A Moment of Thanksgiving...

What a beautiful time of year it is. Beginning with Thanksgiving. Thinking of all the

blessings  that endow my life, how can I be anything but thankful.

If I allow my focus to stray, I will soon forget the stores of treasures in my life.


My heart pours out thankfulness for His mercies that are renewed every morning and I

am more thankful than I can say for His grace that touches my life and gives me hope.



As I reflect on the measure of  Faith that God has given me and how He has nurtured and

allowed it to grow, blesses me beyond words that I can speak.

I hope that your heart is able to see some of the many blessings in your life and that your
joy increases as you reflect on His love for you.





               

The Chicken Coop Comes Along

Working together....

 an abundance of opportunities to

build ...

 

The tools ..

Finishing the roof...

Pounding the nail...

Father and daughter working together. Considering the best way to

accomplish their plans.

Liberty, resting in the shade. She is never far away when there

is family outside....

 

The flip flopped girl taking a little break...

Feeling Disconnected...and Vulnerable...

I am feeling very disconnected to words. Is it a dry time? I am not sure. What happens

when this occurs?



I cannot seem to focus on my topics. I sit and try to write.. I sit and and try to think.

I type and delete... type and delete...trying to make some sense of  the words.

Trying to make them connect and have meaning to me....and feel my words..


Trying to write something that will reach my readers.. touch them in some

 special way. How can I reach them when I, myself, seem so far away.. 



I am feeling numb inside..maybe that's why I can't feel the words either.. I cannot

 feel. As I was sitting here thinking, it occurred to me that I should write about that..

It is the most that I have been able to type in almost a month.


I think I understand a little. I had this idea for a post about a 2 months ago..  It was

about wanting to be real. And in that, then taking the time to feel. Feeling allows

the reality of dealing with life's circumstances. Thinking about... pondering and 

allowing oneself to walk in grace... and then, and only then, can true healing begin.

 I didn't realize that it would be the fruit of my own experience. I had it more in mind

to be that of a encouragement to others.. Maybe this will be even more encouraging..

Because it's about transparency..


I am relatively new to this. Transparency.. I am trying.

To walk there....

A Baby Girl and Her Shoes....

O... Precious Baby Girl...

and how she loves her shoes......

Margin...The Lifestyle That Allows...Peace, Healing and Restoration

Rushing....Over-scheduling.... Pressure....Stress

Life in general can be overwhelming at times. Just the everyday maintenance of
relationships, a home, and keeping a job are enough, at times, to tax us to our very
limits. What happens when we find ourselves in a place of emptiness? That place that
cries out for rest, healing and peace?

How do we get here?

I don't believe it is our intention to create this kind of lifestyle. I have found myself
in this position when I have failed to be realistic about the requirements of a
commitment. Or perhaps I was not thorough in researching and counting the cost.

I believe many people would slow down, if they could. But many find themselves
being pushed along by the commitments they have made. Most have made these
commitments in good faith and are people of integrity. But perhaps they are caught in
the grips of a commitment that has gone far beyond their expectations.

Are we trying to keep up with a schedule that burdens us beyond our comfortable level
of what isrequired? The danger of this is that we may reach a state of burnout where
we are unable to fulfill the responsibilities that we have with the passion and purpose
that we had hoped and intended.

This can create a sense of despair, hopelessness and failure. Not at all what God
intends for us to experience. In these places, God will help us but I firmly believe that
instead of helping us through these circumstances, that He would rather us avoid them
and walk in wisdom and peace.
_______________________________________________________________________

I would like to share with you the name of a book that I read...too late. I found this
book after Jeff and I had made a commitment to something that would overload us for
15 years and take us down a path less than desirable. At some point, I will share this
story with you. My hope is, that in sharing this book, others will be able to step back
and reflect on their lives and become more aware of healthy boundaries. And through this
awareness, will flow a life of peace-filled purpose.

The name of the book is Margin and was written by Richard Swenson.
Restoring Emotional, Physical, Financial, and Time Reserves to Overloaded Lives

Life in modern day America is essentially devoid of time and space. Not the
Star Trek kind. The sanity kind. Chronic overloading is the culprit: margin is
the cure.

This newly revised 2004 update of the original best-seller explains what
margin is, why it is important, how it disappeared, and steps to get it back. Margin is
the space between our load and our limits and is related to our reserves and resilience.
It is a buffer, a leeway, a gap; the place we go to heal, to relate, to reflect, to recharge
our batteries, to focus on the things that matter most.

Margin offers seventy-five practical prescriptions for restoring margin in the
essential areas of emotional energy, physical energy, time, and finances.
Margin restores what culture has taken away: time to listen, strength to
care, space to love.
 

Dr. Swenson has also written a devotional called  A Minute of Margin....Restoring
Balance to Busy Lives

You can find both of these books and more written by Dr. Swenson at Amazon Books.

Wishing for you a place of wisdom, rest and peace.