As I go through my newsfeed over at Facebook Land, I often see posts from some of my Christian friends talking about what the the father of lies (the devil) is doing in their lives (i.e, "I'm under attack from satan", The devil is messing with my life", "I must be doing something right; satan sure is mad at me", etc., etc., etc.).
Additionally, as I go through a day, a week, any time-frame, really, I often am privy to other similar offline conversations, as well. Granted, not all Christians do this; but it does seem to be a very common practice.
Frankly, this strange behavior has *always* bothered me. If Christians are followers of Christ, shouldn't they, instead, be talking about what Christ is doing in their lives?
I wrote the following the other day as a comment to one of y'all's blogs that I read. It sums up pretty well my feelings and opinion of whom Christians should be discussing regarding what's going on in their lives. I share it here now, with y'all. :)
*~*~*~*~*
I can understand how easy it is for people to focus more on the abilities of the father of lies than they do regarding Our Lord’s Majesty. Sure, satan can really muck up our lives – IF we let him; if we believe his lies. I personally prefer to remember that he is already defeated and that he will *always* be defeated; even (and especially) through Eternity. There’s an awesome security in knowing that he simply cannot hurt me; not in any manner that means anything. In fact, on the rare times that I do refer to satan (such as discussions like these), I intentionally refer to him as the defeated one; because that’s exactly what he is.
It’s not so much what other people do or say (or don’t do / don’t say) that shapes our lives; it’s our response to them (or any situation) that is what’s really important. Ultimately, we are responsible for our own lives. Having said that, each of us should also strive to treat people the way that Jesus would have us treat them. Sometimes people (anyone) can miss the mark on that – BUT, that doesn’t negate that ultimately we (and no one else) are responsible for our own lives.
Also, do we listen to the lies from the defeated one or do we turn our focus and attention to Our Lord? Do we praise the defeated one by talking about what all he’s doing in our life (because that’s exactly what it is to his ears; anytime we talk about what satan can do or is doing, we’re giving him praise) – OR do we choose to praise Our Lord instead, and to stand on His Word?
In Ephesians, Our Lord gives us specific instructions as to how to stand firm against the defeated one: “Finally, be strong in the Lord and in His mighty power. Put on the full armor of God, so that you can take your stand against the devil’s schemes. For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms. Therefore put on the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything, to stand. Stand firm then, with the belt of truth buckled around your waist, with the breastplate of righteousness in place, and with your feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the Gospel of Peace. In addition to all this, take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one. Take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God. And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests. With this in mind, be alert and always keep on praying for all the Lord’s people.” (Ephesians 6:10-18)
Here’s to standing firm in Our Lord’s Peace and Joy!
Be blessed,
Sharmie
Saturday, May 18, 2013
Monday, May 13, 2013
Instant Communication
Note: This post will probably step on some toes. It's not meant to do so. It *is* meant to offer another perspective; one that is, hopefully, also laced with encouragement. There ya go. :)
We are at a period in time when some of us still remember life before electronic communication. Fiddle. There are even some of us (though, admittedly, far fewer in number, who can remember that a telephone was a luxury and not every single home - much less every single person - had such a device).
Before electronic communication (emails, IMs, Pms, texts and the like), people kept up with their long-distance friends through postal mail (long-distance phone calls were very costly; and not considered a way of life back then). Sometimes several weeks would pass before one friend replied to the other; it just depended on what else was going on in the writer's life during that time specific period as to how expedient they would be able to reply.
Part of that was that correspondence used to be an art; or at least, an event to be savoured.
I like that. I like being able to sit down, relaxed and completely unrushed and focus my attention completely on whomever I am writing to at the moment. I like being able to have moments of memories regarding the recipeint of my note. It's almost the next best thing to be there with them. I also realize that many of y'all are probably staring at your computer screen and asking me just exactly when you are going to be able to find the time to do this. I get that; it's a busier world today than it was yesterday. But, nonetheless, I still like thinking of keeping in touch as an event to be savoured; even if the event last just only minutes.
("Moments of memories" - y'all like that? I just made that up. At least I think I just made it up; who knows; the web of world wideness might be filled with that phrase. That's how it goes; everytime I think I'm creating something original via my words, I find out that it's already been created and breathing on its own. Fiddle).
*~*~*~*~*
Today, firmly ensconced in the Information Age, we can access any type of information in mere seconds. This speed of transmission also applies to how quickly we can communicate with each other.
And . . .
. . . It also has changed our perspective on how quickly others should respond back to us. We have become an impatient society; wanting our replies from others to arrive at the speed of light. When the replies do not come quickly enough, we take offense and receive hurt feelings where none of neither was offered in the first place. We imagine various scenarios as to why the other person hasn't yet responded; all usually pointing at some type of negativity that we know they must be feeling toward us. "We", of course, is generic; "we", in this instant, truly doesn't apply to me; and kudos to you if it doesn't apply to you, neither.
I'm not talking about business and customer service. I do believe that businesses should be prompt in replying to inquiries, complaints, et al (however, I also do recognize that there should also be a reasonable time period allowed for such replies; and that time period is *not* instantaneous). However, as I mentioned, this post is not about the business world.
This post *is* about the personal communications we have with each other; whether those communiques are via emails, PMs, IMs, texts or other similar such zooming-fast avenues.
Over the years, I have periodically received an electronic communication wherein the sender either asked me if they have offended me or apologized for doing so and/or both - asked about and apologized for an offense . . . when no offense was even perceived on my part. The motive behind these notes? I had not yet responded to their note they sent to me. My memory can recall at least three separate times (with different people each time) where I have received such curious correspondence. Since three times is the charm (as the saying goes) I've decided it's time for this post.
What's most puzzling is that those notes in question were sent maybe a day prior (if, even that long) to my receiving the writer's next note wondering if they had offended me; sometimes mere hours had passed before the question of offence was brought up. When I then ask them why they think they've offended me, they then tell me because I haven't responded to their note yet. Just to be clear, we are not talking about emails or PMs that carry any type of urgency with them, nor are we talking about notes wherein there was already pre-existing friction between the writer and me; the notes in question were not time-sensitive nor urgent in any way.
Sigh.
Heavy sigh.
Breathe in. Breathe out.
Repeat. Breathe in. Slowly. Now, breathe out. Slowly.
Now. Repeat this 3 more times.
I had to take a moment to decompress. Thank you for bearing with me (and perhaps, you, too, took your own moment to bring relaxation back into your life, as well).
Have we become that impatient as a society that all correspondence must be answered immediately? Or, is it not impatience that fuels such uncertainty, but perhaps insecurity? I ponder that last part because of various things I read on people's Facebook walls that clearly show their insecurity regarding their relationships with people as a whole (but, again, that's a whole other topic, for another day).
Either way, may I tell y'all, dear friends, that the outcome for the recipient (being me) of such notes is usally some type of stress; regardless as to whether the notes were fueled by impatience or insecurity, or even both. If prior to the "original" note, there wasn't any friction between us, why create some by writing the second note wondering if I have been offended because I haven't immediately answered your first note?
Can y'all see how that would be frustrating; especially given the short time frame between when the first note was written and then the second note written? Why borrow trouble where none exists?
*~*~*~*~*
So! Here are some reasons as to why I might not respond to your note to me right away:
*~*~*~*~*
One more thing, y'all . . . I've received several electronic messages over the past few days. If you are among this specific group of wonderful people, please, please, please do not assume that I'm talking about YOU in this post. And while there's only been one of y'all recently that has asked if they have offended me, know that I'm not talking only to you. You, my charming friend, may have been the catalyst for this blog entry (being the charm of the third time and all that, doncha know), but I am *not* singling you out; you just gave me great fodder for this post. :)
Thanks for reading, y'all!
Be blessed, relax, practice patience and take time to savor.
In other words. . . Chill, babycakes!
:)
~~Sharmie
We are at a period in time when some of us still remember life before electronic communication. Fiddle. There are even some of us (though, admittedly, far fewer in number, who can remember that a telephone was a luxury and not every single home - much less every single person - had such a device).
Before electronic communication (emails, IMs, Pms, texts and the like), people kept up with their long-distance friends through postal mail (long-distance phone calls were very costly; and not considered a way of life back then). Sometimes several weeks would pass before one friend replied to the other; it just depended on what else was going on in the writer's life during that time specific period as to how expedient they would be able to reply.
Part of that was that correspondence used to be an art; or at least, an event to be savoured.
I like that. I like being able to sit down, relaxed and completely unrushed and focus my attention completely on whomever I am writing to at the moment. I like being able to have moments of memories regarding the recipeint of my note. It's almost the next best thing to be there with them. I also realize that many of y'all are probably staring at your computer screen and asking me just exactly when you are going to be able to find the time to do this. I get that; it's a busier world today than it was yesterday. But, nonetheless, I still like thinking of keeping in touch as an event to be savoured; even if the event last just only minutes.
("Moments of memories" - y'all like that? I just made that up. At least I think I just made it up; who knows; the web of world wideness might be filled with that phrase. That's how it goes; everytime I think I'm creating something original via my words, I find out that it's already been created and breathing on its own. Fiddle).
*~*~*~*~*
Today, firmly ensconced in the Information Age, we can access any type of information in mere seconds. This speed of transmission also applies to how quickly we can communicate with each other.
And . . .
. . . It also has changed our perspective on how quickly others should respond back to us. We have become an impatient society; wanting our replies from others to arrive at the speed of light. When the replies do not come quickly enough, we take offense and receive hurt feelings where none of neither was offered in the first place. We imagine various scenarios as to why the other person hasn't yet responded; all usually pointing at some type of negativity that we know they must be feeling toward us. "We", of course, is generic; "we", in this instant, truly doesn't apply to me; and kudos to you if it doesn't apply to you, neither.
I'm not talking about business and customer service. I do believe that businesses should be prompt in replying to inquiries, complaints, et al (however, I also do recognize that there should also be a reasonable time period allowed for such replies; and that time period is *not* instantaneous). However, as I mentioned, this post is not about the business world.
This post *is* about the personal communications we have with each other; whether those communiques are via emails, PMs, IMs, texts or other similar such zooming-fast avenues.
Over the years, I have periodically received an electronic communication wherein the sender either asked me if they have offended me or apologized for doing so and/or both - asked about and apologized for an offense . . . when no offense was even perceived on my part. The motive behind these notes? I had not yet responded to their note they sent to me. My memory can recall at least three separate times (with different people each time) where I have received such curious correspondence. Since three times is the charm (as the saying goes) I've decided it's time for this post.
What's most puzzling is that those notes in question were sent maybe a day prior (if, even that long) to my receiving the writer's next note wondering if they had offended me; sometimes mere hours had passed before the question of offence was brought up. When I then ask them why they think they've offended me, they then tell me because I haven't responded to their note yet. Just to be clear, we are not talking about emails or PMs that carry any type of urgency with them, nor are we talking about notes wherein there was already pre-existing friction between the writer and me; the notes in question were not time-sensitive nor urgent in any way.
Sigh.
Heavy sigh.
Breathe in. Breathe out.
Repeat. Breathe in. Slowly. Now, breathe out. Slowly.
Now. Repeat this 3 more times.
I had to take a moment to decompress. Thank you for bearing with me (and perhaps, you, too, took your own moment to bring relaxation back into your life, as well).
Have we become that impatient as a society that all correspondence must be answered immediately? Or, is it not impatience that fuels such uncertainty, but perhaps insecurity? I ponder that last part because of various things I read on people's Facebook walls that clearly show their insecurity regarding their relationships with people as a whole (but, again, that's a whole other topic, for another day).
Either way, may I tell y'all, dear friends, that the outcome for the recipient (being me) of such notes is usally some type of stress; regardless as to whether the notes were fueled by impatience or insecurity, or even both. If prior to the "original" note, there wasn't any friction between us, why create some by writing the second note wondering if I have been offended because I haven't immediately answered your first note?
Can y'all see how that would be frustrating; especially given the short time frame between when the first note was written and then the second note written? Why borrow trouble where none exists?
*~*~*~*~*
So! Here are some reasons as to why I might not respond to your note to me right away:
- I may be time-pressed. I might have time to read a note, but not have the time to respond. Nature might have called. The puppy girls might have come bounding up to me with tales to tell me of their outside adventures. Tex might have come home (and, yeah . . . pretty-much, when Tex is home and is not working on his thesis or out weeding the flower beds or anything else that doesn't involve me, we are probably going to be together, focusing our time on each other). Perhaps, grandbabies or great nephews and/or nieces or even non-familial babies entered the picture at that moment (yep, if a baby is around me, I'm definitely going to be immersed in his / her world, along, most definitely, with the awesome adults of whomever brought the babies to see me). Maybe, I needed to turn my attention to things of the kitchen. Perhaps there's a knock on the door and the person whose knocking either wants to award me an obscene amount of free cash or they want to name a new country after me. Fiddle. The reasons for being time-pressed are as many and as varied as there are shades of color.
- One of the main reasons why I don't respond immediately to an electronic communication is that sometimes, my response to your note requires thought and contemplation. I'll think about the contents of your note to me while I go through my day(s); and then when I'm ready to respond, I will.
- Now. Admittedly, there are times when I do let an email or a PM slip by with too much time before answering. But that doesn't mean that I'm offended; it just means that either I'm forgetful or busy (or both). Please don't automatically assume I'm over here, in my little corner of the world, nursing hurt feelings because of something that you've written (especially when the intent of your note was completely void of anything like that). Really. Don't do that. Don't do that to me *AND* don't do that to yourself. If I feel someone is being offensive to me (and especially, if it's out of their character to do so), I'm pretty capable of asking for clarification before assuming that an offense was intended. And, even if an offense was taken (regardless as to whether it was intended or not, you can bet your boots that my personal preference will be to work it through with you; not to go on silent mode. But. Either of those two scenarious (asking for clarification or working through a rough patch with a friend) will often also require thought and/or time before I respond. I'm not a "fly off with my fingers" kind of communicator (yeah, sometimes I do that with my mouth, but definitely not with the written word). If too much time has gone by and you haven't received a reply from me yet, don't be shy about giving me a gentle nudge / reminder. But. Please let that timeframe be at least a few days. And, remember, please don't automatically assume that you have offended me and now owe me an apology. (Speaking of apologies, I receive waaaay more apologies from people than I think are required; regardless as to why the apology is proffered. Rarely, rarely, rarely do I think someone owes me an apology. Ironically, sometimes when I do think an apology to me is truly appropriate, it is not forthcoming. Go figure. We're a crazy, mixed up bunch, we humans - and I'm including myself that time in this particular "we". And just as an FYI, frankly, I'm much more ok with the apologies that never come versus the multitude of extraneous apologies that are given so freely. Please don't apologize your life away.)
*~*~*~*~*
One more thing, y'all . . . I've received several electronic messages over the past few days. If you are among this specific group of wonderful people, please, please, please do not assume that I'm talking about YOU in this post. And while there's only been one of y'all recently that has asked if they have offended me, know that I'm not talking only to you. You, my charming friend, may have been the catalyst for this blog entry (being the charm of the third time and all that, doncha know), but I am *not* singling you out; you just gave me great fodder for this post. :)
Thanks for reading, y'all!
Be blessed, relax, practice patience and take time to savor.
In other words. . . Chill, babycakes!
:)
~~Sharmie
Friday, May 10, 2013
Gentle reminders
I love life lessons that are wrapped in gentle subtleness. I've been blessed to receive a few such gifts lately; for me, they have been very profound and quite timely.
*~*~*~*~*
A few weeks ago, I was visiting our youngest daughter, her husband and their two kids (my two youngest heart captors, otherwise known as grandbabies). Allow me to share a couple of incidents that happened that have affected me on a deeply personal level.
One day, Little Miss was running around the carport. She's 3.5 years old; that's what she does. She's a very agile, nimble and an incredibly active little girl. Quite vivacious. Absolutely loves life. Suddenly, Little Miss tripped on a garden hose and fell. Hard. She fell hard. VERY hard. Face-first onto the concrete (thankfully, her face didn't make impact; she caught herself before that happened). My heart skipped a beat or two, and I immediately started towards her. About a foot away from being able to reach her, this amazing little girl pushed herself up (into an actual push-up). With pain being so evident from her facial expression, she then shook her head as if to say, "Pain, pain go away; I don't have time for you today". She had some scraped knees and palms of hands. She also had the breathe knocked out of her. When I asked her if she was ok, she allowed me to pick her up and kiss her; and then she said, "Yes, Sharmie; I'm ok." After we hugged and I put her down, she resumed her running adventure. I also noticed that this time, she made sure not to run near the garden hose.
I was reminded of two valuable lessons from Little Miss that day.
(1) When you get knocked down, shake it off and go on with your life.
(2) Learn from your mistakes.
*~*~*~*~*
On another day during my visit, the kids were playing in mud. Yep. Mud. They're country babies, doncha know. :)
Bruiser Charmer Boy (who is 2) decided he needed to make more mud for his adventures. He had a toy in the shape of boat (minus any sails). It was the most perfect thing for transporting water! He would toddle over to the dogs' bowl (big, honkin' huge thing - big honkin' huge dogs, also), dip his boat in and fill it up with water. Then, he'd toddle back to his mud pit and dump the water. The whole aventure, took probably took about 2 minutes, round trip.
He's 2 years old (and barely, at that), and he's still learning so many things (hopefully he'll continue to learn throughout his entire life). He's extremely smart and very observant; but, give the boy a break - he's only 2! One of the things he's still trying to master is how to hold things properly; in this specific case, how to hold a toy boat full of water so that by the time he gets back to his mud pit, he has more than just a drop or two remaining. It was so cute to watch. He'd get to the mud pit, turn his boat over to release the water; and instead of a couple of cups of water pouring out, only a small drizzle would make its appearance. Did that deter him any? Absolutely not! I sat there for quite a while immersed in watching him make trip after trip after trip AFTER trip - all the while smiling and giggling (truth be known, both of us were doing the smiling and giggling). At one point in all of this, his mother did try to show him how to hold the boat. He tried; he truly tried. But, perhaps, he needs just a bit more life under his belt before he fully understands that particular concept.
My lessons that I was reminded of while watching him:
(1) Little by little; each step toward your goal is progress.
(2) Don't give up; keep going . . . and SMILE!
*~*~*~*~*
Last, but certainly not least, there are several friends in my little corner of Facebook Land that have started new businesses recently (as recently as within the past few days to within the past few years). Some of them are consultant type businesses for various home-party companies; some of them are craft-related, wherein they are making and selling the very wares that they peddle. Some of my friends are immersed in various service and/or educational type businesses, while some others are writers (books, professional blogs, etc.). Also, while not self-employed, some people are full-out pursuing their passions via their chosen careers. The ages of such illustrious friends range from 21 years to 70+ years. I like that. I like that I have such an eclectic variety of friends. Now, truth be known, and between you and me, my friend who is in her 70s, while definitely self-employed, has had her own business for a little over a decade now; but I still wanted to include her, here, - I've learned a lot from her while watching her run her business.
I love cheering people on and giving them encouragement regarding following their dreams and achieving their goals (or about other things as well; but I'm trying to stick to the topic, doncha know). I love to hear (or read) about their victories; it's exciting and it's encouraging. It's also very motivating.
I also appreciate knowing when my friends are needing a little extra support from their cheering section (of which I like to think I'm part of those groups). Let's face it - pursuing one's goals; regardless of what such illustrious goals are - can be quite daunting at times. It takes grit to keep at it sometimes. It also takes a proper perspective . . . the gloomy gusses of the world rarely suceed in what it is they want to accomplish. Please understand, there is a great difference between looking at things realistically and working through the downfalls, versus complaining about every little thing and having a defeatist attitude right out of the gate. To my gloomy friends, my true encouragement to you, my heartfelt prayer for you is for you to change your mindset. Develop joy and gratitude! If you're working on this but are not quite there, keep plugging along. If you haven't tried this approach, please consider doing so. There is always something for which a person can be grateful; and that very attitude of gratitude, along with true joy, will shield you in the tough times and carry you places that otherwsie would not be possible.
I love that I can learn from people (when I truly want to and when I get ME out of the way). I'm over-the-moon overjoyed that my sweet, precious grandbabies can teach me things just by being exactly who they are.
I love that I can learn from friends and other loved ones by "watching" their progress via Facebook.
I think of my 21-year old friend over on FB; and I'm humbled by her stick-to-it-tiveness regarding her new business. She amazes me; a young mother of a young baby, whose husband's career takes him away from home for a couple of weeks at a time. Yet, she is plugging along and really making a success of her business. Wow!
I am also reminded of a friend of mine who is pursuing her chosen career full force; in spite of the undeserved roadblocks that have been placed in her path; such roadblocks being created by people who don't want her to suceed because she doesn't fit the "mold" of someone in that particular career. She pushes through the painful experiences and still goes after her goal. I find that extremely inspiring. I have a lot of respect for her.
There are so many of y'all that touch the core of who I am and gives me pause to look at what y'all are doing - even in the midst of the individual adversities that each of y'all encounter. I'm speaking of y'all, regardless as to whether or not your goal is a business/carreer goal or simply another type of goal.
I thank y'all deeply. And, I want to encourage y'all to keep doing what you're doing . . . I'll be here cheering y'all on and being proud of your accomplishments.
Thanks for reading, y'all!
Here's to each of y'all's goals, dreams and passions!
Y'all be blessed,
Sharmie
*~*~*~*~*
A few weeks ago, I was visiting our youngest daughter, her husband and their two kids (my two youngest heart captors, otherwise known as grandbabies). Allow me to share a couple of incidents that happened that have affected me on a deeply personal level.
One day, Little Miss was running around the carport. She's 3.5 years old; that's what she does. She's a very agile, nimble and an incredibly active little girl. Quite vivacious. Absolutely loves life. Suddenly, Little Miss tripped on a garden hose and fell. Hard. She fell hard. VERY hard. Face-first onto the concrete (thankfully, her face didn't make impact; she caught herself before that happened). My heart skipped a beat or two, and I immediately started towards her. About a foot away from being able to reach her, this amazing little girl pushed herself up (into an actual push-up). With pain being so evident from her facial expression, she then shook her head as if to say, "Pain, pain go away; I don't have time for you today". She had some scraped knees and palms of hands. She also had the breathe knocked out of her. When I asked her if she was ok, she allowed me to pick her up and kiss her; and then she said, "Yes, Sharmie; I'm ok." After we hugged and I put her down, she resumed her running adventure. I also noticed that this time, she made sure not to run near the garden hose.
I was reminded of two valuable lessons from Little Miss that day.
(1) When you get knocked down, shake it off and go on with your life.
(2) Learn from your mistakes.
*~*~*~*~*
On another day during my visit, the kids were playing in mud. Yep. Mud. They're country babies, doncha know. :)
Bruiser Charmer Boy (who is 2) decided he needed to make more mud for his adventures. He had a toy in the shape of boat (minus any sails). It was the most perfect thing for transporting water! He would toddle over to the dogs' bowl (big, honkin' huge thing - big honkin' huge dogs, also), dip his boat in and fill it up with water. Then, he'd toddle back to his mud pit and dump the water. The whole aventure, took probably took about 2 minutes, round trip.
He's 2 years old (and barely, at that), and he's still learning so many things (hopefully he'll continue to learn throughout his entire life). He's extremely smart and very observant; but, give the boy a break - he's only 2! One of the things he's still trying to master is how to hold things properly; in this specific case, how to hold a toy boat full of water so that by the time he gets back to his mud pit, he has more than just a drop or two remaining. It was so cute to watch. He'd get to the mud pit, turn his boat over to release the water; and instead of a couple of cups of water pouring out, only a small drizzle would make its appearance. Did that deter him any? Absolutely not! I sat there for quite a while immersed in watching him make trip after trip after trip AFTER trip - all the while smiling and giggling (truth be known, both of us were doing the smiling and giggling). At one point in all of this, his mother did try to show him how to hold the boat. He tried; he truly tried. But, perhaps, he needs just a bit more life under his belt before he fully understands that particular concept.
My lessons that I was reminded of while watching him:
(1) Little by little; each step toward your goal is progress.
(2) Don't give up; keep going . . . and SMILE!
*~*~*~*~*
Last, but certainly not least, there are several friends in my little corner of Facebook Land that have started new businesses recently (as recently as within the past few days to within the past few years). Some of them are consultant type businesses for various home-party companies; some of them are craft-related, wherein they are making and selling the very wares that they peddle. Some of my friends are immersed in various service and/or educational type businesses, while some others are writers (books, professional blogs, etc.). Also, while not self-employed, some people are full-out pursuing their passions via their chosen careers. The ages of such illustrious friends range from 21 years to 70+ years. I like that. I like that I have such an eclectic variety of friends. Now, truth be known, and between you and me, my friend who is in her 70s, while definitely self-employed, has had her own business for a little over a decade now; but I still wanted to include her, here, - I've learned a lot from her while watching her run her business.
I love cheering people on and giving them encouragement regarding following their dreams and achieving their goals (or about other things as well; but I'm trying to stick to the topic, doncha know). I love to hear (or read) about their victories; it's exciting and it's encouraging. It's also very motivating.
I also appreciate knowing when my friends are needing a little extra support from their cheering section (of which I like to think I'm part of those groups). Let's face it - pursuing one's goals; regardless of what such illustrious goals are - can be quite daunting at times. It takes grit to keep at it sometimes. It also takes a proper perspective . . . the gloomy gusses of the world rarely suceed in what it is they want to accomplish. Please understand, there is a great difference between looking at things realistically and working through the downfalls, versus complaining about every little thing and having a defeatist attitude right out of the gate. To my gloomy friends, my true encouragement to you, my heartfelt prayer for you is for you to change your mindset. Develop joy and gratitude! If you're working on this but are not quite there, keep plugging along. If you haven't tried this approach, please consider doing so. There is always something for which a person can be grateful; and that very attitude of gratitude, along with true joy, will shield you in the tough times and carry you places that otherwsie would not be possible.
I love that I can learn from people (when I truly want to and when I get ME out of the way). I'm over-the-moon overjoyed that my sweet, precious grandbabies can teach me things just by being exactly who they are.
I love that I can learn from friends and other loved ones by "watching" their progress via Facebook.
I think of my 21-year old friend over on FB; and I'm humbled by her stick-to-it-tiveness regarding her new business. She amazes me; a young mother of a young baby, whose husband's career takes him away from home for a couple of weeks at a time. Yet, she is plugging along and really making a success of her business. Wow!
I am also reminded of a friend of mine who is pursuing her chosen career full force; in spite of the undeserved roadblocks that have been placed in her path; such roadblocks being created by people who don't want her to suceed because she doesn't fit the "mold" of someone in that particular career. She pushes through the painful experiences and still goes after her goal. I find that extremely inspiring. I have a lot of respect for her.
There are so many of y'all that touch the core of who I am and gives me pause to look at what y'all are doing - even in the midst of the individual adversities that each of y'all encounter. I'm speaking of y'all, regardless as to whether or not your goal is a business/carreer goal or simply another type of goal.
I thank y'all deeply. And, I want to encourage y'all to keep doing what you're doing . . . I'll be here cheering y'all on and being proud of your accomplishments.
Thanks for reading, y'all!
Here's to each of y'all's goals, dreams and passions!
Y'all be blessed,
Sharmie
Thursday, February 28, 2013
The Choice is Yours
Every now and then something will show up in my newsfeed over at Facebook that, quite honestly, leaves me a bit baffled.
Take the following quote, for instance.
Ironically, this very quote - that chastises people to not judge the poster of the quote - is, in itself, tinged with not only judgment, but also narcissism (in a self-pity kind of way).
How exactly do the people who post such an update know what other people have or have not experienced? How do they know which specific life experiences other people can or cannot handle?
Please don’t negate someone by assuming their life has been more carefree than yours has, or that they are unable to deal with various experiences. Just because an individual doesn't talk about the trials they've personally been through does not mean that such things haven't happened.
Everyone has trials in their life; they may not be the exact same trials as yours; but they have, nonetheless, experienced their own share of difficulties.
Additionally, everyone can make the choice to stay stuck in those trials (or in the memory of such trials) -OR- they can choose to walk through the trials and then move on; taking what they have learned and using that to make them a stronger and better person.
*~*~*~*~*
While I’m at it, there’s something else that has been puzzling me for a while . . . what's with the current trend in automatically assuming that a simple difference of opinion or a different way in approaching things is not only judging but also hateful?
For example, take this quote:
Again, just because someone has a difference of opinion doesn’t automatically equate that person to being a hater; at least, it shouldn’t.
There’s an insecurity and a defensiveness that accompanies such attitudes that so eagerly label people that have different opinions and outlooks as "haters."
Shouldn’t our lives and our opinions stand on their own? Do we always have to be accusing those who disagree with us as being judging? Do we always have to be labeling them as haters?
True strength and confidence comes not in labeling other people with derogatory terms and flinging needless accusations towards those that disagree with us, but in simply living one’s own life with sincere joy and purpose.
And that’s my prayer for y’all today . . . that you live your life in Our Lord’s Peace and Joy, and that you look to Him for your sense of self worth; not through angry degradations towards other people. One way will continually strengthen you; the other way will continually embitter you. Which do you want?
Thanks for reading, y’all!
Be blessed,
Sharmie
Take the following quote, for instance.
Ironically, this very quote - that chastises people to not judge the poster of the quote - is, in itself, tinged with not only judgment, but also narcissism (in a self-pity kind of way).
"Don't judge me. You can't handle half of what I've dealt with."
How exactly do the people who post such an update know what other people have or have not experienced? How do they know which specific life experiences other people can or cannot handle?
Please don’t negate someone by assuming their life has been more carefree than yours has, or that they are unable to deal with various experiences. Just because an individual doesn't talk about the trials they've personally been through does not mean that such things haven't happened.
Everyone has trials in their life; they may not be the exact same trials as yours; but they have, nonetheless, experienced their own share of difficulties.
Additionally, everyone can make the choice to stay stuck in those trials (or in the memory of such trials) -OR- they can choose to walk through the trials and then move on; taking what they have learned and using that to make them a stronger and better person.
*~*~*~*~*
While I’m at it, there’s something else that has been puzzling me for a while . . . what's with the current trend in automatically assuming that a simple difference of opinion or a different way in approaching things is not only judging but also hateful?
For example, take this quote:
"Haters will hate."
Again, just because someone has a difference of opinion doesn’t automatically equate that person to being a hater; at least, it shouldn’t.
There’s an insecurity and a defensiveness that accompanies such attitudes that so eagerly label people that have different opinions and outlooks as "haters."
Shouldn’t our lives and our opinions stand on their own? Do we always have to be accusing those who disagree with us as being judging? Do we always have to be labeling them as haters?
True strength and confidence comes not in labeling other people with derogatory terms and flinging needless accusations towards those that disagree with us, but in simply living one’s own life with sincere joy and purpose.
And that’s my prayer for y’all today . . . that you live your life in Our Lord’s Peace and Joy, and that you look to Him for your sense of self worth; not through angry degradations towards other people. One way will continually strengthen you; the other way will continually embitter you. Which do you want?
Thanks for reading, y’all!
Be blessed,
Sharmie
Monday, February 25, 2013
Wake Up, June - You're Dreaming Again, Darlin'!
Tex tells me that I have a June Cleaver complex.
I probably do (although, just between you and me, I'm probably making way better strides than I should in taiming that particular anality).
There ya go; y'all heard it first here, folks.
*~*~*~*~*
Tex loves NASACR. Absolutely LOVES it. I asked him last night how long he had been watching NASCAR. He didn't know for sure; but he does remember seeing some races when he was still a very young boy.
He's not so much into the Nationwide series as he is the Sprint Cup series . . . so he does his NASCARing on Sunday afternoons (just in case y'all wanted to know this information).
It was back in December of last year when he first started mentioning February 24th and the Daytona 500 . . . the beginning of the 2013 racing season. Considering that the 2012 season had only been completed for about a month at that point, I had to laugh. The man definitely loves his NASCAR.
For the curious, his favorite driver is #24 Jeff Gordon.
For the ultra curious, my favorite driver is #48 Jimmie Johnson (although, admittedly, I'm usually doing other things during a race - cooking in the kitchen, surfing the web of world-wideness, couch- snoozing . . .). I do watch a few minutes here and a few minutes there; especially if something involves Jimmie or Jeff.
*~*~*~*~*
Back to June . . . the woman, not the month.
*~*~*~*~*
I mark important dates on my calendar. Such electronic scribblings also include things that are important to Tex. NASCAR is definitely important to Tex; so, back in December when he first mentioned it, I marked the Opening Day of the Sprint Cup Season on my calendar.
I also decided I wanted to make some snacks for him to munch on during the race.
After thinking about it for a while and getting his input ("something cheesy"), I decided to make home-made cheese crackers (you know . . . those tiny square cheesy crackers). I also wanted to make potato boats made with salsa, ground sausage and cheese (and, of course, potatoes).
*~*~*~*~*
This is where my mind started assimilating June Cleaver.
Oh, I could just picture how the entire day would go!
Tex and I would go to church; and on the way home, we would stop at the grocery store so I could pick up the necessary ingredients (the rain and wind of the previous few days had prevented me from triking up to the store during the work week). We'd come home, I'd start the various culinary preparations and Tex would soon leave for softball practice (another sport season that's beginning this week).
I'd be wearing a lovely floral apron that never got dirty, and the kitchen would remain immaculate throughout the entire process. The puppy girls would even don little white kitchen-assistant aprons and would gleefully help me in various ways. Sun would be shining into every corner and crevice of the house; the natural illumination would be wondrous to behold.
After practice, Tex would come home, the crackers would just be coming out of the oven to cool (in perfect timing, doncha know - great timing is so very essential) and I would be cooking the sausage that would later be used for the potato boats. The kitchen would still be immaculate.
Tex would turn on the tv, go to the recorded programs and select the race (we *always* record the races; just in case there's something going on that prevents us from watching the race live; such as yesterday's softball practice).
We'd munch on cheese crackers for part of the race, and later we would happily enjoy our potato boats as a snack / dinner as we watch the rest of the race.
Oh, Norman Rockwell would have been so proud. Had he been able to, he most likely would have taken pencil in hand and begun to memorialize the happy home right then and there. But, uhm, not only do dead people tell no tales, but they also paint no pictures. 'Tis a pity; I rather like the idea of Mr. Rockwell painting a picture of Tex watching NASCAR.
*~*~*~*~*
Wake up, June - you're dreaming again, Darlin'!
Shall I tell you how the day *really* went? Yes; I think I will.
We wake up (so far, so good).
Skipping ahead a couple of hours . . . we arrived at church and took our seats.
Skipping ahead a bit more, Tex's phone started vibrating. Yep. Work.
Tex is on call 24/7/365. So. We packed up and left for home so he could drop me off and then head for work.
That meant that we were not going to stop at the grocery store on the way home from church.
Fiddle. Faddle, even!
While at work, Tex received a text that softball practice had been cancelled, and he called me to let me know and to also tell me how much longer he thought he would be at work. He also told me how beautiful of a day it was.
Since it was such a beautiful day, I called Tex back to tell him that I was going to trike up to the grocery store to get the ingredients for our Norman Rockwell Racing party (hey - who says it takes more than two people to have a party?!).
Shoes. Check.
Helmet. Check.
Trike. Check (it always helps to have a trike when one wants to go triking).
Purse. Check.
Sunglasses. Check
Grocery List. Check.
Wallet. Check.
Visa Cards. Uhm . . . WHERE are my visa cards???
SO! I called my husband (again) and told him I wasn't going to the store afterall and the reason as to why not. He told me he was going to be leaving work soon and that we could go to the store after he got home.
In the meantime, I searched for those goofy cards (not just my personal visa card, but also my business visa card as well.). I searched. And searched. And searched. I even called the grocery store and asked them to look through their lost and found. Nothing. Zip. Nada.
When Tex came home, he looked for the cards, as well . . . and got the same results.
By now, it was probably around 4pm . . . probably around the time that I had originally envisioned Tex coming home from softball practice and my taking the cheese crackers out of the oven. We go to the store, buy lovely ingredients and come home. Tex turns on the race, and I get to hustling in the kitchen.
I hafta tell y'all - I had a ball making those crackers! It was my first time do so, plus I also got to use a pastry cutter tool for the first time as well (having received such implement as a Christmas gift).
By the time the crackers were finished, the race was half-over, there was flour all over my sturdy blue canvas apron and the kitchen was beginning to look a bit haggard. Oh, and the puppy girls? Lizzee was snoozing in the living room, in front of the TV, and Echo was doing her best to get in my way because she was on the look-out for edible morsels that might fall from the counter down to the floor.
During all of this, Tex had munched on nuts and potato chips (and in a rare throw of a chocolate fix - THREE chocolate bars!!!). But, he said he still wanted some crackers. The man not only has a two hollow legs, but hollow arms and torso, as well.
After the crackers were baked, cooled and eaten, I got started on the potato boats for dinner.
Uhm, yeah . . . we started eating those just as Jimmie Johnson (while in the winner's circle) was hoisting the trophy he had just won, after winning the race.
And my kitchen? You really don't want to know; trust me on this.
So much for June Clever hanging around yesterday.
Ha!
All-in-all, it really was a nice day. Unexpected things happened, and we rolled with them.
*~*~*~*~*
I will probably always envision the future outcomes of things from a June Clever mindset. That's ok. I also know that it's not reality; and sometimes I just have to laugh at myself for such imaginings in the first place.
*~*~*~*~*
BTW, here's the before and after pictures of the crackers (and we were both pretty pleased with how they tasted!):
*~*~*~*~*
Oh, and my visa cards? No worries. I cancelled them today and ordered new ones. Also, no inappropriate activity was found on neither of them. That's a major praise report!
*~*~*~*~*
Lastly (but definitely not least), I also want to say that Tex and I have been praying for everyone who was injured in Saturday night's race.
Thanks for reading, y'all!
Be blessed.
Yours,
June
I probably do (although, just between you and me, I'm probably making way better strides than I should in taiming that particular anality).
There ya go; y'all heard it first here, folks.
*~*~*~*~*
Tex loves NASACR. Absolutely LOVES it. I asked him last night how long he had been watching NASCAR. He didn't know for sure; but he does remember seeing some races when he was still a very young boy.
He's not so much into the Nationwide series as he is the Sprint Cup series . . . so he does his NASCARing on Sunday afternoons (just in case y'all wanted to know this information).
It was back in December of last year when he first started mentioning February 24th and the Daytona 500 . . . the beginning of the 2013 racing season. Considering that the 2012 season had only been completed for about a month at that point, I had to laugh. The man definitely loves his NASCAR.
For the curious, his favorite driver is #24 Jeff Gordon.
For the ultra curious, my favorite driver is #48 Jimmie Johnson (although, admittedly, I'm usually doing other things during a race - cooking in the kitchen, surfing the web of world-wideness, couch- snoozing . . .). I do watch a few minutes here and a few minutes there; especially if something involves Jimmie or Jeff.
*~*~*~*~*
Back to June . . . the woman, not the month.
*~*~*~*~*
I mark important dates on my calendar. Such electronic scribblings also include things that are important to Tex. NASCAR is definitely important to Tex; so, back in December when he first mentioned it, I marked the Opening Day of the Sprint Cup Season on my calendar.
I also decided I wanted to make some snacks for him to munch on during the race.
After thinking about it for a while and getting his input ("something cheesy"), I decided to make home-made cheese crackers (you know . . . those tiny square cheesy crackers). I also wanted to make potato boats made with salsa, ground sausage and cheese (and, of course, potatoes).
*~*~*~*~*
This is where my mind started assimilating June Cleaver.
Oh, I could just picture how the entire day would go!
Tex and I would go to church; and on the way home, we would stop at the grocery store so I could pick up the necessary ingredients (the rain and wind of the previous few days had prevented me from triking up to the store during the work week). We'd come home, I'd start the various culinary preparations and Tex would soon leave for softball practice (another sport season that's beginning this week).
I'd be wearing a lovely floral apron that never got dirty, and the kitchen would remain immaculate throughout the entire process. The puppy girls would even don little white kitchen-assistant aprons and would gleefully help me in various ways. Sun would be shining into every corner and crevice of the house; the natural illumination would be wondrous to behold.
After practice, Tex would come home, the crackers would just be coming out of the oven to cool (in perfect timing, doncha know - great timing is so very essential) and I would be cooking the sausage that would later be used for the potato boats. The kitchen would still be immaculate.
Tex would turn on the tv, go to the recorded programs and select the race (we *always* record the races; just in case there's something going on that prevents us from watching the race live; such as yesterday's softball practice).
We'd munch on cheese crackers for part of the race, and later we would happily enjoy our potato boats as a snack / dinner as we watch the rest of the race.
Oh, Norman Rockwell would have been so proud. Had he been able to, he most likely would have taken pencil in hand and begun to memorialize the happy home right then and there. But, uhm, not only do dead people tell no tales, but they also paint no pictures. 'Tis a pity; I rather like the idea of Mr. Rockwell painting a picture of Tex watching NASCAR.
*~*~*~*~*
Wake up, June - you're dreaming again, Darlin'!
Shall I tell you how the day *really* went? Yes; I think I will.
We wake up (so far, so good).
Skipping ahead a couple of hours . . . we arrived at church and took our seats.
Skipping ahead a bit more, Tex's phone started vibrating. Yep. Work.
Tex is on call 24/7/365. So. We packed up and left for home so he could drop me off and then head for work.
That meant that we were not going to stop at the grocery store on the way home from church.
Fiddle. Faddle, even!
While at work, Tex received a text that softball practice had been cancelled, and he called me to let me know and to also tell me how much longer he thought he would be at work. He also told me how beautiful of a day it was.
Since it was such a beautiful day, I called Tex back to tell him that I was going to trike up to the grocery store to get the ingredients for our Norman Rockwell Racing party (hey - who says it takes more than two people to have a party?!).
Shoes. Check.
Helmet. Check.
Trike. Check (it always helps to have a trike when one wants to go triking).
Purse. Check.
Sunglasses. Check
Grocery List. Check.
Wallet. Check.
Visa Cards. Uhm . . . WHERE are my visa cards???
SO! I called my husband (again) and told him I wasn't going to the store afterall and the reason as to why not. He told me he was going to be leaving work soon and that we could go to the store after he got home.
In the meantime, I searched for those goofy cards (not just my personal visa card, but also my business visa card as well.). I searched. And searched. And searched. I even called the grocery store and asked them to look through their lost and found. Nothing. Zip. Nada.
When Tex came home, he looked for the cards, as well . . . and got the same results.
By now, it was probably around 4pm . . . probably around the time that I had originally envisioned Tex coming home from softball practice and my taking the cheese crackers out of the oven. We go to the store, buy lovely ingredients and come home. Tex turns on the race, and I get to hustling in the kitchen.
I hafta tell y'all - I had a ball making those crackers! It was my first time do so, plus I also got to use a pastry cutter tool for the first time as well (having received such implement as a Christmas gift).
By the time the crackers were finished, the race was half-over, there was flour all over my sturdy blue canvas apron and the kitchen was beginning to look a bit haggard. Oh, and the puppy girls? Lizzee was snoozing in the living room, in front of the TV, and Echo was doing her best to get in my way because she was on the look-out for edible morsels that might fall from the counter down to the floor.
During all of this, Tex had munched on nuts and potato chips (and in a rare throw of a chocolate fix - THREE chocolate bars!!!). But, he said he still wanted some crackers. The man not only has a two hollow legs, but hollow arms and torso, as well.
After the crackers were baked, cooled and eaten, I got started on the potato boats for dinner.
Uhm, yeah . . . we started eating those just as Jimmie Johnson (while in the winner's circle) was hoisting the trophy he had just won, after winning the race.
And my kitchen? You really don't want to know; trust me on this.
So much for June Clever hanging around yesterday.
Ha!
All-in-all, it really was a nice day. Unexpected things happened, and we rolled with them.
*~*~*~*~*
I will probably always envision the future outcomes of things from a June Clever mindset. That's ok. I also know that it's not reality; and sometimes I just have to laugh at myself for such imaginings in the first place.
*~*~*~*~*
BTW, here's the before and after pictures of the crackers (and we were both pretty pleased with how they tasted!):
*~*~*~*~*
Oh, and my visa cards? No worries. I cancelled them today and ordered new ones. Also, no inappropriate activity was found on neither of them. That's a major praise report!
*~*~*~*~*
Lastly (but definitely not least), I also want to say that Tex and I have been praying for everyone who was injured in Saturday night's race.
Thanks for reading, y'all!
Be blessed.
Yours,
June
Tuesday, February 12, 2013
Love, Sharmie
Over on Facebook, I'm seeing a lot of profile pictures and covers sporting various Valentine's Day themes, along with different posts about this holiday of love.
Even though, it's two days away, I'll write about Valentine's now; as Thursday promises to be a very busy day for me.
*~*~*~*~*
Last year, Tex and I were on a very tight budget . . . and we were also anticipating the last payment to be made on our truck. It was also a busy time for us.
In trying to make a decision about whether or not to buy the first Season of "Law & Order / SVU", I piqued, "Why don't we just buy it as our communal Valentine's Day gift? LOL
Kinda weird for a Valentine's Day gift . . . but we were both ok with that; and so that's what we did. (We eventually bought all the other seasons, one-at-a-time - all except for last years' DVDs - we're still waiting for its release).
And for the ultra curious, we are now in our 4th season of "Star Trek / The Next Generation" . . . one season at a time.
:)
*~*~*~*~*
Last night, we decided that we *really* need to replace our travel coffee mugs. Really, we do. It’s time to lay the current ones to rest and to move one. I imagine we'll be making these purchases sometime soon.
A few minutes later, sitting in the passenger seat as we’re traveling down the interstate, I piped up, "Why don’t we deem the new coffee mugs this year’s Valentine’s gifts to each other?"
There ya go. Romance just sloshing all over the place.
Ha!
My practical, functional nature shows itself at the strangest times.
But. Tex agreed; and so that’s what we shall do.
WooHoo!!!
*~*~*~*~*
I think one of the reasons I’m so pragmatic about Valentine’s Day is that I don’t see it as strictly and only a romantic holiday. I also hope that couples are expressing their genuine and heartfelt love for each other often and in various ways and not just one day a year.
I see Valentine's Day as a day of all types of LOVE - not just Storge & Eros, but also of Agape and Philia.
I was the little girl who was always so excited to make her own Valentines and who couldn’t wait to give them to her classmates - because I truly did love them, and I wanted them to know that.
And, I still feel that way. A few decades later, life is a bit busier and sometimes more complicated (sometimes of my own doing; sometimes, simply because of life) . . . but, I still look at Valentine’s Day as a day of Love for everyone. In fact, perhaps, everyday should be Valentine’s Day . . . afterall, isn’t that what we’re supposed to do - to LOVE one another?
*~*~*~*~*
Don’t get me wrong - I’m definitely appreciating all of the cute Valentine’s Day photos and posts over at Facebook, and I’m enjoying all of the ones with romantic slants. I'm celebrating and encouraging the excitement that my friends are expressing over early gifts and whatnots from their spouses or "special ones".
BUT. *For me* - romance is only part of the equation.
Sure, this Thursday, I’ll be making lasagna for Tex . . . it’s one of his favorite meals; and that is one way that I can specifically show my husband how much I love him.
But, there’s many more people in the world other than my husband. I hope that I remember to show love to others as well; in wonderful, unique and myriad ways.
What about you? How do you plan to celebrate Valentine’s Day?
Thanks for reading, y'all!
Be blessed.
Love,
Sharmie
Even though, it's two days away, I'll write about Valentine's now; as Thursday promises to be a very busy day for me.
*~*~*~*~*
Last year, Tex and I were on a very tight budget . . . and we were also anticipating the last payment to be made on our truck. It was also a busy time for us.
In trying to make a decision about whether or not to buy the first Season of "Law & Order / SVU", I piqued, "Why don't we just buy it as our communal Valentine's Day gift? LOL
Kinda weird for a Valentine's Day gift . . . but we were both ok with that; and so that's what we did. (We eventually bought all the other seasons, one-at-a-time - all except for last years' DVDs - we're still waiting for its release).
And for the ultra curious, we are now in our 4th season of "Star Trek / The Next Generation" . . . one season at a time.
:)
*~*~*~*~*
Last night, we decided that we *really* need to replace our travel coffee mugs. Really, we do. It’s time to lay the current ones to rest and to move one. I imagine we'll be making these purchases sometime soon.
A few minutes later, sitting in the passenger seat as we’re traveling down the interstate, I piped up, "Why don’t we deem the new coffee mugs this year’s Valentine’s gifts to each other?"
There ya go. Romance just sloshing all over the place.
Ha!
My practical, functional nature shows itself at the strangest times.
But. Tex agreed; and so that’s what we shall do.
WooHoo!!!
*~*~*~*~*
I think one of the reasons I’m so pragmatic about Valentine’s Day is that I don’t see it as strictly and only a romantic holiday. I also hope that couples are expressing their genuine and heartfelt love for each other often and in various ways and not just one day a year.
I see Valentine's Day as a day of all types of LOVE - not just Storge & Eros, but also of Agape and Philia.
I was the little girl who was always so excited to make her own Valentines and who couldn’t wait to give them to her classmates - because I truly did love them, and I wanted them to know that.
And, I still feel that way. A few decades later, life is a bit busier and sometimes more complicated (sometimes of my own doing; sometimes, simply because of life) . . . but, I still look at Valentine’s Day as a day of Love for everyone. In fact, perhaps, everyday should be Valentine’s Day . . . afterall, isn’t that what we’re supposed to do - to LOVE one another?
*~*~*~*~*
Don’t get me wrong - I’m definitely appreciating all of the cute Valentine’s Day photos and posts over at Facebook, and I’m enjoying all of the ones with romantic slants. I'm celebrating and encouraging the excitement that my friends are expressing over early gifts and whatnots from their spouses or "special ones".
BUT. *For me* - romance is only part of the equation.
Sure, this Thursday, I’ll be making lasagna for Tex . . . it’s one of his favorite meals; and that is one way that I can specifically show my husband how much I love him.
But, there’s many more people in the world other than my husband. I hope that I remember to show love to others as well; in wonderful, unique and myriad ways.
What about you? How do you plan to celebrate Valentine’s Day?
Thanks for reading, y'all!
Be blessed.
Love,
Sharmie
Monday, December 24, 2012
Quiet, Peaceful Christmas Eve Morning
My 30 Days of Blessings (Thankfulness) went far better offline than it did online . . . I count 18 separate Blessings of which I specifically wrote here in Swirlings last month.
I wondered at the beginning of November just how many such posts would see the light of day. :)
I knew that there would be days when the priorities of the moment would take precedent, and I also knew there would probably be times when the right words just wouldn't come for any day's particular blessing. I was right in both cases.
But.
That's not at all to say that there were days when I was not fully aware of the vast blessings Our Lord has placed in my life. And, in reality, isn't that the real test of writing one's blessings - to be aware that Blessings are, indeed, abundant - and sometimes even too numerous to tally?
Live life moment by moment. Do what needs to be done in the moment and look for Our Lord's Covering over and in that moment.
*~*~*~*~*
This may turn out to be more of a end-of-year post, rather than a post that one would expect on the day before Christmas.
My ponderings are rather contemplative this morning; and the end of this year is still a week and several hours away. Who knows what my thoughts will be by then?! :)
I'm ok with that, though. I hope you are, too!
*~*~*~*~*
2012 has been a topsy-turvy year; that's for sure.
My father-in-law passed away in March. Tex and I were there with him, in the hospital, when he died. Just the 3 of us and the nurse. It was incredibly peaceful. I have been so thankful that Tex and I could be with him when he went to his eternal home. I think of this wonderful man often. I knew him exactly 2 years . . . not a very long time; but in the grand scheme of things, time really is insignificant when it comes to hearts bonding and people loving.
My mother-in-law has had her own share of health problems this year, as well.
In August, just as she was nearing the end of chemo treatments for cancer that was diagnosed in 2010, she was hospitalized for West Nile Virus. She spent quite a bit of time in the hospital and also in rehab. It was a hard time for us; we came very close to losing her, as well.
Recently, within the past couple of weeks, she was hospitalized once again; this time for liver problems. She's out of the hospital now. She's got a tough journey ahead, but she's also a tough lady with a lot of grit and determination. Admirable qualities, indeed! Please keep her in your prayers.
*~*~*~*~*
Am1, DelawareBoy and Mr.Handsome moved back to Delaware at the end of summer. Tex and I keep in touch with them via various technological opportunities . . . but still, it's hard to hug tecnology . . . well, for most of us, anyway.
Am2, MichiganBoy, LittleMiss and BruiserCharmerBoy visit us when they can, and we visit them when we can. Fortunately, that equates to approximately 1 - 2 times per month.
Ya know . . . I never knew I would absolutely love being a grandmother as much as I do. All 3 of my grandkidlettes have my heart. Thinking about them can simultaneously bring laughter and tears. I laugh and smile at their antics, their sweetness and even their mischeviousness. I feel deep pain when I think of all the dangers that they might encounter during their life. And then I remind myself that as much as Tex and I love them and as much as their parents love them, that God loves them even more; much more than I will ever be able to comprehend. So. I thank Our Lord for letting me be in their lives, and ask Him to watch over all 3 of them. And, then I go on.
Speaking of being grateful for being a part of someone's life . . . who knew that I would ever refer to anyone as my child?! But, Am1 and Am2 are not just Tex's daughters; they are our daughters; they are my daughters. And their husbands are our sons-in-law; my sons-in-law. These 4 grown-up people . . . I can laugh just as much regarding them as I can our grandkids. I can also cry for them just as passionately as I do for the little ones. They are my family. Plain and simple. And, I deeply love and pray for each and every one of them.
*~*~*~*~*
For those of y'all who know me well, then you know that I encourage people to live grateful lives, to live with Our Lord's Peace and Joy, to always seek His Wisdom and His Guidance and to give things to Him that are puzzling and/or painful. You might also know that I tell people to not waste their time and mental energy on people who don't want to be a part of your life. By that, I mean, accept it and continue living your own life. No one can make anyone else be a part of their life. No one can make anyone else like them. So, why fret over it? Why let it cloud your own life?
Ironically, I spent much of 2011 and about 7 months of 2012 trying to figure out what I did or what I said regarding a couple of people who suddenly decided they did not want me in their lives. I would spend my lawn-mowing sessions walking around the yard, pushing that mower and regurgitating various real and imagined scenarios over and over in my mind, trying to pinpoint exactly what happened to cause such a rift. And yet, no answers came.
If you know me well, then you also know that I am pretty upfront with things, and I encourage people to talk things over with each other. Sometimes, though, the other person simply doesn't want to do that. And again, you can't make someone communicate with you if they don't want to - so why waste the time and energy? Why create such a frustration?
I made several attempts to try to open the lines of communication with these 2 people, in hopes of perhaps clearing the air; all of my efforts in this regard were either rebuffed - or worse, ignored.
A few months ago, I was finally able to take my own advice. I was able to let them go - and get on with my own life without regard to the whys of how they felt toward me. Ironically, such liberation came after an "out-of-the-blue" blow-up initiated by one of these people. I walked around for days after that, talking to Our Lord about this person's attitude & behavior and most importantly, my response to such illustrious blow-up (which, frankly, my response was definitely nothing to brag about). It was, however the catalyst that allowed me to let it all go.
Why am I telling y'all about this?
Great question! I'm glad you asked!
I spent probably a year-and-a-half dwelling on something that I could not change. I wasted that time; time that I won't be able to have again.
AND, I also noticed that it was beginning to change me . . . and not for the good. This is why I encourage people to not do this in the first place. Don't give yourself away. The reality of the matter is that I probably spent way more mental energy on these specific people than they did on me. For whatever reason, they wanted me out of their lives, they chose to not discuss the reason with me; and that was probably the end of the matter as far as they were concerned. They probably went on with their lives without giving me a second thought. Maybe not. Either way, it's really none of my business.
Likewise, it's really none of your business what someone might think of you; especially if it's derogatory. Don't let people's opinion of you define who you are or who you will be.
Pray for them. Pray sincere prayers that Our Lord will bless them. And, then, move on. If you encounter them while you're busy living your own life, treat them with genuine kindness and graciousness; regardless as to how they treat you. If you mess up on that part, repent to our Lord and ask His Forgiveness. Then, apologize to the person - and mean it (yep, that's a hard pill to swallow, but do it anyway).
The way we treat someone should not be dependant on how they treat us. It should be dependant only on how Our Lord wants us to live our lives.
There ya go.
*~*~*~*~*
That's been my 2012, in somewhat of a nutshell.
It's probably been one of the more unsettling years that I've experienced in a while . . . but, even that is ok. I personally feel that it's been a time of growth; and that is always a good thing.
In between the frustration and confusion and even tears, there's also been much laughter and much love.
I choose to focus on the laughter and love, hold tight to cherished memories of loved ones now gone, do what needs to be done at any give moment, give the ick and the yuck to Our Lord for Him to do with as He pleases, change directions when I get off-kilter . . . and always look to Him for His Strength, His Wisdom, His Guidance, His Peace and His Joy.
*~*~*~*~*
Tomorrow is Christmas. For me, that means commemorating the Birth of Our Lord, Jesus.
In my world, He definitely IS the reason for the season; and for that I am so very grateful.
I hope that each of of y'all have an abundantly blessed Christmas.
Thanks for reading!
In His Peace, His Joy and His Love,
Sharmie
I wondered at the beginning of November just how many such posts would see the light of day. :)
I knew that there would be days when the priorities of the moment would take precedent, and I also knew there would probably be times when the right words just wouldn't come for any day's particular blessing. I was right in both cases.
But.
That's not at all to say that there were days when I was not fully aware of the vast blessings Our Lord has placed in my life. And, in reality, isn't that the real test of writing one's blessings - to be aware that Blessings are, indeed, abundant - and sometimes even too numerous to tally?
Live life moment by moment. Do what needs to be done in the moment and look for Our Lord's Covering over and in that moment.
*~*~*~*~*
This may turn out to be more of a end-of-year post, rather than a post that one would expect on the day before Christmas.
My ponderings are rather contemplative this morning; and the end of this year is still a week and several hours away. Who knows what my thoughts will be by then?! :)
I'm ok with that, though. I hope you are, too!
*~*~*~*~*
2012 has been a topsy-turvy year; that's for sure.
My father-in-law passed away in March. Tex and I were there with him, in the hospital, when he died. Just the 3 of us and the nurse. It was incredibly peaceful. I have been so thankful that Tex and I could be with him when he went to his eternal home. I think of this wonderful man often. I knew him exactly 2 years . . . not a very long time; but in the grand scheme of things, time really is insignificant when it comes to hearts bonding and people loving.
My mother-in-law has had her own share of health problems this year, as well.
In August, just as she was nearing the end of chemo treatments for cancer that was diagnosed in 2010, she was hospitalized for West Nile Virus. She spent quite a bit of time in the hospital and also in rehab. It was a hard time for us; we came very close to losing her, as well.
Recently, within the past couple of weeks, she was hospitalized once again; this time for liver problems. She's out of the hospital now. She's got a tough journey ahead, but she's also a tough lady with a lot of grit and determination. Admirable qualities, indeed! Please keep her in your prayers.
*~*~*~*~*
Am1, DelawareBoy and Mr.Handsome moved back to Delaware at the end of summer. Tex and I keep in touch with them via various technological opportunities . . . but still, it's hard to hug tecnology . . . well, for most of us, anyway.
Am2, MichiganBoy, LittleMiss and BruiserCharmerBoy visit us when they can, and we visit them when we can. Fortunately, that equates to approximately 1 - 2 times per month.
Ya know . . . I never knew I would absolutely love being a grandmother as much as I do. All 3 of my grandkidlettes have my heart. Thinking about them can simultaneously bring laughter and tears. I laugh and smile at their antics, their sweetness and even their mischeviousness. I feel deep pain when I think of all the dangers that they might encounter during their life. And then I remind myself that as much as Tex and I love them and as much as their parents love them, that God loves them even more; much more than I will ever be able to comprehend. So. I thank Our Lord for letting me be in their lives, and ask Him to watch over all 3 of them. And, then I go on.
Speaking of being grateful for being a part of someone's life . . . who knew that I would ever refer to anyone as my child?! But, Am1 and Am2 are not just Tex's daughters; they are our daughters; they are my daughters. And their husbands are our sons-in-law; my sons-in-law. These 4 grown-up people . . . I can laugh just as much regarding them as I can our grandkids. I can also cry for them just as passionately as I do for the little ones. They are my family. Plain and simple. And, I deeply love and pray for each and every one of them.
*~*~*~*~*
For those of y'all who know me well, then you know that I encourage people to live grateful lives, to live with Our Lord's Peace and Joy, to always seek His Wisdom and His Guidance and to give things to Him that are puzzling and/or painful. You might also know that I tell people to not waste their time and mental energy on people who don't want to be a part of your life. By that, I mean, accept it and continue living your own life. No one can make anyone else be a part of their life. No one can make anyone else like them. So, why fret over it? Why let it cloud your own life?
Ironically, I spent much of 2011 and about 7 months of 2012 trying to figure out what I did or what I said regarding a couple of people who suddenly decided they did not want me in their lives. I would spend my lawn-mowing sessions walking around the yard, pushing that mower and regurgitating various real and imagined scenarios over and over in my mind, trying to pinpoint exactly what happened to cause such a rift. And yet, no answers came.
If you know me well, then you also know that I am pretty upfront with things, and I encourage people to talk things over with each other. Sometimes, though, the other person simply doesn't want to do that. And again, you can't make someone communicate with you if they don't want to - so why waste the time and energy? Why create such a frustration?
I made several attempts to try to open the lines of communication with these 2 people, in hopes of perhaps clearing the air; all of my efforts in this regard were either rebuffed - or worse, ignored.
A few months ago, I was finally able to take my own advice. I was able to let them go - and get on with my own life without regard to the whys of how they felt toward me. Ironically, such liberation came after an "out-of-the-blue" blow-up initiated by one of these people. I walked around for days after that, talking to Our Lord about this person's attitude & behavior and most importantly, my response to such illustrious blow-up (which, frankly, my response was definitely nothing to brag about). It was, however the catalyst that allowed me to let it all go.
Why am I telling y'all about this?
Great question! I'm glad you asked!
I spent probably a year-and-a-half dwelling on something that I could not change. I wasted that time; time that I won't be able to have again.
AND, I also noticed that it was beginning to change me . . . and not for the good. This is why I encourage people to not do this in the first place. Don't give yourself away. The reality of the matter is that I probably spent way more mental energy on these specific people than they did on me. For whatever reason, they wanted me out of their lives, they chose to not discuss the reason with me; and that was probably the end of the matter as far as they were concerned. They probably went on with their lives without giving me a second thought. Maybe not. Either way, it's really none of my business.
Likewise, it's really none of your business what someone might think of you; especially if it's derogatory. Don't let people's opinion of you define who you are or who you will be.
Pray for them. Pray sincere prayers that Our Lord will bless them. And, then, move on. If you encounter them while you're busy living your own life, treat them with genuine kindness and graciousness; regardless as to how they treat you. If you mess up on that part, repent to our Lord and ask His Forgiveness. Then, apologize to the person - and mean it (yep, that's a hard pill to swallow, but do it anyway).
The way we treat someone should not be dependant on how they treat us. It should be dependant only on how Our Lord wants us to live our lives.
There ya go.
*~*~*~*~*
That's been my 2012, in somewhat of a nutshell.
It's probably been one of the more unsettling years that I've experienced in a while . . . but, even that is ok. I personally feel that it's been a time of growth; and that is always a good thing.
In between the frustration and confusion and even tears, there's also been much laughter and much love.
I choose to focus on the laughter and love, hold tight to cherished memories of loved ones now gone, do what needs to be done at any give moment, give the ick and the yuck to Our Lord for Him to do with as He pleases, change directions when I get off-kilter . . . and always look to Him for His Strength, His Wisdom, His Guidance, His Peace and His Joy.
*~*~*~*~*
Tomorrow is Christmas. For me, that means commemorating the Birth of Our Lord, Jesus.
In my world, He definitely IS the reason for the season; and for that I am so very grateful.
I hope that each of of y'all have an abundantly blessed Christmas.
Thanks for reading!
In His Peace, His Joy and His Love,
Sharmie
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