Last Friday, we ended up with a free evening. The wind was right; the fall temperatures were perfect, and my husband decided to go sailing. I was working on a project, and I almost stayed home while he and our youngest left for the boat.
I’m so thankful I didn’t say no!
Sometimes, your “no” will cause you to miss out on the best moments and the most unforgettable memories.
Go on now. Go have a Friday Fun Day! 😉
*these pictures are my own. No filters or alterations.
You converse with me
But no one is standing there.
You laugh and tell me the stories
But no one is smiling.
You rewrite the history to fit your look
But no one hears the news.
You embrace my form and shed a tear
But no one sees your charades.
You reach once more for my hand
But my heart weeps no more.
Penned – MG – 10/21/19
It’s amazing how one drive can purify a mind.
Look at the swirls of color passing by and see now with clarity.
Breathe deep the air that settles the thoughts of despair.
Let the wind surround your skin, calming the restless soul.
Just step out beyond the norm and find yourself again.
Penned – MG – 10/22/19
Sometimes, I think we get so consumed with the agendas we keep and the responsibilities placed upon us that we forget who we are. We step into the whirlwind of calendars, appointments, wishes and desires, and we forget our purpose, our progress and our potential. We simply lay down who we were meant to be and pick up all the expectations of someone else.
STOP IT! LET IT GO! REMEMBER WHO YOU ARE!
Maybe it’s just me, but I don’t think so. In this modern culture, Christians are relegated to being these hyper, over-the-top, radical, nonsense-speaking idiots simply because we do not want to conform to the liberal mindset of the world. Just because the louder voices among us hate who we are doesn’t mean we should listen to them. Just because those voices threaten to disagree or spew ridicule doesn’t mean we should lay down every bit of goodness and righteousness simply because they can’t see.
Who gave them that kind of authority? Who released their judgement as right and true? Unfortunately, WE DID. We’ve got to STOP!
We were never called to be like this world. We were never destined to yield our beliefs and our standards to the crowd who disagrees. They oppose our very being, but that doesn’t mean we shouldn’t exist.
We need to stop listening to the lies of hatred and start reading again. We need to shut off the news and the media and get back to our prayer closets and our houses of worship. We’ve stayed in the mainstream so long, we’ve forgotten who we’re called to be. We’ve sought after man’s approval for far too long, and we’ve neglected Whose affirmation matters most: His. We need to return to our first live and forsake our worldly adorations.
Does that mean we become hermits, shut off from the world, never listening, never speaking, never approaching the differences around us? NO. Does that mean we become relics, hovering over our Bibles, never engaging in intellectual conversations, never debating our faith, never communicating the gospel to those who dispute our every move? NO. Does that mean we become hate-filled and ridiculously unapproachable, “preachy,” and “religious minded.” NO.
It simply means, we return to Him, and allow His light to shine once more. It means we remember our purpose, our calling, our destiny. It is not to settle into this world nor the things of it. It means we recollect our history, our heritage and our home, and we seek to live in Him and not of them! It means we go out, take this story He has given us and all we’ve learned of Him and share it, sprinkle it, “seed” it into the ground He places before us. It means we recollect those promises He’s given, we reminisce those moments of victory He has delivered, we relive those miracles He’s brought to our everyday life, and we share them with this world around us.
Stop trying to fit in and follow, and start standing out and LEAD!
“You, dear children, are from God and have overcome them, because the one who is in you is greater than the one who is in the world. They are from the world and therefore speak from the viewpoint of the world, and the world listens to them. We are from God, and whoever knows God listens to us; but whoever is not from God does not listen to us. This is how we recognize the Spirit of truth and the spirit of falsehood.” 1 John 4:4-6
“Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.” Matthew 28:19-20
“The thief does not come except to steal, and to kill, and to destroy. I have come that they may have life, and that they may have it more abundantly.” John 10:10
“But you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, God’s special possession, that you may declare the praises of him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light.” 1 Peter 2:9
Sometimes, you just need a bath…
Wash away the muck and mire of life’s journey. Purify. Purge. Expunge.
Blot out the ugly and the waste of living experiences. Scour. Sanitize. Refine.
Wipe off and polish up for a new beginning.
Fridays are a good day to accomplish a good cleansing. It’s the end of the work week, right before the free weekend.
Great time to make anew.
How ’bout it? Are you ready to let it all go?
Where does the trail of life lead you?
Do you run down it, trees and grass, asphalt and people, just a blurt around you?
Do you saunter down it, the environment just there for your parade?
Do you drag your feet behind, dreading every step as you draw closer to your destination?
Or could you possibly walk, pausing along the way to take in the sights, breathe in the air, let it consume you in the moment?
Could you possibly stop to smell the roses and count them, one by one?
Don’t miss out on what’s right in front of you because you’re looking too far behind or searching too far ahead… ❤️
Penned – MG – 10/9/19
I love this little conversation between Pooh and Piglet. It speaks volumes on so many levels. It speaks to both the depressed and the friends of those who may be struggling.
It truly breaks my heart when I hear of a person who remains in depression, or due to that depression, a person who has committed suicide, and in the current cultural push of awareness, we hear so many blogs, posts and notices that we should check on our friends, we should reach out, and we should be there for those suffering. Yes, I wholeheartedly agree, and I believe the awareness should be alive and well. However, what I see happening in this push, and what I wish would also be pushed at the same heightened state, is those who are struggling desperately need to speak up just as much as friends need to be aware!
I love what Pooh says to Piglet, he had a difficult day, but he didn’t really want to talk about it. Too often, it seems the focus of awareness is so pivoted on those left behind, but if we say anything directed toward the one who remained silent, then, we are relegated as being insensitive, cold and even cruel in our approach.
Yet, if I could intervene with this blame (and justification) game, I wish I could. Speaking truth into someone’s life, especially, someone who is in trouble and may even become dangerous to themselves or someone else, is not being cruel and heartless. Sometimes, it can be a lifesaver!
If I am standing in the street, and a Mack truck is flying down the road, and I am just too sad, too depressed or even too blind to see it, please, someone scream, yell, or run over to me and yank me out of that street!! Because sometimes, the best thing for a person is not a coddling and pampering but a spoken word of truth that helps to bring them back to reality.
Be like the butterfly
Float on the air
Search out the beauty
Light gently and with ease
Fly away from drama or danger
Penned – 9/24/19 – MG
Listened to this song for the first time today. Don’t know why I haven’t ever heard it before, but it speaks a message today. On this 18th anniversary of a horrific day in our history, I will remember. I will cherish, and I will never forget.
It’s not about a political party. It’s not about a race, a religion, or a heritage. It’s not even about a personal opinion or thought.
This was a day that radicalism thought it could rule. This was a day when hatred filled hearts surmised they could win. This was a day when evil consumed souls believed they had the upper hand and could bring down a powerful, mighty nation.
9/11 will forever be a day of remembered terrror, heartbreak and death. Yet, 9/12 will forever be a day remembered of a nation uniting to bring rescue, support, encouragement and comfort. The two days shall ever be etched in the memory blanks of my legacy.
This is a realization of what purpose can expose. This is a revelation of what a common bond can bring. This is a testament of what unity can do.
For evil and for good.
Never forget these days in your retelling of truth and of history. Share the brokenness, revel in the heroics and cherish the patriotism. Never forget, a people bound together in one cause, one focus, one goal can accomplish the unthinkable.
America, never forget.
I read a beautifully written piece the other day by a fellow blogging friend, Modern Serenade, and as I was standing on my back porch this afternoon I thought I’d take his idea and write about my own Friday afternoon serenade.
An airplane flew overhead as the neighbor’s air conditioning unit seemed to kick into overdrive. The wind begin rustling through the trees, and the crickets began their evening rhythms. The dogs across the ridge must have seen a stranger or a critter run by, because they started up in a bit of a panic only to subside after a few minutes. Maybe it was a squirrel that crossed their paths, but his squawking was a bit delayed as he gave a good fussing to some young creature or fellow walking by. The wind rustled through the trees again, as if to attempt to quiet his tirade. I believe it worked. Then, the dogs barked a few times again, and our cats came swirling around my feet with a meow or two just to get some attention. A mosquito buzzed by my ear and landed on my hand as I swatted him. “Smack!” That will be his last bite today; unfortunately, he got me twice. I hear a car driving through the culdesac, probably a neighbor coming home from a long day’s work. The wind rustles a bit stronger through the trees, it seems to be telling the weary soul, “Welcome Home.” My son just joined the chorus as I hear the bass through the subwoofers booming a bit through the walls of the house.
Whish-bark-meow-buzz-smack-vroom”
Another mosquito says goodbye to this life, and I grab the bug repellent; so, I might enjoy a few more moments of the evening serenade before turning in. Even the spray adds a swishing noise to the symphony. The temperatures tonight are quite delightful. … There goes the wind and the crickets again.
“Whish-boom-smack-swish-which-chirp-chirp-bark-boom”
Ahh, there’s the little bird to join in while another plane travels overhead to it’s unknown destination, and finally, the cicadas have come to add their part to the harmony. I was wondering what was taking them so long.
“Whish-boom-chirp-chirp-bark-vroom-whish-tweet-tweet-chirp-chirp-buzz-buzz-cacah”
…a crow couldn’t miss out while he was flying by. 😂
A beautiful symphony given to us by our amazing Creator God. Sitting here, listening and watching just brings a sweet peace to my mind and a gentleness to my heart. It causes me to breathe deeper and smile a little longer. I’m so thankful for my restful place of solitude. It truly brings healing to a weary soul.
I hope you will step outside and listen to the serenade around you, and if it’s just too noisy with human chaos and manmade distractions, take a little drive to a park, an open field, a hiking trail, a lake or a waterfall. Get off the asphalt, and see what you might bring into vision with, not only your eyes, but with your whole being.
Happy listening, and Happy Friday! 😊
Scripture Musings
There was a girl who got through the day with routines, laughter. and some memes...chores, laughs, smiles, and some cats...food, naps, plus coffee too...then yoga for the win... a warm bath, some books, and You Tube📺-hdtj💜
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