My spirit has been checked this morning.
You see I really am not a big fan of Mondays. For me it means the end to the weekend at home with my husband, doing the things I enjoy, staying up as late as I want to, being with the people I love....you know..all that stuff.
So I carry a dread of the Monday morning. Then this morning I get on my facebook account and I see everyone writing things like "Yahoo it's Monday!" or "I love Mondays, they are a blank slate"...and I thought.............really!?!?!?!?!?
I went on to read a status update that I liked so much I borrowed it and posted it on mine.
"He who neglects the present moment throws away all he has." J. VonSchiller
Lord, help me not to dwell in the past or yearn for the future. Instead help me enjoy every moment of THIS day - the only April 19th 2010 I'll ever have....
As I flitted off to get ready for my day those words sort of mulled around in my mind and I realized how very guilty I am of thinking one thing and living another.
You see I would be the first to tell you to live in the moment, to enjoy what you have, what you are doing, who you are with. And yet here I am dreading one of the days God has so lovingly blessed me with. So, I don't like having to interrupt my flow of projects and writing and hanging out with my husband....I still have a life to be thankful for, a job to be grateful for!!! I must enjoy and appreciate every moment of my life, whether I am doing what I love or what I must.
Oh, I know there is a message in there too. That we should find what we love and find a way to do that for a living. But that is a whole other story and not what I am referring to right now. I am referring to a simple attitude adjustment. Just like I go to the chiropractor to get my spine adjusted, today my attitude needed a little adjusting so that I might be in alignment!!!!
Soooooo, in conclusion let me say..........YEA MONDAYS!!! It's a MONDAY FUN-DAY, no matter what I do, no matter where my work takes me today, no matter how stressed and frazzled I might get in the matter of a Monday. It is a day to be thankful for and to praise God about!!!
How about you? How do YOU feel about Mondays? Tell me all about it, you know I will understand!!
;) wink!!!
Lots of love, blessings and fun moments for you on this monday.
May God richly bless you and may you treasure the life you have been given.
Til the next time!
XO
Sherry
Monday, April 19, 2010
Sunday, April 18, 2010
Hope & Believe
Have you read any of Max Lucado's books?
Let me tell you, he is one awesome author!!! I glean so much from his writing, he absolutely inspires and motivates me!
I have been randomly reading from his book "He Still Moves Stones" today I read the chapter titled "A Crazy Hunch and A High Hope."
Maybe all you have is a crazy hunch and a high hope. You have nothing to give. But you are hurting. And all you have to offer him is your hurt.
Max tells the story of the woman with the issue of blood that has lasted for 12 years. She is unclean and unwanted. She had nothing. But on a hunch she CHOSE to reach out to HIM and touch Him....
Maybe that very hurt has kept you from coming to God. You see others who look so neat, so trim and fit in their faith and when you saw them they blocked your view of HIM. So you stepped back.
Notice that only one person was commended that day for having faith. It wasn't a wealthy giver, It wasn't a loyal follower.
It was a shame-struck, penniless, outcast who clutched onto her hunch that he could and her hope that he would.
This is a good definition for FAITH: A conviction that he can and a hope that he will.
Which sounds similar to the definition of faith given by the Bible.
"Without faith no one can please God. Anyone who comes to God must believe that he is real and that he rewards those who truly want to find him" Hebrews 11:6
Faith is nothing mystical it is a CHOICE to believe that the one who made it all hasn't left it all and that he still sends light into shadows and responds to gestures of faith.
"FAITH IS NOT THE BELIEF THAT GOD WILL DO WHAT YOU WANT. FAITH IS THE BELIEF THAT GOD WILL DO WHAT IS RIGHT"
"Blessed are the dirt-poor, nothing-to-give, trapped-in-a-corner, destitute, diseased," Jesus said, "for theirs is the kingdsom of heaven" (Max's translation)
God's econony is upside down (or rightside up and ours is upside down!). God says that the more hopeless your circumstance, the more likely your salvation. The greater your cares, the more genuine your prayers. The darker the room, the greater the need for light!!!
Healing begins when we do something! When we reach out.
Healing starts when we take a step. God's help is near and always available, but it is only given to those who seek it. Nothing results from apathy.
The great truth is that the healing began with her touch.
And with that small, courageous gesture she experienced Jesus' tender power.
Compared to God's part, our part is miniscule but necessary. We don't have to do much, but we have to do something.
Write a letter.
Ask forgiveness.
Call a counselor.
Confess.
Call Mom.
Visit a doctor.
Be baptized.
Feed a hungry person.
Pray.
Teach.
Go.
Do something that demonstrates faith. For faith with no effort is no faith at all. God will respond,. He has never rejected a genuine gesture of faith. NEVER!
***All of the above is credited to Max Lucado!!!
I pray for you today as you CHOOSE to take the step of faith that you need to in your own life.
I pray that you will KNOW that you are just as valuable as anyone else is.
YOU ARE HIS CHOSEN ONE!
He loves you, He cares deeply about every aspect of your life.
There is nothing that He does not care about, nothing is too small AND nothing is too big!!
Reach out.
Take that first step today.
HOPE & BELIEVE!!!! (these happen to be my "words for the year")
Blessings!
Sherry
Let me tell you, he is one awesome author!!! I glean so much from his writing, he absolutely inspires and motivates me!
I have been randomly reading from his book "He Still Moves Stones" today I read the chapter titled "A Crazy Hunch and A High Hope."
Maybe all you have is a crazy hunch and a high hope. You have nothing to give. But you are hurting. And all you have to offer him is your hurt.
Max tells the story of the woman with the issue of blood that has lasted for 12 years. She is unclean and unwanted. She had nothing. But on a hunch she CHOSE to reach out to HIM and touch Him....
Maybe that very hurt has kept you from coming to God. You see others who look so neat, so trim and fit in their faith and when you saw them they blocked your view of HIM. So you stepped back.
Notice that only one person was commended that day for having faith. It wasn't a wealthy giver, It wasn't a loyal follower.
It was a shame-struck, penniless, outcast who clutched onto her hunch that he could and her hope that he would.
This is a good definition for FAITH: A conviction that he can and a hope that he will.
Which sounds similar to the definition of faith given by the Bible.
"Without faith no one can please God. Anyone who comes to God must believe that he is real and that he rewards those who truly want to find him" Hebrews 11:6
Faith is nothing mystical it is a CHOICE to believe that the one who made it all hasn't left it all and that he still sends light into shadows and responds to gestures of faith.
"FAITH IS NOT THE BELIEF THAT GOD WILL DO WHAT YOU WANT. FAITH IS THE BELIEF THAT GOD WILL DO WHAT IS RIGHT"
"Blessed are the dirt-poor, nothing-to-give, trapped-in-a-corner, destitute, diseased," Jesus said, "for theirs is the kingdsom of heaven" (Max's translation)
God's econony is upside down (or rightside up and ours is upside down!). God says that the more hopeless your circumstance, the more likely your salvation. The greater your cares, the more genuine your prayers. The darker the room, the greater the need for light!!!
Healing begins when we do something! When we reach out.
Healing starts when we take a step. God's help is near and always available, but it is only given to those who seek it. Nothing results from apathy.
The great truth is that the healing began with her touch.
And with that small, courageous gesture she experienced Jesus' tender power.
Compared to God's part, our part is miniscule but necessary. We don't have to do much, but we have to do something.
Write a letter.
Ask forgiveness.
Call a counselor.
Confess.
Call Mom.
Visit a doctor.
Be baptized.
Feed a hungry person.
Pray.
Teach.
Go.
Do something that demonstrates faith. For faith with no effort is no faith at all. God will respond,. He has never rejected a genuine gesture of faith. NEVER!
***All of the above is credited to Max Lucado!!!
I pray for you today as you CHOOSE to take the step of faith that you need to in your own life.
I pray that you will KNOW that you are just as valuable as anyone else is.
YOU ARE HIS CHOSEN ONE!
He loves you, He cares deeply about every aspect of your life.
There is nothing that He does not care about, nothing is too small AND nothing is too big!!
Reach out.
Take that first step today.
HOPE & BELIEVE!!!! (these happen to be my "words for the year")
Blessings!
Sherry
Saturday, April 17, 2010
Eve's Attire
As I was taking off my shoes at the end of the day, wiggling my hurting toes my husband made a comment...
"I just do not understand why women feel the need to wear something just because it looks good even though it makes them terribly uncomfortable."
You know, those shoes that pinch our toes, those jeans that are sooo not comfortable but we are convinced that they look great on us. The undergarments that are meant to slim us....well, you get the picture.
You are not going to believe my response to him. It just came flowing out.....
You know I bet back in the day of Adam and Eve, they were hanging out in the Garden of Eden and Eve thought, you know I really do not like this fig leaf thing that is just like Adams I need to search out some better leaves and create me something a little more stylish. She found a plant with some really cute leaves and created her fancy new little outfit. She was thrilled with the result, and she looked gooood!!! But before long she began itching terribly....ohhhh...it was making her miserable. That nite she noticed she had a terrible rash...ahhhhh....it must be from my new "outfit". (think poison ivy) Oh but you know what...it is sooo dang cute! I just have to wear it!! I look so good in it and I am sure Adam thinks I look good too!!!!
At this point I notice my husband is just staring at me and slowly shaking his head with that look like, I think you have lost it!!!!
Sometimes it is truly that ridiculous, we wear that thing just because we feel like it looks good on us. The older I get and now that I have to deal with the symptoms of fibromyalgia and the muscle pain...I have to choose more wisely. I have to actually think about how it will feel to be in those adorable shoes walking in downtown LA for hours on end. And really............why???????
I now wear a purse over my body (albeit a cute one!) when I am out and about shopping lest my back and shoulders begin hurting so terribly I end up with a headache.
How many times have you made a choice just because it "looks good"? How many times have you sacrificed what really matters for what appears to be the best...on the outside?
It is never the right thing to compromise our faith just to look good to others. We need to learn to take a stand for what we believe.
"Let go of who you think you're supposed to be and embrace who you are."
~Brene Brown
"I just do not understand why women feel the need to wear something just because it looks good even though it makes them terribly uncomfortable."
You know, those shoes that pinch our toes, those jeans that are sooo not comfortable but we are convinced that they look great on us. The undergarments that are meant to slim us....well, you get the picture.
You are not going to believe my response to him. It just came flowing out.....
You know I bet back in the day of Adam and Eve, they were hanging out in the Garden of Eden and Eve thought, you know I really do not like this fig leaf thing that is just like Adams I need to search out some better leaves and create me something a little more stylish. She found a plant with some really cute leaves and created her fancy new little outfit. She was thrilled with the result, and she looked gooood!!! But before long she began itching terribly....ohhhh...it was making her miserable. That nite she noticed she had a terrible rash...ahhhhh....it must be from my new "outfit". (think poison ivy) Oh but you know what...it is sooo dang cute! I just have to wear it!! I look so good in it and I am sure Adam thinks I look good too!!!!
At this point I notice my husband is just staring at me and slowly shaking his head with that look like, I think you have lost it!!!!
Sometimes it is truly that ridiculous, we wear that thing just because we feel like it looks good on us. The older I get and now that I have to deal with the symptoms of fibromyalgia and the muscle pain...I have to choose more wisely. I have to actually think about how it will feel to be in those adorable shoes walking in downtown LA for hours on end. And really............why???????
I now wear a purse over my body (albeit a cute one!) when I am out and about shopping lest my back and shoulders begin hurting so terribly I end up with a headache.
How many times have you made a choice just because it "looks good"? How many times have you sacrificed what really matters for what appears to be the best...on the outside?
It is never the right thing to compromise our faith just to look good to others. We need to learn to take a stand for what we believe.
"Let go of who you think you're supposed to be and embrace who you are."
~Brene Brown
Wednesday, April 14, 2010
Life Is Good
Ahhh, some days you can just FEEL the goodness of GOD!
Nothing has to happen, nothing really changes (those pesky circumstances), but there is an air, a freshness of life that allows you to FEEL the goodness of GOD!
I know better than to live by what I feel (uhhh, not that I have perfected that yet!) but some days it feels good to FEEL GOOD!!!! Know what I mean!?
Maybe it is SPRING IN THE AIR...maybe it is having a day off....whatever it is...I like it and I shall bask in it all day long!!!!!!
"When all you have is GOD, you have ALL you need"
"God is not asking you to have your whole future figured out.
He is asking you to trust that He has your future planned."
Have a great day!!! Step outside and take a big deep breath of fresh air and send up a genuine, heartfelt thanks to GOD for all you have and all you ARE!!!!
XO
Nothing has to happen, nothing really changes (those pesky circumstances), but there is an air, a freshness of life that allows you to FEEL the goodness of GOD!
I know better than to live by what I feel (uhhh, not that I have perfected that yet!) but some days it feels good to FEEL GOOD!!!! Know what I mean!?
Maybe it is SPRING IN THE AIR...maybe it is having a day off....whatever it is...I like it and I shall bask in it all day long!!!!!!
"When all you have is GOD, you have ALL you need"
"God is not asking you to have your whole future figured out.
He is asking you to trust that He has your future planned."
Have a great day!!! Step outside and take a big deep breath of fresh air and send up a genuine, heartfelt thanks to GOD for all you have and all you ARE!!!!
XO
Tuesday, April 6, 2010
What is your PASSION?
I have been commissioned to create a couple of my special journals.
Oh how I love making these!
(I really need to come up with a clever "name" for these...a
nyone have any good ideas???)
Both of them are for 50th birthdays (which is real close to where i am in life) so it is close to my heart and easy for me to come up with the journaling prompts. I get information about the birthday person and incorporate that info into the questions that I pose within the 50 prompts.
Fun Fun!!!
When I get home from work I go into my studio and "play"...I love it! Maybe some day I can work up to making a living doing this kind of thing....that and writing. Ah, that would be my idea of the GOOD LIFE!!!
What is YOUR passion? Are you finding time to incorporate it into your life?
"Don't ask yourself what the world needs; ask yourself what makes you come alive. And then go and do that. Because what the world needs is people who have come alive".
~Harold Whitman
Blessings!
Sherry
Oh how I love making these!
(I really need to come up with a clever "name" for these...a
nyone have any good ideas???)Both of them are for 50th birthdays (which is real close to where i am in life) so it is close to my heart and easy for me to come up with the journaling prompts. I get information about the birthday person and incorporate that info into the questions that I pose within the 50 prompts.
Fun Fun!!!
When I get home from work I go into my studio and "play"...I love it! Maybe some day I can work up to making a living doing this kind of thing....that and writing. Ah, that would be my idea of the GOOD LIFE!!!
What is YOUR passion? Are you finding time to incorporate it into your life?
"Don't ask yourself what the world needs; ask yourself what makes you come alive. And then go and do that. Because what the world needs is people who have come alive".
~Harold Whitman
Blessings!
Sherry
Monday, April 5, 2010
Be in the moment
So far my blog posts have been so boring. No photos or anything...I guess I need to amp it up! :) Maybe....
I hope you had a wonderful weekend, a blessed Easter celebration. No matter what you did, whether you got to be with family and friends or even if you were a million miles away in another country (son!). God is with us wherever we are and whatever we are doing. He wants to bring us joy in EVERY circumstance, every day, every moment.
I pray your week is wonderful in every way.
That you "make it great".
That you look up to the sky and enjoy the beautiful cloud formations, feel the breeze against your face.
That you stop and smell the roses, literally! I will do this even at the grocery store, walking by the floral section I will lean over and take in the fresh, sweet aroma of whatever flowers are on display.
I hope you SMILE! :) When you walk past a stranger, smile at them. When you are at home brushing past your loved ones, smile at them!! It definitely brightens the day in the smallest way!
Look into the eyes of the ones you are with. Really, truly listen to what they are saying. Be interested.
Appreciate the moment you are in. BE in that moment, not worrying about the next one...or the next day for that matter!
I pray your week is full of precious moments!!!
Blessings!
XO
I hope you had a wonderful weekend, a blessed Easter celebration. No matter what you did, whether you got to be with family and friends or even if you were a million miles away in another country (son!). God is with us wherever we are and whatever we are doing. He wants to bring us joy in EVERY circumstance, every day, every moment.
I pray your week is wonderful in every way.
That you "make it great".
That you look up to the sky and enjoy the beautiful cloud formations, feel the breeze against your face.
That you stop and smell the roses, literally! I will do this even at the grocery store, walking by the floral section I will lean over and take in the fresh, sweet aroma of whatever flowers are on display.
I hope you SMILE! :) When you walk past a stranger, smile at them. When you are at home brushing past your loved ones, smile at them!! It definitely brightens the day in the smallest way!
Look into the eyes of the ones you are with. Really, truly listen to what they are saying. Be interested.
Appreciate the moment you are in. BE in that moment, not worrying about the next one...or the next day for that matter!
I pray your week is full of precious moments!!!
Blessings!
XO
Sunday, April 4, 2010
One Little Easter Egg
It is funny how things come to your mind.
I have had a precious memory of Easter a few years back rolling over in my mind for the last couple of days. I would like to share it with you, and hope you can appreciate it and the message I have found in it.
It was Easter Sunday at church. I was honored to be the adult who was taking my precious little 2 year old grandson to his Sunday school class. Once there I realized he had no intention of Mimi leaving...so stay I did! :)
Turns out they were having an Easter egg hunt. How fun!! I was excited for him and talked it up as we walked hand in hand to the big patch of grass they had all roped off for this big hunt. He carried his little basket and watched the other kids, but truly had no idea what he was doing, or what was expected of him.
The teachers lined all the kids up at the opening to this grassy area, most of them were anxious and ready, the older ones knew what was coming and they were ready to take off. My little guy still had hold of my hand.
When the word was given that they could GO...most of the children took off quickly. Not my little guy, he just sauntered onto the grassy knoll. I was pointing and hinting and helping him along. He watched the others, in no hurry at all, taking it all in. He finally decided to join in the hunt and find an egg of his own, he plucked his first little colored egg from a nearby bush and proceeded to SIT down, right then and there.
Of course I had to explain to him how this works...again! He was not phased, he was completely satisfied with that one pretty egg. He was trying to open it up to see what all this fuss was about and here I was telling him to get up and get MORE.
Hmmmm....he just sat there a while.
Of course he eventually did get up and join in the rest of the hunt. He did not gather many eggs since most of them had already been snatched up. No worries he was still just as happy and content as could be with his collection.
When we met up with the rest of the family after the service he was quite proud of his tiny little gathering of colored plastic eggs, showing them off and even offering to share them.
I have been thinking about my grandsons actions that day. The way he joined in on the big search and once he found what he was looking for, he was CONTENT. He was happy to sit and enjoy that which he had just discovered. He was blissful enough to sit down amongst the hubbub that surrounded him and just BE. He was anxious to open it up and see what treasure it beheld and that was enough for him.
He came, He saw, He accepted the gift and now he was ready to enjoy it.
Nothing else really mattered to him at that time...Oh, except that he wanted to share it with each one of us! He was so excited that he wanted us to have some too.
I will always remember that precious scene and I hope to always remember the message it holds. The message of being content and peaceful enough to sit and enjoy, to be happy with whatever is in my hands and to be anxious to share that which I have.
WOW! Lord I pray you help me to do just that. That I will always live a life of contentment, peace and love. Let me be just like that two year old sweet boy of mine sitting peacefully in the grassy knoll enjoying that sweet precious gift.
Are you peaceful and content with what you have? Are you looking beyond what you already have in your hands? Do you run to and fro looking for the next egg or are you good with the one you have. There is pretty much the same thing in each egg. Once you have it in your hands are you good to go, good to sit down and enjoy that which you have and then share it with others?
Well, I am off to see that very same grandson (and his big sister and little brother) I just wonder what lessons these precious ones of mine will show me today? I know I will be watching and waiting to see, as I sit there, perfectly content!
Peace and love to you this Easter sunday!
Sherry
I have had a precious memory of Easter a few years back rolling over in my mind for the last couple of days. I would like to share it with you, and hope you can appreciate it and the message I have found in it.
It was Easter Sunday at church. I was honored to be the adult who was taking my precious little 2 year old grandson to his Sunday school class. Once there I realized he had no intention of Mimi leaving...so stay I did! :)
Turns out they were having an Easter egg hunt. How fun!! I was excited for him and talked it up as we walked hand in hand to the big patch of grass they had all roped off for this big hunt. He carried his little basket and watched the other kids, but truly had no idea what he was doing, or what was expected of him.
The teachers lined all the kids up at the opening to this grassy area, most of them were anxious and ready, the older ones knew what was coming and they were ready to take off. My little guy still had hold of my hand.
When the word was given that they could GO...most of the children took off quickly. Not my little guy, he just sauntered onto the grassy knoll. I was pointing and hinting and helping him along. He watched the others, in no hurry at all, taking it all in. He finally decided to join in the hunt and find an egg of his own, he plucked his first little colored egg from a nearby bush and proceeded to SIT down, right then and there.
Of course I had to explain to him how this works...again! He was not phased, he was completely satisfied with that one pretty egg. He was trying to open it up to see what all this fuss was about and here I was telling him to get up and get MORE.
Hmmmm....he just sat there a while.
Of course he eventually did get up and join in the rest of the hunt. He did not gather many eggs since most of them had already been snatched up. No worries he was still just as happy and content as could be with his collection.
When we met up with the rest of the family after the service he was quite proud of his tiny little gathering of colored plastic eggs, showing them off and even offering to share them.
I have been thinking about my grandsons actions that day. The way he joined in on the big search and once he found what he was looking for, he was CONTENT. He was happy to sit and enjoy that which he had just discovered. He was blissful enough to sit down amongst the hubbub that surrounded him and just BE. He was anxious to open it up and see what treasure it beheld and that was enough for him.
He came, He saw, He accepted the gift and now he was ready to enjoy it.
Nothing else really mattered to him at that time...Oh, except that he wanted to share it with each one of us! He was so excited that he wanted us to have some too.
I will always remember that precious scene and I hope to always remember the message it holds. The message of being content and peaceful enough to sit and enjoy, to be happy with whatever is in my hands and to be anxious to share that which I have.
WOW! Lord I pray you help me to do just that. That I will always live a life of contentment, peace and love. Let me be just like that two year old sweet boy of mine sitting peacefully in the grassy knoll enjoying that sweet precious gift.
Are you peaceful and content with what you have? Are you looking beyond what you already have in your hands? Do you run to and fro looking for the next egg or are you good with the one you have. There is pretty much the same thing in each egg. Once you have it in your hands are you good to go, good to sit down and enjoy that which you have and then share it with others?
Well, I am off to see that very same grandson (and his big sister and little brother) I just wonder what lessons these precious ones of mine will show me today? I know I will be watching and waiting to see, as I sit there, perfectly content!
Peace and love to you this Easter sunday!
Sherry
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