What the Heck is Dang Rous?

Dang rous - The sign boldly flashed in bright lights as I was driving down a country road near Pensacola, Florida.  I had been reading so many signs that day for cities and businesses with unfamiliar names that all I could think was, "What the heck is a dang rous?  Was this a place named for or by french settlers from long ago?"  My puzzlement lasted only a brief moment as I realized that the sign actually said, "Dangerous" however the light bulb for the "E" was inoperable thus causing my confusion.  I drove on laughing aloud for several minutes at my mistake.

Apparently I'm so bold that I even laugh at danger.

         

Choose Wisely

A number of years ago I was going through a very, very difficult time in my life.  I was separated from my husband of 27 years with the decision to divorce looming near.  We were closing our 17 year old business plus dealing with all the financial complications that come with both of those events.  I hurt so badly that at times I had to tell myself to breathe.  

I was at the store when someone .... as I think back I realize I cannot recall the store, the situation or even the words spoken .... but someone said something very kind to me.  It made me feel so good, so uplifted.  As I drove away I thought about how we never know the impact of our words on others.  I'm sure the lady who spoke those words had no idea.  I'm sure it was no big deal to her.  However, it made a HUGE difference to me that day.

You may never really know the actual power of your words.
Choose wisely.     

Lobsters Wave?

When Erich and Lindsay were about 3 and 2 years old, they stayed with a babysitter they adored who had a son in his early teens.  Every day when I'd come to pick them up, Mark would get my kids all excited, running and clapping, smiling and cheering, "YOUR momma's here!"  "Your momma's here!!!"  They would come running as fast as their little legs would carry them to greet me with huge hugs and kisses.  Needless to say, I absolutely loved that part of my day!

I find it interesting how we are greeted in various settings and cultures.  A handshake, a high five, a kiss on the cheek, pat on the arm or shoulder, a hug, a bow, or a smile and yellow happy face sticker.  In the animal world dogs sniff, dolphins whistle, and supposedly lobsters wave.  The welcoming elephant will spin around, defecate, urinate, hold their heads high and flap their ears, trumpet, rumble and roar with excitement!  As much as I'd enjoy that excited greeting I don't think I'd like them greeting me in the living room!  

In Romans 16:16 and at least three other places in the Bible we are told to "greet each other in Christian love."      

Oh how wonderful it feels to be happily greeted and warmly welcome. 

Sing, Sing A Song

Over the past few years I have a new appreciation for hearing birds sing.  As I enjoy breakfast on the deck (in Wisconsin in March no less!) I can hear so many different songs that I can't even separate them.  They are like a symphony that has been carefully rehearsed with each note practiced to perfection.

If I shift my attention I can hear the cars cruising past on the highway a distance away.  It's rush hour so it's a steady droning and somewhat unpleasant sound in the background.

As humans, I believe that the sounds we send out are a choice.  We can decide to be a song bird lifting our praises and concerns with a lovely thankful voice or we can choose an irritating voice of constant discontent.  Oh what a difference it makes in our life and the lives of those around us!

It makes me think about my own voice and the song I emit to the world. 

Change Is In The Wind

When I was in grade school my mom and I would clean my room and move all the furniture around.  It was such fun!  "Where should we put the bed?"  "How about over here?"  And we'd push everything all around.  As an adult, my previous home had much of the furniture made specifically for each room and it really didn't fit well in a different configuration.   Sometimes I'd move the living room around but it didn't last long before I'd move it back to the "better" arrangement.  To compensate, at least once a year (usually early January) I'd move all the furniture around in my office.  It always seems like it gave a fresh feel, a new outlook, just as if it was all new.    

These days I haven't had to move furniture around to get the feeling of change.  It's all around me and on multiple levels.  Home.  Work.  You name it, it's changing.

Harry and I were chatting on the way home from church this morning and he said he had been thinking about change and how people react differently. Many times people don't enjoy change and even fight changes wanting everything to stay the same.  However, life is always changing.  It will change whether you want it to or not.

That is, everything except God.  God doesn't change.  God is the constant.  And that's what keeps us grounded.  

Hansel and Gretel

It was an unseasonably warm, sunny day and as I was running on the trail along the river I happened to notice an oyster cracker laying on the path, which is a somewhat odd thing to spot on the trail.  I saw first one and then a bit farther another.  And another.  And another.  And another.  Surely I must have been following Hansel and Gretel!

When we head out into the world to explore, it's best to mark our route so we can find our way back home.  

Pencil - Not Ink

I have been known by a number of roles in my life, including:
Daughter
Little sister
Big sister
Wife
Mother
Company Owner
Professional Achievement Award winner
Small Business Person of the Year
International Missionary
Ex-wife
Friend
Director of Ministries
BFF
Fiancee
Grandma

This certainly is not an exhaustive list, but it gives you an idea.

A wonderful thing about life is that it is ever changing and some (perhaps me?) seek more changes than others as their story develops.  Thus I have learned that it's important to define yourself in pencil not ink.

A Familiar Freedom

As I walked down a well-known stretch of sidewalk with the sun on my face and a gentle breeze blowing my hair, I was suddenly transported back in time.  Déjà vu if you will.  Not quite... but almost.  It reminded me of a time a few years ago when I was feeling a tremendous sense of freedom.  The kind of freedom felt when the metaphorical weight is lifted from the shoulders.

It made me realize that much of the weight I carry on my shoulders is self-imposed.  I take it on.  I make the decision to carry the load and put the pressure on myself.

Therefore the decision to not let it weigh me down must also be mine.  Not in the way of shirking responsibilities or not caring, but in the sense of sharing the load, being selective in what I decide to carry and giving some things over completely.

As I do quite often, I was chatting with God, and decided there are certain heavy things in my life these days that I need to hand over to God to carry.  As expected I immediately felt relief as the load was lifted.  I found myself asking why I hesitate to ask for help, why I hesitate to hand it over.  Why do I always wait until I'm in pain?  

My step was much lighter and the walk more enjoyable when the familiar freedom returned. 

Short Window of Time

The sun streaming into our breakfast nook this morning brought me joy, so I snapped this quick pic of our bright and cheery space.  Just a short time later the sun was behind the clouds and although lovely, the radiance was missing.  The window of opportunity to enjoy the sunshine was not a big one.

I find that it's that way with life also.  Some wonderful and glorious opportunities are only there for a short window of time.    

One must always be on the look out for those opportunities.  The ones that shine radiantly just as though God parted the clouds, allowing a beam of light to shine on them with the sole purpose of drawing our attention lest we miss them.

Puttering

The afternoon was spent puttering.  I unpacked a few boxes, I put this here and that there and rearranged a few items.  I dug a large mixing bowl out of the boxes and whipped up half a batch of peanut butter oatmeal cookies with cinnamon and they were absolutely delish.  I made a really tasty lettuce salad topped with radishes, carrots, apples, pears, feta cheese, green pepper, cukes and croutons.  I baked lasagna (from a box, sorry) and french bread.  Then I relaxed, ate and laughed with loved ones.

Puttering.  The perfect way to spend a Sunday afternoon.  

On A Snowy Night

Last night we had one of those really awesome snow storms that make people glad they live in Wisconsin.  The quiet kind with huge flakes floating down, searching out every flat surface they could find to pile up on top of.  Large and small, thick and thin.  Roads, yards, deck railings, trees, even skinny power lines were draped with the fluffy, white, cottony, wet stuff.  It wasn't the kind of night that makes you feel cold, rather it felt warm and must be the type of snow that the phrase, "blanketed in snow" was coined from.  We took a walk through our new neighborhood, shuffling through the snow, softly chatting about the day, enjoying the peace of the gentle night.  We found a grill and pub that had good burgers before we headed home.  It was a glorious winter night.  

"Your Hugs Stay Inside Me"

"Daddy, your hugs stay inside me."  (Kids say the coolest and sometimes most insightful things, don't they?)  

Have you ever considered the power of those special hugs?  What a wonderful way to convey a feeling, to share love, to connect on a deeper level with another person.

By simply wrapping your arms around them you are able to say, "I care about you and you are loved."

Hugs that stay inside me are a breath of life.
 

What a Grizzly Bear!

A dear friend of mine emits a tough exterior.  At first glance he leads you to believe he's a curmudgeon through and through.  Surely an ancestor of the infamous Grinch!  A real grizzly bear.  However, the eyes are a dead give away.  Upon closer inspection you spy a twinkle followed by a crumbling of the tough facade as first a chuckle emerges followed by an outright belly laugh.

My friend is not a grizzly - he's a teddy and I enjoy him so.