, the joy of having friends close by, and a peace knowing she’s found the right place

In a few weeks my daughter, who I can still picture smiling up at me with a toothless grin and a head full of curls, is about to have a baby of her own.  She and her husband will be navigating their way to recreate their home as a family of three instead of two.  Doubt? Anxiety? You know it!  And as a parent I know that there’ll be some heartache too, but right there mixed in are great excitement and abundant joy!  (I can hardly wait!)

Add into the mix, my son, who is about to be married and join two lives into one home.  Again, its a time of mixed emotions. There are so many questions to be answered, plans to be made, and priorities to set. If ever there’s a time with a myriad of feelings, it’s planning a wedding, but the promise of this new love brings such delight!

My home was built over one hundred years ago and has seen better days. Now common sense would tell you that we have enough going on in our lives right now, but I’m not always sensible, SO….my husband and I have been looking into making a change in our home too.  We’ve given consideration to building a new house, one board at a time….. TOO STRESSFUL! Tearing down our family home and putting in a modular has been an option….. this caused me some heartache, though.  Remodeling where we’ve called home for many years is still being considered.  All three options are exciting and all three have also caused my husband and me a great deal of anxiety!

Home…..some of its definitions are:  shelter, a dwelling place or retreat, any place of residence or refuge, a place in which one’s domestic affections are centered.  These are all so true but for me there’s something more about home which cannot be defined.  It is that gravitational-like pull that draws me back. It is memories of times past and hope for times to come. It is love.

Yes, every emotion on the spectrum is experienced in a home…some good, some not. It is where we teach and learn about life.  It isn’t perfect but it’s where we begin and where we end. And in the midst of it all we have the promise that a Heavenly home awaits us. A place where there will be no more heartache or anxiety, only excitement and joy as we have never known before!  They say “Home is where the heart is”.  I have definitely put my whole heart into creating a home for my family and more importantly into building in us, one prayer at a time, hearts of faith, so that on some sweet day we will all finally be home together, forever.

My BETTER List

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My BETTER List

Songs and music of every kind,

All the seashells I can find,

Chocolate, Coffee, an Easter Peep,

Hallmark movies that make me weep,

Birds and goats and each Grand~Dog,

Standing on a mountaintop above the fog,

The sound of a wave crashing on shore,

My children arriving at my front door,

The flowers and trees around my yard,

Finding someone just the right card,

Comfortable shoes that are stylish too,

Projects that take glitter and glue,

My family, my faith, and my dear friends,

A really good book I hope never ends,

New recipes and eggs straight from the nest,

These are the things that I love best!

My List

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Still Waiting!

My List

Folding socks, mopping floors,

Opening broken garage doors,

Putting away groceries, buzzing flies,

Eating right, and EXERCISE,

Liver, tomatoes, stinky cheese,

Skirts that show my wrinkly knees,

Snakes and bats and curly hair,

Closed in spaces with no air,

Getting up early, packing a lunch,

These are all things I dislike a bunch!

Note to Self

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Note to Self

It is what it is

What will be, will be.

You can’t change it now,

No need to worry.

Turn off your mind.

Close your eyes.

Tomorrow’s a new day,

The sun will rise.

Say your prayers,

Release your fear.

Pull up the sheet.

Now sleep, my dear.

On the Blink

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Crash, rattle, boink, clink….

Something here is on the blink.

Could it be the upstairs sink?

Woosh, doink, swish, flop…..

I’ve got to find it and make it stop!

Then order parts from an online shop.

Bump, beep, skip, grind…..

What ever is broken, I cannot find

Oh wait, that’s right….It’s my mind!

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Abundant Friendship

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“Why did you do all this for me?” he asked. “I don’t deserve it.  I’ve never done anything for you” “You have been my friend,” replied Charlotte.  “That in itself is a tremendous thing”     ~E.B. White, Charlotte’s Web

     I don’t know about you, but I’ve been very blessed in my life with wonderful friends!  Over the years some have come and gone, but they’re still part of who I am today.  Some friends live and work close by and we’re in touch regularly.  I honestly don’t know what I’d do without them.  And then there are those special, priceless few who almost know me better than I know myself.  They are the ones who get me.  They understand my weaknesses and  encourage my strengths. We laugh together. Grieve together. Celebrate together.  We experience life together.  They are my life preservers, my sounding boards, my voices of reason, and I know that they will always be there when I need them.  Whether we’re near or far my “heart friends” and I share an abundant friendship and today I  rejoice in those relationships through this poem:

Abundant Friendship

Friendship.                                                                                                                                        Abundant, strong.                                                                                                                                    Rare, lucky to be found.                                                                                                                           Time and distance don’t dim the heart.                                                                                        Precious.

It’s “Dog~Gone” Time!

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Looking out my kitchen window just now I watched Pixie and Joy, the small dogs that live next door to me, running around outside; tongues out, panting and their little tails wagging as fast as their little legs were moving.  Having their pen expanded this past weekend has given them a lot more room to frolic in.  The funny thing is, Joy was running with great abandon, from one end of the pen to the other enjoying her new found space.  Pixie however, didn’t venture past the old fence line.  She stayed behind the tufts of grass that had grown along her former boundary.   For a moment, she stepped tentatively over the grass and almost immediately hopped back to the area she was familiar with despite seeing Joy having a grand time in their new expanse.

Oh how like Pixie I am!  Here it is, time for me to explore new territory but I’m so afraid to step out of my familiar confines of life even though I know there may be exciting opportunities waiting for me.  What holds me back?  Probably the same things that are holding Pixie back.  She must face the unfamiliar sounds and smells of new dogs who are closer to the enlarged yard area just as I, while exploring new possibilities, may have to meet and interact with people I don’t know, something that makes me extremely nervous!   Pixie and I both seem to find change intimidating.  We’re more at ease with what we are accustomed to.   Stepping over the mound of grass is risky for Pix and stepping outside my comfort zone, putting myself out there, sets me up for a chance to falter or worse yet, fail.  Finally, the first step is always the hardest, whether it’s a leap for a small pup to enter new play ground or this ole gal taking a walk on the wild side of trying something new,  getting started is the biggest hurdle to reaching the other side.

Pixie will come to enjoy her wide open space sooner rather than later.  The question is will I follow suit?  Will I approach the boundaries I have set for myself in the past, pause, wag my tail, and take a leap of faith into new regions of life?  It may take me a few tries, but I hope I’m about ready to discover a place for myself with a little more room to frolic!

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Wonder as You Wander

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"Wisdom Begins in Wonder" Socrates

“Wisdom Begins in Wonder” Socrates

While glancing through my husband’s recent issue of “Reader’s Digest”, I ran across the story entitled “A World of Wonder”. It is described as an “Appreciation in Words and Photographs”. In honor of that cover story the editor listed things that have filled her with wonder and it got me thinking…..What fills ME with wonder? So, after much pondering and in no order of importance here are twenty things that have filled me with wonder lately:

1. My baby girl having a baby
2. The rhythm and song of the sea
3. The colors, sounds, and dynamics of birds at my feeders
4. The glistening, crystal world created by ice on trees
5. Strength given to people in crisis
6. Bulbs that lay dormant underground and then at the perfect moment burst forth into the sunshine
7. The unbreakable bond with my sisters
8. The utter silence after a snow storm
9. Pure and perfect artistry found in nature
10. Holding hands with a child
11. My son’s faith
12. The effect of music on my soul
13. How as teachers we can predict the weather by our students’ behavior
14. The life cycle of a butterfly
15.  That no matter how old I get I still need my mom
16. The smell of a bookstore
17. Reading the same piece of scripture and finding something new and meaningful each time
18. Notes left for me on the kitchen counter
19. The infinitude of stars visible on a clear night
20. Grace

The amazing thing is I could list 20 more and then 20 more. I find the longer I focus my attention on those things that defy logic and common sense. Those things that are beyond my understanding and those things that just leave me speechless, the longer my list becomes. The homey smells of bacon and coffee. Friendships that last a lifetime.  A brand new box of crayons.  Happy tears….. Life is full of wonder if we just take the time to notice. Think about how different our world would be if we shifted our attention to wonderful things instead of noticing our differences, the negatives, and the disappointments around us. Just as Liz Vaccareillo, editor of “Reader’s Digest”, challenged her readers to make their own list, so I challenge you, my readers, to stop, look around, and recognize those things in your life that fill YOU with wonder. I think you may be surprised at how many there are and the difference identifying them makes on your outlook. We live in an amazing world surrounded by miracles every day. Why don’t you begin today to Wonder as you Wander through yours.

56 Year Old Dreamer?

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When You Wish Upon a Star

When you wish upon a star
Makes no difference who you are
Anything your heart desires
Will come to you

If your heart is in your dream
No request is too extreme
When you wish upon a star
As dreamers do

Faith is kind
She brings to those she loves
The sweet fulfillment of
Their secret longing

Like a bolt out of the blue
Fate steps in and sees you through
When you wish upon a star
Your dreams come true

When we are young we all have dreams, goals, and longings. But what about now? I’m almost 56 years old. Are my dreaming days over? For a while I thought so, until I retired, that is, and now I have time to contemplate. Recently, I’ve begun to let a dream or two creep back into my mind and now my heart has joined in. Tiny flickers like stars in the summer sky waiting to ignite.

Unfortunately, accompanying these “flights of fancy” is an insistent voice that whispers things like “you’re too old”, “it will never work”, you’re not good enough” in an attempt to douse the flames of hope and excitement before I even give them a chance to shine.

I’d like to believe ole Jiminy Cricket, that making dreams come true is as easy as wishing on a star. Life has taught me however, that wishing and dreaming are the easy parts. It takes work and dedication to make them come true and sometimes even then they don’t. I’ve found it way too easy to just give up on dreaming and now I find that it’s uncomfortable for me to acknowledge these new desires of my soul. It’s much easier for this procrastinator to do just that. I love the quote; “Procrastination is the killer of dreams.” How true I’ve let that be for me!

Writing this post is my first step in giving myself permission to dream again and not just dream but to do everything I can to make my dreams come true. I will have to battle my worst enemy….myself. I’ll have to DO instead of just think. I’ll have to believe. I’ll have to risk failing. I’ll have to find ways to” fan the flames” until the burning desire in my heart is greater than the fear in my head. And maybe, just maybe tonight I’ll go outside, look up, and “wish on a star as dreamers do”….. just in case Jiminy’s right.

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Dare to believe
Realize it’s time to try
Envision success
Avoid Procrastination
Make it happen
Cindy

I hope to keep you up to date on my journey of following a dream. I would love to know what your dreams are! Feel free to share with me by leaving your comments.