See the hammock? Can you imagine yourself in this spot, in the hammock, eyes closed, the breath of a breeze kissing your skin -its touch soft as a butterfly? I can, and often do. Imagination is a magical thing, is able to take us anywhere we wish to go, whether that be Paris, Jerusalem, Greece, Mexico, or New York. It can also enable us to cope better, helps us to wind down after a stressful day.
    Some people have told me (when I was younger), that I needed to grow up, needed to put away childish things, to stop daydreaming so much. It used to make me very sad, made me feel as if they were asking me to stop being myself- and in a sense they were.
   Children's imaginations help them cope with difficult things, enables them to learn how to put themselves in another person's shoes, helps them stretch their comfort zone, develop creativity, and in my case, it allowed me to distract myself from painful experiences. When hurting, I'd imagine how it would be later on, when everything had settled, when the adults had settled their differences. It got me through the sad and difficult moments.
It still does.

Sometimes, when my children were younger, they would ask me questions or tell me things that made me smile, reminded me of myself at their age. For instance: my daughter had a difficult time learning to eat veggies. One day, at the dinner table she was pushing  them around her plate with her fork, making the most horrible faces. "I don't know how these little green trees can be good for me when they taste so bad."
   Her younger brother laughed- told her, "Pretend they're Christmas trees then."
   Another time she asked if Jesus liked Spaghetti. "He might," I said.
   "Good, was her response. I'm going to save some of mine for him."

I didn't spend much time with my father growing up, so treasured the times I had him to myself. One day he took me with him, can't remember where we were going. What I do remember is the conversation.
   We passed under a bridge. I asked, "Dad, how many boxes of oleo could you stack from the ground to top of bridge?
     "Not sure. Quite a lot, I imagine."
     "One hundred?
      "Maybe."
      "More?
      "Don't know?
      "Less than?"
      "Not sure."
      "well guess."
         He changed the subject. I asked then, how far the stars were, what made them shine so bright, asked how did the man who made our car know how to do that; asked  where rubber came from, how old would he grow up to be? I asked who invented paint and how come the water we drink is a different color than ocean water. After awhile he began to get frustrated. He didn't get mad, just sighed and said," Doesn't your mind ever shut down?"
  I guess it doesn't. A car passes our house and I wonder where the people in it  are going, if they are happy, sad, if they believe in God or not. I go to the store, and while shopping, notice everything and everybody; wonder if the lady in front of me knows what a good example she is being for her child, by being so patient and kind to a rude checker. I go to the park, and see a couple sitting quietly on a bence nearby; notice the way the lady is sitting, head down, kind of hugging herself, gently rocking back and forth; notice the way the  man next to her is patting her shoulder, but not looking at her. He is staring into the distance, a sad look upon his face. I find myself imagining the worst of things going on in their life, find myself grateful, though I'm not sure why, that it is not me on that bench,
     Imagination is a wonderful thing. With but a little imagination we can often find solutions to problems, come up with a new and different approach, perhaps the one that will WORK this time.

Keep on dreaming. Don't ever give up on your dream. Some of the most beautiful, wonderful, delightful things in the world began with that first step. We don't come into the world knowing it all, but are capable of learning many things.

I woke to sunshine this morning, no wind, no snow, no rain. I hope, whereever you are you woke to something that lifted your spirits too; if not the sun, then perhaps knowing how loved you are, that your daily needs are always met, that you have a best friend, and a brand new day offering you a  DO OVER. Gotta love that!
    I have a lot to do today so am going to sign off now.
    REMEMBER: Life is short. Create a beaiutiful memory today.
    Love you much.
   

Keep On Keeping On

No two ways about it, life is HARD. And I think sometimes we make it even more difficult without realizing it. How? For two reasons (at least two that I

now recognize). The first is forgetting that the world runs on opposites:  a child is born- another child dies; a man finally gets the job he needs - another man loses the job he's had for twenty-five years; a couple is getting married
while another is getting a divorce; somebody is cured of cancer- another person isn't; one child becomes a success - another winds up in prison; today, a storm rages today - tomorrow the sun is warming our bones. Viewing life realistically, remembering how truly unpredictable it is, enables us to not be caught off guard so much. It teaches us to embrace the better, sunnier, brighter, more joyous moments, to appreciate them more. 

The second way we make life more difficult, in my opinion, is by making our trials, hurts, sorrows and disappointments our point of focus. A man cannot look at both sides of a coin at the same time. Neither can he be both happy and sad at the same time; he's either one or the other. We forget, I think, that we DO have control over how we feel. This is not to make light of depression (I've
struggled with it my entire life). I'm just trying to encourage those of you who may be experiencing stormy weather right now, as I am.
  
Like many of you, I got up this morning with the same set of trials I went to

bed with. But this morning I determined that they were not going to pull me under. I reminded myself that yesterday is gone, and just because things didn't work out then doesn't mean they won't now. Sometimes, we just have to accept that we were wrong about something, and move on.

Each new day offers opportunites to do things differently, to improve ourselves, to learn more. I've often reminded you that "IT WON'T ALWAYS RAIN."

And I have also said "A new day= a new way."

We need to try to remember that; to not forget that yesterday, with all it's pain, fears, worries, disappointments, mistakes and sorrows is gone, is behind us now.

Each new day is a brand new gift box, filled with blessings, both large and small.

They are there, I promise. But sometimes, especially when life is hard, it takes us longer to recognize them.

                           Todays Food For Thought

           1-Listen to the what you say- and the tone used when you say it/

           2- We believe what we tell ourselves.

          3- Think before speaking- or doing.

         4- You may feel alone sometimes, lost even, but in truth, you never are,
             because God keeps track of His children.

         5-If forgiveness seems impossible, just say the words
            and ask God to help you mean what you say.

        6-Our lives are what they are because of choices we made,
           or didn't make.

WE SEE WHAT WE LOVE

I've been asked to repost this entry (it was written in 2008)

I heard a man say "We see what we love." We do! We really
do! We're not drawn to things that repel us,  upset us, or drive
us crazy, but to things that make us smile, laugh, and feel good
inside; things that allow us to experience to the utmost,
our sense of touch, sight, smell, hearing, and taste.

 Many years ago, a friend said to me," Barb, my scale says
I weigh 172, but I feel so much heavier."
His voice, when he spoke, was heavy with sadness,

his eyes teary. I thought again  about the man who said
"we see what we love." He said also "We ought to follow what
we love and do away with things that don't add quality to
our lives like: anger, fear, sadness and those anxious
feelings that rob us of JOY.

What we find ourselves loving says a lot about the kind
of people we are, and teaches us things too
(about God, others, life, nature and ourselves).

I wish I could remember all that the man, speaking
about love said, but I can't. But it doesn't matter,

because the things that I've remembered are things
I needed to hear and learn from.

One of the things I do remember him saying is
"What we tend too will grow."
Six small words, but words that can change the quality
of our lives if we allow them too. I need to allow
them too, and perhaps you do too. Maybe we need
to give ourselves permission to follow our own dreams,
rather than walk in another mans footsteps.

When we live life according to what God says love is, we
soon discover how much we've missed out on. We lived
life according to how we've been raised, according to what
others have taught us, according too what others tell us is
the right thing to do.  But every man is accountable for
himself, for what he says- for what he does.

Kindly overlook this entry if it makes no sense to you.
I'm writing it for myself. I've backed myself into a corner, and
this is my way of finding the right, appropriate, best, easiest,
and most fair exit. Sorting out my thoughts always gets me
back on track.
So continuing....

The Bible tells us our days are numbered, so what then, must
I do, if I wish to live out the rest of my life in a good, positive,
helpful way?

I think the answer would be: Realizing how short life truly is

 I'd be wise to use my time well: to not forget how important
every conversation, every embrace, every kiss, every action,
 and every opportunity is.
I'd put to use all that I've learned.
It would  make me a better listener; more kind,
more patient, more compassionate, more gentle, more
tolerent. It would enable me to brighten my corner of
the world.

The best things in life are simple things; things that cost us
nothing, things we too often take for granted. Appreciating
the little things in life: sharing meals together, playing
together, gardening, painting, hiking, chatting with friends,
reading a favorite book, enjoying our hobbies, makes us more
pleasant to be around.

NOW- NOT TOMORROW, is the time to contemplate
the legacy we wish to leave behind.
NOW-NOT TOMORROW, is the time to stand up and
be counted, even if that means disappointing people we
love -people who love us.

People remember the good done to them, as well as the bad.
When I look into the mirror at the end of the day, and ask
myself  " Have you done your best?"
I want the answer to be yes.

***********************************************

Hope you had an awesome day.
love you much,
BARB

 

Good Morning

Hope your morning started as wonderfully as mine did. It wasn't sunny, and I didn't win the lottery. But I woke, for some reason, greatly appreciating my life and all it contains. Whenever I experience this, which is quite often, I find myself taking a memory walk, wanting to reconnect with  people who inspired me, encouraged me, lifted my spirits, taught me something, or made me feel loved and special
(people whose belief in me enabled me to believe in myself).
     I shared Gingerbread and hot chocolate with my Mother, my heart filling with admiration as she shared her life experiences, speaking softly, as always she did, about how love can go wrong, how important it is to remember that people are more important than things, and that doing our best is always good enough. Our last conversation left me with words that literally changed my life.
     "If you can be honest with yourself," she said, "about yourself, you'll find the quality of your relationships will improve. Why? Because when you look at another mans faults you're now able to see your own."
   She has been gone for many years now, but sometimes, like today, it's as though she never left.

The second person I visited on my walk was my father. As in all families, and within each relationship, not all is perfect. It was so with us. But I've never focused on the hurting memories. Better it is, I discovered long ago, to focus upon the good in life, as well as in people. This being so, I revisited Sequoia National Park; ate cold watermelon as I observed my father, who stood leaning against a Redwood tree, gazing upwards while sipping a beer, looking happier than I'd ever seen him.
   "Nothing could be better than this," he said, smiling at me.
     I've never forgotten that moment or the sights, sounds and smells of it. My father taught me many things (though not by example). The  most important?
1- Never take life or people for granted.
2- Learn to control your emotions - don't allow them to control you.
3- Everybody deserves a second chance.

Next to visit was Tommy, the first love of my life . I rode his maroon bicycle again, danced with him, went horseback riding, and felt his strength when he held me for the last time. "It's okay, Princess." he whispered, while brushing away my tears. "Don't worry. I'll be back.   He didn't come back, but what I learned from him kept me strong, has helped me through many a storm. He was unique, had the heart of a poet, was so tall in my eyes. He taught me, by example, the true meaning of loyalty, friendship and  integrity; taught me that I'm stronger than I believe myself to be, and able to do whatever I set my mind too.
    I chatted with Pastor Joe, who introduced me to Jesus Christ, enabled me to experience somebody actually living what God says love is.
    I spoke with former friends, spent an hour  sitting on an old tire swing, then revisited the treehouse Tommy built for me. "For when life's too heavy." he said.
Oh, but I loved that treehouse; spent so many hours there doing nothing but think about life: about how unfair it was, the way it  put heaven in your hands only to snatch it from you when you least expected it, how hard it was to understand parents sometimes, and myself; how noisy the world was- how  difficult to find a quiet place. I thought about the present day, wondered  what tomorrow would bring(if it would leave my life as it was, or change it into something I would hate). Mostly, though, I would think about Tommy ( wishing, praying, hoping, as his dad did, that we'd be together always).
 
But life goes its own way, dragging us right along with it, whether we wish to go or not. And the years pass, each one confronting us with truths we weren't quite ready to face like:  waking up one day, realizing that not only has youth left us, but we are no longer in the middle-age bracket either. It takes longer now, to do those things we once did so quickly. And we're  not always comfortable with the stranger in the mirror, nor with our bodies, which far too often seem to betray us.
   But  we are always going through some kind of transition, whether big or small.
And not all changes are bad. Like many of you I am facing difficult things: two sisters, both with serious health issues (diabetes complications and cancer), a daughter who is going to lose her home, a son whose marriage is failing, a sister with Parkinsons, whose husband's heart is bad, a brother -in-law whose heart is bad too, a son who has removed himself from family, and the list goes on.
   So many hurting people in the world, but even so...we are all blessed. Every one of us. As I so often say, Be brave, Have courage. Every trial comes to its own end. And remember that it isn't who we are, but WHOSE we are.

I wish you all good things: love, hope, joy, laughter and peace.
Talk to you soon.

Love you much.

THOUGHTS TO PONDER

1- Friendship disappears when misused, leaving the fool to stand alone.

2- Put others before  yourself. Love is like that.


3- Unwavering faith can handle anything.


4- If you're going to dream- dream BIG.
    To God, the word impossible does not exist.


5-The choice to live with, or without fear, is ours to make.

6- You may feel as if you're lost, but in truth, you are not.
    God always knows where we are.

7- It is the unbelieving heart that is in danger.

8- Love cannot enter if the door to the heart is closed.


9-There are no skies without occassional clouds,
   and life demands that we all, for a season, stand alone.

10- There are many who love me, but the Lord, being closest
      to my heart, caused me to be all that I am.


11- Setting high goals is a good thing,
     but we must recognize our limitations.


12- If you think you cannot- you never will.
  
13- If you love life and know truth, you will love others
      as you love yourself.

14- I called you, but you refused to answer.
      Poor child. Who will hear you when you're in need?

15 -A crisis reveals to the world, the heart of a man.


16- Saying "I'm sorry," not only reveals humbleness, but
      bigness of heart.

17- Speak gentle, kind, loving,  uplifting things, or be still.

18- Visualize peace and it will soon find you.

19- Hope in tomorrow, God created it for a reason.


20- Success comes when we recognize how much we have yet
      to learn, then learn it.

Just Catching Up

,
Hello Guys and Dolls

It's been too long, hasn't it? I have no doubt that it will take awhile for me to
catch up with all of you, but I'll do my best. I have missed you very much.


Sometimes, mostly at night, when the rest of the world was sleeping, I'd fix myself a hot cup of tea, settle down in the living room chair, and think of each one of you separately, remembering the first time our paths crossed, how delightful it was getting to know you, learning about your likes and dislikes, what made you smile, what angered you, what set your heart upon the ground, or made you feel like the most loved- the most special person in the world.
   I took many memory walks, reminding myself of your goodness, how quick you were to respond when I requested prayer, how loving, when my heart was broken - my spirit as well.
   
It wasn't easy, at first, to share so much of myself. But doing it taught me a wonderful thing,. that the tighter we cling to our pain, our sadness, our hurts, our, disappointments, and our fears, the harder it will be to turn loose of them. Wiser it is, to remind ourselves that the world runs on opposites: there is a birth - then a death, somebody gets hired- somebody loses a job, somebody gets married- somebody gets divorced, the sun rises -the sun sets, we have a good day- then a not so good one.
  But no matter what our day contains, whether good or bad, each day contains its blessing.The only way we'll miss it is if we're not watching for it.

I am grateful for today's breath of life, for the many who remember me in prayer, for this opportunity to meet new friends, and to share new experiences. I am grateful too, for the many trials of my life;without them I'd have learned nothing. I'd not have learned that I'm stronger than I believed myself to be, that what I see is not always the way it is, and that no matter how deep the pain or sorrow of the heart, a rainbow is always just around the corner. 

I hope your day is a good one, that every one of you is surrounded by love and laughter. May you always know the warmth of God's love- always experience the
tightness of his embrace.

LIFE IS SHORT
CREATE A BEAUTIFUL MEMORY TODAY.

love you much,
Barb

This is the other email address I am currently using.
Barbpinion@q.com