Worry ~

Yesterday was an exceptional day of rewarding inspirational moments.  Wednesday's Bible study focused on "worry" and who doesn't worry, some definitely more than others.  Sometimes we worry so much that whatever we are worrying about almost becomes bigger than life.  I loved the illustration that was given in our study book concerning how worry grows and how we should keep a realistic perspective on our thoughts.  Visualize a fog, a fog so thick that you can barely see the hand in front of you.  Fogs are common in London and can stop everything dead in their tracks.  A fog bank a hundred feet deep and covering seven city blocks is composed of less than one glass of water.  Divided into billions of droplets, it hasn't much substance.  Yet it has the power to bring an entire city to a standstill.  Now think about your worries, are they as small as a mere glass of water or do we let them grow so large that they can bring an entire city to a standstill.  There is a wise saying that says, "worry is a down payment on a debt you may never have to pay."

• Worry is often unfounded
• Is generalized (can spread to many things)
• You become obsessed with the problem
• It can create more problems (ie health, stress)
• We look to ourselves or others for answers instead of looking to God for our concerns.

These are the things we worry about:

• 40% are things that will never happen
• 30% are about the past - which can't be changed
• 12% are about criticism by others, mostly untrue
• 10% are about health, which gets worse with stress
• 8% are about real problems than CAN be solved

Three concise and practical steps to claim victory over worry

1. Be anxious about nothing.
2. Be prayerful about everything.
3. Be thankful for all things.

If we can adapt these practical steps we can at least reduce the size of our worries into a 1/2 of a glass of water which would reduce the size of the fog to three and a half city blocks.

As we discussed worry I found that most of the younger women are far more worrisome than us "more mature" generation.  I think it is because we have lived through our children growing up and out of the house, we have experienced so much more in life as 60 + year old women vs. mid 30's women, some of us have gone through great loss and heartache and managed to live through it and continue to lead full and meaningful lives.  My worries have diminished over time, and when I do have a worry or concern I seek the help of God through prayer.

"Oh what peace we often forfeit, oh what needless pain we bear.  All because we do not carry, everything to God in prayer."  ~  Colossians 4:2

Linking to Deb's This or That Thursdays and Nancy's Rural Thursday and Leanne's Flower Art Friday.....

Until next time....

While Passing Away

There is no season in all the year so beautiful, so radiant with glory, 

as the early autumn.

There is no time when the human soul drinks in so fully 

the glory and beauty of nature.

All objects of beauty are more beautiful while passing away from us.

The closing up of a beautiful life - the fading of the

holy stars in the dim light of morning - 

the ending of a quiet summer day and the passing 

away of the bright summer glory,

are all more sweet and lovely 

as they are lost to us.

The death-glow always beautifies anything that

wears the trace of beauty ere it goes back 

to nothingness.

We do not understand the secret of this principle,

yet we know that it is some law of the infinite mind.

                                                                                 ~ The Northern Advocate

Linking to

and Sarah's..... Orange You Glad It's Friday (for some odd reason the badge would not copy)

Until next time.....

Harmony

Yesterday morning began Women on Wednesday's (WOW) 5th year together.  There is nothing more beautiful than women gathering to dig deeper into our spirituality together.  "Having a Mary Heart in a Martha World" is the subject of our Bible study this fall.  If you are not familiar with Mary and Martha the story is rather short, but it speaks volumes.  If you have a chance, read Luke 10:38-42, 5 short verses that introduce us to the tale of two sisters and then tell me if you are a "Martha" or a "Mary".  Five short verses reveal so much about ourselves and during this study we will learn to balance our Martha with our Mary to live a more harmonious life.

And speaking of harmony...there is nothing more harmonious than a walk through my favorite garden center on a September afternoon.

There were yellows.....

And pinks....even the bugs are coordinated

An orange...

Reds...

And finally Jiminy Cricket...

O Christ, do not give me tasks equal to my powers,

but give me powers equal to my tasks, 

for I want to be stretched by things too great for me.

I want to grow through the greatness of my tasks,

but I shall need your help for the growing.

~  E. Stanley Jones

Linking with Deb's This or That Thursday, Leanne's Flower Art Friday and Nancy's Rural Thursday, Misty at Camera Critters and Walk & Click Wednesdays.....

Until next time....

A Big Deal

Today we got new shoes.  Now that may not seem like a big deal to you, but to me buying shoes for my sweetie is a big deal.  First he wears a size 7 1/2 and if any of you have noticed you can no longer buy 7 1/2's off the shelf.  I guess they (?) determined that not enough men wore 7 1/2's to warrant stocking them in stores.  You can order them out of catalogs and through some shoe shops but no longer in the stores.  Oh I should take that back, Clark's does stock some 7 1/2's in their stores, but very few.  OK that is my first problem.  So now I buy 1 new pair and order 1 new pair.  Two trips to see my sweetie and neither fit.

OK...now it is determined that he can't wear a 7 1/2 any longer, try for an 8.  The man is 73 years old, how could his feet possibly grow at his age??  Another trip to the store and I haven't even returned the first two pair yet.  OK now we try 8's...I'll admit they are somewhat easier to find, but 9's and 10's seem to be the most popular on the shelves.  I purchase 2 more pairs and another trip to his facility for another shoe try-on.  Glory be...the 2nd one fit.  And he seemed to be happy with them.  At least he still had them on the entire time I was visiting.  I should probably buy a 2nd pair just because, but who knows...his feet might grow (?)  before he is ready for another pair.  So yes, getting new shoes is a big deal.

I was so happy when I left that I had to stop and snap a picture of this barn.  I added that ray of sunshine because that's how I felt.

And I found this lovely zinnia just radiating in the sunlight. Adding this to Leanne's Flower Art Friday.

Please visit me today over at my collaborative blog Focusing On Life where I am "connecting with my friends".

I hope you have a wonderful weekend ahead....stay safe, stay happy.

"Learn to hold loosely all that is not eternal."  ~  A. M. Boydon

Until next time....

Smile

So few muscles are needed.

It takes very little effort.

And provides oh so many benefits.

Smiling always brightens our faces

and lights up every room.

It can disarm and 

charm.
Add mystery and fun.
Fill your day with smiles,
it's good for you.

Joining Leanne's Flower Art Friday....

"It takes 17 muscles to smile, and 47 muscles to frown.  Conserve energy."  ~ Unknown

Until next time....

August Break - Looking Toward the Sun

What is more August and more summertime than sunflowers with their drooping heads and their golden petals?  It is definitely August.

Linking to Leanne's

"Keep your face to the sunshine and you cannot see the shadows. It's what sunflowers do."  ~  Helen Keller

Until next time.....

Thursday Stuff...

I heard a sound last night that I haven't heard in a long, long time.  The sound of thunder and rain.  Oh Lord did I love that sound, eventho Toby was on top of me all night long.  As much as I like the sound, he is totally opposite, do they have teeny tiny earplugs for dogs??  The plants and flowers all had happy smiles on their faces this morning, the trees still want more, but are glad they got a taste of moisture.

Yesterday, as I went to Leows and Home Depot still buying stuff for the bathrooms, I had, just had to pick up some colorful flowers to add a splash of color back into the garden.  This heat has pretty much wiped out all the flowering plants, their leaves are crisp and the flowers are a dried-up brown color.  Not exactly awe inspiring.  And because it is late in the season, most are on sale right now if you can find some that are not hanging on for dear life due to  neglect.  But low and behold Leows had some grand multi-colored zinnias and periwinkles that both love the heat and sun.  Hopefully they will add just the right punch that the garden needs right now.

Linking up to Deb's This or That Thursday, Nancy's Rural Thursday, Beyond Layers & LeAnne's Flower Art Friday.

Thinking about this one for my postcard for Kat's Liberate Your Art Postcard Swap....these have to be mailed pretty darn quick so I have to make a decision fast.  I ordered blank postcards from www.The2Buds.com.  They have a sticky back so you just peel off and add your own image.  On the other side they have the regular postcard image address, stamp and place to write a note.  I ordered 50 thinking I could put them to use for myself.

Or I may choose the one with the pony in the field of flowers, or the farm scene, or the hydrangeas in the ball jar...see that's the trouble, it's hard to choose.

Over at Kim's Beyond Layers this week it is fence week...she also gave us a sweet texture to use for today's link-up....I am likin' this one.  Using this also for my Flickr group "Prompt Addicts" for Quote Week...2 birds, one stone.

A little more rain fell on my parade today...after painting my bathroom cabinet two coats of primer and then 3 coats of black paint, my people, you know my people, came back today to finish up.....he was afraid it had not dried long enough and was leery to install the sink base, faucets, and lighting fixture for fear of messing up the paint job. (and it was a fine paint job, I will have to say)  Damn, and I thought today would be the day it would be DONE....but we will continue to muddle on and they will be back on Saturday to FINISH!! If you want to slowly lose your mind, not sleep, make umteenth trips to Home Depot do not, I repeat DO NOT decide to re-do 3 bathrooms at the same time.

Eventho I didn't get my sink in today, I did get the paper lantern hung that I bought over a year ago for the screen porch....it is so colorful...I love it.

Gotta go, have to return some cabinet hardware and buy more.  See what I mean....never-ending.

"No one has every drowned in his own sweat."  ~  Ann Landers

Until next time.....

A Day At A Time

Live a day at a time.

Each day I look for a kernel of excitement.

In the morning, I say:

"What is my exciting thing for today?"

Then, I do the day.

Don't ask me about tomorrow.

~ Barbara Jordan

Linking to Leanne's Flower Art Friday....

Until next time....

Looking for a Rainbow

It is blazing hot and I am heading out for a Perennial Garden Fest...I'm I nuts??  I didn't even go to our weekly band concert last night because of the heat.  We received a little rain (and I do mean little), just enough to really steam things up so I opted to stay at home in the AC.  But before I settled in for a cool night at home, I went out with my camera and took a few after the rain photos.  Hopefully later I will have bunches of new pics of gorgeous floral displays.  This garden center really does things up beautifully for this Fest.  Keeping fingers crossed everything is still nicely displayed after this awful heat and winds we have had.

I actually went outside looking for a rainbow because the sun began to peek out before the rain stopped.  I didn't find a rainbow, but I sure found lots of pretty raindrop bokeh.  This is the driveway that was just sparkling...

And the cone flower, I could photograph these beauties over and over and over again, especially when they are surrounded by rain bokeh...!!  Linking up to LeAnne's Flower Art Friday and Shoot Edit Submit.

And finally a little hydrangea bush that has the absolute whitest blooms, I think they are supposed to be pink, but they are truly pristine white.

Enjoy the end of the week, 4th of July celebrations start this weekend around here.  And I am off this evening to enjoy a Family Fest with my sweetie along with my daughter and one granddaughter joining us.

And....please hop on over to my collaborative blog, Focusing On Life where I am getting creative.

And in honor of a very talented lady, Nora Ephron, I end this post with one of her quotes....
“When your children are teenagers, it’s important to have a dog so that someone in the house is happy to see you.”    —I Feel Bad About My Neck


Until next time....