by Sharon O | Sep 16, 2011 | Uncategorized
As I have matured and grown older the ability and desire
to ‘please others’ has moved away from me.
Pleasing others is not necessarily the best goal
for others may want or expect things that are not good or positive for us.
We need discernment and wisdom to make good choices.
Pleasing others is different than caring for others
the way I see it
pleasing others is for them
caring for others is for ‘us’ together.
I am not sure what a ‘free self’ is as stated in the above note
but what I am sure of
if we please others and lose ourselves in the process
then we have become the losers in the end.
Learning to be true to oneself is the best gift we can give
to
our hearts
our spirits
and our loved ones.
We do not live our lives alone.
We can love others and give to them with a deep compassion and faith
but within that process
we also need to realize that our freedom comes
when we can say no
this isn’t good for me or to say
I need rest today.
When life gets so busy and we give and give and give
and not listen to our hearts need
then it becomes time for rest
and reclaiming oneself.
Even Jesus pulled away from the crowds and
took time for himself to rest and find strength.
When the crowds pushed at him and demanded of him
he knew his need for quiet and restoration through prayer.
I pray this weeks writings have challenged and given us
something to think about.
Life is about choices.
May we all learn to make good and positive ones
so that we can love and live in a more free and healthy way.
Perhaps then we can claim our identity as a free self.
by Sharon O | Sep 15, 2011 | Uncategorized
I wish sometimes I could have met Mother Theresa.
Not to worship her or anything like that but
to thank her for her gentleness
and to thank her for her kindness
and to thank her for her caring spirit.
How does one who lived in poverty and a life of giving and giving
always have such wisdom for us to live by
that is applicable even today in our ‘world’ so different from hers.
How many times have we grumbled at our children
or our spouses
and then ended up in a public setting as friendly as ever and always approachable to anyone who needed us.
This is definitely something to be challenged by
and even to think about.
by Sharon O | Sep 13, 2011 | Uncategorized
I have never met Mother Theresa and never studied her life either
but she always had words of wisdom to share within the midst of her poverty and life giving mantra.
If we could only grasp just a few of these small bits of encouragement.
I think we would learn new ways to be and do and share and live with others.
Just a little …
Something to think about today
by Sharon O | Sep 13, 2011 | Uncategorized
Our trip to the beach was wonderful.
The children were so good and grandma and grandpa just relaxed and let the parents do the care taking.
We are hoping to make this a new tradition.
The beach is always so inviting.
I love it and could actually live nearby if possible.
Two days it was so foggy one could stand on the sand and hear the ocean but not see it.
It was a strange experience to be fogged in so thick that day.
The next day it was warm with exceptionally nice weather around 70 degrees then the day after that it was cool 65 with a brisk wind and one needed a sweater to be comfortable.
The beach weather changes by the day and sometimes even by the hour.
There were two weddings.
We were able to see one bride and groom on the beach taking pictures and enjoying the best day out.
I could not imagine getting married at the crosses where I so love.
Their ‘place for committment’ was high above the cliffs and high above the surf where the crosses stand against the open sky and ocean.
How fun… but oh I kept thinking of that beautiful white wedding dress dragging in the sand as they walked and posed for pictures.
We had a great time with family and next year it will be even better.
A tradition for us all we hope.
Beach time with kids and families.
by Sharon O | Sep 8, 2011 | Uncategorized
This weekend we are going away for three days with the grand children.
I can’t wait.
It should be fun and perhaps the beginning of a new tradition.
Not only will we have Thanksgiving and Christmas to create memories with them maybe we can have a few days in the summer to always look back on.
I want our grand children to remember us as fun and youthful and refreshing to be around.
Yes we do make them mind but when the parents are around it is their job to discipline it is our job to create fun and not get in the way of the parents who are trying to do their job.
The beach is always a fun place for kids.
They can play and dig and run and skip and just enjoy being outside.
It is a place to relax and kick back away from life’s struggles and worries.
It is refreshing to hear the waves roaring and feel the wind blowing.
The forecast is supposed to be about 70 degrees.
We are getting away and I am ready for some sand and some moments spent together as a family.
Do you have special memories with your grandparents?
Were they fun and something you wish you could go back and do them again?
I pray that today you can remember some of those times and even maybe do some writing or talking about them with someone close to you.
A time away from life’s chores and duties and responsibilities is good for all of us.
This weekend we are taking the time to get away to have fun relax and make new memories.
(the top picture is of Faith when she was very small about age three with grandpa. The others were Faith this summer and her sisters having fun. Our son and his son Samuel when he was about age two and the crosses are on the top of a hill overlooking the beach where we go…it is my favorite place)
