Friday, October 25, 2013

Take Time To Disconnect










Take time to disconnect this weekend. Connect with your loved ones. Look people in the eye. Talk face to face. Enjoy the beauty around you!  Don't let life pass you by while staring at a screen.  The world is filled with amazing beauty and gifts.  Take some time to enjoy them!  









Wednesday, October 23, 2013

Tuesday, October 22, 2013

Gifts For Today




A gift silent, a gift still, a gift strong. 




Silent leaves tumbling to the ground and dancing across the landscape. The stillness in a lake, calm and peaceful. Strong coffee.

Monday, October 21, 2013

Gifts For Today

Gifts for Today

Find 3 things undervalued or overlooked. 


Time is undervalued, as we waste a lot of it doing meaningless things when time is truly precious.  

Face to face relationships are overlooked and undervalued.  Nothing can replace sitting with someone and talking face to face, seeing emotions, sharing a laugh or tears.  

Rest is both overlooked and undervalued in our overly busy world.  We need to take time to rest, and disconnect from technology every day.  Our bodies and minds are tired, exhausted, and need to be refueled and  still.  



Sunday, October 20, 2013

Do And Say

Just read this: 


"Everything I do and say tells a story of who I am serving." 


What are your words and actions saying about who you serve and what's most important in your life?  Do areas need an adjustment?  Don't wait, make them today.  




Wednesday, October 16, 2013

Gifts In Words



What are some gifts in words spoken to you this week? What has encouraged you, lifted you up when you were down, or helped to make you laugh? Have you had a compliment that made your day, or a kind word spoken just when you needed it? Be thankful for that today. Share a laugh, kind words, or encouragement with someone else today to help make their day better.

I met a friend for lunch a couple days ago, and we shared a fantastic laugh.  It felt so good, and we both needed it.  

I have been encouraged, as well, in some of my endeavors.  

I have tried to encourage those I have been in contact with this week, have done my best to share a laugh or a smile, and have tried to be kind to those I have come in contact with along life's path.  It does makes a difference! 

Choosing The Right Path



Are you struggling right now to know which path to take? Trust that God knows and directs your steps before you take them.










Sunday, October 13, 2013

Conquer Your Fears




What fears do you need to conquer? Take a step of faith today towards overcoming those fears.














Tuesday, October 8, 2013

Monday, October 7, 2013

Gifts of Today

For Monday, think about, enjoy, find...

3 gifts from the oven


Fresh Apple Crisp

Not from my oven, but from a local bakery, gluten free kalamata olive/rosemary fresh bread..delicious!

Baked Spaghetti Squash, picked from my garden

Friday, October 4, 2013

Life Is A Journey, Not A Race








3 Gifts of Slowing Down


The soul of the family is at risk when the family becomes overstretched & overcommitted leading to underconnection. Today go against the flow...Slow Down. ~Dr. Jim Burns



Today....3 ways you will slow down this weekend and enjoy life, enjoy family, enjoy the beauty that surrounds us. 



Take time to let the to do lists wait, and spend time disconnecting from technology, disconnecting from busyness, and reconnecting with those you love.





 I have a busy weekend with working at a penny carnival at church, and our life group kicking off, but we are going to have family dinner time on Sunday. I plan to enjoy a beautiful Fall drive, where the colors are starting to get really beautiful. While the penny carnival will busy, I plan to thoroughly enjoy it and have a fun time.

Thursday, October 3, 2013

3 Gifts


For October 3rd, I am doing a gifts challenge again. 

Find 3 things in your day, or that are present in your life. 

3 gifts of hope


True hope for me lies in the fact that God is in control, and because of trust in Jesus, I have hope that lasts for ever. 

I hope for health and healing for my loved ones facing life altering diseases. 

Sunsets fill me with hope and peace.















Wednesday, October 2, 2013

Word Challenge, Overcome

The first word I am going to use in this new challenge is OVERCOME. Share with me what this word means to you, how you have overcome, whatever comes to your mind when you see this word. 

At the beginning of the year, I took a challenge of 'pick a word for the year that you want to be your theme,' and I picked overcome.  It has definitely been a theme for me, and I have overcome quite a few fears, challenges, attitudes that held me back.  I still have things to overcome, which has become very obvious the past few days, such as anxiety over unknowns or what if's, but I have overcome a lot in the past few months that used to hold me back.  

Here are three examples of things I have overcome this past year.  There are many more, but these are the big ones:

I started to work out, something I hadn't done at this level in years!  I had walked, done some hiking and bike riding, but I am actually going to the gym 3-4 days a week. The walking and hiking we do have become much easier and much more enjoyable.

There have been some past hurts that I have overcome, and by doing that, I have been more open to letting new people in my life, made new friends, and torn down walls around my heart.  I have become more outgoing, speak up more, and have been blessed with some wonderful new friendships because I overcame the past hurts and scars others left on my heart.  

On my birthday, I went across a narrow, swinging bride that ascends from rock to rock over the Kootenai River in Montana.  Fear had kept me from taking more than two steps on this bridge before.  I don't like heights, although that fear is going away, but heights over moving water, on a narrow, moving bridge was not my idea of fun.  I climbed the steps, determined to overcome this fear, took the first few steps, which are high up, but I was over rocks, not water.  I took a few more steps, slowly, clinging to the cable as tight as possible, and fear swept over me.  My husband and niece were part way across, cheering me on and waiting for me.  I froze for a bit, and just stood there.  I looked up at my niece, who is 8, and did not want her to think it's ok to quit something because of fear, so I took a few more steps.  At this point, one of the three boards under my feet moved, escalating my fear, but kept me moving forward!  When I got about half way across, the fear left, and I enjoyed each step of the journey across that bridge.  It was beautiful.  I felt very accomplished when I hit the stairs on the other side.  I felt free from the fear that had held me back so many other times before.  The trip back across was now easy.  I had overcome by putting fear behind me, and taking a risk to move forward.  With each step moving forward, the fear grew smaller and the confidence grew more and more, and I overcame a barrier that held me back for so many years. 








This only shows about 2/3 of the bridge, it is a long one!  



Tuesday, October 1, 2013

New Challenge


After a day without the gift challenge, I think I need to focus on something similar.  How about a word a day challenge. Join me?  

I am going to post a word for each day, and similar to the gift challenge, search it out to see what it really means to you, how it can help you, how it can keep you taking steps forward in life.  

Looking forward to hearing from you!


Walk Through It


Do you need this today?  I think most of us do at some level.