With a simple shake, a snowglobe has the magical ability of surfacing wonderful thoughts and emotions within us. Regardless of where we are right now, a snowglobe can transport us to a different place and time. For me, a time of innocence; the smell of cookies baking in the oven, snowflakes falling outside, and Christmas music playing in the background. After a simple shake and a turn of the music knob, my portal destination is a wonderful melancholy feeling and a grimace.
Those times in our lives when we are on the verge of transitioning into something new can be exciting but also very scary. Once we have accomplished the change, it is easy to look back with a different view point. Yet, at the time of our budding, we often feel unsure of ourselves. Fortunately, in our time of uncertainty, we can look all around us to see that change is part of God's plan and through change we can turn into something even more beautiful.
As children we have used mnemonic acronyms to learn things like the Great Lakes (HOMES – Huron, Ontario, Michigan, Erie and Superior) or algebra (FOIL – First Outer Inner Last). Yet this educational technique can be beneficial for adults as well. If ever faced with a conversation leading you to question your self worth, simply think of a Q-tip. A Q-tip can act as a mnemonic reminder to not overanalyze the situation by swabbing the words: “Quit Taking It Personal" softly in your ears.
Although going to the gym can help keep you in shape, there is nothing more refreshing and rewarding than breaking a sweat from doing yard work. Not only does your heart rate quickly increase from the laborious work but it also soars with satisfaction when the work is complete.
Some things never go out of style, even as you get older. Icees on a hot day is one of them!
I will admit; one of my New Years resolutions has been left to collect dust. I had hoped to be strumming at least "Mary had a little lamb" by now. Yet, unfortunately my guitar's biggest gig thus far has been modeling for this photo.
How come we can be so quick to forgive ourselves for our own broken promises but find it difficult to do the same for others? The next time I hold a grievance against another, I hope to hear my guitar playing in the background as a lyrical reminder to play a tune worth playing.
Today has been one of the those days that has not felt too balanced. Fortunately when feeling low, my little yin and yang always help me regain my inner smile.
I am always in amazement at how perfect God's creations are; even the imperfections add beauty. Do you ever feel that way about yourself? Too often we seem to look at our idiosynchroncies as a bad thing, rather than being proud of how they make us unique.
The insignificant every day things that don't seem to matter at the time, really do add up. Hopefully you see every "penny" for something positive so when it is time to cash in, you will have something of value.
I made the mistake of licking my fingers when I was squeezing the Key Limes for a homemade Key Lime pie. My face quickly distorted from the extreme tartness. Although this juice is what makes the pie taste so good, by itself it is down right unbearable. This reminded me of a simple life lesson: Before thinking we can do it all on our own, we sometimes need other’s help to bring out the best in ourselves.
The wonderful Key Lime Pie recipe that I used can be found at: http://colleencuisine.blogspot.com/2006/07/key-lime-meringue-pie.html
Sometimes it is all too easy to discard something that may seem old and useless for something new and fresh. But before doing so, be sure to think of what wonderful qualities it may bring to the table; Banana bread recipes all call for ripe bananas!
On this 4th of July, thank you to all those who have stood up for and fight for our right to life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness.
Sometimes we scream out, "Stay away" without even saying a word. Unfortunately these are usually the times when we need a friend or loved one the most. Hopefully, those that care about us see beyond our thorns and send a ray of sunshine our way regardless of our thorny nature.
Since I travel and move around a lot (purely out of my own choice), I often find myself laying my head down in many un-homey places. It never takes me long to rearrange the new place to make it feel more comfortable. This is what I was reminded of when I snapped this photo. The owner of this boat seems to grasp that it is not the size of the boat or how much money you have but rather, how you make others feel when they are on it.
