While reading “The True Secret of Writing” by Natalie Goldberg, I came across the following statement:
You don’t do happiness. You receive it!
I haven’t been able to stop thinking about this thought. It resonates with who I am and how I live.
Does it speak to you, or do you have other thoughts about happiness? I would enjoy hearing from you.
None of us are an island to ourself. Our relationships to others impact us. How are your relationships impacting you?
I need my hunter home. I spent the best part of the day protecting our patio tomato plant from a brazen chipmunk hussy who thinks she can sneak from one end of the long deck to another to eat the fruit of our labors. I see her scamper past the patio door. She hears the door open and freezes, looking first to the right and then to left. Her dilemma – where to go? To the left is a drop-off, to the right is a solid wall, and to the rear is another drop-off. Oh, my! The only way out is to zigzag back the way she came, with me chasing her. Racing off the deck, she jumps to the walkway then leaps off the wall and scampers under the island deck. Safe again! We have played this game for hours today, and she wins once again. Or do I? Our tomato plant is still unharmed. Or so I think….
I do not see her again for some time so I return to my work. Later I look out the front door to find an entire branch from our patio tomato lying at the threshold. She did not even bother to eat the fruit, just left it by the door to wither in the sun.
When the hunter arrives she will have more than I to face. His aim is good. He has nurtured and protected this tomato plant from the wind and extreme heat. I do not believe he will be willing to surrender the plant to the chipmunk. I believe the rules will change! Let the games begin…..
A friend asked, “What does living a life of faith look like to you?” WOW, what a powerful question. I think the answers to this question are as unique as the people to whom it is asked.
For me, living a life of faith means living my life in such a way that the love of Christ is reflected to those around me. Some days, I do accomplish this better than others. Yet the truth is, God intimately knows me, knows my weaknesses and loves me! Loves me, just as I am. This is a powerful truth to grasp and because of this truth, I can start fresh after I have failed. To me, living His love means I need to accept others where they are; I need to not judge others for their shortcomings; I need to be able and willing to speak of His work in my life; I need to attempt to bring a piece of heaven to those around me. Each of these efforts is not to bring glory or praise to me, but to draw others closer to the love of Christ in hopes that they too will experience a personal relationship with him.
What does living a life of faith mean to you?
I saw this on our son’s refrigerator. I think it solves the debate of if the glass is half full or half empty. For me, I always thought my glass was half full. I appreciate this changed perspective! My glass is full! This leaves me free to simply keep filling my mind with positive, encouraging, loving thoughts — and leaves no room for the negative things that attempt to creep into our minds. I hope this will challenge you to think about your life and thoughts.
Here is a challenge for you (and for me…..)
Appreciate and be grateful for today, (and every day) as it is a precious, unrepeatable gift. You will not have another opportunity to live today, so live it well!
I’ve been thinking a lot about time. I cannot believe how quickly it slips past us. I have a grandson graduating from high school, a granddaughter getting her temps, a daughter who turned 35 this month. …and this year is almost half gone. Where does the time go? Earlier this week I joked and said, “I think the time flies so quickly here because of the higher altitude and reduced oxygen.”
I would like some excuse for how quickly time passes. Yet knowing the ‘sands of time’ are slipping through the hourglass remind me how important it is for me to make the most of each day I live. I want my life to be a positive influence on those I come in contact with and I don’t want to take anything or anyone for granted. Like most people, my list of things I want to do is long. I don’t want to think, someday I’ll do that. My hourglass at best, only has about half the sand left. I try to balance my time between the things I want to do. Some days I feel I handle that much better than other days.
How do you handle the things you desire to do with the knowledge you only have so much time?
Mother’s Day seems like the appropriate time to think about those people who have influenced me. My life is richly blessed because of those who have impacted my life. I think about the things I enjoy doing, or some of the food I cook and realize those were gifts given by another to me. During my childhood years it was mostly family members like my grandmother, some great aunts, my mother, an elderly neighbor lady, and several teachers making those contributions. Upon reaching adulthood, those who impacted my life were mostly friends, and co-workers and my husband. Many were people I share faith relationships with.
Of the people I’m thinking about, many have left this life on earth, yet the gifts they imparted to myself and others live on. I know this is part of the circle of life, yet it leaves me wondering about what things I might be passing on to others. I hope to pass on a love of life, an appreciation for others and the gifts of nature, the ability to be gentle with one’s self and with others, and the need to have a personal relationship with the God of the Universe and Christ his Son.
My wish for you is that you enjoy the day; that you spend some time thinking about those who have influenced your life and also how you are influencing those around you.
Happy Mother’s Day to any woman who is reading this!
What is the meaning of your life?
Seventy-two hours – no phone, no watch, no laptop, no camera!
I recently returned from a women’s retreat where those were the rules. I did not miss a watch, but there were so many times where the beauty surrounding me was awe-inspiring and I simply wished I had my camera to capture the moment. I confess, I found being without my laptop a little challenging. I was not aware how connected to it I had become.
It was a wonderful weekend! I’m still meditating on all that happened in those seventy-two hours.
I would like to share one impact the weekend had on me. As a culture, we are busy and in such a hurry. So much so, we rarely take the time to share with people why we value them, or what they mean to us, what we appreciate about them or how they have impacted our lives.
Late in the weekend, I was given a bag of letters written by people who knew me. I had no idea how or why they wrote the letters, but reading them was overwhelming! They filled my heart with love and provided an insight into what my life meant to them, or why they valued me. There were aspects of my life or personality that were validated through those letters. The power of the written word to speak life into another is so strong.
My husband and I have tried to implement a tradition at least during the Christmas holidays where letters are written to our children and their spouses and they are to write us highlighting something special about the person the letter is for. Our efforts have resulted in varying levels of success. It is a lot of work, and I have caught myself wondering if we should continue the task. My weekend experience was confirmation for me we need to continue writing letters of affirmation to our children.
I realized affirming others is something needed in our culture. Instead of just identifying this is a need in our culture I can do to promote a change even if it is only in a small part of our world. My goal is to write at least one letter of affirmation to someone each month.
Have you found power in the words written to you? Did those words uplift and encourage you? I would enjoy hearing about your experiences.
Journey to the Heights 