Okie Blog Awards

So the Winners have been announced and although I am not among them, I do want to say thanks to everyone who supported me during this process.

Being nominated was a big deal to me! I found myself in some amazing company, surrounded by blogs of surpassing quality and style. If you haven't had a chance to check out all the nominees, I would highly recommend doing so.

This ugly duckling was very honored to hang with the swans. Thanks for the opportunity!

peace.

pdjsphotos little duckie

Milestones

Baobob Tree - African milestone

I like to mark the milestones in life. It reminds me of the ground I've traveled, gives me perspective. Shows me all the goodness along the way and how it encircles the pain, cushioning the impact on my long term journey. This week I have celebrated my husband's 49th birthday, the 27th anniversary of our first date, my nephew's 17th birthday, and the 28th birthday of a new friend in our lives. Lots of milestones.

We all know stuff happens. We fall down, we get bumped and bruised and beat up. But as I look at the milestones laid in the path of my life, I also see the joy, the celebration and the reward that some of the most painful times in my life have been surrounded by, under-girded with.

I know I'm a Pollyanna and I like it. I like seeing my cup not only half-full, but over-flowing most days. I am so blessed. Not necessarily by the world's standards, although I have more than I ever dreamed possible. But I am blessed to know that today doesn't determine forever, and if it does somehow, God is still in control. He didn't wake up suddenly, slap his forehead and cry out "Great! I missed that one. Better luck next time." He is not surprised by anything. There are no jump scenes for Him.

Aren't you glad? Doesn't that fill your cup just a little bit more?

I hope so.

I'm celebrating Friday today. I'm glad the weekend is near. I hear rest calling my name and I'm really hoping to answer. :-)

peace.

This house of mine

I'm learning patience. I'm not very good at it, but I'm better than I used to be. My house has been a great teacher. There are lots of projects to be done. We knew that when we bought the house. But the projects we planned for are not the projects we've gotten to do.

I'll suffice it to say, the inspector must have been on the seller's payroll. :-)

Isn't life a lot like our house? It seems to be heading one way, with one set of rules, one set of plans and then the plans change. I had one expectation moving into this house, my expectation was the house was sound but needed updating. It was not. So we've spent time and money repairing and replacing, we've had to put updating on the back burner.

Even so, we've lived here 4 years. We've celebrated, mourned, partied, cried, laughed, enjoyed, and so on. The plans we had for the house have not stopped our living in the house.

It's been a lot like life. Life ebbs and flows, it moves and slows, it is sometimes sweet and sometimes difficult. But it doesn't just stop, until it's over.

So I'm enjoying our life and our 1974 house. I smile when I look in our wet-bar, at the smoky glass and brown counters. I think of the cocktail parties it must have seen.

Enjoy today, you are not promised tomorrow. And if all else fails, swing by for a cocktail, I'll be the one in the leisure suit.

peace.

all this talk of love...

I love Valentine's Day. Not for the commercial aspect, I avoid that religiously, but I love that there is a day set apart to celebrate love.

As a christian, I believe my greatest responsibility is to show God's love. I recently read a short story, confirming in my mind, love is our greatest witness and gift.

From Max Lucado's He Still Moves:

A Morsel of Kindness

Suppose someone has enough to live and sees a brother or sister in need, but does not help. Then God's love is not living in that person.
I John 3:17

Leo Tolstoy, the great Russian writer, tells of the time he was walking down the street and passed a beggar. Tolstoy reached into his pocket to give the beggar some money, but his pocket was empty. Tolstoy turned to the man and said, "I'm sorry, my brother, but I have nothing to give."

The beggar brightened and said, "You have given me more than I asked for--you have called me brother."

To the loved, a word of affection is a morsel, but to the love-starved, a word of affection can be a feast.

Happy Valentine's Day! Let no one's path you cross today be love-starved.

Belly up to the bar, I'm spreading the love!!

peace.




(photo from Flickr by *omnia*)

Final Ballot

So the nominations are in and believe it or not, I'm on the ballot! I'm actually really excited about this. My blog has been a place of pouring out my heart, my thoughts, my weirdness, etc. I never really thought other people would be that interested (or entertained, hmmm) anyway, I hope that my words have somehow blessed you.

Here's the link. Go check out all the amazing bloggers in OK. This list is only a representation of the talent in our state and I am humbled to be on the list. A little verklempt even...

My thought for today is this - Life is the art of drawing without an eraser. As I have blogged for all these years, I sometimes look back and see how life has progressed. Although the picture may not always turn out the way I want it to, overall the artwork that is my life is pretty dang beautiful. I'm glad that for the most part, God holds the brush. He's got a good eye for beauty.

peace.

Challenges

We all face them. They come in all shapes and sizes. Sometimes they come when we're ready and prepared, more often than not, they come when we are vulnerable or weak. But they come.

I've recently faced a few. But I'm learning with challenges come opportunities.

I have the opportunity to trust God more, to lean on His peace that passes all understanding. I have the opportunity to pray and listen...or maybe listen and pray. I have the opportunity to allow the faith God has given me to get some exercise and maybe even bless someone else in the process. I have the opportunity to BE a follower of Christ, which means I must be going somewhere. I have the opportunity to stand on the solid rock, hide in the cleft of His love, rest in green pastures, be still and know He is God...and I am not.

Jeremiah 29:11-13 says "For I know the plans I have for you", says the Lord, "plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you a hope and a future. Then you call upon me and come and pray to me, and I will hear you. You will seek me and find me, when you seek me with all your heart."

I have the opportunity to believe that what God says He will do, He will do.

peace.

Winds of Change

I sometimes feel like the woman in Chocolat, she would sense the wind blowing, the change coming and she would move on. If you've seen the movie, her reasons were tied to things mine are not, but change happens anyway.

Recently, I've been feeling the winds of change blowing. I don't know why or in what way, but they are blowing none the less. I think sometimes I sense change long before it happens because God loves me and wants me to know something is coming, wants me to know I need to be praying and listening. I love that about Him, He's gentle with me.

My life has been full of changes. Some wonderful and some very painful. Some I saw coming from a long way off and some smacked me as they blew over me and knocked me down. I think my one solace in all of this is that I know without a shadow of a doubt that God is the same yesterday, today and forever. Hebrews 13:8 says it plainly. He never changes. I can always count on Him.

So I'm enjoying the breeze. I'm praying and listening. I'm waiting on God. And I just might go watch Chocolat.

peace.