by Sharon O | Aug 24, 2012 | Uncategorized
The last blog post I did was about our old black dog.
It was my 500th blog post.
I can’t believe it has been that many times of sitting here
pounding out
thoughts and questions.
Isn’t that interesting?
A significant mile post and also a significant loss.
This month has been a really hard one and losing our old dog
was just another reminder for me that we must stay strong
and focused.
I was reading something by John Eldredge from
www.ransomed heart.com
in the letter he said something I need to think about
on many levels.
How do you want me to be looking at this Lord?
It is a simple question.
It is also a really hard one.
My first blog year was full of grief… each writing
seemed like a pouring out of my heart and spirit.
Losing a family pet is really hard too.
We have been here before with each one of those who went before him.
None of them are easy to let go and say goodbye.
Our yard is different right now.
My dog Emma is quiet and I believe she is missing our old black dog who was her friend.
She seems a little lost.
Not too different from any of us when grief strikes our hearts.
by Sharon O | Aug 22, 2012 | Uncategorized
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Resting at night in our family room.
He liked an old blanket or sometimes a dog pillow. |
Our Old Black Dog, formerly known as Samson was put down today. 8/21/12
It is a sad day for us.
We have guessed he is 15-16 years old now.
When we rescued him from the pound he was about 3-4 years old.
My husband was looking for a dog to take fishing and camping and he wandered into a petsmart one day and saw him there. He called me and said ‘You won’t believe what I found’.
He was very excited to bring him home.
They said he had to go to the pound to actually adopt him.
We had to take in my Australian cattle dog Sadie and my dachshund Sophie so they all could be introduced to each other before they would release him to us.
(sometimes dogs don’t get along and that would have been a bad deal)
We all piled into the car and headed to the pound.
Sadie was not happy and perhaps even felt like we might be leaving her there.
Sophie was oblivious to the entire trip.
After we adopted him we put him in the car carrier and headed home.
He howled and hollered and carried on for miles as I looked at my husband with a look that meant
“what did we get ourselves into?”.
My husband stopped the car about half way and took Samson out of the dog carrier.
The rest of the ride home he sat on the seat and never whined or barked or made any noise.
He just didn’t like that dog carrier.
He became good friends with Sadie blue and after she passed on I picked up Emma Rose a red heeler.
They played and romped and just became good buddies.
He loved it on the water with Papa O he even had a life jacket just his size.
When our grandson was born the two Sam’s would often get confused
if we said “Sit” they both would sit down so we changed our Samson dog to Old black dog….or Obd.
He adjusted to the name well and our grandson learned to call grandpa’s buddy “Obd” too.
He will always be remembered as our ‘old black dog’ and my husbands fishing buddy.
by Sharon O | Aug 19, 2012 | Uncategorized
Generation after generation stands in awe of your work;
each one tells of your mighty acts.
Psalm 145:4 (the message)
Yesterday I watched a concert with Franklin Graham and his son Will and I knew they were following the faith of the father, Billy Graham. Generations will share and tell and let others know of the love of God.
It was refreshing to see the baton of faith, passed from one to another.
Joining Deidra on jumping tandem with the Sunday community.
(photograph by Cathy B from Oregon) used by permission.
by Sharon O | Aug 15, 2012 | Uncategorized
In the next chapter of the book ‘Saying it well’ by Charles Swindoll
he tells us that saying it well requires dedication.
We must do what it takes to pursue our dream.
If we want to write then we must make the time and devote our ‘intentions’ to that dream.
If we want to do something else then we must do what it takes to prepare for it.
For some that might mean going back to school, or a training setting.
It might be a huge inconvenience for a short season but we are pursuing our hearts desire and it will be worth it once we have successfully met the challenge.
For others that might mean we have to quit the job we have so we can do what our heart is calling us to do.
That is basically what I did when I quit my job and began to write in this blog.
It is a process of becoming familiar with the dream and knowing how to make it happen.
He tells us there are three things for us to think about:
a. Identify our calling
b. Devote ourselves to preparation
c. Begin the journey
In order to begin a journey we must remember why we are pursuing our calling.
Some of us will go towards a new direction easily.
Our life experiences have already prepared us for hard and difficult times ahead.
Using the depth and insights we have learned gives us a head start above others and sets us apart from those who have not had life experiences like ours.
He tells us that keeping our ambition in check will help us in making good choices.
If we want to pursue writing then we must do what it takes to become a good writer but also understand that our life experiences bring a wealth of knowledge to us much more than a class room study book.
Don’t underestimate your life experiences.
He also tells us to pay close attention to our gut instinct.
“A churning gut means to apply the brakes and stop.”
“Intuition is powerful especially if we listen to it.”
Sometimes we have to take a break or even say no for a detour can mean other better things will come our way later when the time is right.
“When you feel restless pay attention to what your heart is telling you.”
Saying it well comes from handling life’s circumstances and transitions and coming out better on the other side.
We learn from our set backs and the paths that take us to different places.
He also tells us to seek counsel from those who really know us and
who are encouraging to our hearts and our dreams.
His final thought when ending the chapter is this:
“God crafts the character of a person using experiences as tools for shaping us.”
In saying all that, I do feel like the storms that I have had to pass through in this life did prepare me for my writing.
I cannot write from a place I have never been but
I can write from a deep place I have been
in such a way that others can feel ‘they are there with me’.
What I can write about is the journey God prepared for me to go on years before I went on it.
It was all for a purpose.
It was all for a reason and a plan so that I can learn to ‘say it well too’.
by Sharon O | Aug 14, 2012 | Uncategorized
Continuing on with the book, “Saying it well” by Charles Swindoll.
The next chapter he focuses on being prepared.
He tells us before you say anything or share anything you need to be prepared enough so that others are aware that you know what you are talking about.
In the effort of preparation he said for us to make time to not be distracted.
I know when I am writing or forming a blog post if the phone rings it is not answered.
I do not let myself get distracted by email or facebook or messaging.
As I sit in front of the computer if it is writing time
that is my focus.
I do not let anything get in the way of my thought process.
That has to be an hour that is not disturbed.
It takes discipline to get up and write.
Even Jeff Goins in his writing challenge said for us to make time every day to write.
Write everyday so that your practicing increases your skill level.
Just as in anything we do the more practice time we allow ourselves the better we become.
If the goal for us is to become good writers we must take the time now to get it done.
Charles tells us: “the future is never promised to us so we much act today.”
The other part of preparation that he tells us about is choosing good and wise mentors.
Others who are walking the same path as we are but have done it much longer and can give good advise.
The other part of preparation he tells us about is to have a clear understanding of who we are and also to always be authentic.
Remembering his three things to focus on:
Know who you are
Accept who you are
Be who you are
In order to move towards a calling such as writing or speaking we need to acquire the necessary skills in order to move forward.
If we need a class to help us then we need to take that class.
If we need to practice writing then we need to submit guest posts.
He tells us excellent communicators never stop preparing.
It takes effort.
Be passionate about what matters to you.
Excellent communicators know who they are.
Sometimes when we write we end up also speaking about what we wrote.
Be prepared. Be passionate. Be disciplined.
Begin to do what your heart is telling you to do.
Begin to express who you are to others.
Are you ready to begin today?
