No Greater Love

Greater love has no one than this, than to lay down one's life for his friends. 

Christ himself laid down his life for you and for me.

Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new.

Now then, we are ambassadors for Christ, as though God were pleading through us: we implore you on Christ's behalf, be reconciled to God.

In an acceptable time I have heard you. And in the day of salvation I have helped you.

Let Us Dance in the Sun...

Its been a lovely week for the Capt and me. My Indian Princess friend, Missus (she's southern Indian) Sajatey and her Sweetie came to visit. Notwithstanding the fact that I gained my customary five pounds while she was here, we had a great time playing on our laptops, swapping ideas and inspiring each other until the wee hours of the morning. All those late hours would be ever so much better if I could sleep til at least noon the next day, but alas, the guys "needed" us. :-) Which was also nice.....kinda.


My gift from Miz Sajatey was this beautiful picture you see in my post. It's a photo she took - a nice, simple photo of yellow flowers. However, she made it special with her personal touch. First, she created a background, then added text, framed it, presented it to me, and it became a treasure. A reminder of a friendship that I treasure. The inscription reads:

 

"Let us dance in the sun wearing wild flowers in our hair."  

What an uplifting thought! Of course when I read it to my daughter she immediately said, "Great idea. Do it and I'll come video you."  Uhhhh......no. But then, come to think of it, that would probably make a hit on You Tube. Two grandmas with wildflowers woven in their hair spinning and twirling in the sunshine in a meadow somewhere. I can see it now, things would be spinning and twirling that were never meant to spin and twirl. 

I do believe though, that every female who watched it, grandma or not, would want to dance with that abandonment. And why not? Being free to experience life is one of the great benefits of serving God. He came that we might have life and have it more abundantly. There are many opportunities in life to dwell on the on the sad things, but God's word encourages us to think on the lovely, the pure. He wants us to find the positive; to enjoy our time on this earth. To be serious does not always mean to be sad.


Thank you Miz Sajatey for once again reminding me that life is a great adventure; that it's never too late to dance; that it doesn't matter what spins and twirls. What matters is that we "do," that we live and that we take advantage of every opportunity to revel --"to take great pleasure in" God's amazing love and soak up His wonderful joy.


So, let us dance! It doesn't matter if you are a young girl, a mommie or a grandma, join me and let's dance and twirl and spin.  And oh, don't forget the wildflowers. See you in the meadow!

Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable - if anything is excellent or praiseworthy - think about such things. Phil 4:8

I Yam What I Yam

Popeye used to say, "I yam what I yam."  If you don't remember Popeye, I'm sorry; he and Olive Oil were good folks. The fact that I readily recall them is evidence of my intent here. My last post was somewhat of an apology for where I am in life. Since then, I've done a little soul searching, and guess what? I've decided I actually like who I am and where I am in life. I admit to being somewhat different from most bloggers which of course makes my blog somewhat different.

So, I've decided to just be me. My view of life is, well, my view. My memories are colored with the gentleness that comes from years of telling them over and over.  My thoughts are random and my words reflect my age, but there it is, for all to see.

 I'm a grandma with fifteen lovely grandchildren. And yes, they sometimes tell me I have "issues." Yes I do, honey, yes I do! But that is alright with me, its taken years to develop those issues.  Having grandchildren is one of life's greatest blessings and knowing we love each other unconditionally gives us a wonderful freedom to be ourselves and to enjoy the love that spans the generation gap. Most folks think we older ladies are a little soft - hummm, perhaps we are. They make movies about us you know. Ever see "Arsenic and Old Lace?"  Great flick - you should check it out.

Seriously, life and our individual place in life, is something to be celebrated. The directions we take, both the good and the not so good, all work together to draw us closer to Him and His purpose for our lives. You are a precious individual just as I am. I learn from you and you from me. It's a beautiful thing called relationship.

Thank you Jesus, we are not all the same. How boring would that be?

But by the grace of God I am what I am: and his grace which was bestowed upon me was not in vain;

I Corinthians 15:10 (a)

Time To Reflect?

Most of the blogs I follow are uplifting and funny with interesting little tidbits from someones day. I love reading them; it makes me feel connected somehow. I would like to write funny, uplifting blogs about my day too. But, apparently, my life isn't funny, uplifting and interesting.  It seems all my posts turn out serious and nostalgic.

I try to be light in my postings, but perhaps I've become a little more serious in my present "season." And a little more nostalgic. So - I am not sure what to tell you except that maybe, just maybe, there's a place in this fast paced, funny world for some old time serenity, and peace. Is it possibly good to slow down a bit and take stock of our lives and remember where we came from?

 SEE??? There I go getting serious again. OMG!

I promise you; I am not becoming that old lady who sits around thinking on yesterday - really I'm not. I am however, thankful for every season of my life and the place it's brought me to this day. I enjoy reading and listening to the day-to-day lives of younger women. It makes me reflect on my time as a young mother and the fact that not much has changed over the years. Babies still get sick; potty training is still a challenge; no one likes to spank their child; first day of school is traumatic; first day of college is worse. And on and on.

But here we all are together anyway:  loving our families, growing and learning in every season of our lives. We connect, we engage, we love, we fight, we forgive, and we keep moving forward.

 SOoooo, since this is all true: go take a picture! You'll love yourself next year!

I See You?

The first time ever I saw your face, I thought the sun rose in your eyes.

The first time I saw my future husband's face I only noticed that it was handsome, but the first time I saw my husband's face I fell hopelessly in love. I have looked into the faces of many babies, but the first time I saw the faces of my babies they captured my heart completely.

Faces are everywhere: on street corners, in grocery stores, work places, at football games and shopping malls. Our face is our portrait to the world around us. Its been said the eyes are the windows of the soul, they uncover our emotions, whether it be love and acceptance or anger and frustration. Lying eyes normally dart and bounce around trying to avoid having someone see the truth inside.

 Photographers are careful in most portraits to emphasize the eyes of their subject in order to reflect their personality. Even in nature  photography, the eyes are ever so important. Our eyes, however, are not only windows for others to see into our heart, but they are also windows we use to peer out at the world around us. I'm wondering today how well I use these little eyes of mine to really see the faces around me.

The first time ever I saw your face. Did I see your face? Really see your face? Or did I rush past with my own thoughts and plans and never see the real you looking back at me? Did I miss a silent call for understanding, for compassion? Did I fail to see the strain exposed in your eyes?

Or, perhaps the joy that was bubbling out of you? I could have wrapped myself in that for just a moment and my day would have been lifted ...  had I only stopped to really see your face.

The eye is the lamp of the body. If your eyes are good, your whole body will be full of light. Matt. 6:22

Seasons And Memories: Movin' Up!

Seasons And Memories: Movin' Up!

Movin' Up!

Seasons and levels often go together in our lives. As we progress through each season we learn and mature and move upward toward our goals. For me, the season of my life has much to do with what level I operate on. In the springtime I tend to peace out and enjoy sitting and watching the season unfold. In the fall, however, the cooler weather energizes me.

No matter how they affect us, the seasons of our lives mark our time here on earth. Some for good, others we would just as soon forget. But getting back to the idea of levels, I'm thinking today about what helps me to move from one level to another, whether it be creatively,  financially, spiritually, or in any other area of my life.

For me, I think it comes down to how badly I want it. For years I've dreamed of becoming a professional photographer. I have not, however, taken classes to improve my abilities. Nope - but I've dreamed. I've thought about what kind of photographer I would be and of course how much money I would make. Millions for sure! But the point is, I apparently do not want it badly enough to commit myself to improving my skills.

So, I remain on pretty much the same level I've been on for years. To be proficient in any area normally requires "want-to";  it takes commitment, time and effort. The talents God placed inside me are His gifts to me. What I do with them and how I develop them are my responsibility. Of course He empowers, He encourages, He sends others along to help, but still, I must take the initiative and get moving. As a young friend of mine once said, "'sponsibility is hard." For sure, for sure, but worth the effort.

So, today, I'm taking a close look at goals not yet reached, dreams not realized, and what my level of desire is at this season in my life. Am I moving up? Or simply treading water?

Lord, you delivered to me five talents; look, I have gained five more talents besides them.