by Sharon O | Nov 1, 2018 | Uncategorized
I found a wonderful saying the other day. I have no idea how to verify whether it was a real quote from the person I believe who wrote Winnie the pooh series.
“Its more fun to talk with someone who doesn’t use long, difficult words but rather short, easy words like, “what about lunch?” AA Milne
That is exactly who I like to be with. Simple too the point and not over done with words.
We have all met those kind who talk non stop and so much so that I want to just say, “hush.”
I love the real authentic way it sounds. What about lunch? that is relational.
On this first day of November the month for giving thanks. I am challenging us to be more real.
Keep it simple and in our speaking and in our friendships, be simple.
Don’t over expect things. Don’t demand. Just be.
Authentic and real behavior will get us so much further.
I also don’t like overly busy people who want to know more about things they do not need to know.
I love simplicity of words, life and life’s choices.
As I have gotten older and more mature I would rather be with someone who is real, and who does not demand from me their ‘expectation of our friendship.’
Rule makers don’t always make the best of friends.
At least in my point of view and experience.
Do you have a good friend who you can say to on any day, “what about lunch?”
During this time of Thanksgiving I challenge us to write down who we are thankful for and maybe even why we are thankful for them.
Then to take it a bit further and maybe even send them a note hand written letting them know of your gratefulness for them.
Simple words get to the heart. When we have lunch with someone we chat, we share and we break bread.
Relational experience and honest sharing.
Let’s begin today and see how our lives can be enriched by a simple question, ‘how about lunch?’
by Sharon O | Oct 25, 2018 | Uncategorized
When I think of the word peace, it seems to me that it would follow all the other ones we’ve studied.
We began with the word belong, then we moved to rest, then to pause, then to letting go, then to release and now the final one would be peace.
Once we have understood that all the words work together; the final thing to settle in our lives, is peace.
Peace: a state of mutual harmony between people or groups, especially in personal relations:
(Try to live in peace with your neighbors.) A state of tranquility or serenity: silence; stillness, freedom of the mind from annoyance, distraction, anxiety, an obsession.
I think it is calming to think of what happens when all these words play a role; bringing together the deep peace we are searching for in our lives.
When we let go; we release, when we pause; we rest, when we realize we truly belong; we stop fighting to prove we do, we just rest in the knowing.
It is a great peace for our spirit. It is well with our soul.
Jesus came to bring us peace, he also came to teach us healing, and give hope.
The word peace is used in the bible 249 times, a rather significant amount I think.
Luke 8:48 [Then he said to her, “Daughter, your faith has healed you. Go in peace.”]
John 14:27 [“Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives.
Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid.”]
Philippians 4:7 [And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.]
So receive your healing. Receive your peace. You have worked hard in the process.
Know you belong… learn to rest well, learn to pause, learn to let go, learn to release then accept and breathe in the peace that is given to you.
It is a good thing.
by Sharon O | Oct 22, 2018 | Uncategorized
When I think of the word release; it brings me to the thoughts of how it is much like the last few words we have studied.
It’s definition is: a freeing from anything that restrains, to give up, relinquish, or surrender, a form of liberation.
When I think in the light of our personal growth there are often times when we must let go of something old and familiar in order for us to experience something fresh new.
Remember the trees letting go of the old so new can take shape?
It is a willingness to ‘open our hands’ and let it go.
It requires us to be present in the decision, it also requires us to be mindful of the choice.
When I release anger, or frustration or hurt, I choose to let it go so in that space I can have joy or peace or healing.
It is freeing and necessary to our spirit to release things that burden us.
No longer will we be enslaved to the thoughts or the clutter once we learn to release it all.
This theme we have been studying about words that are similar and challenging hopefully has been something for us all to think about.
When we open our choice to release all the hard things that blur our vision of hope and joy we gain so much in the quality of our life.
It is not an easy task. Some of us like to control many things and we cannot release and control at the same time, it doesn’t work that way.
We must find it within ourselves to release the places within us that are not healthy or good.
In the spiritual sense we release and surrender to the Holy Spirit so that HE can help us grow deeper.
There are many levels of release.
It is up to us to decide if we want to stay unchanged and unsettled.
It is freeing to let go. It is hard and difficult and may take many times to finally accomplish it.
But oh what a joy when we can know we have done what we needed to do to release it.
So my challenge for you and I is to ask ourselves, what do we need to do today?
What needs to be released within our lives?
Then after we know what it is we can find the courage to do what we need to do. 
by Sharon O | Oct 20, 2018 | Uncategorized
When I think of the words letting go, they really follow after the word pause and even rest.
This morning as I sat in my chair with my hot cup of coffee; I watched the trees outside drop leaves.
They fall ever so gently down to the ground and pile into little mounds of golden beauties.
The trees don’t worry about letting go of the leaves they adorn themselves with in the fall.
They know as in all nature it is a part of the change of seasons.
In the winter the barren branches hold secrets we know nothing about.
They prepare the tree for new growth in the spring all in the quiet of the dormant season.
I think our lives are very similar to this.
We busy ourselves with lists of to do’s and focus on what must be done and sometimes… just sometimes… we must learn the art of letting go.
Perhaps there are programs, classes, some duties we assigned ourselves to; that are not as necessary as we once thought.
As I mentioned before sometimes saying, “I have had enough” is the most healthy part of letting go for us.
Sometimes it’s also the hardest thing for us. For when we are doing; we find identity and when we let go we feel empty and not needed.
Not realizing we are not what we do; but who we are in the quiet.
Let’s learn to let go of things that crowd our lives with stress and turmoil.
The idea of letting go, and seeing the piles of unnecessary jobs or duties we thought we must do is empowering through the simplicity of movement and choices and it becomes freeing.
It leaves room for new growth; just as the trees outside prepare themselves for winter then spring.
They cannot form new leaves with the old ones still hanging on.
Yesterday we drove by a row of fall trees on our way home from the beach.
Most had lost the leaves and they looked bare with branches empty, then I noticed two little trees fully covered in orange and yellow. They were not ready.
They were hanging on and it reminded me of how we hang on to things that are not helpful or healthy to us.
Often our grip is firm and what we thought we needed distracts us from our real growth.
Maturing is a necessary part of life and letting go is what our heart needs to embrace.
Let’s challenge ourselves to do the hard part.
by Sharon O | Oct 19, 2018 | Uncategorized
When I think of the word pause, which is a word prompt from a writers group; it stops me in my tracks because the word is so powerful.
When you hear it what does it stir within you?
The meaning is: a temporary stop or rest, a cessation of activity, to linger or dwell, to wait or hesitate.
To pause is not too much different than the last word we thought about, to rest.
P-ray
A-sk
U-nderstand
S-eek
E-nough
Pray, Ask, Understand, Seek, Enough… that is what came to me..
When I think of pausing it seems fitting for me to ask ourselves what do we need?
That is why the word pray came to me. Sometimes we need to stop, and pray about what is bothering us.
If you are someone who doesn’t consider prayer in your life then just journal about it.
Then we can ask: what do we need right now? what would be helpful during this ‘pause’ time?
Then we can understand why it is important to stop, to dwell in the moment, to wait.
Then we can seek to listen to what our heart needs and our spirit desires, during this pause.
Then we can truly learn to say: “I have had enough” I am taking a break and this is the reason why.
I think of the saying that has been circling around on face book that says:
Pause before doing anything. Ask yourself, is it kind, it is helpful, is it hurtful, is it healing?
To be able to ask those questions before proceeding is so important.
I find the ability to pause is vital to a healing heart.
To learn to say, “no not at this time”. To stop and take a break, it is empowering and freeing.
Again it brings us back to the word restore.
To pause is also very similar to wait. To stop and not move.
Wait for the Lord; Be strong and let your heart take courage; Yes, wait for the Lord.
Psalm 27:14 NASB
Are we ready to pause for a season?
(unsure of photo source)
by Sharon O | Oct 15, 2018 | Uncategorized
When I think of the word rest; I am drawn to the many times it is mentioned in the bible which is called God’s word.
I found 92 references in my search.
Beginning in Genesis 2:2: [By the seventh day God had finished the work he had been doing; so on the seventh day he rested from all his work.]
I imagine if God, the HOLY God, the almighty creator God had to take a rest after creating shouldn’t we be inclined to think it’s something we should do also?
Sunday is known for being a day of rest… it is also known for being very busy.
I remember when our little ones were still taking daily naps; I would lay down and take a rest time when they did so we all could be refreshed later.
It is a good thing to stop and regroup your senses to be still and quiet and rest.
Exodus 33:14 says: [The Lord replied, “My Presence will go with you, and I will give you rest.”]
I find that to mean a calming of spirit, a deep knowing; you are not alone.
Job 3:13 [For now I would be lying down in peace; I would be asleep and at rest]
Psalm 62:5 [Yes, my soul, find rest in God; my hope comes from him.]
As I read the parts of the old Testament in my bible gateway search, there are a few meanings for rest.
Rest as in napping or sleeping, rest as in ‘the rest’ of the tribe or people, rest as in the beginning of the word restore.
Kind of funny how after a good rest, we do feel restored.
I love how the word validates such a good thing as a good nap or a good night’s sleep.
My husband and I just got back from a few days at the beach; and we not only feel rested but we feel restored as the beach is always our happy place.
Psalm 116:7 [Return to your rest, my soul, for the Lord has been good to you.]
What are your thoughts on the word rest? have you even thought about it?
Can I challenge you to think on this for awhile and let yourself rest in the ONE who gives true rest?
Proverbs 19:23 [The fear of the Lord leads to life; then one rests content, untouched by trouble.]
Isaiah 32:18 [My people will live in peaceful dwelling places, in secure homes, in undisturbed places of rest.]
I don’t know about you but I really want to claim that verse for my life.
