Tag: #moments

Turn the Page

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It feels like a new chapter unfolding in our lives.

She wrote, and published her first Blog posttoday.

She has always been a gifted writer. Maybe that is why she encouraged me to begin this Blog years ago, because she knew how enjoyable it would be. It was a seed in her heart.

She’s had a WordPress account for over a year, and yesterday talked about writing a Blog. Today, she typed one up, added some of her beautiful photographs, and hit publish. I asked God to bless it, and it’s had several views, and likes.

We needed this today, so praise God, and thank you WordPress community.

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It’s Pretty Ugly

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I took a friend to meet Stephanie today. You may or may not recall but, Stephanie is who gave me the courage to care for plants. Everyone needs a Stephanie in their life.

Getting out of my truck, this caught my eye. It has been hanging there for some time, and I have walked by it a countless number, but today it spoke to me.

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My daughter is still in shock that I brought it home!

She asked, “How much was it?” I cheerfully replied, “Stephanie let me have it for 9 bucks!” My daughter looked confused. This was so unlike me to buy something that wasn’t pretty.  I have already received $9 worth of joy from it.

Some days look pretty, but some days feel ugly, and it’s okay to have both.

Before She Leaves

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I’m trying to be more present in life. You can live with someone, and still miss moments, if you allow the distractions of the world to suck you in.

My daughter started to collect succulents.

She has been studying about them for a while, so she knows what to do. I over water, and kills things, so I have deemed her in charge. She purchased some a month ago, and after further reading announced, “You are supposed to get them out of the original container as soon as possible!” She ordered potting soil from Bonsai Jack, and has been waiting all week for her dirt to arrive.

We laughed at how excited we were over a shipment of dirt. It was supposed to arrive yesterday, but it didn’t. I told her, “God is gonna come through! It will be here before you leave!”, and it was. First thing this morning she raced to the Post Office.

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Once she got back home with her shipment, she drug everything needed onto the front porch. She had already purchased the planters she wanted to plant them in. This one fell on the way to her car, right after buying it. As you can see, it is now cracked, and the corners are chipped. I told her, “Use it anyway. It has character.”

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This one grew tremendously after she bought it, and had babies! She separated it, and placed some in this hanging planter, for her room, and then gave some to me. I didn’t have a planter, but I had just washed a container that housed a candle. After the candle was thoroughly enjoyed, I thought the container was cute, and kept it.

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I sat on the porch with her the entire time she was doing all this. She was trying to get it done, and still be on time to meet her Dad. We had one more that needed a pot, but it didn’t look right in the pot we had left. I told her to go get ready, and I’d figure something out.

They will need their first watering in a few days. I told her I was not touching them, so they’ll be thirsty when she gets home! She sees many things she wants to try, and it’s fun watching her learn. The entire process, of choosing the plants, the planters, and the dirt, brings me joy.

My daughter has this thing for the underdog. If you ask her to choose a puppy, or kitten out of a healthy, rambunctious litter, she will pick the shy, little runt every time.

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Succulents are no different. Meet little Kumquat, and it’s the only one, that received a lace ribbon. This is how it is before she leaves. She will come home inspired to take on something else, and I’ll be ready to assist. Every time before she really leaves.

Try It Again

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I woke up this morning with purple hair. My daughter bleached it, and colored it purple. We went kinda light with the bleach, so it’s more of an orange, and lavender mass.

It doesn’t matter to me how many colors it is. Just a few months ago, I was bald, so I’m grateful just to have hair. My daughter had a blast doing it, and thanked me many times.

It was a moment between us that we won’t soon forget. Mainly because everytime she looks at me, or I walk by a mirror, the hair serves as a reminder of the moment. She is already studying the outcome, and saying what she would do different if she was to try it again.

I filled the coffee pot lastnight, and set it to automatically make the coffee this morning before I woke up.

I woke up before the coffee maker was set to go off, so I hit the button manually. Shortly, I heard it beep like it was ready but, it didn’t look ready. There was half as much liquid to the amount of water I poured in the night before. I lifted the lid to look at the basket of grounds, and they were flooded. The water had not properly drained through the basket into the pot.

I was half asleep when I walked into the kitchen, and paid no attention to the position of the pot. You have to engage the pot completely into the maker for it to work properly. There is a lever that the pot presses against to create a seamless flow.

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I could have settled for what the coffee maker gave me, which was full of grounds. Did I want to pour into me coffee liquid, or grounds? I dumped that pot out, and made a fresh one that I would be happy with.

I thought, oh I can still drink it. “It’s not that bad”, or ‘It’ll be okay.” God is not in the ‘Okay’ bizness.

Ephesians 3: 20-21 in the Message: 20-21 God can do anything, you know—far more than you could ever imagine or guess or request in your wildest dreams! He does it not by pushing us around but by working within us, his Spirit deeply and gently within us.

I enjoyed my fresh pot of coffee, and my hair color is fun. It’s good to know when there is an area in my life that doesn’t bring me happiness, I get to try again. This time with God.

May We All

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Driving down the road the other day, I heard a song come on the radio. I recognized the voice, but not the song. It was that kind of song that you cannot sit still while listening to.

Florida Georgia Line, has a new song out.

I haven’t listened to these guys in a while. They are more redneck than country, and I think you either love them, or you don’t. I’m going to give them credit for hanging on to their individuality, in a world full of haters. They have stayed true to who they are, and this song was on my mind early this morning.

The voice I heard in the song as I was driving was none other than Tim McGraw. This is probably what made me listen to the lyrics more intently. If there is one thing this year has taught me, it’s to take absolutely nothing for granted. Not even breathing.

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May we all do a little bit better than the first time
Learn a little something from the worst times
Get a little stronger from the hurt times
May we all get to have a chance to ride the fast one
Walk away wiser when we crashed one
Keep hoping that the best one is the last one
Yeah you learn to fly and if you can’t then you just free-fall

May We All. (Click to watch and listen)

In the song, they talk about the little things in life.

God has definitely pulled me back to that this year. Can you see the little things, or are you looking for the big things in life? Is it your job, or climbing the cooperate ladder? Maybe it’s upcoming social engagements during the holidays? Is it the car you have sitting in the garage, or the one you’re wanting to buy?

I’ve had all of that, and I’m here to tell you it doesn’t last. Those things didn’t bring me happiness either. Happiness for me today, is calling my sister, and talking and laughing for an hour. Sitting in my porch swing, breathing in the country air, and listening to the quiet.

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I get to spend everyday with my daughter. She is growing up way too fast, and will leave the nest far too soon, but we have made more memories the past three years then ever before.

She doesn’t remember the time we rented a sailboat in the Florida Keys with a captain for the day. Nor all the fancy hotels we stayed in when she was a child. She doesn’t recall the Mercedes I drove her to private school in, but she will tell you about the time I tried to rescue her cat.

Her cat was stuck in a tree for three days. It was in the woods, across a field, when we lived on 40 acres a couple of years ago. I could hear it howling for help every time I walked outside. So, we pulled on our boots, and started praying for God’s favor and protection, as we walked across this field toward the howling cat. By the time we got there we were scared.

Not as scared as the cat though. It was way up high in the tree, and I knew there was no way to reach it. All of a sudden we felt a mist of water coming straight down on us. I thought it had started to rain until my daughter busted out laughing. The cat was so scared, it started to pee, and was peeing all over us!

That was enough for me. Kitty came down on her own.

We still laugh about that story, and we have lots of memorable times that have happened since we’ve been on our own together. She has them written down, and reads them off when we need a laugh. It’s amazing some of the things we’ve been through that have turned out to be the best moments of our lives!

These are the things she remembers, and they didn’t cost a dime. Just my time.

 

Pause and Unrush

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Today was the first day in my journey with SC Lourie, and let the floodgate open. I’m not even halfway through the material for this week because I got hit between the eyes with a word.

That word is, “Unrush.” I could finally totally relate to this word.

It was such a beautiful day, I grabbed a journal, pen, a chilled glass of ginger ale, and stepped outside. I sat everything down and it was the picture of unrush. Sliding my phone out of my back pocket to take a photo, it happened so quickly, the glass didn’t have time to defrost.

My first thought was, three years ago, at the beginning of this journey, I wouldn’t have done this. Being completely honest with myself, I’m not sure I could have done this a year ago.

To give myself permission to stop, and enjoy the moment. I was married for 25 years, and don’t recall this simple act of unrush.

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Always moving and rushing to get things done. Maybe you can relate. Life happens quickly, and I believe we have to make ourselves pause in it. To just pause and enjoy the exact moment we’re in.

May you take the time to pause, and unrush.