Scatter the flowers

  "Women Kneeling in Prayer", George Henry Boughton "We must talk to God about men before we talk to men about God." ~ Dr. Bill Bright, founder of Campus Crusade for Christ Ahhh. Fall.  The smell of fallen leaves, crisp morning air, colorful mums between pumpkins, cinnamon.  Doesn't it feel like your soul just got hugged by an old friend?  It's easy to find joy in the little things in this season that give us a temporary lift. And then we turn on the news.   Joy zapped.   Last blog we talked about how we can fight the battle of losing our joy by using our gifts God gave us to bring a little cheer to others.  I hope you thought about some ways you could incorporate that into your daily life.  Your gifts are yours, and others need you to use them.  I have benefited this past week by gifts some of my friends & family have used - listening to me, challenging me to act on some intellectual pursuits, thinking of me with texts, encou...

  "Together we can change the world, just one random act of kindness at a time." ~ Ron Hall, author of 'Same Kind of Different as Me' 💙    I don't intend for this blog to go dark on you all, so bear with me.  It seems like we go to bed and aren't sure what we'll wake up to, doesn't it?  Last year Russia attacked Ukraine on the other side of the world from us, but we felt the ripple.  This past week Israel was attacked and it is rocking our world and has the potential to upend it.   I find myself feeling like I have no control and am a victim to whatever happens out there.   And this doesn't even address the personal issues we or those we care about are going through.  People are getting the scary news of cancer, divorce, children going through tough times, schools misguiding our kids/grandkids.  Oh Lord, help us! 💙  None of us like feeling this way, right?  Time for some grounding.  I started this blog because ...

  When the Wind Had Wings by Bev Doolittle "If I had asked people what they wanted, they would have said faster horses." ~ Henry Ford 🐴 Do you ever find yourself singing a song, and then you stop for a second and think about the lyrics and you can't believe you were singing it?   "I want you to want me.  I need you to need me.  I'd love you to love me. "  Because I lived in the 80s where music was absolutely incredible, I have this AWESOME Cheap Trick song in my head.  It's a window into human nature - we all want to be wanted, right?   Why? 🐴 Because, as we touched on in my last blog , God designed us for relationship with Him, and when we look to people or things to fulfill that relationship, we are left feeling want.  No one can satiate our souls with love and peace but God.  So why do we look to other things? We want to be loved.  Because of romantic novels, movies, fairy tales,  we think there is "the one" who is g...

Michelangelo-Creation of Adam "Now God designed the human machine to run on Himself." ~ C.S. Lewis   ☝ What are you made of?  Sugar, spice, everything nice? Or snips and snails and puppy dog tails?  Spit and vinegar?  How were we made?  What do we do with how we're made?   Do we say "That's just how I am" (referring to both our strengths and weaknesses)?  Do we think we are what we eat?  (If so I am "en fuego" because of flaming hot Cheetos.)   ☝ When I think of how I'm made, I think sometimes I am like cookie dough - a little structure (flour), seasoned (salt), joyful (chocolate chips), sweet (sugar)- all looks good on the outside when put together; but I know what else is inside that isn't visible:  a mixture of selfishness, anger, arrogance, insecurity, doubting, a lack of confidence.  Perceptions lead to beliefs.  Or do beliefs lead to perceptions? And are they accurate? The ChocolaTess So just what are we made of...

image source "Say do you remember, dancing in September?" ~ September, song by Earth, Wind & Fire 🍁 I don't know what it is about fall - I feel like dancing every day.  The weather gets a little crispier, it's the onset of boot season (see my trend list at the end of blog), the colors of the grass and leaves are just barely beginning to change to a golden hue, pumpkin spice starts to invade every part of our lives.    Or to quote author Sarah Addison Allen, "It looked like the world was covered in a cobbler crust of brown sugar and cinnamon." 🍁 I  feel sorry for .people that don't like pumpkin spice☕.  It's like they were born  with a hole in their soul, and when they don't let pumpkin spice latte fill it because  they think they don't like it, it makes them grouchy and irritable.  Then they start  complaining that they 'don't want summer to end' and 'next thing you know  Christmas stuff is gonna be in the stores'.  ...

  Google image "A ship is always safe at shore but that is not what it's built for"  ~ Albert Einstein 🚢  Last blog I discussed how refreshing a new start can be, the kind the Lord gives us each day, kind of synonymous with back to school time each year.   Sometimes, regardless of how long we have been following Jesus as our Savior, we need restarts.  So I am picking up where I left off, as if we were new students.   Return to the beginning, to where we first started; for some who haven't been following Jesus long, it will be easier.  For some who've followed Him longer, it may be more challenging - pride may get in the way.   I'm  talking about holy pride - thinking we should 'know better' or we had justifiable motives for doing what we've done or not done.  Lay all of that at the feet of Jesus and tell Him to take it.  I myself had dealt with that - I think it's my personality type (whether it be my Enneagram type...