The Weekend

                                                             Everyday is a brand new day,
                                                                   everyday is a journey.


O boundless self-contentment voiced
In flying air-born bubbles!
O joy that mocks our sad unrest,
And frowns our earth-born troubles!

The life that floods the happy fields
With song and light and color,
Will shape our lives to richer states
And heap our measures fuller.

--C. P. Cranch.

The weekend is here once again. While many people will be out enjoying themselves in recreational activities, some of us will be doing the opposite. Oh, I'm not going in to work. I'm staying in and working on my projects here. It's time to finish them up.

You see, these projects have taken over my bedroom. You think I'm kidding? I worry about this when I think of my Tiny House or Rv. Where would I put all of this? What if I couldn't control the overflow? It's obvious that I can't in a normal size bedroom. 

Although, I am happy to report that one of these projects is completed awaiting delivery date to it's new owner. This afghan has taken me months and months to finish, but the price will bring in tons of yarn for my Ministry. 

Now I can finally focus my full attention to The Tent City Project making homeless sleeping mats. This is one of my favorite things to do so I'm really more recreational this weekend than I thought. 

I hope you spend your weekend exercising your love for God in all that you do. Have a blessed day everyone. 

The Consequence

                                                                             Everyday is a brand new day,
                                                                               everyday is a journey.


When I go down to the grave I can say, 
like so many others,
 I have finished my work;
 but I cannot say I have finished my life;
 my day's work will begin again the next morning. 
My tomb is not a blind alley; 
it is a thoroughfare.
 It closes in the twilight to open in the dawn.
--Victor Hugo.

A few days ago, I've learned about consequences, a cause and effect for all we do. In my hurry, hurry kind of way, I came home at night from work and parked in a handicap space. In my own defense, it was dark and honestly, I paid no attention to my surroundings. I just wanted to get inside. I really didn't see it. 

Now, we live in an area that at one time were condos, so we pay a yearly fee for our parking space. It's an extremely tiny fee well worth that spot. If  you ever lived in the City, you know how difficult it can be to find parking. It's even more difficult if you work second shift and are the last to arrive in the middle of the night. All the spots are usually taken. 

When we moved here, I was very happy to find an abundance of private parking. Let's not forget that the entire complex is surrounded in fencing, trees and set deep off into the side. Behind our complex lies the interstate. It's very peaceful here. 

Well, I really went off the subject here. The other night when I parked my car in front of that handicap sign, they were conducting a routine check on all the vehicles to make sure everyone that was parked there had a valid sticker. I even waved to them as I ran into the building. I mean, I had my sticker, didn't I? I didn't have anything to worry about, right?

Yeah, until I woke up in the morning and looked out the window. Gee, I don't see my car. Oh my goodness, where did those two handicap signs come from? They weren't there last night. Were they? 

 Well, I did get my car back. I got my car back minus a few dollars and I learned a valuable lesson. I need to pay attention! No more just trying to run, run and run quickly into the house. There are consequences for all we do. There is no way around them. 

Have a blessed day everyone.

The End Of Civility

                                              Everyday is a brand new day,
                                                    everyday is a journey.

Life is a sheet of paper white
Whereon each one of us may write
His word or two, and then comes night.
Greatly begin! though thou hast time
But for a line, be that sublime.
Not failure, but low aim is crime.

--James Russell Lowell.

I love diversity. The food. The culture.The ethnicity. I've never really been around people who are just like me in their opinions, in their faith, in their lifestyle. Whereas that never bothered me before, it does now. So what happened? Social media happened.

People can quickly share their opinions with others with just a click of a keyboard. The best part? You don't have to do it face to face. It's much easier to hurt someone when you don't have to stare at them right in the eye. 

There are times I want to disappear from social media altogether, especially whenever a hot political topic hits the waves. I am tired of people telling me how to think, what to think and how should I act. I can see evidence in how the world has definitely shifted towards the End Times.  

I have gotten better at handling my reactionary comments by avoiding these hot topics and becoming involved in these heavy debates. Although, I do forget all of the above and heavily debate or defend my beliefs. It never ends well. 

Last night at work, everyone was discussing this show and that show, or simply just the news. To be honest, I turned off the television long time ago, especially the news and talk shows. Journalism has turned to trash, the only thing that seems to matter is sensationalism. I'm tired of it and I definitely don't have to bear it. The television stays off.

I'm getting old. I can tell just by how I feel about the world. I've become my grandmother in that respect, because I'm not liking what is happening around me. The world keeps changing and not for the better, but it's all to be expected. It has been written down eons ago in the Bible.

I've been thinking about the thorn in our sides that we all have. I believe my thorn is the secular world. It has become harder and harder for me to live within it. The world will always be the world, but I am changing inside constantly and I am not the world.

Have a blessed day everyone. 

Here's To Contentment

                                                                                 Everyday is a brand new day, 
                                                                                  everyday is a journey.
 

Tis not to enjoy that we exist,
For that end only; something must be done;
I must not walk in unreproved delight
These narrow bounds, and think of nothing more,
No duty that looks further and no care.
--William Wordsworth

Contentment . . . . I've seen this word thrown around as a theme for this New Year. We need to be very careful when searching for contentment for ourselves. Can we truly be content? Is it even possible? Is it in us to be content? 

I think of the Israelites and their incessant complaining, immediately thinking of the correlation to our society. I don't think that total contentment is possible. Our hearts will always be longing for more. I believe that because of what occurred in the Garden of Eden, our hearts will always search for and long for Christ. Until the time where we stand before Him, only then will we ever feel contentment. That is only my personal belief.

Contentment is something we all are looking for and feel incomplete unless we find it. To me, it's the same as a couple looking for a perfect soulmate. Does it really exist? Most likely only in our minds. We as a people, constantly have this image of our ideal everything. Unless we attain these ideals, we will continue to search, feeling incomplete. 

Rather than searching for contentment, I look for Joy. Joy is something that can be fleeting, but it is attainable. I've learned to bask in Joy when it happens. The older I get, the more I enjoy my Joy and look forward to its return.

Yet, my feelings on the subject are really more personal than I realized. You see, I haven't made any goals nor any resolutions for this year. That hasn't happened in a very time. I just felt that I already had so much to do that ran over into this year. Why add more?

Sometimes, I think we need to spend more time in the now, then in the future achieving our goals. It's great to work on ourselves, setting up plans, but we can get lost in all of it. The most precious gift of all? The here and now. Let's enjoy it. Contentment will come when we come face to face with Jesus. Only then. For now, look for Joy.

Have a blessed day everyone. 

The Tiny In Me

                                                      Everyday is a brand new day,
                                                         everyday is a journey.

Yes, I have had, dear Lord, the day.

When at thy call I have the night
Brief be the twilight as I pass
From light to dark, from dark to light.

--S. Weir Mitchell.

There are times that I'm concerned that I'm way too excited about this Tiny Living. I'm placing all my eggs in one basket. What if it doesn't turn out that way? What if God's plan is different from mine? The last thing I want to be doing is sitting in that place sulking. And miserable. 

I've seen it happen way too often. I don't want to be one of those people who are unhappy in their retirement, wishing themselves somewhere else. Wishing their lives to be different. Just plain wishing.

On the other hand, does it really matter where I'm at? As long as I'm still writing and involved in my Ministry, I'd be happy. I've always seen my retiring years as doing things I've always wanted. All the things that I couldn't do while working, like participating in events during the week within my community. 

Recently, I've watched a program on British television, of a couple searching for a home in the country. This was the British version of our House Hunters. They were both approaching their retirement and looking to move into the Country into their dream home. Sounds like me, but the single version. This man had so many different hobbies and projects that he was involved in that it was difficult to find him that perfect property. In the end, they built their own. 

What stuck with me was his enjoyment and involvement in all of these projects. This was the future me. I connected with him completely. He was happy, occupied and active. I do have to admit that the only project he did end up finishing was the house. Again, I connected with him. 

I guess, we can never be too prepared for our future. I'm not just speaking of financially. There is our health to consider and the things that compile our livelihood. I'm glad I saw that program. It reminded me of what is important to me in my retirement and what isn't. 

Have a blessed day everyone. 

The Littles

                                                       Everyday is a brand new day,
                                                       everyday is a journey.



One holy Church of God appears
through every age and race
unwasted by the lapse of years
unchanged by changing place
S. Longfellow

When my grandchildren were small, my Aubrey had this way of calling them the "Littles" and the nickname quickly stuck. Well, the "Littles" are no longer little. In fact, one is a freshman in high school already and the other fast approaching tween-hood! Six years have passed and in children years, that can be huge!

When we first met! How could I not fall in love with these two? 

The original "Littles," Tim and Hannah.

Halloween, Christian style!

Merry Christmas from the Littles.

First day and last day of school.

My favorite picture of these lovable two just having fun on a hot Summer day.

Ready for the new school year!

Chilling on a hot Summer day!

Chilling on a different level!

Eight grade graduation! The Littles are not little any longer. 

Have a blessed day everyone. 

A Lazy Morning

                                          Everyday is a brand new day, everyday is a journey.


Consider the lilies of the field, 
how they grow; they toil not,
 neither do they spin: 
yet I say unto you, that even
 Solomon in all his glory
 was not arrayed like one of these.
--Matthew 6. 28, 29.

I didn't want to get up. The bed was comfy, warm and utterly peaceful. Silence all around me. One could hear a pin drop. I knew it was somewhere mid-morning, but I didn't care. Why can't I just lay there and do nothing? Why do I need to get up at all?

Responsibilities, that's why.

The problem is that it's not just today. I have this feeling almost every morning. This feeling of not wanting to do anything at all. Some people would call this depression, but they're wrong. I am not depressed, but on the contrary. I am quite happy, filled with Joy. 

I think the problem lies with this deep and hidden desire inside of me to run away from all responsibility. A life where there are no rules, but freedom to live out our purpose. It's almost like I'm looking for Heaven. 

 I want to sleep whenever I feel like it. I want to eat whatever I want to eat. Who cares about weight gain? Maybe all I want to do is crochet and watch all my favorite programs? Maybe not.

Life cannot be all about doctor visits, schedules, appointments and work. There has to be rest. There has to be relaxation. There has to be days filled with nothing. I am looking for those days more often. 

This past treatment took so much out of me. It certainly took a long time away from me. At least, that's how I've been looking at it. I want time away to refresh and smell the roses. Wouldn't you?

Have a blessed day everyone.