by Sharon O | Sep 6, 2015 | Uncategorized
The word for the day is Yes.
Dictionary.com says: it is used as a strong expression of joy, pleasure or approval. Used also to express affirmation.
to express hesitation, uncertainty or curiosity as in yes?
I say let’s do a bit of stirring right now and challenge our thinking.
The word Yes can be both encouraging and positive and also discouraging and negative.
How can that be? well take for example a lab report.
Yes your cancer has returned. That is a negative… the other side of it could be, Yes your cancer report is negative. A positive (using the word yes) negative. Both are true and can be possible.
Yes you got news you are hired on the new job, it is true, this yes could be a negative if you must leave home and family or friends to take the job. A positive negative.
Yes your lab test is positive and because of that you must get life saving blood draws the rest of your life.
A positive negative. Reverse that and the negative eventually becomes a positive as you feel better.
Yes you were stopped by the officer because of a few ‘issues he saw while observing your driving’, the negative is a ticket from him.
A positive is his correction of you at the same time as getting a negative.
You said Yes, when he asked you to marry him, but it could also mean a life style change of name and or location.
A positive negative.
Life is always going to be filled with the word Yes and it’s various forms of meaning.
We can either reach out to it and accept it, or we can fight it and be discouraged.
I think we can choose to let Yes be a choice.
Yes I will receive all that it delivers to me.
Do you remember a time in your life when you had a positive negative at the same time?
It’s kind of confusing and I am hoping this little ‘writing’ makes sense.
by Sharon O | Sep 2, 2015 | Uncategorized
Today I am honored to be a part of Emily Wierenga’s blog kicking off her book tour.
Her new book, Making it home is a must for every home library along with the other books she has written.
I am so thrilled to be a part of this team and to help and encourage Emily.
She is an awesome writer and a beautiful wife and mom of two boys and who was just recently blessed with a new baby girl. God is using her words to help many. May we encourage her and purchase her book, spread the news about her book in any way you can.
click the link to my words:
http://www.emilywierenga.com/
http://www.emilywierenga.com/blog/
by Sharon O | Aug 29, 2015 | Uncategorized
Here we are again on a Friday with a word prompt to write about.
The one chosen for this day is relatively easy for me.
The goal is to write for five minutes with no editing and no over thinking.
Alone
Ever sense I was a little girl I played mostly alone.
It was my safe spot, a quiet happy little place for me and my dolls or books or later on my music when I became a teenager and my room was my ‘hiding place’.
I am by nature someone who thrives on and must have ‘alone time.’
It is nice to be with others but the quiet of being alone is healing to one’s soul and spirit.
When my husband is gone it is totally alright for me to be alone for a few days.
Night time is still a bit of an issue just because it’s night, and dark and things magnify themselves in the shadows of the night.
Imagination can move quickly in the dark of the night.
I enjoy my alone time. It is a must for me.
When I start to feel frustrated or irritable too much or too often I think of and ask the question,
have I had any alone time lately?
Alone… dictionary.com says it is to be isolated from others.
separate and a part from others, without aide or help.
When I am alone I enjoy the peace but I also know that I don’t want this time to be permanent.
I also enjoy the company of others.
What are your thoughts and feelings about being alone?
by Sharon O | Aug 26, 2015 | Uncategorized
I am late on the word prompt from last Friday as we were not home.
So I thought I would try it this time in the middle of the week.
The word for the day was Find.
Proverbs 8:35
For he who finds me finds life and obtains favor from the Lord.
There were many directions I could go with this word but what came to me over and over.
Is this thought. Who ever finds me finds life.
Life that is different. Full of hope and rest and constant knowing love and acceptance.
Proverbs 8:17
I love those who love me and those who seek me diligently find me.
Wonderful promises to hold onto. In order for something to be found usually one has to be seeking.
On a search, a mission to find it. Looking for it with great anticipation of finding it.
What a lovely thought that God in his wisdom put the word find 270 times in the bible.
That is a lot. It has impact and power.
Those who diligently seek me find me.
He knows our heart and He doesn’t hide from us.
He makes himself available.
Are you looking today?
He is available to you, I can even venture to say, He is waiting for you to find him.
Let me find favor in your sight, oh Lord.
by Sharon O | Aug 19, 2015 | Uncategorized
I learned something new this time of canoeing.
I really do love the water and I really do enjoy getting out.
Here I am as we moved through the water, it was calm, warm but not too warm.
Just a comfortable 75 degree day. We always wear our hats because of the sun.
And of course our life jackets. I do not know how to swim so for me it is a ‘comfort’ knowing if I fell in someone could grab me, they always say, float on your back and relax. Um… in case they don’t understand ME falling into the water does not equal a time of relaxation.
The water was full of snags and trees and this year it was lower than normal as we have had little rain.
There wasn’t a lot of activity on the water either except for a few other rafts, canoes or boats.
The water was beautiful and the scenery was a mix between trees, grasses, personal homes along the rivers edge and some wild life, such as Eagles, deer and geese. Before we even started our ‘trip on the water’ an Eagle flew over our group and almost circled us.
It was a sign… all would be well.
The landscaping in this part of Central Oregon includes old rustic snarly trees.
It also includes the tall trees reaching to the blue skies and wispy clouds.
We followed the rivers trail as it winded through waterways that were open sending us into more beautiful scenes and homes along the waters edges. I couldn’t take many pictures of the homes as they were personal property and I was sure they would not appreciate their home on my blog. I will say most of them were beautiful and most were very expensive along the waters edge. The exception was this old beat up shack that remained on waters edge with a do not enter sign on the side of the home. We wouldn’t dare.
I did take assorted photos of different scenes.
These kind of snags can turn a canoe or a kayak in the wrong direction so we had to be careful.
Contrast between dark and light the top picture was from two years ago the bottom picture was from this year, the weather and the current of the water along with the wind always bring to us challenges. Even though it is calm we always are aware of the dangers beneath the bottom of the boat. The current can change without one knowing it and you have to pay attention when on the water, it is easy to relax too much and then get into trouble.
Can you imagine the nice relaxing moments spent as one would sit on this ‘bench’ and watch the world move by with clouds and trees and other boaters passing on the water. I just loved the look of welcome.
The grasses were very strong. We held onto them at times along the waters edge as we waited to load onto the boat or off the boat, they were a good thing to keep us stable.
The water stayed very calm and slow moving only toward the end did we feel we needed to work a little harder to paddle to shore when it was time to get off and out for the final time on the water.
Each time we go on our annual canoe trip I learn more about myself and my ability to be brave, and to push myself in ways I never thought I would or could be pushed.
I am not a camper and this was our last camping trip in a tent.
Next year we will have an RV for comfort and for better rest and of course a bed and bathroom is always nice to have at our age. Tent camping is for the younger ones who don’t mind sleeping on a cot or on the ground, we are in our 60’s now and we require our comfort as if we were at home.
I loved the trip this year other than a few ‘glitches’ that made us leave early. It was fun.
Not too hot and not cold other than the firsts night in the tent.
The time together with friends and family was precious and well spent. We packed up and headed home and as we entered our familiar area I took pictures for the there is no place like home.
A farm not far from our home.
The bridge not far from our home.
Another canoe trip is over and we wait till next year.
The year we go with our motor home.
