I missed a whole month??!!

44 plus 33 days that I missed = 77....  

Soooo very grateful for a wonderful early start to and extended SPRING!   May has barged in with a force of humidity that I usually dread.  But since we've had a good 8 weeks of wonderful seasonably, delightful, breezy, aesthetic, leave-the-windows-open spring, I will let May start off the summer without much protest.  

Thank you, Lord for blessing me with my favorite season.  

                                                                         

                                                                         <3  Me

Continuing gratitude

42.  Hyacinths

               43. Green

Random thoughts on The Five Love Languages

I've come to get to know people by their love language. If you watch someone or are around someone long enough, you can figure them out pretty easily.  The Five Love Languages are the most (imho) effective ways to get along with your close friends, family and significant other.  The gist of this is that humans understand they are loved/cared for/appreciated in the way that they show others that they are loved/cared for/appreciated.  If you don't love them in their language, they won't feel loved.  This is probably why people fall out of love or don't feel cared for. It's all about others.  Always about others.

Hands down, mine are: gifts, physical touch, and acts of service. If you bring me a pack of gum, you have given me the world - you thought of me when I wasn't with you, and to me, that thought is a gift in itself.  And when I go shopping, I could buy something for everyone. I am usually thinking of others, being reminded of comments made, remember their favorite colors.  I enjoy giving and feel loved when a thoughtful gift is given - no matter what it could be.

In the last 6 years, physical touch has become a need of mine.  Maybe because its the most prominent thing that's missing?  I dunno.  But I do know that I love my friends that are good huggers.  I will touch people when I'm talking to them, walking by....  Maybe I just like being connected.

Acts of service - It wasn't until I was well into my 30's that I realized I can feel good about doing for others without expecting anything in return. When someone does something for me - leaves the porch light on, cuts the grass, takes out the trash, cooks dinner, it is such a HUGE gift of time (not the porch light).  I'm am usually in awe that someone would help me without expecting anything, so that's how I'd like for others to feel.

One day, recently, I picked up a woman who was crossing the street, appearing to be having great difficulty walking anywhere quickly - cane, arm was folded up and paralyzed.  My thought process went like this: "She needs a ride. Must not be going far.  She can't run after me.She's not carrying a gun - there's no room for one." So I picked her up. Her name was Laurie and she wanted to stop at the fish market on the way to her apartment. She had had a stroke once and suffered head trauma in a fall. We had a nice conversation and I bought some yummy shrimp, that I wouldn't have otherwise purchased. Most likely, I'll never see her again. She laughed when I told her I went over the risks I was taking and surmised that since she couldn't run, I was safe. She had nothing to give.  I have nothing to give.  Groovy the way this works. That's what we're here for, right? 

These are my languages.  It crushes my spirit when my gifts aren't accepted or appreciate.  And I certainly don't feel loved when these little needs aren't met.  There's a lot to this love language business and its imperative that humans learn foreign languages of their loved ones and speak them accordingly.  There's a quiz you can take to learn yours, but knowing others' is probably most important.

I write this because I'm convinced I'm the only one paying any attention to it, and I just needed to get it out of my head and put it somewhere else.

Carry on.  :-)

39. pre-dawn moon glow


           40. birds chirping in the pre-dawn moon glow


                        41. anticipation of spring with birds chirping in the pre-dawn moon glow

Still counting

38. a (relatively) sound mind ( I'm sure some would argue ;-p )

just keep swimming.....

35. beautiful people of God that are just as 

dysfunctional as everyone else

36. snoring dogs

37. peace

Full moon and warm critters

                    32. mornin' moonglow 
                          33. warm cat sleeping in lap
                                 34. quiet house

Non-consistency

31.  Precious friends who check on 

me when I'm MIA to remind me I'm not invisible.  
(just busy! :-)

Feb-brrr-airy.... NOT!

30.  Only 4 weeks until the 
hyacinths come up!!!  Yippee!  

day in between the others

29.  70 degrees on January 27, 2012!

:-D

Off the chart for the night....

I started grumbling today.  Just tired and needed some encouragement. I asked for it from my Facebook buds, received the gifts, and then felt better in a record amount of time. 

Things do not stay the same. They are constantly changing.  So my motto is, "It isn't always gonna be like this."  I can say that, but some things haven't changed in 15 years. I realized today that I'm still not totally content with this "sameness" - for lack of a better word. I tell myself I am for a while, then a night like this comes in and tries to steal my joy.  I really believe God isn't going to move certain things until I get content with where I am.  To wear it and appreciate it like an old worn sweatshirt.  God wants my undivided attention. I'm His baby girl, and  I need to be content with that, and that alone. He sees me, hears me, and knows my heart better than any human.  That's a gift.  To be His.  

So, here are some gifts that I was thinking about the past few days....

22) The gift of being a God's kid.

23) Hot shower on a bone-cold day.

24) Blankets (lots of them!)

25) The hairdryer that blows hot air (can you tell I was cold that day?)

26) My Facebook friends that I don't get to see too much in person.

27) The smell of the fireplace smoke in the mornings coming from my neighbor's house.

28) Precious neighbors that look out for me.

Day 7 ~ three graces from people you love

19 ) Rita Ann's laugh.


20) My mother's simplicity.


21) Cherlyn's genuine joy when she sees me and gives me one of those awesome hugs! 

Day 6 ~ Something in your bag, your frig, your heart

16) In my bag is this autographed Christmas CD of Maeve ~ The Soul Felt its Worth. A dear internet friend sent it to me from New Hampshire.  He seems to know exactly what kind of music I like 

even though we've never met in person. 

17) In my frig is the last piece of Icebox Pie ~ this recipe was given as a gift from Linda C. Most scrummy (that's scrumptious and yummy) and most simplest to make. Linda C. is a gift in my life, too.  

18) Something in my heart is a tough one. My heart, at this moment, is over-brimming with love for dear friends that have acted as my family; they don't even know how important and special they are to me. They encourage me, help me to grow in Christ, and nudge back on track when I need to be. 

They are truly "safe" people.

day 5 ~ something you're reading, you're making, you're seeing

 13 ~ This is the book I was telling you about. I actually read a few books at the same time ~ next week, I'll be reading a psychology text book ~ yay school!

14 ~ I started this after the term ended in December - scarf, hat. Something.  Now, its a handbag.  I just learned to knit and crochet last year, so because my hands/brain can't be still, I do this when I'm not studying. 

15 ~ Something I'm seeing isn't anything I can photograph because I see so much.  I s'pose I'm reflecting on what I see happening within me and my girls. We're learning so much about each other and being more tolerant of our differences as individuals.  A wise, once-single mom told me that their choices were theirs and not a reflection of me as they can choose what they want as they get older. Choose what they want to wear, do for a living, the boyfriends they'll have (God help them, please!), and the friends they'll choose. They'll also choose to follow Jesus or not.  I pray they choose Jesus and safe people to help them on that Journey.

  What am I seeing?  I'm seeing growth ~ spiritually and physically.

day 4 ~ an old gift, a new gift, and a blue gift

10)  Old gift.... my Gramma made these little poodles ~ and lots of other crafts. She gave me this when I was around 8 - oh. boy. About 35 years ago.   

11)   This my new gift : )  A sweet Scentsy trade from my friend.  

12)  Something blue:  My mother bought this whole set of Currier and Ives dishes at a yard sale.  She was very proud of her find.  They sit in my hutch waiting to be used. 

What am I waiting for? 

Day 3 ~ Three lines you overheard that were graces

mmm.. I read a lot and I talk a lot.  

So only 3 lines isn't going to cut it.

7. "You are smart. You are kind.  

And you are important."  ~ The Help

8. "Sarayu interrupted him, " Mack, if anything matters then everything matters. Because you are important, everything you do is important. Every time you forgive, the universe changes; every time you reach out and touch a heart or a life, the world changes; with every kindness and service, seen or unseen, my purposes are accomplished and nothing will ever be the same again."  ~ The Shack by Wm. Paul Young, p. 237 Wiindblown Media. 2007

9. "When you are tied on to God, you don't have to be afraid." ~ Angela Thomas Pharr's friend, Dennis. From the book, Do You Think I'm Beautiful? 

Day 2 of Joy Dare 2012

                             Day 2 ~ something outside, inside, and on plate

#4  ~ Outside ~ Happy that the Richmond Library spends money on flowers in the winter.

#5 ~ Inside ~ A can I shot a hole through this summer at a baby shower!

 It was a game. You mean you Northerners have never done this!?  I think I'll keep this forever.  

#6 ~ Something on a plate - Tah Dah!  My favorite food.  

One Thousand Gifts ~ I'm challenging myself to stick with something

I'm probably the only one that reads this, so ~ Hi Jennifer, you've decided to do something and stick to it.  You can - you stick with school projects, get A's in most all the classes and you haven't run away from home (yet).  There ARE things you can commit to.

My Bible Study Class at CCF (Community Christian Fellowship) is reading One Thousand Gifts by Ann Voskamp.  Ann has a Joy Dare for 2012 and I'm going to do it.  We are to write 1,000 things in our life to be grateful for.  We can photograph them or write them.  I'll do both.

Day 1 (for me): 3 things about yourself you are grateful for:  1)  Height - I can help vertically challenged people get things in high places.  2) I have eyes that can see - in color.  I love flowers and yellow.  I couldn't imagine life without seeing either.  3 )  I have a love of reading ~ I can go anywhere; travel in time; crawl inside someone's head; hear from God.