Reflections

Yesterday, January 17th, was my mother's birthday.   It was a sad time, she passed fifteen years ago, and is deeply missed.
  
It gave me time to think about my life, and how I was living it.  I am not so foolish as to believe that I could possibly live my life as she lived hers.  Times were different then, not easier, just different. Expectations were different then too!!

Remembering how things were when I grew up, I am thankful that my children are grown now.  This world has changed.  Not a place where I would want to have children and raise them.  Although, I know and understand that it is doable with GOD's help. 

This past year has taken me on quite a journey.  To places that I really did not want to go, but survived. Learning to take one moment at a time, knowing that time is precious and not promised.
That is one lesson that is particularly hard for me, I am one who loved thinking and planning ahead.  Even if my plans did not work out, I was always writing them down and trying to figure them into my life.  So every day I work on living in the moment and being thankful for those moments.  
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1 Corinthians 10:13Amplified Bible (AMP)

13 For no temptation (no trial regarded as enticing to sin), [no matter how it comes or where it leads] has overtaken you and laid hold on you that is not common to man [that is, no temptation or trial has come to you that is beyond human resistance and that is not [a]adjusted and [b]adapted and belonging to human experience, and such as man can bear]. But God is faithful [to His Word and to His compassionate nature], and He [can be trusted] not to let you be tempted and tried and assayed beyond your ability and strength of resistanceand power to endure, but with the temptation He will [always] also provide the way out (the means of escape to [c]a landing place), that you may be capableand strong and powerful to bear up under it patiently.

  

Feeling great right about now!! 

It took a while but I found and downloaded the Bible, so I can get my Word.

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Psalm 1 New King James Version (NKJV)

The Way of the Righteous and the End of the Ungodly

1 

Blessed is the man
Who walks not in the counsel of the ungodly,
Nor stands in the path of sinners,
Nor sits in the seat of the scornful;

2 But his delight is in the law of the Lord,
And in His law he meditates day and night.

3 He shall be like a tree
Planted by the rivers of water,
That brings forth its fruit in its season,
Whose leaf also shall not wither;
And whatever he does shall prosper.

4 The ungodly are not so,
But are like the chaff which the wind drives away.

5 Therefore the ungodly shall not stand in the judgment,
Nor sinners in the congregation of the righteous.

6 For the Lord knows the way of the righteous,
But the way of the ungodly shall perish.

Sending you a Hug!!

I bottled up a bunch of hugs To send them off to you, Friendship hugs, hugs of love, Even bear hugs too! It's filled with the most special hugs, Only the very best would do! I hope that you'll remember this Whenever you feel blue, Because these special, bottled hugs Should last the whole year through! Just open up the bottle and take out a hug - anytime you need it!!

found at Flowgo.com!!

Good Afternoon!!!

We are having beautiful weather here in South Jersey!!  Fall is here!!  

Everything has turned to the fall harvest themes.  Soooo pretty!!   Hope you are enjoying the beauty in your surroundings also!
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It is hard to keep a positive outlook on life when the world we live in is so negative!  It is getting hard to watch television. Either it is about broken lives and relationships, or how to get rich overnight!  

There was a bright spot in the middle of the night last night. 
I turned to TBN the Christian television network and they had a movie on.  It was called "Welcome To Paradise".   Call me slow, but it was a nice positive up building movie.  When it was over I had good thoughts on my mind as I went to sleep. 
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I thought this would be a good encouragement for the day!!   

Good Morning!

Today is an anniversary of sorts.  On this date in 2001, we found out quite literally how vulnerable we were as a country.  We were "attacked" by  terrorists, who had planned to kill as many as possible.  Our guard was down, we were not expecting a "hit" of that magnitude!!  We mourned, we grieved, and then we got mad (as we should).  Most of all, our country pulled together.  We still stand strong!!

1 Peter 3:8-12New King James Version (NKJV)

Called to Blessing

8 Finally, all of you be of one mind, having compassion for one another; love as brothers,be tenderhearted, be courteous;[a] 9 not returning evil for evil or reviling for reviling, but on the contrary blessing, knowing that you were called to this, that you may inherit a blessing. 10 For

“He who would love life
And see good days,
Let him refrain his tongue from evil,
And his lips from speaking deceit.
11 Let him turn away from evil and do good;
Let him seek peace and pursue it.
12 For the eyes of the Lord are on the righteous,
And His ears are open to their prayers;
But the face of the Lord is against those who do evil.”[b]

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Today is milestone for me.  I get discharged from in home nursing care today!!  I have been in their service for just about 11 months.  My health has improved to the point to where they are no longer needed.  It is a happy time but sad at the same time.  I had grown to love my nurse's and my home health aide.  They were my strength when I had none.  They seen the light at the end of the tunnel, when I couldn't. They encouraged me to live my life and not let the cancer take it!  It also helped that they had been through similar situations.  I would like to take the time to thank the nurses, aides and staff at Salem Memorial Care for everything they have done for me!!  They were my angels!!
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Finally, the cold that I have been battling is getting better.  I feel better!!

Experience Stretching

Good Afternoon!!!!  

Hope everyone is enjoying their day!!  

Still battling a cold!!  Changing of the seasons, the temps going from hot to cold.  It hit everyone in the household.  Hopefully a few more days and it will pass!
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Was reading a blog today from Darya Rose named Summer Tomato.  I love her blogs!! Pne day I hope to be able to put into words everything I want to see like she does.  
Well, in it she was talking about her tastes regarding the foods she like, and once liked.  How over time things changed.  Well for one her appetite changed, when she started eating different foods, and she started wanting them more then the old fare she was used to eating.    It is better coming from her.  Here is a link to her blog:::
http://summertomato.com/experience-stretching-why-i-no-longer-love-in-n-out-burgers/

There was one particular portion of her blog that really got me.  It is the section where she mentions a book she had read by   Dan Gilbert, called  Stumbling on Happiness.  He brings out something interesting,  {In it Gilbert describes a phenomenon called experience stretching, in which your definition of happiness expands and changes relative to the breadth of your experiences. He says, “Once we have an experience, we are thereafter unable to see the world as we did before. Our innocence is lost and we cannot go home again.”}
I took that to mean that once we try new things or experience different things, the old things lose their appeal. (I could be wrong, but that is what I got from it).  None the less, it really got me to thinking.  My life has changed in so many ways, it makes me wonder, am I on the threshold of something new and different??? If so, how will I feel about leaving some of the "old" things behind?  

Good Morning!!

This a.m. I am sitting here thinking about life.  Not just my life, but life in general.  Looking at the world, through my eyes of reality.  (My reality may be totally different than any one else's!)  Seeing things that are surrounding me and my family each and every day.  Not necessarily the bad things, because they are always there in the forefront for everyone to see.  I am talking about the things we do not notice till we stop and make an effort to see them.  
Life that goes on around us everyday, that we really pay no attention to!!  Like the trees!  They go through the seasons of life just like we do.  when they are young, they are reaching for the higher things in life.  As they grow, they put on new leaves and sprout new branches.  They grow in height each year.  They shed their leaves like we shed skin, preparing for the new growth that is sure to come.  They grow to maturity, and then they start producing seed for the next generation.  In all of their seasons of living, they not only live for themselves, but for other forms of life that live among their branches!  
I could go on, but this is just a minor observation of mine.  It takes your mind off of our life at times.  We need to spend less time stressing over things, many of which we have no control over.  I can control the time that I sit and meditate, taking those few spare moments to take my eyes off of the negative and focus on the positive.  Knowing that the future is not mine to see, but the present is for me to live! Sometimes.........we have to STOP! Take a deep breath, take notice your surroundings, see the beauty! Real life is to be lived one day at a time!!
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Matthew 6:25-34New King James Version (NKJV)

Do Not Worry

25 “Therefore I say to you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or what you will drink; nor about your body, what you will put on. Is not life more than food and the body more than clothing? 26 Look at the birds of the air, for they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns; yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not of more value than they? 27 Which of you by worrying can add one cubit to his stature?

28 “So why do you worry about clothing? Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow: they neither toil nor spin; 29 and yet I say to you that even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these. 30 Now if God so clothes the grass of the field, which today is, and tomorrow is thrown into the oven, will He not much more clothe you, O you of little faith?

31 “Therefore do not worry, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ 32 For after all these things the Gentiles seek. For your heavenly Father knows that you need all these things. 33 But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you. 34 Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about its own things. Sufficient for the day is its own trouble.