Note To Self…

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Have you ever noticed how, when you read a bible verse, within mere seconds you are already trying to conform the verse to a picture reflecting what you want to see? It’s easy to do since we are human, selfish by nature… good for survival and self-preservation, but not so good for the long run, if you know what I mean. Too much self is never a good thing!

Take my Note To Self #18…

“Delight yourself in the Lord, and He will give you the desires of your heart.”  Psalm 37:4

In truth, when I was a young Christian I read this as a sign that said if I did all I was supposed to do, then I would be blessed with long life and wealth… cause that’s what I thought I wanted! I also have now come to the realization that I had an unrealistic expectation of the timeline for said $$$ to reveal itself! 

I have discovered, as many of you also have, the above verse never said anything about what it means to “Delight yourself” nor did it say the timeline for said results of this delighting stuff! I think it is because over time, we have become conditioned to the old InstantGratificationitis! We want to see results… right fast and in a hurry, or else we surmise that we either failed or just did things wrong the first, second or third time through.

Through the years I have discovered a few things about God, the world, myself and the way of things. One thing about God… He loves to give gifts! I have discovered that every dream or desire I think I really want or need… He always does one better! The other thing about God is that He is much wiser than I shall ever be… things I thought I wanted ended up not being what I needed, or if they were, they were nowhere near being on the same timeline as His! 

I think the part I should be focusing on is the delighting, rather than the desiring… at least that is what my spirit is saying.

I chose to put this verse into my list of notes, so that I am reminded each time I read to practice the delighting part first… only after this can I begin to even consider a desire. Each time I read the verse, it poses a question to me… what does the bible say delighting is?

According to Google,

“The Hebrew word for delight (anag) commands us to find enjoyment in God. The Lord wants us to incline our hearts toward Him –– to lean in to Christ where we will discover unspeakable joy.”

I have to admit that Google gave a pretty accurate and simple answer, but still not enough for us to head out with a list of things “to do” that will bring the results necessary. From one answer we head off with more questions… how do we find enjoyment, and what does it mean to incline our hearts toward Him?

God delighted himself when creating us in His image, so therefore, we should be able to feel delight when we are near Him, I think. As humans, do we not gain a great amount of delight and pleasure when we have gained the approval of our parents? God is the only parent I have, so for me it is easy… I just seek to make Him proud of me, in all I do and say. 

Before you start guessing and things get complicated, I will just tell you what I do to make God proud. I believe in Him, I trust Him, and I surrender to His will for my life… One Day at a Time… on my knees and in His word! That’s it! Super Simple! No, I don’t spend hours a day doing this, some days maybe, but not everyday! Most days I read a little, work on a memory verse, and spend a few moments in thoughtful prayer… though I do talk to God repeatedly, at many different times of the day. 

That’s one of the many beautiful things about God… at any moment we make room for Him, there He will faithfully be standing and ready to meet with us. When David was only a boy, tending his fathers flocks, he spent many a solitary hour walking with and talking with God. That young king to be, spent a great many hours delighting in the Lord, out in the middle of nowhere, with no music band or fancy choir to perform for God… it was just a boy who loved God so much that he always wrote, sang and danced before his heavenly Father. From the boy in the field, to the young man before a Giant, and on to the King he became… always the delight would surface.

All the way back to when this verse was put to paper, David was probably the originator of the acronym, KISS. Again, I am pleased with Google’s response,

Keep it simple, stupid (KISS) is a design principle which states that designs and/or systems should be as simple as possible. Wherever possible, complexity should be avoided in a system—as simplicity guarantees the greatest levels of user acceptance and interaction.

I shall take from both David and Google, not overthinking like I sometimes can, and just delight in God each day! He knows my needs and desires even before I do, so there’s no reason to try keeping a list, or try guessing God’s timeline or plan… He’s got this so I’m going to let Him handle all my presents!

It Depends on Which Character…

Are we talking characters in a play, or movie perhaps? Does it count if it’s possibly a cartoon character? What if we are talking about our kids… you know, when they are ricocheting off the walls in boredom and we say how they are being such a character?

Giving me an open ended question like this is like handing a monkey a gun… my word bullets be flying all over the place!

Daily writing prompt
Are you a good judge of character?

If you notice that I am being a bit flippant about the question, in truth, it’s because I’m avoiding having to answer the prompt! This one makes me very uncomfortable. My track record with folks is not one that has a great score… why… ughhhhhhhhhh… I don’t wanna dwell there much.

When I was a child, my sense of judging another’s character was not developed enough to protect me… and from that came the woman I became that can be the meanest Judge Jury and Hangman!

My original title for this prompt was going to say, “Too Good”, but before I got going with it, I realized that I’m just too tired to be that old me anymore. 

Now that we all know why I am choosing to take a silly turn with this daily question, let’s do this!

I feel that I am a great judge of characters, as I have 55 years of cartoon watching experience! I feel fairly confident in my assessment that the old sheepdog that worked with Wiley Coyote was Clint Eastwood with fur! 

I will say with a great amount of certainty that Pinky, from Pinky and the Brain, was a long lost cousin of a certain political figure that I shall refrain from mentioning.

Poor Scooby Doo had an untreated cookie addiction that eventually led to rehab, forcing shaggy and the rest of the gang to keep things going til the van could be retrofitted with a locking refrigerator. No matter what else happened in their cartoon world, they were his anchor! Good kids, the lot of em!

Through all the years of Sylvester and Tweetie, nobody ever thought to notice how bad Granny’s limp got. She was a great woman of character, always there to break up fights, bandage wounds, and administer drugs like a professional… all the while, nursing a hip that needed replacing. The cartoon industry were heartless taskmasters, if you ask me, making an old disabled woman tend to unruly wildlife. When she finally took time off for surgery, Hector showed up on her doorstep and watched over her til she was back on her feet. Finally the studio caved and drew in a cane for her to walk with, the show could not go on without her…

Because this is my blog and I can, I have decided to turn myself into a cartoon character to give you all a fun chance at being judges and deciding which one you like the most… let’s test all your skills at judging a character!

A.) 

B.)

While we are at it, why don’t we judge on the best cookie for todays Character Theme…

A. Hector the Bulldog

B. As close to a Tweetie as the AI could give me

C. Sylvester

D. Scooby

E. Ok, so don’t eat Granny… the cookie is at the end of her cane

Your Welcome!

The Battlefield…

Happiness isn’t circumstantial, it’s a mentality! Where I am changes, but the way I exist within that place and time determines my happiness.

While on the battlefield, there are those who take the field with fierce strength, heavy weaponry and loud cries of either victory or defeat. Me? I am the one crawling around from fox hole to fox hole, mending and encouraging whomever is in need!

Daily writing prompt
When are you most happy?

Since the question asked when ARE you most happy, I assume it is referring to something current or foreword thinking. It feels like I am being asked to come up with both a current time and situation that result in me being the happiest. Not a terribly easy question to answer, but luckily for you and me both, I am a writer… and a good one!

With any question or topic, I can, if given enough time to think on it, come up with a pretty honest and decent answer. I will be truthful in saying that some of the prompt questions are more difficult than others, as they ask things that are sometimes hard or painful to answer.

This prompt question brought to mind the idea of a battlefield, as that is much of what my life is currently. If I based my happiness on the things we are going through at the moment, it would not make for a very bright season. My behavior, attitude, responses and movements during these times is what will make or break, if you get my meaning.

I absolutely HATE it when Satan tries to steal my Joy! What do I do when that happens? I become the warrior on life’s battlefield… just not the big loud one… uh uh… this warrior is on her knees! 

I am the most happy when I am on my knees… in prayer!

Here, have a cookie…

Photo by Luis Quintero on Pexels.com

I’m Still Doin It….

Daily writing prompt
What was the last thing you did for play or fun?

Living the way I do makes it easy to do what I love, which is writing. I use the solitude for my brainstorming, my dreams for filling in the blanks, and my fingers for making something come to life in the eyes of others.

My days consist of an early morning walk, some dishes, and maybe a load of laundry every several weeks… it’s pretty simple. Aside from my husband, I usually don’t come into contact with anyone. A visit from one of my two sweet girlfriends usually happens every few weeks, but other than that, it’s just me and my keyboard.

As it happens, I am right in the middle of creating the holiday story, Tilly, and am actually having a fantastic time! It started last Friday night as I slept. When I awoke on Saturday morning, my mind was on fire and so off I went to the keyboard. Once I had it down on paper, the fever intensified as I began adding illustrations and editing. From this point I was nearly delirious with joy and excitement for Tilly and the story she and I wove… giving life to my voice during the audio recording session.

I love what I do! Do I need others approval? Not really!

What I seek is the approval of my God, which in turn, fuels me to go further, write deeper, and try harder at being a light in the darkness for anyone in need. Since I have no money and no one to physically interact with, writing is the vehicle I use to get it done… hence all the bus rides and train adventures I take you along on.

So todays prompt question was a rather easy one for me, as I’m right in the heart of doing something quite fun. I just released day 2 of my Tilly tale, with 2 more days to go… then on Christmas Eve I want to release an audio of the whole story. 

Tilly’s story wasn’t the first fun thing, nor will it be the last… If I must live in solitude, then I shall thrive in solitude… why… because I am the righteousness of God in Christ Jesus! I do not need to run after the things of this world for happiness, as my God brings joy to me… right where I am!

I have never said that the journey has been, is, or will be easy… but I speak the truth when I say that there is definitely Joy, fun and play in the Journey…

Here, have a cookie…

Warning Signs of a Stalker…

It used to be, “do you want some candy little girl”… now I guess it’s become “list your top 5 grocery store items”! 

Daily writing prompt
List your top 5 grocery store items.

Here is a free tip… if a man in a dark hoodie offers you free toilet paper… it’s a trick… your welcome!

I am trying so hard not to be snarky because, let’s face it, this prompt question is S T U P I D!!!!!! I tried so hard to think of a nicer way to say it, but come on…

I don’t want to sit here the week before Christmas and think of my grocery list, and I highly doubt you want to know about it either. 

It doesn’t help that nowadays most grocery stores come with a full department store, a tire center, hair salon, pharmacy and liquer store! All our desires are met in only one stop… quick fix… instant gratification! Do you realize that it would take us all day to read each others shopping lists… especially right now with the holidays upon us!

This whole idea behind todays question just brings me down… and I ain’t got time… it’s almost Christmas and I have stuff to do before we all hear those sleigh bells in the sky.

I will leave you with a cookie, however, as it always fits the spot…

Come find my story about Tilly, for I promise you’ll like it a lot…

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There’s a Handful…

This guy for starters…

He’s handsome and kind… generous to a fault… and he loves me endlessly! 

Daily writing prompt
Describe a man who has positively impacted your life.

Aside from my husband, the list of men who have positively impacted my life come strictly from the bible… not sorry!

I think back on the trail that had to be blazed through history by these biblical frontiersman… it was not an easy one, to say the least.

Noah had to build a boat that was the size of a small city… without modern machinery!

David had to kill a giant with a slingshot!

Moses had to lead an entire nation of peoples around the desert for 40 years, while they all learned to trust and obey God.

Jonah got eaten by a whale that then puked him up on the shores of Nineveh!

John the Baptist… well, he spoke the truth til it got him killed!

I could go on and on about the different men in the bible whose stories, failures, struggles and triumphs have impacted my walk as a woman of God… but I will end the list here with the name of only one man that matters… JESUS! Trump that!

I think maybe, for the first time, the daily prompt put the exact perfect question in here at the most perfect time… right before we celebrate Jesus Birthday! This is the time of year that I can say what I think about my God, my Savior, and King… with little or no argument from others. It is a difficult task to buy and receive a bunch of gifts, in His name, on His Birthday, if you don’t plan on acknowledging Him!

Merry Christmas, Happy Holidays, Happy Hanukah, the Manger, the Star, the Three Wise Men, etc. I could go on and on with all that we acknowledge during our celebrations, but I think you get my drift. Even those who profess to not believe in God celebrate with everyone, ignoring the Jesus part while they do it! Just saying…

Don’t be grumpy at that… you’ll get your cookie at the end, but I’m not done yet!

I stand by my answers about who positively impacted my life, as, to date there has not been even one single human man that has NOT let me down… even my husband, and he is a good man who loves God very much.

You see, placing faith in man is out of line with me… I place my faith in God and allow Him to put good men and women in my life. While I appreciate what differing men and woman have done throughout history, I just do not put my trust in them… they are fallible, just like myself.

If we are really talking about a positive impact, I think it is pretty clear to me that by His living and dying and then living again … well, that’s pretty impacting and noteworthy, wouldn’t you say…

See, I promised you a cookie…

Merry Monday Messages…

and let this story fill you with delight…

Is It Ever?

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Daily writing prompt
Is your life today what you pictured a year ago?

The odds of those who actually end up exactly where they pictured after a year are not that good, I’d wager. 

I can’t even look at the prompt without breaking out into laughter… my life now looks nothing like I pictured it might, this time last year.

From the place that I was in at that time, you probably don’t want to know what I expected things to be now… I was just returning from the deadlands, as I’ve called them. 

It’s hard to believe that we’ve been here since last October… I didn’t even fully start back to writing until March of this year. I had a very very long writers block! Life Interruptus as I refer to it.

The odd thing is… even though our circumstances are still not what I thought they might be, my writing seems to be deepening. It feels kind of like writing in the fire… letting the flames and heat of a tough journey fuel my writing passions. 

The tougher the obstacles, the deeper I write. I think of what it takes to make a really good sword… both Fire and Ice can strengthen the metal so that in battle, it will remain unbreakable!

If you had asked me last year if I was going to be writing a book and making friends in the Lobby, I would have scoffed… I was so broken that I could barely get out of bed! 

I have stopped trying to figure out what will be next year, next month, or even next week… I let God figure things out and I follow His lead… One Day at a Time! Let’s be honest here, there are days that I walk minute by minute.

I have discovered that God is the best planner, the best motivator, the best provider, and the BEST Gift Giver! Whatever I dream up, He will trump it! It might not seem that to you, but it is real for me…

For now, I’m going to work on what I picture things to be like tonight… for dinner… and maybe a show with my man…

Here, have a cookie…

Live Wire…

***Holiday Edition***

So far this season, I’ve spent a large amount of time sharing music I love, going on and on about me me me, and taking everyone back to their childhoods. I have been all over the place with my holiday antics… and there’s a reason!

I am the proverbial kid in a candy shop this year, as far as this Virtual Christmas is concerned! While you may be viewing this behavior as a bit odd and/or childish, perhaps it is exactly where I want you… feeling childish, but in a wonderful way. Why do I want you this way? Because, maybe feeling like a kid is what we all really need once in a while.

If I could ask for anything this Christmas, it would be you… or your time actually. I want to borrow your hearts and minds for about 5 minutes each day this next week, as I’ve something very special planned.

Christmas is my favorite time of year and I find myself overflowing with Joy during the season! The thing about joy is, it has to be shared. How do I do this? My first plan was to do a Virtual Holiday, which I am currently preparing for our Christmas Morning Celebrations. But I will admit that I am a selfish person and I wanted more this year. I want to spend time with people I care about, that’s you, celebrating together for just a few moments each day. 

How can I give you a gift that is real without actual paper or bows? How might you receive something you can feel but not touch? I am going to attempt to do this very thing for you, if you are willing to let me try.

Meet me here tomorrow during our Merry Monday Messages for your ticket on my Holiday Adventure Train, and you need only bring your imagination, as I’ve taken care of everything else … and don’t worry, there is plenty of seating for everyone.

This Kid Had Skills…

Aside from learning to focus again, now that my eyes are healing from surgery, I have no good answer for todays prompt. 

Daily writing prompt
What skills or lessons have you learned recently?

It did make me think about an old Christmas movie I have loved watching since I was small. Remember that my family didn’t celebrate holidays? We were not allowed to watch most secular television. While I’ve shared about things I could not do, I failed to mention that this child had skills… special skills… skills involving ninja style tv watching, and I was an expert!

You’d be surprised how easy it is for a kid to be sneaky.

So, one of the shows that I watched when my parents were distracted was “The Isle of Misfit Toys”. I was so sad when they all made the little dentist guy feel bad for not being good at building toys like everyone else. 

He was skilled, and he had learned something very important and necessary… folks just needed to accept him as he was. A dentist was very important to a bunch of elves making candy and toys all day. I saw an awful lot of candy and toys, but no toothbrushes!

Now I understand that this answer isn’t a very good answer to the prompt, but you can blame Christmas for that… I can’t help it… there are lights everywhere, music flowing, good comfort food at every turn, and hearts overflowing with love and generosity… I blame you guys!

While I looked the movie up on google, I was taken aback at who all was a voice in that movie… actors like Jamie Lee Curtis, and Rick Moranis… and it was narrated by Richard Dreyfus. All the years that have passed since I watched this movie for the first time, and it was only today that I took the time to read about it’s creation. It wouldn’t have made a difference back then, but it fills me with nostalgia now. I’d no idea of all those who took part in this production. 

There, it’s something new that I learned… hey, I did answer the prompt!

Here’s a cookie…