Tuesday, July 31, 2012

who is she

Her wish is to have time for beauty every day in every way.

Her dream is to have abundant joy and share it with her family.

Her desire is to have more understanding of mankind.

Her need is to have greater faith in God’s word.

Her hope is to have amazing grace in all life.


Tuesday, July 24, 2012

seeking

Balance of life.



Abundance of good, hope, faith, love, kindness, joy peace, gentleness, patience, and longsuffering.


Scarcity of bad, doubt, fear, hate, anger, hopelessness, turmoil, impatience, giving up.


Seeking an attitude of survival of the faithful.


Praying for a demeanor of peaceful protest.


Working for a life of certain gratitude.


Going the distance with trust and great expectations.


Trusting all things to God.


Giving up control I don’t have anyway, accepting blessings I do have and sharing. Enjoying what time I do have.


Becoming easy going and happy go lucky despite circumstances and knowing good enough is good enough!




Monday, July 23, 2012

sacrifices are costly

Plastic wreaths sit at the side of the road.


Mourners weep in Colorado.

A broken economy causes homelessness and hunger.

Health care is not affordable and people are living longer.

Grown-ups tell lies about each other in order to be in charge.

Slander, lies, and doubt create no confidence in possible recovery of a lost government.

Anger and frustrations eat people alive causing them to react in bad ways.

Fear and lack of faith make people sick, crazy and unheard.

Life is a conundrum of mixed metaphors and no one knows how to fix it.

Can the end of the world be far off?


Sunday, July 22, 2012

Hopeful Cynic

Plastic wreaths sit at the side of the road.


Mourners weep in Colorado.

A broken economy causes homelessness and hunger.

Health care is not affordable and people are living longer.

Grown-ups tell lies about each other in order to be in charge.

Slander, lies, and doubt create no confidence in possible recovery of a lost government.

Anger and frustrations eat people alive causing them to react in bad ways.

Fear and lack of faith make people sick, crazy and unheard.

Life is a conundrum of mixed metaphors and no one knows how to fix it.

Can the end of the world be far off?

But….i then I write this….

Learn to look beyond the problem.

Learn to feel compassion.

Learn to let go of guilt.

Learn to live now.

Learn to allow God control.

Learn to give God the reins.

Learn to lean on God.

Learn to be a grown up.

Learn to trust.

Learn to not let the bad spoil all the good.

Friday, July 20, 2012

good and bad pull at our heart strings

Night falls. Thunder rumbles. Rain threatens.


‘Morrow is dreaded. Repetitive activity anticipated.

Frustration looms. Irritation waits to ambush.

Life is what it is. Life is what we make it.

Hope is lost in too much thinking.

Fear is found in too much fixating.

Anger is inevitable, not only at myself but those I permit to cause it.

These thoughts are never over.

They return as the day quietens and the mind tries to still.

The minute the body lies down the brain goes into overtime with obsessive thoughts.

Sleep doesn’t come and the next day I have no energy.

This is my life over and over.

 

Thursday, July 19, 2012

seeing

Raindrops cling to the ends of the pine’s needles
 like little prayers clinging to my heart strings.


Each one is a pain, a hurt, a problem or a praise even.

On any given day they may or may not be addressed and answered if they can be answered at all.

Today they were answered.
We all survived the day without problems or troubles to solve.

If only it could always be so easy but life does not work that way.
 Life is a series of dilemmas to unscramble.

We must all be masters at decoding these mysteries.
Some days are easier than others.

I am not a master but I do work hard to prevent such issues.
When they do then I look for solutions.




Tuesday, July 17, 2012

sacrifices


Words fail me.

Prayers no longer work for me.

Energy flees me.

Hope avoids me.

Favor leaves me.

Faith runs from me.

Fear settles back into my thoughts.

I must fight.




Wednesday, July 11, 2012

Because....

Live a life of beauty and peace because you are worth it.


Smile even if your heart is breaking because it will lift you.

Cry in private because it will release pain.

Do something you like just for you every day because you are worth it.

Have some fun. Be a child again because it will keep you young.

Find tactile pleasures because it will soften your spirit.

Embrace nature because it will strengthen your soul.

Love someone because it will keep your heart open.

Walk every day because it will keep your body lithe.

Laugh out loud because it will release tension.

Stare at a full moon because it will lighten your mind.

Sit in the sun with your eyes closed because it will brighten your outlook.

Sleep late because it will make you feel rich.

Get up early and watch the sunrise because it will make you feel blessed.

Share your talents because it will make you feel worthy.

Count your blessings because it will make you feel lucky.

Hum when you are worried because it will make you feel calmer.

Imagine a favorite location because it will make you stress less.

Draw with a crayon because it will make you feel uncomplicated.

Watch a butterfly because it will keep you humble.

Send a “just because” note to someone who doesn’t expect it because it will make you feel better.

Pretend to be a favorite character because it will help you escape.

Be the best you can be every day because you are!

time

It’s time to take this broken soul and
turn it into something new and strong.

It’s time to take this hurting heart and
 turn it into something joyful and complete.

It’s time to take this lost spirit and
 turn it into something found and content.

It’s time to take this sick and dying body
 and turn it into something healthy and resilient.

It’s time to take this fragile life
and turn it into something tough and fierce.

It’s time to believe and live my words
 and not just write them.




Monday, July 09, 2012

New Lessons and Projects

Another week and as usual I don’t know if I can get through it. Maybe I can and maybe I can’t. God only knows. It started with finally getting to sleep in the first few minutes of it, yes, I fell asleep just after midnight, due to sleeping too much Saturday night and Sunday morning to try to regain strength for the week. Then I got up after nearly 7 hours but not a straight 7 hours. It was a night of peeing every 30 minutes the first few hours of it. I ate some cereal, started laundry, walked, had devotions on the deck, watered flowers, cleaned up, went to Stanley, cooked lunch, and tried to eat. All the heat and doing and insufficient sleep let to more stomach issues, cramps and activity to put it daintily.



During devotions I received wonderful advice but I don’t think I’ve used it too well.


Proverbs 3:5 “Trust in the Lord with all your heart.” (I must trust him to overcome my past, to live in my present, and to not fear the future.


Yesterday’s Daily word, “My heart’s desires are within reach.” Referring back to Proverbs 3:5, IF I TRUST!


Luke 8:15 “there are the ones who, when they hear the word, hold fast in an honest and good heart, and bear fruit with patient endurance.” (There’s the heart word again and a gentle nudge to be patient, which is one of my greatest weaknesses.)


From Guideposts, “Even the moonflowers (one of my faves) can instill good memories.” And also this, “Live each day with gratitude.”


In random scriptural advice in how to deal with tomorrow, parents and taking Dad to the AVA (Asheville Veterans Administration). Isaiah 35:4 “Be strong. Do not fear, your God will come….He will save you.”


Why do I let life get me down?


Why do I give in to aggravation?


Why do I sweat the small stuff?


I always forget just how much of it is SMALL STUFF!


Am I stupid? Am I weak? Am I just a mistake God made? I know, I would be told by almost anyone, “You are not a mistake. God does not make mistakes.” I do feel like one. I don’t follow what I believe and claim. I don’t accept the goodness God offers so freely. I don’t believe what I know is true every day I live and breathe. So here I sit and write. Here I sit and obsess over the same old lessons my hard head won’t learn. I sit here and ignore all the pluses in my life. I sit and forget all the scriptures I hold so close in my heart and should trust with my soul. Here I sit, a stubborn lump of clay that won’t allow the Master Potter mold it into something strong, useful and maybe even beautiful. The best lessons are the hardest. Maybe I will someday be proof of this.


My life is one of many lessons.


• Over eat get sick or fat.


• Ignore exercise and be stressed.


• Worry and feel bad.


• Lose your temper and lose the battle.


• Forget to forgive and get eaten by it.


There are more and as I remember them, I will share them.


I long to one day find complete contentment and perfect peace. Will I even allow it? The word “allow” keeps coming to mind. Why? What is its meaning to me? Allow, permit, let, consent, tolerate, agree to, accept, acknowledge, grant, concede. These are all in the thesaurus. Am I allowing life to happen to me or living it for God’s purpose for me? I’m not even sure. I feel so jaded by words. I love to find ways to let them minister to me. I enjoy arranging them into little sermons on life. I just don’t know if I really let them sink into my inside. I don’t know if I can. I’ve got this block. Did I put it there or did the enemy put it there? Who knows? Not I. Maybe God. Does He ever force us to learn these hard lessons? No. He gave us freewill. We do not make right choices. We do not follow His instruction. We do not trust his leading and allow it to get us where we want to be or need to be. Maybe this is my hardest lesson yet. Can I learn it? Am I capable of learning it? I want to learn it. Will I? Only time will tell.


So here I still sit! A proverbial knot on the log.

Here is a new project to submit to SS.





Sunday, July 08, 2012

newly published again

I have art journal pages in the current Somerset Studios Art Journaling Mag. Check it out...


Friday, July 06, 2012

keeping up with God



Keeping my eyes focused

I can see the good -

heavens reward.

Keeping my eyes forward

I can see the guide –

my heavenly Father.



Keeping my hear pure

I can obtain the prize –

eternal life.

Keeping my heart open

I can feel the love

of God.



Keeping my feet planted

I can stay firm

in my faith.

Keeping my feet moving

I can follow the path

of Christian living.


Tuesday, July 03, 2012

ordinary days

Today is just an ordinary day.

The kind I’ve come to know too well.

No one does what is wanted.

Nothing goes as planned.

Calm is not part of it.

It can’t be forced.

It can only be tolerated.

There’s the hope of tomorrow being better.




Sunday, July 01, 2012

tough work

I get out of bed praying. I continually give God my hopes, dreams, and wished and requests all day. I try to thank him often and ask his forgiveness. I go to sleep praying . I pray when I wake up during the night.

It never feels like enough for a control freak like me.

The ultimate source of all guides all of us if we allow Him. If God can love Peter who denied Him and David who did unspeakable things, He can love me if I allow Him.

He will speak to us if we allow him.

He will save us if we allow him.

He will protect us if we allow him.

He will hold us if we allow him.

He will give us answers and solutions if we allow him.

He will heal us if we allow him.

He will strengthen us if we allow him.

He will remove worry if we allow him.

He will provide all we need if we allow him.

He will take care of EVERYTHING if we allow him.



So why don’t I?

I forget.

I need to feel like I’m physically doing something.

I want things perfect. (They never will be.)

I don’t use my faith to my advantage.

I won’t listen and believe strongly enough.

I’m hard headed and stubborn.

I’m weak.

I’m a control freak,

But,

I AM CHRISTIAN, ADULT AND IT’S TIME I ACTED LIKE IT!!!