{Tuesday thought...,for what it is worth, smile!}

"And the day came when the risk to remain tight in a
bud was more painful than the risk it took to blossom."
--Anais Nin

I'm just saying that in pain (WISDOM) there is blossoming (COURAGE) too!

..., and thought of blossoming might well be a good thing!

Image via p.j.

Counting my many blessings today....

I am counting my many blessings and this little girly is on the top of my list.

She just makes me smile so big and be silly for no reason at all!
God really knew how much I needed a soul like hers in my life!!!!!!!!!

Thank you Gretchen for always graciously sharing your daughter with me.
I owe you so much for the gift of Peyton Grace in my life and
the laughter she brings to every life she touches!

She has the heart and wisdom in words of the
Skin horse in the Velveteen Rabbit story.

She would definitely say something like this and mean it.
This quote fits perfectly to wisdom she would bestow...

"It doesn't happen all at once," said the Skin Horse. "You become.
It takes a long time. That's why it doesn't happen
often to people who break easily, or have sharp edges,
or who have to be carefully kept. Generally, by the time
you are Real, most of your hair has been loved off,
and your eyes drop out and you get loose in your
joints and very shabby. But these things don't
matter at all, because once you are Real you can't be ugly,
except to people who don't understand."
--Velveteen Rabbit


Oh am I feeling so very Real today!
She loves to sleep right on top of her people and if not right on top, she wishes your face turned towards her and will hold your face gently as she sleeps. Precious to me.

For attractive lips, speak words of kindness.
For lovely eyes, seek out the good in people.
For a slim figure, share your food with the hungry.
For beautiful hair, let a child run
his or her fingers through it once a day.
For poise, walk with the knowledge
that you'll never walk alone.

-- Audrey Hepburn

Lastly, she has so taught me that pictures don't always have to be perfect with the perfect expression, but life is funny and fun and one should always allow room in their hearts and eyes for times just like this above.

PG you are precious to Me!!!!!!!!

{Learning To Love The Rain}

I woke up early to spend my normal morning with a cup of coffee in one hand, my bible in the other. God on my mind and my heart handing over all my worries and giving thanks for all my smiles and well...., that I can even hand him my everything! It is raining here and from the forecast seems to continue with the exception of some sparkle of sunshine this afternoon for a momentary break.  Being that I am such the sunshine girl and need it like people need water, I decided to write what I love about the rain because people..., I am feeling a great rain attitude adjustment on its' way! Anyhoo, .....

I love...

...the feeling right before it rains when the wind blows hard and that smell of rain cleanse about to greet the world.

...to run my long runs in the rain!

...to dance and jump in puddles on purpose with my niece in the rain.

...that I don't mind getting wet in the rain as long as I am not walking (I mean, running) into work (wink!).

...snuggling up on the couch and reading when it rains without the guilt that I am wasting time.

...how outside foliage stands tall after a rain as if to say thank you to their creator.

...making popcorn when it rains.

...singing with my niece in the rain!

...the hope of the drought being lessened by the fresh rain falling!!!!!!!!

...the way rain smells!

...afternoon beach rain & taking in how the ocean, sky, wind looks so different, yet beautiful.

...scary/crazy rain at times as it makes me feel alive.

...rainbows that happen in Colorado (where I was born) after it rains...., gorgeous!

...hiking in the rain and not giving a care if my make up is there or not.

...the reminder that God is there with us no matter the storms to see us through to sunshine.

...NYC or, well Paris in the rain. Oh, I would soooo take Paris anytime!

...to work at my desk in the rain. I seem to get more accomplished with work when it rains. I guess because I am not thinking I am wishing to be outside as I am such the sunshine girl!

...Lastly, that I can now smile when it rains for so many reasons mentioned above!

What would be on your list?

Oh the time! Back to work for this chick!

Have a blessed and wonderful, sunshine in your heart kind of day!

Image via: Heart this

{Breath-in, Smile and Have a great Monday!}

The morning's view off my porch before heading to work. Yummy sight to see. I am such the sunshine girl, so to see this made me feel creative, happy, blessed and thankful. So, I stopped, (Ran back in, and took a picture!), took a big breath of fresh air, thanked the Good Lord for this view, and smiled big. It just left me ready for a Monday morning and great week.

I thought I would share a little French saying for the week to
get us all a bit more creative.

frapper l'imagination = to fire the imagination

Have a beautiful and just great Monday!

{My Workday, Happy Friday!}

No time to post. Above images...., I had to laugh as this is 

my workday in trying to gain resources to do my job!  

"When we accept tough jobs as a 

challenge to our ability and 

wade into them

with joy and enthusiasm, 

miracles can happen."

-Arland Gilbert

Happy first day of spring, Friday and weekend to ya!

Image via: Cig Harvey

{Pearly Gates....?}

Please forgive me, I am a graphic artist/web designer and think visually. To add to this mix, I have a very logical/intellectual thinking side to go with it. I am very down the middle in right and left brain workings which can be quite entertaining to people, I am certain. Top that with a dry wit and funky sense of humor and well, this made me smile and think..., what if? Forgive me, but I laughed out-loud and was quite tickled with this thought.  It came to mind when I saw this picture. I thought in the past of people talking about their ideas to entering into the pearly gates. I am certain anyone that loves God and desires heaven, well, has their own version of what heaven looks like. In running across this image it made me wonder if this above is what God sees from the opposite view! OH MY! Just a "What If?" for your day to strike your thoughts and smile. I have to believe if this is his view, he smiles as he thinks..."Here come my sweet, lost, ruffled up and matted babies with some of you wee ones a little more matted up than others. I love it that they are hearkened to my whisper to draw near to me and I can't wait to see them too.". He then smiles smiles big, leans down and gathers us up and holds us close.

Just something to think about.

I'd rather think in terms of being his child or a princess in his courts, a woman of integrity that sought wisdom and courage. A woman of big faith who made wise choices in life, loved his people with great and gentle smiles and followed his whisper and hear, "Well done my good and faithful servant.". We are written in the good word as if lost sheep in the bible...., I am just sayin. :) Either way, I pray at the end of my days I am welcomed by him and his placing me on this earth in the first place will be worth his effort. One can pray!

There is sunshine out my office window!!!!!!! I am loving this.

I hope your day is filled with sunshine and smiles too!

Image via: Roy Mckeown

{Happy St. Patty's Day to ya!}

Just a good verse and good quote for a work day....

"He who loves a pure heart and whose speech is 

gracious will have the king for his friend". 

Proverbs 22:11

"Nothing is more endangered in the modern world than 

powerful combination of hard work toward meaningful 

goals joined with an exuberant 

embrace of the present moment."

--Tom Morris

{Image via: Mario Testino, Mark Roper}

Oops, one more thing. Beth thank you for the sweet lemonade blog award! 

So glad you came to visit and I found your blog too!

Dow Is Up Today! :)

So, I woke up at my usual 4:47 a.m. (Trust me I don't get this exact time either as it is without an alarm ever, just the way my body works....I guess..., wierd I know, oh well.). Anyhoo..., I usually spend some quite time with God, my Bible and a cup(s!) of coffee every morning. I turned on the news for a moment to be captured by the the fact that the Dow Jones Industrial Average is up today. However slight for the moment I will take it!

6,930.40 +3.91 / +0.06%.

Forgive me, but I check this daily and well with the addition of meeting with my accountant over my taxes, which by the way felt nothing like a trip to Disney, smile. I am trying to get my mind on what matters and be so grateful to have a job so that paying my taxes is a luxury.
I guess it is all in how one looks at it.

This picture kind of reminded me of how I view the financial world.
I keep thinking at least I still have one shoe on...., smile.

Lest I forget that God is bigger than any situation and where and in whom our hope should be placed. You will probably think I am silly in this because tomorrow it might well be a down thing. But in this it was nice to have a second of hope in this financial present living-on-the-skinny-world that all are working through these days. This whole financial crisis has it's good too. I think it has made me work harder, handle my finances with more care, appreciate things that cannot be bought and well, cause my heart to look out to others as well and pray for our country and people I love. And that my friends is a good thing. Can you see that I am trying to be glass-half-full-girl! :)

I pray your day smiles and hopes are in all the little things that matter!

Oh, I don't know if you have seen this T Mobile Commercial 

from the Liverpool Street Station. Just fun. 

Image from old file. When I find the source I will be sure to post.

Laughter

Please forgive if I am rambling but it is 2:40 a.m. and I cannot sleep. So, create a blog is usually what I do when I cannot sleep and I am done reading the news, my bible or a book. I figure this is better than looking up my stocks currently! So here goes.

I grew up a very serious child and was goal driven from day one. I did not realize the love of laughter until I grew up a bit and wisely found my smile, never forced and easily find funny even in the midst of stress. Throughout life I find that I love being in the company of people that shine laughter. My family is this way and my best friend to closest of friends all have this keen sense of humor and not a conversation goes by no matter the topic at hand that does not in some way contain laughter. I love that! Certainly, my sense of seriousness is still within and my drive is bigger than me, always has been. However, now I don't go a day now without laughter as it just something really cool that God changed within me and thankfully my sweetest of people in my life have rubbed off on me. So, thank you! Laughter truly makes one appreciate more and be lighter ones feet to face life. I pray that for you too!

This below is by, Joel O.. I find it to be worth thinking about and thought I would share.

Laughter:

One of the greatest stress relievers God has given us is laughter. It not only makes us feel better, but it actually releases healing throughout our system. When we laugh, it restores and rejuvenates what the pressures of life have taken out.

Proverbs 17:22 puts it like this, "A happy heart is like a good medicine and a cheerful mind works healing." Notice, when we're good-natured and full of joy, taking time to laugh and play, it's like taking a good medicine. That's what helps us to stay healthy. People that laugh regularly are 40% less likely to have a heart attack than people that don't laugh regularly. Laughter triggers the right side of the brain, which helps release creativity and helps us to make better decisions.

There is too much sickness in our world today. Much of it is related to sadness. It's directly related to the fact that we don't smile enough. We live uptight and stressed out.

But even during trials and hard times, God says to us, "I've got a solution. In difficulties, cheer up. In famine, laugh. Keep your joy." You can laugh your way to victory, to better health and to more energy.

God knows the end of the story. He knows the final outcome. The good news is you and I win. God always causes us to triumph. We should have a spring in our step, a smile on our face, joy in our hearts and unshakeable faith. God's plan for our lives is for good and He has the answer to our every question. Knowing this, we can laugh at the days ahead!

Have a great weekend full of smiles!


Beautiful Red Shoes Image via: petrina tinslay

Girl Scout Cookies and The Freezer?

People Say You Place Them In the Freezer And They Last All Year Long????

What I want to know is how you get them in there
and not just place an empty box for later consumption?

This morning in comes Jon, our co-worker/office GS cookie vendor. You know you have one of these Dads of a girl scout in your office too, with the cute little bags of our Girl Scout Cookie orders.

I fall prey every year to their cute little smiles, dressed all in green as if little leprechauns showing me gold at the end of the rainbow. Then I listen to the "Learning Life Skills" sales pitch as they hand over their pretty little colored lists welcoming me to a tasty order! I think they are used as Satan's tool..., seriously people! I lessened my order to three boxes this year. My girl scout did not look happy with me as she was with her Dad selling them. She probably in her mind thought "She will be calling me later, just you wait and see and begging me and possibly selling off her children if she had any for more!" Little did I remember the rate at which I can consume a box, or three! I know there is a God/life lesson! Hope I learn it quickly lest I be surprised when I have to learn it again.

Anyhoo..., I gave Jon my money and promised myself they would stay there...on my desk...untouched. I would work and look over at them as if to keep watch. Yep, they are still there....staring at me! I had a conversation with my co-worker as we talked about adding mileage to my running. I am a very disciplined person people, really I am. So, my cookies sat on my desk in the bag, tied as if not to tempt! My boss says he orders them and puts them in the freezer to eat later. He must order many lest he get any in there! I have to laugh out-loud as I look next to my keyboard only to realize that I have unbeknown to me, not only opened a box of Thin Mints, but had already consumed six! Eeeeek. "What in Sam Hill did I just do?!!!!!!). I would pick salty over sweets on any given day, but tell me there are thin mints somewhere and seriously without knowing it I will go through a wall to get to those pretties and consume a pack in a breaths time and not feel like I have tasted even one! I hasten to find the calorie count..., Oh my!

Time for prayer, confession and reflection, smile!....

Oh well, I made it. I am back on the cookie wagon and they are now safely in the kitchen and in the freezer. I am seriously going to have to walk out the other side of the office today. Thank goodness it is a bit of a walk so I can get rid of these six cookies that quickly made there way into my hands. I find this funny as I just talked with a dear friend of mine about working out and eating healthy and added at the end of the sentence..."It Matters." As if to give this guy a lecture. If you only knew how healthy he eats. He should be giving me the lecture!

Oh well, one has to know their enemy, right? And the enemy my friends are GS cookies! HA.
Obviously I went with the saying...."Keep your friends close and your enemies closer!" :)

I don't believe in throwing one's money to the wind either, but may have to give these babies to the sweet man that comes and collects my trash at the end of each work day. Sure I will confess to him and he will look at me and smile as if to know what I am saying and take the cookies and say good night in the English he knows. Thank goodness he will not know what I am saying and hopefully take these cookies out of my life!!!!!

I hope if you did get your cookies this week that they landed safely in the freezer and well if not, they are good for the eating, smile!


Image via Delicious

Meet Danty

Meet Danty. My new sponsor girl through Compassion International. She is 11 and from Indonesia. She looks so sad to me and it breaks my heart! However, I am going to find a way to bring a big smile to her. Where there is a will, well, there is a way, smile!

Prior, I had this sweet, tenacious sponsor girl named Evi (pictured above) for 11 years through Compassion from age 3 to age 14. In November I found out that she had moved and was taken out of the program. The information given in a phone call to me was quick and vague. In honesty, I was lost in the message and quite angry. My heart was broken with questions. How am I going to know she is ok? Will she be safe? How do you just loose track of someone that matters! Oh, and that I gently wished her to know that her future, food and school and her heart towards God mattered to me. The company of Compassion could give me no solid answers to her quick departure, but they were kind as I called saddened (In anger..., lets just call it what it is.) requesting information as to why. I pulled back and did a discovery of my heart as to why I did it in the first place. I went freelance years ago before my current job and did not have much money at all. I thought, you know what. God I am going to step out in faith. I don't have much to give but realize if I can help this little girl and trust you to bring in the funds to send to Compassion Intl. and my normal tithe on whatever I make, well, I can trust my life and welfare to God too. So I did just that. Evi ended up being a great blessing and humbled me quite often to what really matters in life. In this I found that it is truly a financial testimony to how really cool God is in so many aspects as God always met my financial needs perfectly sometimes to the penny exactly.

In that reminder, I realized that God knows every hair on Evi's head and if I trust him at all, I have to trust that he has her in his hand. So, I did more investigating of where Compassion funds go to and back reports on the company. In this I found a place that really does have the child's future in mind. So, I looked and found Danty after months of reflecting. This little girl has been waiting for someone to choose her for 6 months! I cannot imagine waiting for someone to pick me with my schooling and things that go with this hanging on a pendulum. So, I am now on a new adventure with a little girl named Danty. While Evi always sits in my heart every day I continue in prayer over her life, I pray that I handle my communication and care in prayers for Danty better than I did for Evi. I pray to bring this little girl peace in her life and allow God to show her his heart through me in some capacity. I just wanted you to meet this little girl. My new little friend that I hope to encourage and make life a little softer for in some way. I know she will show me much too.

I pray your day is going well and wish for sunshine all over you today! With this winter weather that I am soooooo over I think we could all use a good dose of sunshine on our faces!

Positve Tuesday

Far away in the sunshine are my highest aspirations. I may not reach them, but I can look up and see the beauty, believe in them and try to follow where they lead.

-- Louisa May Alcott (1832-1888) American Writer

Don't wait for your "ship to come in" and feel angry and cheated when it doesn't.
Get going with something small.

-- Irene Kassorla

Image via: Anson Smart

Birthday Bliss

Many of you keep within your walls the sweet breaths of babies no matter how old, but altogether still magical. I wish I did, but do not...., yet. However, I get my niece for many moments of laughter. Below is just one of those fun times I got her for Anthony's birthday.  I think it is so great when one sees a child conquer challenges. This was one of those as I helped her get the balloon to a place so she could blow it up as they were even hard for me to get to blow-up point as I giggled through. Ahhhhh, sweetness when she finally got it. However, face one is the one she made every time as we had 24 of these colorful babies to blow up for Anthony's personal 3 person party that she was throwing for him.
She is so very smart. Here is a conversation that she and I shared last Saturday.

We were out running errands on Saturday and on the way home she looked in the rear view mirror at me. I had the mirror turned to her in the back seat so I could have a conversation. Probably not safe driving, but like I said I don't have children and one of those crazy mirrors you Mom's have in the front of your cars so you can see your sweeties.

So, Peyton Grace looked at me and said, "Kiki, have you seen the documentary on Diet Mountain Dew?" I said "No, Baby, I did not, but know that your Mommy drinks it." She said "It is very bad for your health and went on telling me of the symptoms if one has had too many over time." My reply was "Well, is your Mommy cutting down on drinking Diet Mountain Dew?" She said, "Well as a matter of fact we are eating healthier and she is only having one a week." Then pauses a long pause, sighs and looks out the window and says to herself, "I remember when I was just livin the dream on sugar...just livin the dream!" And what child at seven says the word, "documentary"? I about ran off the road laughing.

Anthony thanking her for his gifts, and the party she held for him.

This little girly loves mussels. They make my skin crawl, but I am a TRIER as she requested and had two....salty, slimy,$$$, yuck. Seriously people, they are glorified slugs!!!!

PG and I well, just being one another's sidekicks like we are when in one another's company for our dinner for Anthony at Vinny's.

Odd angle on the camera of me, but I love hugs from this little one,
so if I look out of sorts, I am so good with that, smile.

Right before our dinner as she was waiting to show Anthony the dress
she picked for her party for him.

On Sunday his actual birthday we went to Pure Taquiria. My favorite restaurant in Atlanta!

These two are always scheming up something. Fun to sit back and watch the fun.

PG before church. I came around the corner to her singing to herself. I went and got my camera and she looked up at me at the perfect time. Sweetness.

Off my back porch last Sunday. The view is seriously my favorite part of my house!
Most every weekend and some nights one is bound to find a balloon flying across the sky.

Below of her sleeping in the post prior is what happened right after our Birthday lunch for the remainder of the day. I told her staying out late would be hard on her. The girl did not believe me....until now. :)

Have a great week! I hope it is blessed big!