I realize that I’m only guessing at this, but I am imagining that our miss Tilly must be getting the full tour of elf town, the workshop and of course, the kitchen of Mrs. Clause. I say this about the kitchen because miss Tilly and I secretly made a plan to sneak a picture of her oven… I wish to confirm whether she also uses an Easy Bake Oven.
Don’t laugh… maybe she does use a special magic oven of some sort! What if the Easy Bake Oven I had from childhood was, in fact, a magic device? Maybe Santa pulled a fast one on my mom, or something. I never did look on the back of the box for the manufacturers mailing address, so it’s quite possible that mine was not like all the other children’s ovens! I’m just sayin it’s possible, that’s all!
Besides, look how jolly and round Santa always is, and everyone knows that the way to a man’s heart is through his stomach… or at least that’s what I’ve always heard.
I have confidence in Tilly’s sneaking ability, as I’ve experienced it first hand, so there’s a good chance for a successful photo capture. She really is good at the whole sneaking in and out thing… I’m sure that’s why she’s of such help to Santa.
I can only imagine the number of homes now using the more advanced alarm systems and door locks, so it must be quite difficult getting in an out of certain chimneys. Well, that’s what I assume, anyways.
For now, we can only wait for her to come home with the goods, pictures that is… the real goods of Christmas are actually the giggles, joy, heartfelt hugs and love.
If you ask me, it’s the gift of love that’s the greatest goodie in the stocking!
Ya ya ya… I know… I have puppy on the brain after this last weekend! You’re gonna have to put up with this for a few days, I fear. Sorry, not sorry…
The dog images should hopefully leave the impression with you, of thinking before you act on a thing.
I was watching an episode of Joyce Meyers the other day, and something she said stuck with me, regarding God’s guidance. There are times when we are about to say something, we might hear God whisper, “you don’t need to say that”, and when Joyce went on to talk about whether we listen to him or not, I felt like she was looking right at me through the television screen!
I’ve been studying a great deal about wisdom and thinking before I say things, lately. This chatty wordsmith has a tendency to say too much, or talk at the wrong time, so I’m a work in progress. I hope this satisfies the prompt.
Today is this child’s Birthday, and for the first time in all my 56 years I awoke with a plan to celebrate it…. really spend the whole of the day in thankfulness for every single year of this journey!
I am loved!
I am whole!
I am forgiven!
God has given me such purpose!
I truly believe that I have a hope and a future, so I’m gonna celebrate it… all day!
I remember when my kids were young and I would escape for a breather… the whole time I was gone, all I could think about was if they were ok without me being there. I hoped they missed me but worried they would be sad. In the end, I felt better if I just went back home… silly, I know!
In a funny twisty way of thinking, I feel the same way about you! I felt like God was telling me to take today and do whatever I wished for my birthday, so I’d planned to take a break from WP and maybe read a book, or something.
From there, I thought that I would just pop in to check for messages… maybe post a few pics and call it good, right?!
Ever hear of that children’s book, “If You Give a Mouse a Cookie”, about one thing leading to another? Yah…. so here we are people, two hours into “Just” checking my mail!
When it get’s down to the heart of things… I like being here on WordPress, with you folks. I like your stories, your poetry, and your hearts… you draw me back to the lobby every morning and I end up hanging out in there all day. Why? Because, you visit at all different times of my day, being that many hail from countries around this beautiful globe!
Over this last year the lobby has become like a cozy coffee room, with visitors dropping by throughout the day. Many of you come from such a distance to share your views, your culture and your talents.
In an imaginative way, WordPress is like a village. There are streets lined with little cafe’s that overflow with romantic poets and gifted musicians. Other avenues are filled with book shops that offer some amazing literary artists. Down a few alleyways you might find those in need of encouragement, prayer and understanding. We even have our own business class! There’s newspapers that offer reviews of everything from movies and music, to authors and artists. Then there are the retailers, and magazine stands that offer comic books, craft ideas and food recipes.
Folks might share political views, opinions on the market, or their personal views about things ranging from birth to death… basically, a bit of everything!
That’s where Journey With Me fits in!
You’ll find the lobby nestled between several bookstore/coffee shops near the local park. Every community needs a bit of everything to keep the balance, right?! My hope is that the lobby can be of benefit to this community, no matter who you are or how you fit in to this village, as I’ve labeled it.
The front of the lobby holds an open doorway… there are no doors to open or close. Leave your attitude, your opinion, and any unhealthy motives at the doorway! The lobby does not produce judgement or push an agenda… it’s my heart, and my way of reflecting God’s love in the only way I can, at this time.
You just wait… my prayer is that perhaps one day I can do more, because deep in my heart, I believe that I was born for these days, for a bigger purpose. God is calling me for something more!
Warning!!! I am filled with the Holy Spirit and am highly contagious, so being in close proximity to the love of God might make you start doing strange things! In my defense, I am such a sucker for the whole grace, forgiveness and eternal love thing… I just cant help it!
Today called for a snow day, what with all the babes missing young Squagon so much. I know you’re waiting to hear about my visit to Pinion Valley, but not today. I’ll update you on those events later this week.
For the moment, we’re all focusing on making a bunch of snowballs, and then throwing them at Brutus as he flies overhead…
I think the big guy likes all the attention!
Dinky is having so much fun that she actually turned white, just like a snowball!
I had to show you a picture, or you might not have believed me…
Doesn’t she just remind you of fresh snow that blankets a hillside, early on a clear winter’s morning?
Oh, and I gotta show you the ear muffs that I made for Miss Lilly…
Aren’t they adorable for her? I just took the tips off of a cotton Q-Tip and painted the front with a pink highlighter pen. What do you think… pretty cool, right?!
As for it being a Monday and all… make every tiny moment count for something good this week!
With things being what they are currently, there’s been a great amount of obstacles, roadblocks, and dead ends to navigate! In all of it, I’ve felt a deeper sense of peace and assurance than ever before, oddly. There’s still no definite answers or directions, and things look rather impossible to overcome… but are they, really?
If God is who he says he is, if His word and promises are true, and if I am living and walking beneath His shadow… there should be no doubt, no fear, nor anxious thoughts, right? Ok, so yes, there will be moments when we feel some self-doubt, causing us to pause and assess things. A close friend wrote about this very subject the other day, so it’s been on my mind ever since. I agreed with him that some healthy self-doubt now and again is good for us. Sort of like safety checks!
It’s funny because, not more than a day or so later while I was reading in the book of Isaiah, I ran across a passage that caught hold of my heart.
“People of Zion, who live in Jerusalem, you will weep no more. How gracious he will be when you cry for help! As soon as he hears, he will answer you. Although the Lord gives you the bread of adversity and the water of affliction, your teachers will be hidden no more; with your own eyes you will see them. Whether you turn to the right or to the left, your ears will hear a voice behind you, saying, “This is the way; walk in it.” Isaiah 30: 19-21
When we pause from self-doubt, where do we see God in that moment? We are most often looking forward for signs, markers, and a big open doorway, right? God should be straight ahead of us and pulling us up with both arms, I thought! Why can’t we see Him waving a huge sign for us, leading us onward, and wooing us toward His path?
Here’s where the passage in Isaiah hit home for me… God isn’t in front of us, but behind us! He is the encourager, the Counselor; guiding and teaching us as we walk each day of our journey… that’s where He cultivates our faith! Sure, we will fail at times, but we are strengthened through the getting up and going onward parts.
Do not be fearful of falling, for He is there to catch us!
When your baby first walks, don’t you hover in front of and above them, until they get their balance? But, then you move out of the way, right? Where do you move? Most parent’s move to the side or behind, allowing their child to safely gain confidence and skill. So begins their journey of growth and development that will carry them along towards adulthood!
I think that’s how God teaches us, his children, how to spiritually walk as adult human beings.
I could go on for days with the many stories of times I’ve made a right mess of things… but for now, I’ll just give a few tidbits.
For starters, I’m one of the worst Christmas light roller upper’s known to man… I’m better off leaving them on the house all year round, or tossing them in the bin!
I’m not one of the most patient people around and I’m notorious for making a mess of opening a package. I have a vivid memory of accidentally ripping a large bag of candy open and flinging it across the kitchen… the kids had a party cleaning that mess up!
Last but not least, there’s my habit of making a royal mess of a single bang trim. One tiny miscalculation… and my repeated attempts at correcting the error only end up making a bigger mess!
Yes, I realize that the prompt asked what I could do less of… and no, I’m not going to satisfy that question with an answer! Why?
Why would I want to do less of anything, when there is always something I could focus on doing more of?
I won’t write less, I won’t love less, no sense in trying less, or even living less. I live by faith not fear, so there goes doing less of the fear thing. I live by grace and forgiveness, so out the window goes less of self shame, guilt, and loving myself less. Sorry… I got nothin here!
I suppose I’m more of a do morer than a do lesser kind of girl!
I love sharing! This is a wonderful opportunity to share in five different ways…
I know that I can bake, so I’ll share some cookies with you.
I hope I’m good at being a writer, trying to share my imagination…
Each day, I seek to encourage you with something or other…
I’ve boatloads of love to offer…
Having listed those four things with you, I realize that I’ve only one thing left to share. This one may be at the end of the list but is far from the least of what I would strive to give you…
I pray!
I pray for your hearts, your health, and your happiness! I pray for your dreams, your desires, and your destination! I pray that you love deeply, laugh heartily, and live to the fullest!
Prayer goes farther than any other earthly good talent I’ve got, so there’s that…
Journey With Me! 