by Sharon O | Oct 14, 2012 | Uncategorized
There is only one of you.
When the fog dims your view.
When your vision is not clear.
When you don’t know which direction to go or turn towards.
Trust in the one who walks beside you.
“Be strong. Take courage. Don’t be intimidated.
Don’t give them a second thought because God, your God,
is striding ahead of you.
He’s right there with you.
He won’t let you down; He won’t leave you.”
Deuteronomy 31:6 (msg)
Joining Deidra on jumping tandem with the Sunday community.
{photo by Rosi from Oregon}
by Sharon O | Oct 13, 2012 | Uncategorized
Continuing on the 31 day challenge.
Perhaps we can come up with new ideas for each other.
1. write a letter to a friend by hand and mail it.
2. send an email to a friend by computer.
3. send some flowers to someone just to say ‘I appreciate you.’
4. volunteer to take someone someplace they wouldn’t go alone.
5. volunteer in your church nursery or play group.
6. make someone a special meal and deliver it as a surprise.
7. take someone a hot cup of coffee ‘just because’.
8. offer to help clean someones home.
9. offer to babysit for a night out.
10. send a child a card in the mail they always love it.
11. send a note by hand to your pastor thanking him for many things.
12. give something special away that you have treasured to someone you care for.
13. call someone you haven’t talked to for a long time.
14. visit someone you haven’t visited for a long time in person.
15. go grocery shopping and give an extra bag to someone in need.
16. send stamps to a child with envelopes so they can write you back.
17. take new pictures and frame them.
18. organize pictures you already have and put them in albums.
19. clean out closets and give away to the needy what you don’t need.
20. give a compliment to someone without them expecting it.
21. encourage someone verbally and surprise them.
22. purchase a gift card and give it away anonymously.
22. decorate your home for the fall.
23. buy a fresh bouquet of flowers for your table.
24. organize your table cloths and napkins for the holidays.
25. declutter as much as you can and take to recycling or other places.
26. go through your shoes and see if there are any you can give to someone in need.
27. go through your coats and see if any can go to someone else.
28. send a check to a local charity so they can help others.
29. notice a senior in line at the grocery store and give the clerk money to help them.
30. purchase gas for your car and buy a gas card for someone else.
31. make a Christmas present instead of buying one.
There are many things we can come up with to help others as well as ourselves.
Are we ready for the challenge and the goal of doing something different?
by Sharon O | Oct 10, 2012 | Uncategorized
Thirty one days of being intentional.
Learning to be grateful.
Learning to be thankful.
Learning to be ‘in peace’.
Learning to take life in slow incremental steps.
Learning to be tender hearted and compassionate.
What are you learning as we head into a season of Thanksgiving?
Are you taking the time to settle down and sip some tea?
Are you taking a crispy fall walk?
Are you allowing yourself some sleep in time?
Being intentional means making a conscience attempt at being and doing purposeful things.
Even such simple acts of kindness like a smile.
A gentle laugh.
A nod of approval.
A wink across the room.
A knowing that you are giving your time to make someone else feel special.
Thirty one days of being intentional is really not that hard.
The hardest part is making the choice to do it.
by Sharon O | Oct 9, 2012 | Uncategorized
Continuing on with the 31 day challenge.
Join with me as I thank the Lord for 31 blessings.
Learning to have gratitude for all things.
1. fresh water from the tap
2. furnace that warms our home
3. refrigerator that keeps things cold
4. washer and dryer that make washing clothes easier
5. stove that warms and heats our food
6. carpeting under our feet
7. warm socks
8. comfortable shoes
9. over abundance of clothes in closets
10. electricity that lights our home
11. convenience of stores and pharmacies
12. convenience of drugs to help heal us and
doctors who can treat us
13. warm beds and soft pillows
14. family to love
15. grandchildren who give us joy
16. eyes to help us see
17. ears to help us hear
18. hearts to help us love
19. tears to help us cry
20. bibles to read freely
21. songs to sing loudly
22. prayers rising from many in churches
23. freedom to worship
24. freedom to vote
25. freedom to walk most anywhere
26. cars to help when we can’t walk
27. computers to help us keep contact with others
28. homes with roofs that protect us from weather
29. windows that close or open as needed
30. friends who love us
31. friends whom we love
As the list grows it is easier to find other things to be grateful for.
Many things not mentioned or spoken.
Learning to be grateful for life and love is something we all can begin to do.
I challenge you to make your list and thank God for giving them to you.
As we move into a time for giving thanks may we each learn to be more grateful.
by Sharon O | Oct 7, 2012 | Uncategorized
Do you ever feel like you just want to sit down and
enjoy a hot cup of tea?
Perhaps add a shortbread cookie and a nice comfortable chair.
Then add to that a great book and hours of quiet reading, sipping and resting?
I pray that on this sabbath day ~
a day for rest and little work ~
you will find a moment of quiet enjoyment.
Joining Deidra on jumping tandem on the sunday community.
by Sharon O | Oct 5, 2012 | Uncategorized
This book was written by a new ‘friend of mine’.
After reading many reviews and chatting with her a few times on line I decided to give her book some attention on this blog site.
It is a part of my ’31 day challenge’ to be real.
I have not read the book as my own copy has not arrived yet
but I do know her story is real.
Her story is true.
Her story is the story of many who pass by us every day.
So much of our society is based on how much weight we carry how much exercise we should be doing or how much food we should consume in a 24 hour time frame.
I find myself thinking about it too every day as I log into my live strong food site.
This book shows us the extreme side of eating disorders and thought processes.
I can relate to some of this because at one point in time I do believe I had a ‘non’ diagnosed eating disorder.
Part of the reason was a blockage next to my stomach which made me nauseous and not wanting to eat and part of it was the ‘need’ to feel invisible.
It wasn’t an obvious thought process for me.
It was subtle and slow moving.
Often it is like that.
Eating disorders can go two ways.
Too much eating or not eating at all.
I can clearly remember one time when our children were little
I had been very sick for many months and not really able to keep food down.
I was sitting across the desk of a nutritionist listening to her say,
“can you eat a piece of toast and drink some tea?” while she took notes on my answer.
Remembering the thought bringing nauseating and queasy feelings to me I told her I could eat a quarter of a piece of toast maybe but to eat the whole piece would be ‘too much’.
During that time frame I drank pots of coffee and ate little food.
I went to a weight loss group only I was there to log in every bite so I could be accountable to them for weight gain.
They were my cheerleaders.
Food is still is not a high priority of mine.
I eat because it keeps me alive.
I don’t eat because I thoroughly enjoy every bite.
I am learning to enjoy it more but in that process I am also learning that too much weight can be a problem.
Too much is just as dangerous as not enough.
Emily presents a down to earth very real portrayal of the disease and it’s dangerous path.
If you can read one book before the end of this year.
Make it this one.
You will gain insight and you will learn to understand what is in the hearts of many young people these days.
May we read her story and pray we can learn to help another in a process like hers.
http://www.chasingsilhouettes.com
by Sharon O | Oct 3, 2012 | Uncategorized
For all of October most of the ‘blog’ world are choosing
to write every day on a challenge called 31 days.
Some are picking a word, some are picking a topic,
some featuring pictures,
it is an individual choice as to what each day or theme would bring for the author.
I am not officially joining that challenge so I created my own.
Today I will start with 31 things about myself you may not know.
1. my favorite time of year is the fall ~ love the cool days and crisp nights
2. my favorite thing to do is go to the beach
3. my height is five foot
4. my weight needs an adjustment
5. my favorite cozy clothes are sweat pants and baggy shirts with soft socks
6. my favorite dessert is breyers heath bar ice cream ~
don’t have it very often.
7. my favorite dinner is fried chicken and mashed potatoes and gravy ~
don’t have it very often
8. my favorite breakfast is a crunchy homemade waffle with real syrup and real butter
9. my favorite sheets are flannel ~ love a warm cozy bed
10. my favorite way of decorating is with antiques and roses
11. my favorite way to drink coffee is with real half and half cream
12. my favorite way to relax is a dim lit room with little noise
13. my favorite sound is my cat purring next to me as I type
14. my hair is generally cut short and is low maintenance
15. my hair is becoming curly the older I get
16. my dog is a red heeler and my cat is a tortoise shell calico
17. my dislike is over head bright lights
18. my other dislike is rude people
19. my career has been a variety of many different jobs the last one in a pharmacy
20. my most expensive gift for myself was a massage bed the second was diamond earrings
21. my house is clean but not spotless the atmosphere is cozy and comfortable
22. my favorite chip is Frito the next favorite is kettle potato chip with sea salt
23. my favorite music is good old southern gospel with hymns
24. my personality is more introvert than extrovert although I do visit with people I don’t know
25. my blog is three years old and my online world is stretching to meet ‘new online friends’
26. my six grandchildren are my joys each one unique and special to me
27. my Saturday’s are always sleep in days at least until eight am
28. my doctor said my case was unique since he diagnosed my mumps two times in two years
29. my case of shingles triggered the last case of mumps
30. my face was so swollen only a husband would love it
31. my other favorite food is tacos on a hard shell
Well I am sure many things were missed but that is a small grouping
of who this writer is and how you can get to know me better.
by Sharon O | Oct 1, 2012 | Uncategorized
Sometimes we must be willing to walk up the stairs
towards a new ‘direction’ and not really be sure
of what our new life will be like at the top.
We trust and take courage with each step.
We make an effort to grow and believe
in the good of this new ‘phase for our lives’.
We learn to trust others and ourselves.
We begin to hold our head up high and be thankful for the lesson and the courage to begin again.
Not knowing or understanding the challenges that are ahead of us
we choose with each step
to not look back.
Joining Deidra on jumping tandem with the Sunday community.
[photo by Larry O of Oregon]
by Sharon O | Sep 29, 2012 | Uncategorized
This is the time of year for reflection.
Fall always does that to me.
I step back and do deep cleaning and deep thinking.
Not in that order.
It is the moving into a season for giving thanks
that always brings me into a more thoughtful
reflective space.
I value thanksgiving.
Learning to be thankful is a gift we all can give ourselves.
Going for a walk outside and really look around and
see and feel the fresh air blowing against our face.
Giving thanks with a grateful heart is something we can learn
no matter how hard our hearts have been.
As school begins again for many it represents a new direction.
A new place in life and a new season and
a new year that is clean and clear and not filled with clutter.
You know the calendar clutter we put down and wonder why.
Oh and I don’t mean my house clutter goodness if you saw my den or my spare room
we would have quite a chat about my disorganized mess.
I am talking about the clutter that takes space in our hearts or
our heads
not leaving room for reflection on that which is most important.
In prayer sometimes I find myself saying,
“Oh lord I would love a clean ordered beautiful home”.
Then I hear, within a quiet stirring:
“Your home is sufficient… see and remember
those who live in less than what you have.
How they worry and fret over not which store they could shop in
but which river or stream is cleanest to drink out of.”
My grace is sufficient for you.
When I feel myself moving into the complaining room
He always sets my heart right back
to a place of acceptance and thanksgiving and gratitude.
What is most important as we move into a time for reflection
is remembering we have much to be thankful for in this time of
thanksgiving.
I love thanksgiving.
It is not just in November when we sit around a festive table and a well cooked turkey.
It is a place in our heart.
It is a ‘spirit’ we hold onto when we remember to ‘give thanks’.
When we remember to allow ourselves a time for reflection.
by Sharon O | Sep 26, 2012 | Uncategorized
This last weekend I went to a ladies retreat.
The topic was called: ‘living a legacy’.
Not LEAVING a legacy…it was living a legacy.
I loved the concept.
I loved the idea.
To make each and every day full of moments aligned with a living statement
of what I wish to share with others.
Right now ~ this moment ~ this time in my life.
So that…
So that…
if something should ever take place and for some reason
my life is cut short
they will have a visual or an idea of
‘who I was and what I wanted to teach them’.
This is so important.
When we live a legacy we are teaching each and every day.
We are sharing life as we speak positive affirming words.
We are sharing heart to heart conversations with each other.
We are sharing matters of our hearts with one another.
We are learning to be intentional with our words and careful too.
That is my message.
That will always be my message.
BE REAL~ Be truthful~ Be loving and kind to each other.
Love God for that is all that really matters and
always be intentional towards each other
for life is short and we never know when we might miss an opportunity to say we care.
Living a legacy is our calling…
Are you ready to live yours?
