All posts by simplady

Mermaid Girl…..

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I thought I gave birth to a baby girl. We were to live as a family, on the land. I thought she was mine. I soon learned this was not true. This child displayed a rebellious and defiant spirit as out of control as the ocean in a huge storm, against anything that had the scent of tradition, authority or rules. Occasionally, I would have fleeting glimpses of the daughter I thought was mine. And then they would be gone! Hers became a dance of seeing how far she could stray from the line. The collateral damage and destruction of those she either hurt or destroyed in her dance of defiance is huge. Every time I look, the circle becomes larger. It includes people both close to her and those just touched by the fringes of her life, and people whom she once charmed and has since grew tired of. Then awhile back we vacationed with her at the beach. Those few short days were a gift. Time spent together was pleasant and devoid of the stress I associated with her. I’ve come to realize there is something about the ocean that seems to calm the rage she has against life and civilization. She is back inland again, and the glimpses I saw of her at the ocean have vanished again. Is the ocean her true home and not this land the rest of us live on? Perhaps she was not a baby girl, but a baby mermaid instead.

These thoughts have been triggered by both a conversation with my local pastor when he asked me to think of a time when she was innocent before all the problems began (which brought to mind a photo of her sitting on the beach when she was about 3 or so with a white suit with red and blue polka dots) and a conversation with my husband pointing out the vacation trip we took with this child was really a gift. We spent almost a full week together and it was no stress, no drama, no difficult times, just a very pleasant time together. I’m glad I was allowed to frame this vacation into the thought of a ‘normal gift’ with this child because my life history with her does not allow me many of those memories. Somehow those two images merged into the Mermaid Girl – I think that may be her!

 

 

Good or Bad – The Choice is Yours; the Capacity has been a Gift….

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I’ve been reading CS Lewis’ book, Mere Christianity. The following passage from the book has stuck with me.

“Why did God make a creature of such rotten stuff that it went wrong? The better stuff a creature is made of – the cleverer and stronger and freer it is – the better it will be if it goes right, but also the worse it will be if it goes wrong.”

I think of some people I know who have lives that are pretty messed up. In fact, they appear to be in a total destruction mode. It bothers me. Then when I read this and spent some time pondering the statement, it made me realize those people have a capacity to be good to the same extent they have chosen badly. It is all about life choices and God’s grace. I was left with the knowledge (or reminder); all I can do for them is to pray for them. It is not mine to change them. Oh, but the day God decides to change them, they will have quite a story to tell! May He give me the grace to patiently remain in prayer!

Nature and Memories

Light Hearted Living..., , ,

Sunday, we drove past a dead tree. Dead, yet the sight was amazing. On the top tree branches were small birds perched, almost like leaves on each branch. Hay fields, blue skies and the mountain were the backdrop for this scene. As we drove by, I wished I could share this vision with my grandmother. I would try to share visions of places I lived or visited in letters that passed between us. This was the sort of thing I would have written to her about. Ahhhh…the memories of all those letters filled with love, passing between my grandmother and I!

Grateful for HIS Protection — Again….

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Strange week, it has been! There was excitement and anticipation in the beginning of the week. I enjoyed a Monday at home catching up on things and working on a writing project. Tuesday morning was breakfast with a special lady friend. I left our meeting upbeat and joyous! Hubby and I were heading out of town, but needed to mail a card first. I jumped out of the car and lightheartedly headed toward the mailbox. It all happened so fast – all I remember is that everything went wrong. Either my sandal slipped off my foot, or I stumbled on the curb. Either way I found myself running to catch my balance, to no avail. I made an immediate and abrupt contact with the cement sidewalk, landing on my hand and my head. After being checked out by the doc and sent home with some pain meds, I spent the next couple of days feeling rather foolish for not being more careful; frustrated for being injured and not able to function as I normally would; and just plain feeling sorry for myself to having to endure the discomfort and inconvenience of this all. Then Thursday morning when I awoke, I realized I had much to be grateful for. God’s angels had again been looking out for me. Tuesday’s accident was unfortunate, but could have been worse in so many different ways. There were people there immediately to check on me and make sure I was ok. One woman even had the foresight to ensure I knew my hubby and we were together before being comfortable leaving me in his care. I was able to get an appointment at the clinic where I go and able to determine, nothing was broken. I may have bumped my head hard enough to have a monster black eye, but I did not scrape any of the skin on my face. In fact, I only have two small scrapes on my hand and one on my foot. My hand is turning the same colors of my face and I’ve become a friend of ice packs this week. This has turned into a week of rest and realization again of how much our heavenly father looks out for us; cares for us and protects us!

Attitude of Gratitude!

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This weekend, my daughter and I talked about the different ways people look at life. We both agreed, those who have an attitude of gratitude are people who are much more pleasant to be around and elude a much more uplifting persona.

For me, I know my life didn’t start out as such. I tended to compare my life to others and felt I had to strive for, whatever…. The list was long!

I cannot point to a time when this changed, but found it to be a gradual transition, which left me in a place where I cannot stop finding things to be grateful for. It is easier to laugh and I don’t take myself so seriously; not taking myself so seriously has allowed me to enjoy life more!

I’ve also found, on those days when I awake and it feels like there is a cloud hanging over me, once I find something to be grateful for the cloud starts to abate. The more gratitude, the less room there is for the cloud.

What are you grateful for today?

Friends….

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Isn’t amazing how there are some people in your life that no matter how long it has been since you last saw them, it only feels like yesterday?

I’ve had the pleasure of spending my weekend with just such friends. The time was short, but sweet.

I encourage anyone reading this to cultivate such friendships. They enrich life.

When I think of the friends I have, I know I’ve been blessed.

Feel Good versus What is Good

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I read the following quote on Jeff Moore’s Everyday Power Blog. The article contained much more information, but this quote is the one that stood out for me.

“Don’t make a habit out of choosing what feels good over what’s actually good for you.”
- Eric Thomas

How many times do we get caught up in our culture or lives making decisions simply based upon what ‘feels good’?

Do we even spend time thinking about ‘what is actually good for us’?

I know this last year as I’ve jumped off the ‘busy’ train and started to be more conscious about how I spend my time I’ve given thought to how growing more and more into the image of Christ should be lived out.

Do you ever think about these things and if so, how do you put it into practice?

Memories and a Lazy Sunny Day….

Light Hearted Living..., ,

It is a beautiful sunny day here in Colorado. I have the patio door open and I’m enjoying the smell of Granny’s Banana Bread baking in the oven. Yum! This smell brings back memories from my childhood and my parenting years. This bread has always been a family favorite. I’ve had to tweak the recipe a bit to accommodate the elevation here, but the outcome is still the same. A treat that is sure to please all it is offered to. The original recipe can be found in “Granny’s Legacy”, by Linda Flynn offered on Amazon on page 2 of the book. You might find a few traditions to introduce to your family there also.

Now, if you’ll excuse me I’ve got to get back to my memories!

Being a ‘mom’

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Being a ‘mom’ is not always easy!

There are many different types of moms and different stages of mothering. Some are easy and fun though may be tiring. Others may cause sleepless nights and worry. Then there is the stage of being a mother to adult children. Even this time offers different emotions, joys, rewards and challenges. Today I’m focusing on the challenges and some of the lessons I’ve had to learn along the way. I’ve given birth to three very strong willed daughters. I have four equally strong willed adult stepchildren. I prefer to think of them all as my children because even if you have not given birth to them, you invest in them, love them and want what is best for them.  That is what being a mom is all about!

As the ‘mom’ of adult children, I’ve had to learn they’re all individual adults with ideas, goals, priorities and plans of their own. It can be highly rewarding to watch them strive for something and find their success. On those days, I get to celebrate with them.

On days when they contact me to just chat or call for my opinion or advise, I get to share in this unique adult to adult bonding and there is little else to compare with the joy this offers.

Then there are the days when I recognized I can only watch as one or another of them struggles with aspects of life, sometimes over and over again. It hurts my heart to watch these struggles. I’ve already learned my life experiences are not viewed with any value; thus any words of advice I might offer fall on deaf ears. I’m left with few options. I’m trying to learn, sharing my opinion or advice at times like this only leaves me frustrated. We’ve each matured to the point where these discussions are not heated, but I know I’ve hit a wall and it would be better if I didn’t try. My heart breaks as I watch the same life lesson being presented over and over again with the same outcome. Didn’t some one once say, “The definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over again, expecting different results?” As a mom, hardening my heart and turning away is not an option for me. Nor is focusing on one relationship so much as to allow it to rob me of the joy in other relationships.

Being a mom is not always easy! There are always plenty of reasons to be on my knees. I know sometimes praying is all I can do!

 

Could we make the world a better place…..

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Could we make the world a little better if we thought of others and spoke of them in the following way?

Today someone asked me if I liked you. I laughed, and I said, “Ha! That’s funny!! I absolutely LOVE that woman!! She’s funny, caring, crazy as heck, sweet, beautiful, she’s reading this right now & I love her!!”

Be the kind of woman that when your feet hit the floor each morning the devil says, “Oh Crap, She’s up!”

“You don’t have a soul. You are a soul. You have a body.” -C.S. Lewis

This is another message I have received from several sources. It made me feel good and smile. I share it, hoping the ideas might motivate you to think about how you speak of others.