Artist and storyteller Brian Andreas creates amazing, fun and inspiring drawings and words. I invite you to explore his work on his web site: StoryPeople. I have two of his prints, full of colorful whimsy and several of his insightful books. They always make me pause and smile and remember what is really important. Here are a few words of wisdom from him: I've always liked the time before dawn because there's no one around to remind me who I'm supposed to be, so it's easier to remember who I am Everything changed the day she figured out there was exactly enough time for the important things in her life. I spent a long time trying to find my center until I looked closely one night & found it had wheels & moved easily in the slightest breeze, so now I spend less time sitting and more time sailing. I am not being paid to endorse him; I just like his work and wanted to share. What new artist/writer have you discovered lately? … [Read more...]

Bothersome irritations have blossomed into blessings for me lately. Little annoyances that I used to magnify have changed into things on my gratitude list. When I focused on the thorns, I missed the roses! My hubby and I both have Fitbits (pedometers) so the amount we are walking has increased dramatically. As I walk I think, pray and generally wonder in my wanderings. While exercising, I climbed those mountains I built from tiny molehills and am learning to enjoy the view. Here are few on my latest not so insightful awarenesses that led to praise and thanksgiving. A few years back we woke up in the middle of the night with a loud thunderstorm raging outside. Unfortunately what aroused us was the dripping of water onto our bed as our roof leaked. The cost to repair the roof took our entire vacation fund. Let me tell you, I complained to everyone, yes everyone, about sacrificing my time away for a stupid roof. One day a good friend looked at me and said, “Poor Jeanie, she … [Read more...]

“You are loved. You are cherished. You are worth it. Just rest.” Bonnie Gray Finding Spiritual Whitespace – Awakening your Soul to Rest. Isn’t the quote above just beautiful? Such a reassuring and welcoming invitation to slow down, breath and rest. I will have a review of Bonnie’s new book, Finding Spiritual Whitespace on June 3, but she asked some of us to reflect on one of the quotes from her book today and this one leaped from her page into my heart. The key word in this book is space. We find clarity when we give our hopes and dreams space to grow. We locate life in the pauses when we behold what really matters. We wake up from groggy, restless sleep and unwrap our true selves when we honor the pacing, rest and rhythm of each moment and season. I am becoming a more spacious person. I wrote about this awareness on Tuesday when I blogged about Treasuring the Ticks of Time. We hear God’s whisper when we allow the noise levels to drop, creating a silent space. I am … [Read more...]

Mothers’ Day is joyous for many of people. They have much to celebrate when their relationship with a mom or as a mother is good. Usually food, good memories and remembering to express thanks and love is part of the day. But Mother’s day can also be difficult reminder. Some of our mothers have long been gone due to death or family difficulties. Others may have more recently lost their mom and hearts still ache. Maybe the only gift you have from your mom is a life long legacy of hurt. Some women are not mothers, many not by choice and this holiday stings and burns. No matter how you approach, ignore or celebrate this holiday – let's take a moment to honor the legacy of women in our lives. Even if that woman isn’t a mother or even related to you, most of us have had women who encouraged us, cared and inspired us and generally made a difference for us. My mom has been gone for 38 years. Wow, I gasped when I realized how long ago she died - in some ways a lifetime and in others, … [Read more...]

Gossip needn't be false to be evil — there's a lot of truth that shouldn't be passed around. ~Frank A. Clark This quote hit me hard this week. See I learned a lesson about gossiping – one you would think I would know by now. I saw a friend I used to work with before we both retired. We were sharing friendly updates about each other when I trip down the gossip grotto. “Did you hear _______ stepped down from her position but is still working there in a new position?” My friend hasn’t heard that news and we both wondered what happened. Last week I ran into my friend again. She said she ran into ______ who was shocked to hear that rumor and said it wasn’t true. Mmm, my conscious alarm went off as I realized I passed on a false tale. Just being friendly is no excuse for talking about someone. There was no purpose in sharing that info. Yep, I gossiped! Gossip has been defined as repeating something you have not right to repeat.  I am guilty and I am not proud of it either. … [Read more...]

Two words: Wow! Awe! These words leap from our hearts seizing our breath when we dive into wonder. We are so mesmerized, captured by amazement, we can barely mumble one syllable. Anne Lamott describes it as when we feel the breath of the invisible, of the eternal. We are shaken awake, we notice, we grasp that there is more than just ourselves, our lives. On Easter morning when I reflect on the depth of God’s love – I stand in awe and wonder and hold my hands up in a thrilling WOW! This is how I felt watching this TED talk about wonders when movement is slowed down so we can really see what is happening or sped up for us to enjoy. To ponder the tiny and consider the immense. Take a moment to enjoy, then thank the Lord of Creation for reminding us of his Wow and Awe. The Wonder of God. [ted id=1969]     (The winner of Spiritual Misfit, the book giveaway from last week is Colleen. Congrats Colleen.  Your book is in the mail!) … [Read more...]