Friday, October 31, 2008

Happy Halloween!

Have a fun, creative and safe Halloween and I hope your weekend is beautiful!

Image via: C. Harvey

Thursday, October 16, 2008

How my Morning should have started... to Whisper, Surrender, Blessing

This is a verrrrrry long story about my day and about a girl (me) that took a long time (ALLLLL DAYYYYYY), to Hear his quiet whisper and surrender her day and time to Christ and just think of someone else and to realize that love can win big in the end. Soooooooooo, Once upon a time (last night) off to bed for sweet dreams after the Debate (Wed. night).

For this...
and this...


Zzzzzzzzzzzz Ahhhh sweet sleep....abrupt wake up! To, out-loud no less saying to myself and what I have seen in movies...."What was that noise!" Do I go downstairs or not? Do I have a bat? Would I use a gun if I had one? Cold Mountain baby...(My sisters and Mom will get this!). I have never experienced this so yes, a small incident, but I was half asleep.

Okay. So, in my mind, my morning-to-be I wished for looked yummy like this....
This is what it ended up looking like as the morning proceeded...
Sweet image below, but in truth I felt like this. Between my sweet dreams and the present moment, I could not get out of my thoughts to wrap my mind around what had happened as I had just gotten to sleep at around 3am. I just don't sleep well and I live in a lovely, sweet, safe new neighborhood, right? Why do I now feel surrounded in this? I refuse to fear!
I got a 4am-ish wake up call by a squad (Yes, a squad.) of cop cars and 4 cops banging at my door and in my culdesac. Mind you,
I have never come across a cop living on the cusp of the city and I move outside the perimeter and they greet me at 4am-ish at my door.
I would have become awake much quicker had they used the doorbell.
More action this way I guess!

And I thought my floor fan was making some strange noise! HA!

Someone had gone through my new, sweet and very safe neighborhood and 2 surrounding
Million dollar neighborhoods (Are they $$$$$ in this new economy?) and broke into cars.
They even stopped to share in this event in my driveway and take things of mine too. No windows broken, thankfully. They were pros.

The blessing: The police came to the door to bring the items back, take pictures and get information. Bigger blessing: The accused and now caught perpetrators never entered into my home. Thank you God for that protection!
They came back through today to make certain all was well.

So, I tried for some time with God after this event to count my blessings.......and proceeded to fall asleep with my coffee in hand. rrrrrrrrrrrrrr!
So I took a shower and put on clothes.... ...and off to my desk for a very long work day as they are all these days. 
Yes, what I had on was similar to this. Love the crisp color of black in a big way.

For the rest of my Morning conversations did not go well! At all!
Blessing: I thought quick enough to get quiet and got to work.
Sometimes it is best just to remain silent in kindness
to keep myself out of later regret of words.


You know. If you don't have something nice to say....., shut your pie hole!

"Be amusing: never tell unkind stories;
above all, never tell long ones."
~ Benjamin Disraeli

...Ok, my story/blog is long...., I get it, sorry.

"To speak and to speak well are two things.
A fool may talk, but a wise man speaks."

~ Ben Jonson


"Of those who say nothing, few are silent."
~ Thomas Neill

Then off to get new tires during lunch. "That will be 90 minutes and $$$$$, Mamm (What in Sam Hill? Mammmmmmmm?)...please."

Blessing: I finally had time to finish reading the Shack (A must read.).Each page of the middle of this book unfolded delightfully and changed my soul as it talked directly to my circumstances of the day good vs evil and how we view it.

and then....

With lack of seating, I sat on the sidewalk with my book in the very front of a handicap parking space. Things got worse as I was almost run over by this Mom in her mini-van parking on top of me (twice), trying to finally have a "Oh yes, God I understand" moment. I get it, I must be so tiny she did not see me, or it was the black outfit I had on that was like camouflage!!!!!!!! Seriously, did I do something bad to someone last night? I mean, I did watch the debate and maybe the people in Hollywood caught word of who I am voting for so they are trying to stop my vote before Nov. 04. Plan foiled as I will be there voting with bells on (As they say in the South.)......That is when God whispered to me deep in my heart....above my yelling at him asking forgiveness, as I watched this Mom take her wee little one out of the car and placed her in her small wheelchair and off they went across the parking lot to get something to eat. Ugh, I can be such a jerk, and God quietly showed me that things are not always as they first appear.
Oh yes God, back to my book! Then in my heart was this....

"Hi, It's me (God),
Don't you hear my whisper?
I have been trying to get your attention all day.
Aren't you tired yet?
Can you give it all to me and just Surrender?
and seriously, go be a blessing!"


In reality God has tugged at my heart all day to see him and that there is good even in little storms. Good masked by yuck. Today, one thing happened after another to the point of silent tears that were so deep in my heart that I could not have spoken even if I had wished. God all the while was whispering "You will find me today, you will find me...pinky promise, but quit looking in."

Okay God...I hear ya!

"Lord, I do, I lay me down in your presence and give you the tears of my day and my praise, and joys first. Lord please, please use this day anyway through me somehow as a blessing so your people can see your light and bring a smile beyond me, through me!" And behold, the greatest quiet blessing came as I
found him not by looking within, but in looking out and FINALLY being a blessing and not a burden to those around me. So, God found me a way to be a blessing. I listened with my heart and responded and my whole heart changed. 
Yes, it felt just like in the Grinch who stole Christmas when his heart grew big...I promise!My Sweet Mom has always taught me to be a blessing. Why did it take me all day to grasp what I have always learned from her about hard times and being a blessing in the midst?
Why (as I will post later with pictures and wonder) as this sweet friend Nancy, made me antique pillows by hand just last week (AMAZING by the way) did I not learn quicker?.

God thank you for your patience with me and help me realize the needs of others.
Sometimes, oh my goodness!
So, as I continue to work. I realize God was in my entire day. I just needed to...walk with Him and he will give me rest for my soul and a new song in my heart.

Psalm 37: 30, 31
The mouth of the righteous (woman) utters wisdom,
And their (her) t
ongue speaks what is just.
The law of his God is in their (her)heart;
Her feet do not slip.


Back to work for this chick and then off for a good long run!


So, how was your day? Was there hope in it or was it a challenge?
I pray it was blessed with smiles and just true no matter the circumstances.
Oh my, and I pray it took you less time to hear his voice than it did me!
And all God's Children said...AMEN!

To end my day. Anthony came by and brought me a hug, sushi and a Starbucks.
He only knew parts about my day, but it meant so much!

Image via dreamhouse, shhhh, Sarah Kaye, Day home, Tine K Home, BarlowGirl, Hillsong, Anne Fontaine with my own added McCain button, LeChat, C&C, Ever wondered

Side note: Wendy, my little sister always makes me laugh out loud. Angie, my sweet friend is just as funny and told me about this video of Dennis Quaid on the Ellen Show. I laughed out loud (Which always feels strange to me when I am alone!) once back at home and safely in my office.
Thought I would share Dennis Quaid on Ellen Show at Starbucks.

Hillarious!

Thursday, October 9, 2008

Just good hope in the midst.


In awe of beauty in a shovel

I wish I could gather the dust bunnies that gravitate to my hardwood floors daily, (Even though I sweep every night.) and make them look like this lace dirt rug below! Now that would just be just pretty wonderful!It is good to dream, but it is better to dream and work. Faith is
mighty, but action with faith is mightier.

-- Thomas Robert Gaines

Like a girl in a creative candy store and well, in desperate need of 5 minutes to rest my mind in the midst of amazing deadlines with work. So, here goes and then back to it for me. These pretties have been in a folder on my desktop for many a sunrise, so I wished you to experience these creative wonders too. Who knew a shovel could be so beautiful and notice the dirt rug! Yes, the lace rug it is made of dirt! I saw this a bit ago on Ralph Lauren's site and am just amazed at the creative mind. The creator of these metal lace masterpieces is Cal Lane. Enjoy. Oh my, 5 minutes can go so quickly. Back to work for this girly and grateful for work am I!