I personally prefer the saying, “Why put off tomorrow, what you can do today”?
In the overall scheme of things, the idea of focusing on tomorrow is not going to help anyone, so I will stick to the plan of doing what I can with what I have at the moment… make it work in the here and now!
In the simple literal way of things… mind your manners WordPress, it is none of your business!
Here, have some waffles…
Whether it be raising children, having a career, or even helping others… my fulfillment has always come from having a purpose. Gods plan first, with my own purpose coming as a kind of side effect. I won’t be arrogant enough to claim it is always in this order for me, but I am pretty sure God already planned it out. Even when I sometimes think that I am working towards something I have created myself, I become aware of God in my details.
I can’t help it! I no longer apologize for constantly telling everyone about God being my source of strength. It just comes out of my mouth every time I speak. I believe the energy and Purpose He gives me for what I do each day, can be considered my driving force… my inner power plant, if you will.
As far as hard work goes for me this week… there will be none of that! I am on a self policed vacation from the W O R K thing… though I can hardly call writing to you, and for you, a job. It is more like the rest we need after coming home from a big family vacation… the partying was fun, but you played so much that you are wiped out and need to rest, just so you can go back to the office the next week. I am getting that kind of rest.
I am never too tired, however, to leave you some morning goodies…
With my integrity still in tact for the most part, I will say that I have survived to date. If it is good enough for my God… well then… it works for me as well.
I am attempting to take some vacation days in between my major writing projects, so I made this brief. Otherwise I might have spent hours regaling you with my tales of valor and my exceptional life skills.
Take heart, it could be worse… I could have forgotten to leave you goodies!
I would love to be an Author, a Storyteller, or a Singer… wait, I guess I already am pretty much! Just on the cheap… and the prompt did not say we have to be good at it.
I write and you read it, so there is that in my Author department. I tell Stories of all types, I just have a small audience. I sing every single day, whether it is here at home, or out on the trail. Just don’t ask the passersby or the wildlife why they are running the other way.
The point is, focus on doing what you dream of doing… never let money stop you!
Since I was never claimed by any one, let alone a culture, this question makes me very uncomfortable, if I am being completely honest. I am proud to be an American, though our Government is nothing but a filthy swamp, filled with the selfish and often nefarious motives worn by our leaders. I am not proud of that part, nor interested in any form…
All I can say, without being flippant or disrespectful, is that the only culture I have traced back to my beginnings is me!
My culture could be called The Foster Care System, but there is nothing there I want to brag about to anyone. The only culture of Me that I can clearly recall is God and His relentless pursuit of my heart.
In complete honesty, if God had not interceded on my behalf as a small child, I would not be here today, so ya I am pretty proud of Him. I suppose this also means that I find a great interest in Him, as well as pride…
So, as to the prompt question, the aspects of my cultural heritage (God) that I am proud of or interested in, would be the Heart of God!
Zach Williams sums it up! https://youtu.be/qbPxZPsjhbg?si=PmTM4TfGPi8vrSgB
This seems right up my alley this morning… I got this!
I associate with Raisin Brand… Brandaids… Rembrandt… Brandy… Cattle Branding… I love Brandishing my sword when I game… and I totally associate with anything Brand New…
What? Am I wrong? Don’t judge or Brand me as cheesy because of this.
Please don’t tell me that my sense of humor is Off Brand… lololololol
Ok Ok… I’ll stop… but it was funny and you know you laughed. Just for all your efforts, I will leave you with a morning goodie…
As I sit drinking my coffee this morning, I am actually irritated by this prompt. It feels too much like a therapist question, and right now I am not impressed with our medical system in any fashion. I also must remind you of yesterdays prompt response, where I told you that I do not like taking advice. Along that line, I also do NOT like being told what to do!
That being said, I am still making the best effort I can, to answer this prompt without being sarcastic or flippant. My reasonings for being so sensitive to a question like this stem from nearly killing myself seeking love and acceptance where there was none. All my earthly efforts to be seen and received in love, have been rejected by those I called family… all of them!
My life started over almost a year ago… it will be a year in October.
In the category of What could you do more of , I asked myself that question so many times over the years. The part that God has been teaching me about this pattern of thinking, is that all I have been doing is working myself into the ground trying to do something only God can do. Yup! For nearly an entire year now, God has been undoing all of the damaging habits that the world instilled.
In the category of doing more, I got nothing… but in the category of doing less, I have an ample supply of examples for the Prompt.
I cannot say I should talk more because we know who I am, and I talk a lot… too much in fact! No one listens, and in fact, they usually go the other way. I get it! I am too much for most of the world.
I cannot say I should write more because we know who I am, and I write a lot… and I will continue to write my fingers off, whether anyone wants to read it or not. Writing heals me and pleases my Heavenly Father, which fuels me to write even more.
I cannot say I should pray more because we know who I am, and I pray a lot… in fact, it is more like talking with God all day long as if he were a loved one sitting or walking beside me… wait, that is actually just what He is… my loved one, my friend, and my only true Father!
I cannot say I should exercise more because we know who I am, and I walk a lot… actually, 6 miles nearly ever day. If I try to do any more of the calorie burning activities, I will not be able to keep up with the eating part to fuel my body… I would evaporate!
I cannot say that I should read more, or love more, or Anything more… Gods got me, thank you very much WordPress!
I walk one day at a time, seeking to do that which pleases God, not man! It is costly in some regards… I have my husband and my 3 girlfriends in my world… that’s it!
In honesty, it is the way I want it because it means that I am doing something right for once! I am not doing others any good, if I smother the flame within the lantern I carry for God. I am supposed to be His vessel… to be His light in the darkness.
Truly, I could try to do more of all the above mentioned things, burning myself out and getting nothing in return… Or… I can rely on the one who CAN do more… more than anyone on this earth could ever attempt… and I will be the better for it.
I leave you with this verse. It is from the Amplified Bible, and I like the way it has been translated:
I can do all things [which He has called me to do] through Him who strengthens and empowers me [to fulfill His purpose—I am self-sufficient in Christ’s sufficiency; I am ready for anything and equal to anything through Him who infuses me with inner strength and confident peace.] Philippians 4:13
I almost didn’t leave our morning treat, due to WordPress pushing my buttons, but never fear… the cookies are here…
I know, I know, I know… when it comes to advice, I am a Quarterback NOT a Receiver! Hey, I am just being honest. Don’t tell me what to do, has been my mantra since I can remember.
With that being said, one of the best pieces of advice came from my husband… probably the only one brave enough to try, other than the Man upstairs. In fact, I think God uses my husband all the time to soften my heart. My better half is a quiet man, far from my incessant babbling. He does not often open himself up to the firing line of my sassy mouth, but when he does… I tend to listen… I do not trust anyone else this deeply.
You have undoubtedly read other things I have written, so you should hopefully be aware of our journey… its been rough, to say the least. There was a time when I kept asking “why” about a great many things overwhelming us. One day, as we were driving, I sat in the passenger seat lost in an emotional well, struggling to cope with things. Out of the blue my husband says, “You know, I don’t think it’s about all the garbage in life we keep getting hit with, maybe what’s important, is how we handle getting through it”. These heartfelt and wise words have echoed through my mind at each twist and turn we have had since, and there have been many.
I really do believe that God, in His great wisdom, blessed me with my own personal guardian, my steed, my warrior, and my very best friend… I feel pretty lucky!
And though a man might prevail against one who is alone, two will withstand him—a threefold cord is not quickly broken. – Ecclesiastes 4:12
Here, have a cookie…
This is the closest I can get to my favorite childhood cereal…
When I first saw the prompt question, oddly enough, it was at 2 a.m. this morning. If you think it means I was full of energy, I must correct this… insomnia and energy are two very different things.
Anyway, due to my arthritis fueled sleeplessness, I found myself peeking at todays prompt responses a little early to see what others were already sharing. What I discovered while reading out on the feed… it didn’t make me sleepier, but rather, it woke me up more than when I had begun. That was where my epiphany came… You!
I get energy from people… you, my husband, people on my trail walks, or anywhere I encounter someone along my path. Whether it be from writing to you, reading your words, chatting, encouraging each other, and sometimes just simply laughing together… oodles if boundless energy!
It is as if human connection is a piece of candy, dipped in such a fragrant and sugary sweet espresso coating… one cannot simply take a piece, without coming back time and again for another, and another, and another.
On the cautionary side, due to it’s habit forming nature, one can end up with a bit of a sour stomach from filling up on too much candy all the time, forgetting to balance things for a healthy self.
Finding a healthy balance took some time, but that is partly why I developed the Lobby idea behind this site. I do not need to jump all the way into the pool with others lives and problems, I simply wish to be there to offer them a towel when they climb out. When the Lobby began to come to life, God showed me that I can be a Hostess quite successfully without trying to be the cook, the councilor, or the doctor… I am not qualified for any of those things.
Having a servants heart offers me a chance to become such an effective hostess, that there is no need to burn myself out doing more for others than I can or should.
Speaking of energy, if you pop over to Live Wire, there is food, and I am certain that it has energy in it.
Once, when I was a small girl, I played a Crystal Gayle cassette tape until it came apart… does that count? I wanted to have long hair just like her…
Journey With Me! 