Since its late in the day today, and I failed to post this morning, I thought I’d just share with you a little of what we did this past week while on Spring Break. Hope you enjoy.
We chased a few sunsets…
my son took this beautiful pic!
JGrizz took this gorgeous shot, too!
my husband captured this breathtaking scene!
http://www.mannersmentor.com/personal-polish/the-gracious-5-step-formula-for-writing-thank-you-notes : Source
Thank you to everyone who takes the time to read one of my posts and click that little “follow” button. It means so much for you to care enough to want to come back here. It means so much for you to allow my words to have a little portion of your thoughts today. Thank you.
Sometimes, I grow discouraged when I see someone’s blog who just started this year, and they have 1,000+ followers; then, I see another, in the same time frame, has less than 100, and maybe, I think, “Well, I guess, I’m not doing too bad.” However, I am beginning to reconstruct my thinking, because I know that is just simple comparison, and that isn’t what matters most! If you live your life always comparing; then, you’re just simply better or worse than those by whom you compare. I must compare myself by my own abilities and achievements, my own goals and from whence I’ve come. I must compare myself by Him and to that which He’s called me. When I live in that comparison, I will always be able to find my way and know where I’m going…
I believe our words have purpose. Our words have meaning. Sometimes, they have more meaning than we meant for them to have. Sometimes, they have more meaning than we once believed they might. Our words make up who we are, and they impact those upon whom we encounter. The words we use matter, and though I do believe this, sometimes, I find myself wondering if my words actually can make a difference…
This is why I chose The Grizzle Grist Mill as the title for my blog. I believe it is important for my words to be given to God, and let Him “grind” them into the purpose and calling to which He has called me. My prayer is He will use the words I have written to impact your life with hope, faith, love and even challenge us both to be more than we thought we could be…
Thank you again for reading, following, and even taking the time to comment from time to time. I pray you are blessed by the words I write, as I know, I have been thoroughly blessed by yours! 😊💕
Ok, so, I saw this picture the other day, and I proceeded to set this to post, and I completely forgot to finish it! Ugh. I’m so sorry to you guys who opened this this morning and thought, “Um, ok…?”
Now, I will complete this…
Source: @PatsyClairmont
A movie I have watched more than five times and would watch again and again would have to be my favorite movie, While You Were Sleeping. This movie is over-the-top-romantic, and as my husband says, I am a “sucka for love;” so, I suppose it totally fits. 😊
If you haven’t seen it yet, pull it off Netflix, snuggle up to your loved one and watch it tonight…or if you have to work early in the morning, plan it for Friday night.😉 This movie is so sweet, so practical, and so realistic. The extremity of circumstances is definitely “movie worthy,” but the thought that you could actually fall in love with someone else when your ‘first love’ is a complete fantasy is totally realistic. I won’t give you the spoilers; so, you can watch and enjoy, but you’ll see what I mean when you follow the story.
I’m also a big fan of Sandra Bullock’s delightful personality and Bill Pullman’s charming smile. These two are great together on the screen. The movie has a couple of other actors who are not so small in name, and they work together to make this one of the best romantic comedies.
There are a few other movies I can watch over and over, too. These would have to include… The Lord of the Rings trilogy, White Christmas, Sleepless in Seattle, Little Women (Katherine Hepburn), Tombstone (edited 😉), El Dorado, Jeremiah Johnson, … Yeah, you could say I’m pretty much a “classic, eclectic, hopeless romantic cowgirl!” 😂😂
I’ve also seen almost every animated movie there is at least twice, and some I can even quote verbatim; however, I might have to say these lend themselves more to my sons’ choosings at various stages. Lol!
So, what about you? What’s a favorite movie of yours? Is there one you’ve seen a gazillion times and would still watch it again? Feel free to share. I’d love to know! 😊
I know last week was Valentine’s Day, and we celebrated “love” and all that ‘mushy stuff’ then, but I was thinking about my marriage today, about our 20th anniversary coming up in a few months, and I’d like to share a little secret with you…
It’s not always the big stuff that will make you fall in love with your spouse every day. It’s not the dozen roses that he might bring or the expensive ring he might buy. It’s not the extravagant dinner or the fancy theater on which he splurges. It’s not even the great big words used to describe his love or the great big card on which he wrote them. 
Yeah, all those things are beautiful, fun and exciting. They make celebrations special, memorable and great posts for social media. But the things that make me fall in love each and every day are the little things…
The placing of reservations in the nice hotel the night before he speaks at the State Capitol; so, we don’t have to fight the traffic at 6am…because I’m just not a morning person.
The patience he has to wait beside me in the coffee line before we leave the hotel…when he doesn’t even drink coffee.
The phone call he makes to see where I am, because I dropped off our son a half hour ago and decided to drop by the grocery store before coming back home.
The walk down the hall and around the corner to ‘drop by’ my office just to see what I think about a new idea.
The excitement he brings our boys by taking them on an adventure while I have a meeting or other obligation to attend.
The way he looks at me across the room, without saying a word, to tell me he believes in me and knows I can do this thing.
These are just a few of the many little things that make our love so big, and it turned my thoughts toward God and His love for us. He is so much greater, and His love runs so much deeper than anything we could ever imagine. He shows us His love every day in so many big ways; yet, it’s the small ways that often bring me to greater emotion…
The song that comes on the radio to lift my spirits just at the moment I’m feeling a little blue.
The flower that blooms despite the wind and the rain.
The people who just “happen” to be there when my husband and I are meandering through the halls of the wrong building trying to find the office we are looking for.
The snow that falls on the day it wasn’t supposed to, but it falls anyway just to show the weatherman it can.
The peace He brings my heart right as I step up to the podium wondering why in the world I am going to speak on what I chose.
The voice mail left on my phone by a friend who calls just to say how much her pastors mean to her and the difference they make.
It’s the little things, sometimes, that bring the biggest impact…the little words, the smile, the hug, the phone calls. Why don’t we try today to share our love toward others in those little things? Why don’t we make an effort today to share our love in the little things toward our Heavenly Father?
“Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.’ This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is like it: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments.” Matthew 22: 37-40
In light of Valentine’s Day coming up Sunday, I couldn’t help but reshare a note I wrote last year concerning this day of love…I hope you have a love-filled weekend, wherever and with whomever you find yourself to be. ❤️
As I sat in a memorial today to celebrate the homecoming of a life well lived, I thought about love, life, faith and death. I thought about the wife of the deceased who had been married for 53 years. I thought of the precious lady who sat beside me who, just a few short months ago, had said goodbye to her husband after so many years of loving each other. I thought of the young man I would see just a few minutes later, who just lost his wife to an organ transplant failure. Surrounded by so much grief, I wondered how it could possibly be Valentine’s Day today.
So many getting ready for their ‘hot dates’ tonight. Others bragging about all the candy, cards and roses they had received. My husband and myself exchanging our love just a few hours before, yet, waiting to truly celebrate until tomorrow because…
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I saw a list of questions today on a delightful blog post here, and as easy as the questions seemed while reading, I began to ponder them for myself, and I realized they’re not as easy as they first appear. I’d like to share them with you now and see if you might want to share your answers as well…
If you had a shelf for your three most special possessions (NOT including photos, electronic devices and things stored on then, or people or animals) what would you put there?
I don’t consider myself a real materialistic kind of gal; so, this question took me a little bit of time, because my first thoughts were of my family, all the photos I cherish, and one special book that I treasure. Since, I wasn’t allowed to include people or photos, my list shortened, and since my treasured book will be placed in the ‘happiness’ box below, I was back to square one. I, then, thought of my wedding band, but I could never leave that on a shelf, I would always be wearing it; so, again, I pondered. The next three things I treasure in life would be these: my journals, my camera and my gun. That may seem like a very strange combination, but let me explain…my journals for all of my writings of thoughts, goals, dreams, feelings and agonies of life. Here is where I work out my emotions and seek out the depths of my heart…my camera for all the many photographs I take to try and capture the moment and document the memories forever…my gun for a sense of security and protection, for if this world goes crazy one day, I will protect my family with everything I have and more.
If you had a box labeled ‘happiness,’ what would you put in it?
This one was pretty easy for me to decide, because I believe true happiness can never come from a thing or even a person. True happiness can only come from within, and it can only be found, and be found everlasting, within the joy of the Lord. The One True God is the only one who can bring us perfect peace in a storm, beauty from ashes and joy through morning. So, my Bible would go inside this box, but it would be opened everyday; so, I might read, listen, learn and commune with my Heavenly Father.
What do you want more of in this life?
There’s really not a whole lot more that I want more of. I feel like I have been blessed so much that I don’t really have a right to ask for anything more. I guess, if I had to choose, I’d say I’d like to, personally, have more discipline and confidence I my life. I get so frustrated with myself when I get lazy and when I back up or hesitate due to a lack of confidence.
Daily Life List: What do you do on an average day? Make a list of your usual activities that you do each day.
When I read Paardje’s daily life list, I have to admit I was quite jealous of her disciplined routine. I cannot say I am that precise in my daily agenda; even though, I so long to become that way. My daily life list is more like this:
1. 6:30am Wake up call
2. Devotions/Bible reading
3. New found exercise routine (Mmm, working on the consistency of this one…As of this post, Day 5 in progress)
5. Shower and get ready
6. 3 days a week – Make sure the boys are up and getting ready for school…make sure they have lunches, and take them to school (2 days a week are home days; so, it’s a focus of schoolwork during morning hours)
7. While the boys are in school: 2 days of the weeks, we have a staff meeting and a prayer meeting, both ending around lunch time … And 1 day, I either work at the church or stay home to take care of “home stuff,” depending on the week and what the needs are
8. Lunch with hubby
9. Pick up boys from school
10. Run errands or return home and straighten/clean as needed
11. Dinner
12. Evenings vary but are usually centered around family activities or down time
13. 8pm All video games and devices off…Tv/movies allowed if doing together
14. 9pm Boys to their rooms to read and settle down for bed…All electronics off and put up
15. 9:30/10pm Lights Out for boys 😴
16. Bedtime varies for me… unfortunately, I am a night owl attempting to go to bed at earlier hours these days. 😁
Bonus Question: What are you grateful for from this last week? – and what are you looking forward to in this coming week?
This last week, I am grateful for the beautiful patches of snow we have had. It wasn’t much to speak of, only a dusting really, but I just love snow so much that even a little white dusting makes me feel like a kid again!
This coming week, Sunday, is Valentine’s Day. My husband always says I’m a “sucker for love;” so, naturally, VDay is always a fun day for us! 😊❤️
I do hope you’ve enjoyed my little “heart and soul adventure,” and I do hope you’ll send me a few responses on some of your own answers. Or, maybe like me, it will inspire you to write up your own blog with your answers to these pondering questions. Please, be sure to link my blog; so, I can venture over to read! I’d love to learn more about you and what makes you who you are! 😊 I hope you have a great day today!!
If I could go back to when I was pregnant with JGrizz, I would tell myself a few things to be remembered…
Decide, now, you will not sleep for the first three months, and then, when you get that first 30 minute nap, it will be absolutely glorious!
Everything you need to know won’t always be found in a book, given by your doctor, or even spoken by your mother. Sometimes, you’ll just have to follow your instincts.
There will be a time, your instincts will be proven wrong. This doesn’t mean you’re a failure, and this doesn’t mean it’s the end of the world. It means you’re human. It means you’re normal.
The house can’t always be kept clean. Toys seem to come alive in the night and find their way back to the living room before you awake. Learn to organize on a very small scale…very small…like one toy in one basket…at any given time.
One boy can have the volume of a surround sound system on level 55. Two boys can create a front row rock concert experience at 7:00 am. and, again, at 11:30pm.
When your three year old little boy refuses to come down from the Chic-Fil-A slide, it really does not mean you’re a terrible mom…Really.
That day when you have to literally step over your two and a half year old who is pitching a fit on sidewalk, in the front of the church, it does not mean you have failed at parenting. It means you are being brave and strong.
Enjoy those little scribbles and backward letters and upside down numbers … even when you find them on the bedroom wall. For one day, your child will be getting ready to apply for colleges far away from home.
Cherish those moments your two year old rides his Little Tykes motorized Harley in the backyard, for one day, way too soon, he will be talking about his soon coming birthday when he can get his license or driver’s permit.
There will be days when you just drink that cup of coffee and simply survive…and have one more cup of coffee to just make it till your early bedtime.
Find an outlet for your stress. Make time for you…even if it takes scheduling that night out on the calendar, and daddy has to keep the baby. He can do it. He loves that baby, too.
Make time for you and daddy, too. Dating your man IS important. If you and he don’t love each other, your child may not get to see what a great marriage is all about.
Most of all, make time for God, and this doesn’t have to be hours on end spent in the Upper Room. There will be seasons, especially when those babies are little, when devotions will come in snatches of time…it might be a Scripture today that brings peace to your weary mind, a Bible story tomorrow read from a children’s book that brings strength to your heart, and your favorite pastor’s sermon on Sunday morning which brings conviction and healing to your wounded soul.
God’s not about the rules, regulations and perfection. He wants a relationship. He wants to hear your thoughts. He wants to consume your heart. He loves you, and He wants to help you be the best mom you can be. He wants you to know He loves you and that YOU ARE ENOUGH!
Let me say it again, YOU ARE ENOUGH. This being a mom bit is CRAZY hard, but it is so very worth it!! … Be real. Be you. Find God in the chaos and hang on…Hang onto Him with all you’ve got, and you’ll make it.
“You just be you, and God will take care of the rest.” – Bones, Moms’ Night Out
“I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; your works are wonderful, I know that full well.” Psalm 139:14
I’ve read several posts lately from those who are grieving and who are lonely. I’ve been there, in that lonely place, struggling to survive the pain…
These posts make my heart sad, not because the bloggers are heartbroken or grief-stricken, but because so many grieve with no hope. For without hope, we have no purpose in the pain. We have no future beyond the pain. Without hope, it is all just meaningless and worthless. Without hope, life doesn’t seem worth living.
Yet, where there is hope, there is life beyond the pain. There is a purpose through the pain, and there is some semblance of meaning that we can try to grasp. There is something more that is worth holding onto.
It doesn’t mean we will never experience the pain, only that, deep down, we have a knowing that we will live BEYOND the pain, because there is something MORE for which to live.
Hope is a powerful thing. Without it, life is just a survival game.
Hope causes our spirit to fight. Hope causes our mind not to give up. Hope causes our body to push forward behind normal limits. Hope causes us to thrive.
…Thriving is so much more fun than simply surviving.
“And God will wipe away every tear from their eyes; there shall be no more death, nor sorrow, nor crying. There shall be no more pain, for the former things have passed away.” Revelation 21:4
The best gift you can give your child is the gift of hope. I’m not talking about the hope that comes from having a great job or more money. I’m not talking about hope that comes from being more or having more.
I’m talking about a hope that cannot be bought with a salary or influence or even wishful thinking. This hope to which I refer is not one made of human hands or even human aspirations. It’s a hope beyond your wildest imaginations.
This hope is truly a gift, because not only can it not be bought, but it also cannot be worked for or earned in any way, shape, or form. To obtain it, we can’t ever become a better person or act better; yet, because of it, we do become a better person, and it does cause us to act better.
This hope doesn’t make the world perfect, but it does make it closer to perfection. It doesn’t make us sinless, but it does make us sin less. It is a perfect hope, one without sin or blemish, mistake or failure.
This hope is Jesus Christ, His redeeming love, and salvation for us. This hope is wrapped up in heaven and our reconciliation to that wonderful world beyond. This is the hope of which I speak. This is the very best gift you can give your child.
For without hope, a man will surely perish. Without hope, a woman will grow bitter and full of malice and dread. Without hope, a child will be consumed with fear and confusion and rage.
True hope can only come from God, for His Hope brings peace and healing. His Hope brings strength. His Hope brings restoration and reconciliation.
True hope brings love into the home and runs depression, chaos and confusion right out of your mind. Hope gives a purpose and brings a calling. Hope will never fail you.
Don’t delay. Don’t hesitate. When you have this hope, your best days are ahead of you. Seize that hope for your child’s better future. Hope for brighter days, and hope to make the most of the night, wherever you are. Hope for a better future, an eternal hope. This is the best life gift to give your child.
Find it, and give it today.
“May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, so that by the power of the Holy Spirit you may abound in hope.” Romans 15:13
“Now faith is confidence in what we hope for and assurance about what we do not see.” Hebrews 11:1
“Hope deferred makes the heart sick, but a longing fulfilled is a tree of life.” Proverbs 13:12
When our boys were little, they were always posing, play fighting, and attacking life as some kind of superhero. Our oldest would dress up in the full Batman mask and cape, ready to face every enemy lurking around the corner; it didn’t matter that we were only going to the store. He was ready for whatever may come! Our youngest didn’t dress up in the cape as much, but he wore out that Batman mask! 🙂
Our children always want to be something great. Let’s let help them. Let’s let them be the heroes they choose, no matter what age they might be. Let’s imagine with them, pretend with them, even believe with them. They are only little once. Those years fly by so quickly. It’s as if I blinked, and now, I see a teen growing into a man and a young boy growing into a teen. I miss those younger years, sometimes, but I know they must grow. I know they cannot stay small forever.
Yet, even as they grow, they still have dreams of being a hero. It might not be Batman, and it may not be Superman, but there are dreams still alive, villains still to be captured and battles still to be won. Find out what those are, and help them not just make it and survive; help them conquer and thrive. Breathe life into those imaginations. Let the dreams live on. Give them the tools to fight those battles and win BIG.
For every Superhero was once a small child. Every mother, every father, for generations past, was once a little girl and a little boy dreaming of the hero they would on day become, and so many still, yet, dream of the hero they once were or the one they desire to be…
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My journey didn’t stop with mere time travel or writing; it led me to become one of the most sought-after empaths, a soulful psychic who reads the hidden depths of the human spirit. I’ve been blessed—or perhaps burdened—with an ability that allows me to feel the emotions of people from every corner of time.
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