update

Up date, up date ......

I am out of the storage unit and no longer paying to store anything !!!!!

Do have a stove and a dryer behind my shed that need homes, but the 15 boxes of stuffed animals have a new home ---- just waiting for the kids to come and retrieve (hint, hint) ....

Celebrate the small things that is what makes up the memories of life ..................

lightening

thank you internet picture taker

Lightening ............. something to be watched, something to be enjoyed .....

Last week there was a lightening strike on the hill across the highway ..... I watched the smoke plume grow and then shrink .... life and death of a fire ... because of the location firefighters had to hike into the fire ...... they used the old fashioned method of fighting fires ..... shovels and sweat (yea, they did have chain saws) .... with all the advances in the world I wonder what is it we are giving up to advance ....... Will my granddaughters children know what a book is? Will my granddaughters look back on the extreme advances that are happening in their infant hood and thing how old fashioned?

A few years (3) ago I had a totally awesome black and white TV the picture was crisp and clear .... my youngest got me a color TV (thank you, baby boy) because he did not think mom need to watch movies in black and white .... having grown up on black and white TV I didn't realize there was a problem ..... Narnia was much better in color. The point being the fact that i got to watch TV was cool beans to me, the fact that mom had to be deprived of color was important to the one who grew up on color TV. (I do love my color TV)

Reading the internet (I do like some of the advances) I am watching changes come about where it appears that people are giving up their right and need to think ...... allowing others to think for you is not a safe or natural thing. Just a question, 'Who will be in charge of the thinking in the future?'

George Orwell was not that far off in his writings ....................................

Celebrate

Celebrate the day! Today is an awesome day in that it is .......... (of course the wind is not blowing, the sun is shining and there is a possibility of afternoon rain) .......

I am almost out of the old storage unit and will move remaining thing to a smaller one with the hope of being out by the end of the summer .......

Been finding all kinds of things in boxes .... childhood (my kids) memories ...... books i forgot i had ..... dishes, quilts, artwork and so much more ........ And there are the "WHY?" things ..... (not going to list) ...... if i calculated the cost of keeping all of these things ....... that pottery mug with my blue flowers (the cheap one not the good one) is worth big bucks ...... The Goal is to downsize what is there to fit in less than 1/3 of a 8x10 storage shed in plastic containers .....

Kids if you are reading this time to come and get your stuff ..... blond daughter has the most ..... she said she'd take it home with her when she comes and changes out horses next month. She has no clue what is waiting for her....

I anticipate Celebrating the end of an era ----- storage queen ----- very shortly!

Time Stealers ....

Time Stealers ......

Lately i have been thinking about time ...... the clock is ticking ...... no this is not a morbid thing but a realization about the need to be intentional with the use of this valuable commodity. We are all given a set specific amount of time for our day 24 hours - i believe that that breaks down to 1440 minutes or 86400 seconds ..... taking the stance that on an average work day there is 9 hours used for work time ( i have virtually no commute time) and 6 to 8 hours for sleep - that leaves between 7 and 9 hours to be self productive ..... getting things done and down time ...... how is it that i spend these hours? I'm lucky i have no TV, other than movies and no internet at my house. Soooooooo i should be getting tons of things done, right? As the kids used to say NOT!

So what is it i am doing? To my credit i am running around in circles trying to get @10 things accomplished in a limited time and almost doing it, but is there a better way? In my case the answer is most likely. What is tripping me up? 'TIME STEALERS' ; the following of rabbit trails when i should be focused on the task at hand, not having all that i need pulled together so i can get the job done, not having a plan (in some cases a clue) for what i need done, and the list could grow .... the list of things i want done grows on a daily basis ..... and the thing i need to do just to maintain does not seen to shrink ...... is there hope?

Of course there is. The question is am i willing to look for and make changes? (i wouldn't be writing this if i didn't want the changes, duh) but that takes it back to the question am i willing to make the changes? think about this ..... i want a change but am i willing to make the change ....

Time stealers:

Spending the day reading (my personal favorite), procrastination, not being focused on a task, Facebook, internet games (lol, down time at work!), e-mail, internet period when not used for a specific reason (i can find an online computer... i'm here aren't i?), looking for things that should already be somewhere else, no plan of action ........

Look at the Shoes!

Look at the shoes .....

This is a serious ceremony, a wedding, dressed in traditional clothing .... well till you get to the shoes (they appear new and white)

What things do we add to our traditions to make them our own, to make them comfortable ..... is that a good or bad thing?

PRACTICING THE PRESENCE OF GOD

OUCH

I love it ---- there are times when there is no better word to use to describe moments in life.

My current moment is not a physical ouch, it is a spiritual one. (try finding a picture for that)

I have been working on my spiritual journey .... placing importance on my relationship with God. One of the must reads in life is Brother Lawrence -- that man had being in the presence of God down. In my small group we have been talking and learning about spending and being in the presence of God during our days (and nights). See where the focus should be ....

This past week things in life got interesting, someone was caught trying to do me wrong ..... trying to do me harm ..... I of course, am not at fault here. (reality --i did not deserve what was going on) My first reaction -- anger== defensive (how dare you)!!!! then came the mind tapes .....

I was driving into town, alone in my truck, no radio on and venting to God ..... do not know how that still small voice got through (i vent loudly) but somehow I heard ..... Why are you practicing the presence of *******(insert name). OUCH!

Practicing the presence of God is inviting Him into our every moment. Acknowledging him in the moment.

I had been spending time inviting stress, discontent, anger, strife, and all else anti-God into my moments .... all in the name of *******(insert name). That did not leave any place for God. Very big OUCH!

What other names to we, you and I practice during our day? How much time is spent pushing God away so that we have room for ________? At the end of the day who did you/I spend the day with?

Funny thing, when I stopped and recognized what I was doing and gave it to God ..... things changed. (yes for my benefit)

Colors

My daughter took this picture ......

What wonderful colors ..... Just in time for Easter .... Hidden inside the flower is a butterfly ....... Hidden mysteries ..... That was the revelation that first Easter morning ....... Have you taken the time lately to spend time with God? He planned for each one of us before the world began ...... what a concept in pre-planning ..... Enjoy the day!