LET'S CHAT

Finally! I was beginning to think I'd never be able to post again; so glad
that I can. I'm hoping that today finds every one of you doing well, happy, surrounded by laughter, love, and peace (which we know is sometimes quite
elusive). This fact is perhaps the reason I decided to share a poem I wrote many years ago. I wrote it on a day when I was struggling with depression,
on a day when I was trying to come to terms with what life really is.
I'd come to recognize that we can't control everything, can't always change 
the direction our life is flowing. I discovered, after many years, that we have
to trust ourselves a bit more, to hold more tightly to our dreams, and to not forget that though we can't see Him, God is still in control.                                                           

                                               

Sometimes life is such a hurting thing; it

erases all traces of the lovely things, the gentle

things that tickle our hearts and lift our eyes
heavenward- from which they came.

Sometimes, life is so delightful that all the 

frightful things disappear into the shadows

of the night, and we stand in awe beneath

 a diamond dusted sky, and
with grateful hearts we whisper:
Thank you, God.


Sometimes, when we see our loved ones fall,

and our saddened because we cannot help

them all, 

Perhaps we can begin by helping just one.

If we're unable to swallow the sorrows of 

the heart,

perhaps we could deal with them better

by wiping the tears of another hurting person.

When  we've done something wrong,

and are consumed with guilt, perhaps

it would help to humbly accept God's gift of

forgiveness.
And if we find ourselves doubting our choices,

our wisdom, and the sort of person we've become,

it might help to remember that

we are but men.

This picture above is a good example of what this poem was trying to say.
Not all our days are good; life does sometimes hide it's rainbows, does block

out the sun for a time, does confront us with things that hurt, discourage, 

sadden, and cause fear to settle upon us, does remind us that there are some

things we have no control over.  But..midst all of the negativeness

in the world, we're surrounded with millions of little things, simple things 

that can lift our hearts, put a smile on our face, strengthen us, and make us

believe there is nothing we can't handle.
  
Seeing a little boy or girl play with his/her pet never fails to make me smile. I'm sure seeing it touches your heart in the same way. We may not see a child with a pet every day, but I know there is usually something beautiful we've missed because of our worry, fear or fretting. Sometimes that special something is tucked within a moment; that moment when our child tugs on our shirt or dress, needing our attention. Sometimes it's that moment when our spouse is trying to pencil in some together time, but can't get us to stop what we're doing long enough to hear what he/she, has to say. Sometimes it's the peace we might have experienced had we taken time to simply sit and relax for awhile.
  
The more difficult- the more painful life becomes, the more frustrated, worried, and fearful we become. Every one of us longs to be able to do something, to come up with a way to make things better, and not just within

the world, but within our family- our homes, our community.
We become discouraged when it appears as if what we've tried made no difference. We forget that every good thing makes a difference, 

no matter how small that good thing was.

All the beautiful things in our world began with an idea. Then somebody took that first step. That's all we need to do. We need to think of somebody who needs some help- then help them in any way we can. It is more fun, I think, to not let them know who did the helping.

I'm, at this moment, pondering some ideas on this, looking forward to knowing I can make a difference in somebody's life; that if I think on it long enough, I'll come up with an idea that can bless others in the same way many have blessed me.

Life can be a challenge, has been for me since Johnny's death. But I have discovered that even a huge loss, one this painful, cannot hold me down unless I make that loss my sole point of focus. I choose not too. Life, though painful and challenging, is still delightful; is still full of new opportunities for growth and blessings, still contains many SHINY moments for me, the SHINY moments being the many blessings the Lord places within my hands each day.

 **
Sorry this post isn't lined up right.
I'm having some problems with computer.


Have an awesome day.
Love you much.

Barb