When Life Gets Tough the Tough Keep Loving

Its been a 'while' ;-} since my last post.  I've been goin' thru a rough spell and without doing a lot of whining lets just say that I haven't felt like creatively expressing myself.  When everything's rosy, I'm a babbling brook of inspiration and creative juices.  Some artists seem to thrive during dark times but not I.  

The one thing I am able to keep flowing in though, is Love.  When times are hard that's what I do.  I hold on to Love.  It becomes my plumb line of safety.  As long as I'm walking that line, I know that I'll make it out alright.

I keep myself as busy as possible helping others, being around friends and family, and sharing God's Love.  In doing this, sometimes my creativity has to make an appearance also and I count that a blessing, "Creative Blessings".

So, until I find my rose colored glasses (I truly lost my pair of Roxy, rose colored glasses) and feel that burst of Love inspiration, I'll be posting pictures here of things I've created or pictures I've taken and hope they might inspire someone to create.  Art can be a true expression of Love. 

And meanwhile, I'll be toughing it out in Love.

Love Means Giving Your Good Side

Each of us, especially ladies, know we have a good side or at least one side that is our best ;-]  Yes, I am speaking about our looks but also want to go a bit deeper than that.

I've been thinking about this a lot lately as I had a tooth pulled from the upper left side and have been planning to get a dental implant.  Complications have occurred which will mean that it will be about a year before I actually have a tooth in that missing spot!  I hate it!  

I am very self conscious about it, especially in a close setting, and I find myself holding back my laughter often and even my smile.   I love to laugh and smile!  And, we love to entertain and to go out with friends and family.  We've been going out a lot lately and I'm often in the position of choosing where I will sit and whom I will be sitting next to &/or in between.  

At first, I was tempted to seat my husband to my left as I know he loves me and he knows the tooth is missing and still adores me and loves me “no matter what” (part our wedding vows).  But I made a conscious decision to always give my husband my best side!  He deserves it because he does love me no matter what!  So, unless I forget, or I get my implant ;-]  he'll be on my right, my good side!

This was a relatively simple decision and an easy one to follow thru on.   But, this got me thinking too about other ways I need to give him my good side, my best behavior, and a loving attitude even if its not my inward reaction.  Lord knows he’s seen my bad side and he loves me anyway but I don’t want him to have to love me 'anyway', I want him to love me because he has nothing but my good side to look at always, both inside and out!

Its so weird that we take the very people we love the most and give them our worst so often.  Its because we take them for granted and know they will love us anyway but it should not be this way.  And interesting too is how often we find ourselves treating perfect strangers with kid gloves when we would scream at someone we love.  Certainly, I'm not suggesting a revearsal of behavior but that we should at least give our loved ones the same consideration if not more.

Who do you give your best side to?

I encourage each of you to try your best to always give your loved ones your good side.  Let them know just how special they are to you and show them nothing but your best!

Happy Valentine's Day!

Love is a Cheerleader!

I remember once as I sat in church to hear the testimonies of a group of youth that had returned from a misisions trip to a far away place.. They were all filled and inspired by the events and witness of the Holy Spirit that had assisted them in various ways throughout a recent trip abroad.   I, a parent of teenagers myself had sat there listening, judging them, wondering how long it would be before their testimonies of the Holy Spirit would turn to acts of self and selfishness...
I immediately felt the Holy Spirit in my own heart witnessing to me, how important it was that I not judge but lift up these youth in prayer and thanksgiving for the work the spirit had done in their lives, and agree with them for what the Spirit had put in motion...
How quick we are to bring down the work of the spirti in our own doubt and judgement!
Why can't we be cheerleaders?  LOVE is cheerleading!  How much stronger the work of The Holy Spirit when the saints agree!  
What a shame, when we as Christians look for the weaknesses in others rather than lift them up!!!  Lord forgive us for our own shortcomings as we search for the shortcomings in others!  Help us to be cheerleaders instead!   Help us Lord to speak Life into the lives of others.
That Sunday, I sat in church feeling convicted about my thoughts in regards to their testimonies of their mission trip.  The Holy Spirit encouraged me to agree with them and not to doubt the work in their lives regarding helping others. I decided that day to be their cheerleader and not a skeptic!  We need more cheerleaders and less skeptics!
Love is a cheerleader!  Love does not point out the weekness, it lifts up!  Love encourages!
Love covers, it does not expose weaknesses.   Love looks for the best in others, not the shortcomings.
Lord, help me to be a cheerleader, to lift up and encourage and NOT tear down your good works!
In Jesus' Name,
Amen!

Self Love

 We've heard it said that one cannot love others if they do not love themselves.  If anyone knows who to credit this to, I'd love to know.  It is very wise and in my opinion very true.

I for one, have learned to love myself, mostly because I know that God loves me.  As I reflect on His unconditional love, I find it easier to see myself as a child of His and then am able to see myself thru His eyes and boy do I look better thru His eyes!  I'll bet God has a GINORMOUS pair of rose colored glasses!!!

That said, I want to take care of His child, Me ;-]  and though I would love to take care of you too, I hope that you will take care of you also!

I belong to a group that loves to give.  They/We are hoping to make the world a better place thru giving.  You might consider joining us at 29gifts.org  This month we are talking about and practicing Self Love.  I know, it sounds selfish but its OK.  Believe me, you will be better able to love others if you take care of yourself.  ;-]  Seems I was just having a discussion with my teenage boy about this subject in regards to the old rule on airplanes about putting your own oxygen mask on first before someone else's.  It goes against how we think we are to behave, especially if you're a mother, but we all know it makes sense.

So, at 29gifts.org there is a list of 29 simple gifts you can give yourself.  

http://www.29gifts.org/forum/topic/show?id=2039308%3ATopic%3A570175

here's a few I'd like to add - no particular order - try them all, I DARE YOU!!!

 1.  Talk to God

 2.  Call an old friend or family member and curl up in a warm spot for a long conversation...

 3.  Get some girlfriends together for shopping and lunch

 4.  Do some on-line shopping - amazon.com  is the best!

 5.  Buy yourself a new outfit

 6.  Devour some magazines & cut out pictures you love to make a collage of a few of your favorite things

 7.  Get all dolled up and make a candle light dinner for yourself - you may include someone special if you like

 8.  Write a poem about YOU - have FUN with it!

 9.  Write a letter to yourself or someone special

10.  Invent a new recipe using your favorite ingredients and name it after yourself

11.  Make a new friend on facebook http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100000449811372  this is a link to my profile page ;-]

12.  Find some new music you like.  go to pandora.com create an account (free) create a new station (this is easy folks) by typing in a song or artist you like then they will play music that is similar 

13.  After finding new music on Pandora go to itunes.com Itunes purchase the music and make a new CD - Enjoy 

14.  Make some paper flowers and put together a paper flower arrangement for yourself

15.  Make a diarama based on a recent movie you enjoyed or book you've read

16.  Start a seedling indoors and get a head start on Spring

17.  Join a supportive creative network coachcreativespace.ning.com and better yet join the group within 

18.   Gather pillows, blankets, put on warm jammies & slippers and watch a favorite movie with your favorite munchies...

19.  Start a journal or if you already have one, do a page celebrating yourself

20.  Make yourself a valentine

21.  Buy a box of chocolates and bite into each piece, nibbling whenever you want

22.  Make yourself a warm chocolate cake ;-]

23.  Invent a new cocktail and have one

24.  Make a loaf of bread from scratch and eat a big ol chunck of it right out of the oven with butter

25.  Go and get a hair cut and color without telling anyone about it first

26.  Get a massage!!!

27.  Start a blog and follow yourself  ;-}

28.  Create a travelling Art kit to keep in the car for all those times you're stuck ... waiting...

29.  Paint something, frame it, and hang it on the wall

Seize the Moment

This morning I had the RARE opportunity to sing a lullabye to my 17 year old son! What a blessing!

How many of us and how often do we have these chances to reach out and grab a piece of LOVE?! More than we realize - I say.

My son has the habit or going back to sleep on the sofa after having breakfast in the morning. Usually I get upset with him and bark at him to get up and get moving but this morning the Lord gifted me with an awareness that this was an opportunity for a special moment!

I walked over to the sofa and sat next to him and caressed his head and his hair, the same curly trusses that I used to caress when he was just a toddler. Same boy, same curls, how have I missed this?

Thank You God for slowing me down just a little and opening my eyes to the gift of this child before me.

I gently asked him if I could sing him a song, knowing he'd agree to anything that meant he could lie there another moment before the hustle and bustle of getting ready for another Monday of school. I began.

"You Are My Sonshine" (that's the way I sing it because he is my 'son' ;-)...my only sonshine, you make me happy when skies are gray... I always sang him this song, when he was just a little guy, to wake him up in the mornings.

This morning, as I hit the familiar notes, his mouth curled slightly, at the corners, to show his approval and an awareness of a mother and son connection that only the two of us hold. Sweet.

The song ended and I wasn't ready to let go and fortunately, he wasn't ready to get up ;-) so I said

"OK, I'll sing you one more" and I began a favorite lullabye from when he was a baby.

I want to share the lullabye with you:


Believe me if all those endearing young charms,

that I gazed on so fondly today,

were to fade by tomorrow and fleet from my arms,

like fairy dreams fading away,

thou would still be adored, as this moment thou art,

let thy loveliness fade as it will,

but around the dear you, in each wish of my heart,

would entwine itself verdantly still still...


if any song was perfect for singing to a child (knowing they will one day be a teenager), this is it! ;-]

Well, I caressed his trusses a few seconds more and then had to use my Big Mommy voice to get him moving.


Thank You Lord for the gift, this opportunity for LOVE and may it entwine itself verdantly still in our hearts forever!

and may each of us be aware to Seize the Moment!

These pictures relate to my last blog 

a Mother's Love  

my baby girl, her husband, and his son visiting, July 09 

she will now be his mom with his mother's passing 

my baby girl, my first grandchild ;-]  & me!

Dec. 2010, (due the end of March, 2011)

my son, trying to be a mama for Florabelle Dec. 2010

a Mother's Love

Yesterday, we learned that my daughter's stepson's mother had passed away.  He is 8 years old.  We are all so very saddened by this loss.  The part which grieves me most is this child's loss.  What a great and glorious gift is the love of a mother for her child.  What a huge loss for anyone, especially a child.  A mother is designed by God, to Love  her child unconditionally, to care for him and nurture him, no matter what!


I lost my own mother, to cancer, just 2 years ago and still find myself needing her, wanting to call her to share something or to just be loved on with that super-fantastic unconditional Love!  I sometimes find myself with tears of regret for not reciprocating that Love enough.  (a subject for another day)


I could not help but ponder these thoughts this morning as I was preparing the two 1/2 gallon bottles of milk for another child that lost it's mother, our baby calf, Florabelle.   Her mother died in childbirth just before Christmas and we have been bottle feeding her since.  My son, age 17, took on the responsibility of feeding her twice daily and loving on her as much as his time will allow.  I fix her morning bottles just to save him a little time for getting ready for school.  He does love the calf but is sometimes put out by the inconvenience of it all when he is late home and having to go out there in the dark and cold and often rainy blustery evenings. 

I, myself, have 4 children and I can still remember the "inconvenience" of it all.  And, how driven I was by LOVE thru every bit of it!  The nursing, the leaking breasts, the up-all-nighters, the colds, the flus, that went thru the entire family, one at a time.  The homework!!!  Arghhhh!  The homework!  (my least favorite motherly duty).


And all of you Mothers, you know, we'd do it all again and again in an instant!  I praise God for that extra overflowing dose of Love He's given to us for this glorious calling!   
I call on each of us now, to look out for those children who have suffered the loss of this Love and to Love all over them as much as humanly possible!


I pray for my daughter and her husband to be able to give this child an extra measure of Love and that God will pour His Love thru my daughter as she tries to fill that void in this child's life and also that I, as his "step-grandmother" will also be able to lavish him with God's LOVE!