Mama McBear and Delmar

Meet 2nd all time favorite, Mama McBear and Delmar. This is #7 in my animal introductions and Bearington Bear #6.

Isn't mama just a hoot with her kerchief all tied up on her head? And little Delmar is holding onto a heart while mama has her arms wrapped real tight around him. Mama's hang on so tight sometimes. Sometimes not tight enough. But this little guy isn't going anywhere, is he?!? :)

I figured it was kind of appropriate to introduce them today because my second baby is having her 3rd baby - TODAY. I will sit and be patient, not bother her until SHE says the word it's okay, and respect her and daddy's wishes to make this birth totally their own with no extra people around.

In the society today, it has become more prevalent and more common place for many people to be right there when babies are born. It wasn't like that in my baby days, nor my mother's. Nothing is held as private or sacred these days as compared to years gone by. I have to admit that I'd bought into society's views and thought I'd be there to welcome Gavin into the world, too. And I had been invited to do so earlier. But after the new mommy and daddy discussed how they REALLY wanted things, the door closed. Talk about having to change my thinking! :) But you know what, they are right! This is THEIR time - time to bond and become a new family unit. There will be no video taken, no pictures, no nothing. They've gone old school on us, and I commend them for it.

I was just being a little too much like Mama McBear...... I was holding my baby bear too tight. Yet another apron string has had to be cut. But this is life! And there will be NEW life today that we'll get to meet and greet on his terms.

And needless to say, Delmar is Tyler in my heart. My mind and heart are still sewn tightly around him. And no one can tell me any different on that one.

Phillipe - The Frog

Wanted to share a FUN animal I have that isn't a bear! Can you believe it? Frogs have so many meanings to me:

#1 - FROG

Fully Relying On God (great reminder)

#2 - The Magician's Nephew (by C.S. Lewis)

Our son Tyler was cast as the frog in the one-act play in high school. The one-act took high rankings at the State Speech Contest that year. So when I look at a frog, I think of Ty and the success he and his team had enjoyed.

But Phillipe the Frog is also a reminder of one of the most memorable trips I was able to take. He came from the Denver Art Museum that my sister to graciously took me to. They were having a special display of Impressionistic Art and I so fell in love with Impressionism from that time on. Phillipe has a book that goes along with him, but it's missing since our move.

But isn't he just the cutest thing ever? He sure means a lot in my treasury of memories.

Grandpa & Grandson

Introducing: Grandpa and Grandson, Bearington Bear #5

Lots of stories come to mind with this one, and these two have actually been played with... a LOT! Grandpa has his spectacles on trying to read "The Little Engine That Could" to a grandson. Yes, as you can see the book is missing. And who knows where it is by now. But the meaning is still there in my heart and head.

This means a lot to me because of my husband's eyes and all the troubles he's had with them. He is legally blind in one eye, but praise Jesus he still has sight in the other. He is very mobile and does his job with enthusiasm and a lot of spirit. He has never let his eye issues get the better of him.

But even though he can't read books to his grandkids, that doesn't mean he doesn't know how to get down on the floor and play with them. Whenever he disappears from a family get together, you know he's probably off somewhere with the little ones playing games or teasing them and having fun. He's just that kind of guy.

We don't get to see the grandkids very often anymore, but he holds each and every one of them so very close to his heart, just like the grandpa bear does here.

Gwendolyn

Introducing Gwendolyn, Bearington Bear #4 in my list of intros.

Miss Gwen is very simple, she's not trendy but basic. There isn't anything foofoo about this gal. She is in my collection because her name and her 'look' represent my mother.

My mother, Gwen, was a lot like this gal. She was simple, neat, precise and didn't care for anything trendy or in excess. She was born in 1913 and lived through the Great Depression, and raised a family of five children, leading to her reasons for not living 'over the top' in many areas. She was the ultimate re-use, re-cycle and wear-it-out woman.

But one thing Gwen did was strive for perfection and quality in everything she did. She was a quilter extraordinaire. Her eye for color and design were impeccable. She urged me and taught me to do the best at whatever I created, be it an apron for 4-H to my first hand-knitted pullover sweater. She not only urged, she pushed. My mother would make sure I was busy doing something with my hands at all times - to be productive. There was not a day off from school where'd I'd look forward to being at home doing nothing, that she would have a different agenda for me laid out. At the time I had no appreciation for that, nor did I like it one bit. But in the long run, she was right and I am grateful.

She taught me how to sew, to knit, to be as precise with my work as possible. She expected the best out of me and my projects. I didn't always hear "good job" or get a pat on the back, but I grew up knowing that being busy with my hands and putting thought into my projects were a good thing.

I'm very grateful to have had simple and hard working Gwendolyn as my mom.

Betsy and Ross

Even though I've missed the actual holiday to introduce Bearington Bear #3, there isn't one day that we don't celebrate being an American!

Meet "Betsy and Ross".

There aren't many 4th of July's that don't have some type of memory attached. Neighbors, fireworks, camping, campfires, sunburns..... all just good stuff.

But one of the best things about Betsy and Ross is the reminder that because we live in America, we have the freedom to believe in Jesus without persecution.

THAT freedom is without question.... priceless.

God bless America...

my home sweet home.

Mary and Little Lamb

If you're a gal, you got one. That one person in your life that sticks by you through thick and thin, good and bad, and even when you behave or act horrifically. Yes, it's about my BFF.... my best friend forever, for live, for forever.

Meet Bearington Bear #2 in my series of introductions. Her name is "Mary and Little Lamb" (retired 2007). This little gal speaks so much to my heart. She represents my best friend, Susan. Not only does the innocent little animal she's holding represent her last name, but it represents what Sue did for me in my spiritual life.

Have any of you ever felt lost? Searching for something but couldn't figure it out or find it? Need something to feel at peace, loved, fulfilled? This is what Sue did for me. She picked me up like a lost sheep, and introduced me to Jesus. I had been that lost sheep that Miss Mary Bear is holding. She never lets go of that sheep either!

Do any of you have a friend that sticks so close to you and your heart, that even when you have to be away from each other you know they are right beside you in spirit and heart? That is what this woman is to me.

Sue was introduced to you in an earlier post describing the different meaning of the word 'sister'.

This kind of friendship? Priceless.

Raining Cats and Dogs

When I started this blogging project, the thought was to try and go through each bear as to age. But that needs to be switched up.

Today it is raining outside. I think it may have rained all night, which is fine - we need it. But this little girl bear speaks volumes and needed to be introduced first. Please meet Bearington Bear: "Raining Cats and Dogs" (retired 2007). Sounds like that's her given Indian name, doesn't it.

She represents all those times when we wonder, "When will it all stop?" If it's not one thing, it's another. What could possibly happen next. We've all had those times and eras in our lives. And Bill and I are going through another one right now.

I get a kick out of her, because she's got her raincoat on to repel the rain (mishaps) but she's grabbed on to a cat and a dog (particular raindrops). She teaches me a great life lesson: Let a lot of life's bad or unhappy occurrences slide off of you, but grab ahold of a couple of important ones that need to be learned from. Life is tough - but this little gal is gunna make it through, don't you think?

Some of my FAVORITE things....

The opportunity came to take TODAY and get a little more done on finding my art, stuff, yarns... because this week there will be absolutely no time for any of it. And of course, we just made plans to get even more work done next weekend on things, so..... I wanted to share some of the most precious 'things' I have been able to keep hold of. In other words, I didn't have to give these up with all our transitioning over the past two years. Now go ahead and make fun of me, most people do when it comes to this, but I'm a big girl and can take it. :)There are many stories that go with each object I'm going to share over the next couple of weeks. There is no way on EARTH that I could expound on the entire collection I've kept... so for now I'm going to show you how my sewing room just became MINE. I find great peace, enjoyment, and family in every object I'm going to share.

So today is the whole deal - the big picture - the big kahuna - the whole ball of wax - the full meal deal... I will break it all down as time permits and share why each one is important and why I'm grateful the Lord has allowed me to keep these small treasures.

Ready?

OK, I know... it's a lot of junk to take in at one time. But these little dudes and dudettes have been in hiding for too long. I'd see them peeking out of their bag every time I'd walk through our garage (slash storage unit) begging for a place in my space. And now that I HAVE a space, they have come back to life and it was so fun to think of each meaning and story as I set them out on the bed. NOW this is my room, my personal sanctuary for my creative side. Just look at all the friends who have come to join me now!

And this finally made it to the place it belonged - right by my head in my recliner I've now been able to claim back as mine.

The portrait of Tyler painted by my mother-in-law, his grandma.

Done from a photo taken the Thanksgiving weekend when he went home to be with the Lord.

It's awesome - and according to her, very cathartic and something she felt she needed to do.

Special.

More stories to follow - come on now, follow this thread as we laugh, cry, and just have fun telling all kinds of tales.

It's priceless.

And the Doctor Says.....

Got your attention, didn't I! :) No, the doctor has nothing new for me but there are just some days and events that have to get mentioned - even on a silly blog.

Had my first dentist appointment yesterday bright and early. That's the first in a gazillion appointments made, but it's a great step. This doctor was not the same one I saw Tuesday, but equally as great a guy. Since I was one of the first patients, he told me he hoped he would do good work since he'd only had a double shot of espresso in his one Caribou coffee, instead of TWO COFFEES each with a double shot of espresso in them! OK, this doc has me won over also. Caribou is awesome coffee, and espresso? THAT is a treat I rarely give myself, but I could relate to him having fun.

After this, I grabbed the two Gray grandkids and got Dylan to the eye doctor before school AND before we don't take his insurance any longer. OK, those of you who know me, know Raegan and Dylan are talkers, movers, shakers, questioners, etc.... These children suffer from NO social anxieties whatsoever. Questions, questions, questions... Raegan was pulling every piece of advertising and cards out of their holders so she could show her friends. She was as involved in Dylan's eye exam as he was. (sorry, my dear co-workers) Dylan could not believe that his eyes actually PLUGGED into his brain - and he adored the 3-D eyeball. I don't know if Dr. Brightman had a chance to really talk but he did mention that the kids were certainly not shy kiddos. No, they're not shy by a long shot. They certainly don't get it from their mother, do they! :)

After dropping off Dylan and Raegan back at day-care, I had a miss call from the hub. Oh, my, he never calls so what's wrong. Called him back and you got it! More car problems! He was driving my Ford and as he stopped at the first stop sign past our house, the break lines broke! He just wanted to tell me that he had nursed it over to Metzger's and they had it fixed already, for a pretty little price. So after picking him up from downtown, going to pay for the car repair, and driving home to do some figuring of (lack of) money... mr. anxiety came to visit me. I had plans for the afternoon! I didn't want any part of this and I had to shake it off....

After coming out of the basement working on the checkbook, the sun was back out and in that instant I decided to keep going with the plans. So off I go to our oldest daughter's house to play with them for the afternoon. Yep, 3 kiddos in an underground pool was just what the doctor ordered. I have to say, her two oldest kids do not suffer from social anxiety either! Abby was adorable and needed to let me know everything about her life - and I couldn't be prouder. She pays attention to detail (that will pay off in her life), she is proud of the work she does and adores showing it off. DANG! This girl has got some of her great-grandma Smith's perfectionism in her! Hunter was a hoot and boy did I LOVE throwing that kid as hard as I could in the pool. I even got a couple honest hugs out of the kid. That's not easy when you're a 6 year old boy. But I treasure it. Little Beau cracked me up - at 16 months the kid is swimming his heart out. And to see him push his boundaries - priceless. On many levels.

So overall, the day was great - my grandkids are strong, personable, and totally delightful children. I did miss having girl talk time with my daughter, but some time that will happen and when the time is right. Yes, after all that action I was totally pooped. I didn't follow through with my evening plans to watch Bill play with "Cowboy Cut" and open for Mark Wills...... but my man understands me and let me off the hook.

Social Anxiety? Nope, no longer an issue in this family - NONE of us!

Car problems? Yeah, guess it's becoming a habit. HA

When I say Sister, You Say....?

My thought process in analyzing the word "SISTER".

Those of you who are a sister, or have a sister can relate I'm sure. But while I was getting ready for work this morning, I pondered the word and its powerful meaning. Do you ever give it any thought? There are so many meanings and connotations to the word. Some observations I have made is that I have many sisters, of many types! Here goes.....

I have a sister, who is a sister-sister. You ask, "WHAT?" OK, the eldest (sorry Carole) sister has led a life of inspiration, love, motherhood, being a grandmother, a missionary and has now entered another chapter of her life being a Catholic nun. So not only is she my sister in the true sense of the word, but my Sister-Sister. Anyone else have that in their vocabulary?

Then I have a sister, who is my sis. My sis and I have become like peanut butter and jelly after a childhood of being opposing magnets. Because of this relationship flipping (kind of like a house) there comes a more endearing name - Sis. There is so much to talk about that taking the time to say a two syllable word 'sister' takes too long - there is so much else to say!!

Then there is the sista. These are my in-laws, a group of women that are not only family, but my friends who I love. There has to be some teasing involved knowing my in-laws, so they deserve the name sista because they are fun gals who enjoy MUCH "laughta". HA!!!

Then you have what you'd call a 'soul sister'.... I have one, but she has three sister names in my life. Not only is she my soul sister, she is my sister-from-another-mother (or sista-from-anutha-mutha) and my sister in Christ. As the kids would say, she is my BFFL. These sisters not only share your life, but they share something even deeper within you, and actually GET you.

Aren't we blessed to have sisters? To be sisters? To know sisters?

So when I say sister, you say......?

Addition to "Toothless Wonder"

OK, so I have yet another queer day at work and leave early to visit the 'new dentist'. So I pick this place because of the TV ads and their advertising skills. Let me tell you, it worked and these PEOPLE work. They do not lie.

Of course, me being me, I joke with the first gal that had to deal with me. My age gives me that benefit. But this gal saw right through me. Fear. Anxiety. Laughter was good, but it didn't calm my blood pressure, which she proceeded to take and it was high. OK, time to get real. After a gazillion x-rays (and let me tell you these were WAY cool, especially with a small mouth that gave her fits) and then sitting me down in the chair with a TV in front of me and .... wait... what's that thing she handed me? Why, it's a remote control!! Does this thing work on a TV? Anyway, the doc finally comes in... he's young, he's Indian, great last name, instantly felt at ease. Of course, what do I say? Yes, the first thing out of my mouth is, "Are you going to be nice to me?" He laughed and proceeded to say, "Heck, NO!" I was sold. Totally sold on the man. I hate dentists, the scars left from childhood were understood.

After he took a full 'pick' he sat back and told me what all had to be done. I knew it was bad. The tears started flowing, silently. Behind me comes Kleenex from the tech - she understood me and my anxiety. These people are going to give me my smile back. The entire crew, won me over. How could I not trust them. Each one saw my heart and didn't make fun of me or belittle me as others have done.

Alright, so then I get in the 'finance' office. Now that's scary stuff. I was thinking a certain number, and then she did this and that and with insurance in there, shot me a price. Don't think my heart didn't fly down to the floor. How would I ever swing this one? I owe everyone in the world, paying people little by little (and I mean little), swallowing pride almost every step of every day. But this woman looked me square in the eye and said, "We're going to work this out so you get your smile back." Now don't get me wrong, I still smile. But it's fairly guarded. She said we'll try for credit here and here, and if that doesn't work, we'll go here. I stopped her in her tracks and said.... "Sweetheart, it isn't going to fly. We've lost it all. We're up to our ears in debt. It won't work." Do you know what she did? She smiled at me and said - DON'T WORRY! Don't worry? What? After getting denied by two loan places (duh, called that one) she pulled a deal out of her hat that said "affordable" to me. What? Me? It's going to happen?

I have to be honest. This place makes me WANT to go back. The stuff that goes on in the exam rooms is still going to be there, but the people are really what made the difference to me here. They are real, compassionate, people oriented folk.

And once my new car, oops, I meant my new MOUTH is paid off the doc actually gave me hope of having straight and white front teeth! Now there's a salesman if I ever saw one. :) But they gave me hope, they showed me light and that little bit of a boost in self esteem I needed.

Grateful? You bet.

Priceless? No, the checkbook shows it's not. LOL

I'm a Toothless Wonder

Yesterday was something else from the moment I woke up till I went to bed! Are you ready for THIS story? HA HA

Woke up nauseous and weak but went in to work anyway. Isn't that what you're supposed to do? It could go away, I could get better.... needed to buck up and get where I needed to be. So about an hour into it, had to let my boss know there just wasn't any way I could do it. At least a couple of hours off to stop being so..... well, you know, urpy. So I go home, could not warm up, actually had BLANKETS on in 90+ weather. But by dinnertime, honestly felt a ton better so Bill proceeded to make us pork chops.

So while my chef was sizzling those chops, I get an email from the publisher of the knitting pattern book that is going to go to press this fall.... with a PDF file of what my 2 pages of fame will look like! Felt like a little kid and had to text my daughter and sister to take a sneak peak. It's absolutely the BEST photography of my pattern and product and it's just the shot in the arm I needed. This has been in the works for nearly 2 years and to see it come to pass is just astounding! And of course I had to show my dear hubby what the spreads looked like - I think he's proud of his wife.

So dinner is ready, I go to take my first bite of a delicious pork chop, and WHAM! There goes the reconstruction done on my front tooth from 15 years ago - gone! So after a moment of "oh, my goodness, I'm in customer service and this is going to suck" mode, it felt better to just laugh through it, take care of it, and not give it another thought. Didn't even tell Bill until I had the dentist appointment made and my boss called to see if I could keep the appointment I just made. I love my boss. Just had to be truthful and tell her that I wasn't comfortable seeing patients looking like a jack-o-lantern and I think something should be done about it - like ASAP.

So anyway, Monday was not a typical Monday at all. It was just a great day to see that people actually care about me, that laughter IS the best medicine, and my old moto still stands: PATIENCE IS A VIRTUE.

Yep, I'm a toothless wonder today, BUT I'm going to be published!!!!!!!!!

Life is good.

Disturbia

There isn't enough time this morning to write my concerns and thoughts about the depression I woke up with this morning. There are times when the dreams aren't dreams; nightmares on occasion still pop up, and my sitting down at the computer too early - so my title this morning.

This will just have to serve as a reminder that no matter what type of sleep we have, what type of dreams happen, whatever is happening in our family or circle of friends, or even things on Facebook that are angering and/or sad, that all this DISTURBIA has got to be left at the cross. I cannot deal with this on my own - today or any day.

I will be leaning on Jesus today - and His promises. Will you be leaning today?

At least it's CLEAN!

Woke up at my usual time this morning, actually happy that I did! After taking a nap of gargantuan proportion yesterday, I was ready to get things going. Didn't think to take pictures of the bare room before I got the furniture put into place from the kids old bedroom upstairs. But here are some shots of the "BEFORE", before yarns, fabrics, patterns, instruction books.... all enter my new guest room/creating room. I hate to say craft, and I hate to say sewing, and it's definitely not a knitting room....... but I know me well enough, it will just be called the downstairs bedroom. Now how boring is that. YOU all come up with a better name!!!

Look at that daylight window down here! It's like being upstairs and with tons of natural light.Talk about a perfect closet for stashing fabrics and yarns - and all the necessary creative STUFF!

OK, so now comes the hard part, and that's finding the perfect quilt of my mom's to put on the bed, get some extra storage pieces I've stashed in the garage down here and placed in the perfect spots, bring in some COLOR (it's SO drab right now) and get the creative party started! Think I've told myself enough times that if the space is right, and you have the right tools, then there's NOTHING that's going to stop me.

I used to have a craft room that totally rocked all craft rooms in our dream house. But you know what? God has given me a second chance at having a special room again. AND be able to have a place where company can park it if they want.

I am TRULY blessed.

It's GO Time.....

With a week full of bad sleep.... the Lord woke me up incredibly early yet again this morning. And obviously for some good reasons.

If I hadn't gotten up, I would never have seen the tremendous lightening happening in the sky, or heard the rumble of the thunder. Both things I enjoy and am always in awe of - probably because of it's size and power.

Do you ever wake up and have your first thought be thankfulness or having a deep feeling of gratitude? I'm sure many of us don't, because I know that would be me on most days. But today was different. After having a very odd day at work yesterday, many evenings at home truly enjoying my husband's company and conversation, and the pursuit of something a little more useful of my skills (which I had buried for years) - it was almost like having a revelation as to what real contentment is. And not just saying the words in hopes of convincing myself things are okay, but really feeling and believing it.

No, we haven't won the lottery. Yes, we still have lost every'thing' that society and America strive to own: a business, a house, maybe even some pride and/or dignity. But this wasn't in the bigger plan for us to keep and/or possess. The bigger plan was for us to LIVE, to LOVE, accept and help others. It's up to us now to start the last part of our life together, together. To work through even the smallest of details, together. Our daughters are grown, on their own, have their families and their own friends and social circles. Our time of being the protectors and caregivers has come to a close.

It's funny how God works sometimes. All the thoughts, happenings, emotions.... all of it this week was put in my life for a reason. After being married for 34 years, I can say that 1/2 of one year of it was spent not worrying, caring, or mothering a child. Not that I will ever NOT be a mother, but the roll has now changed. The apron strings are totally cut. On the backend of life, it's time to get back to what's been lacking, and even missing.... and that is devoting time to our marriage. We didn't even know just a few short months ago if we even liked each other because there were pressures that simply pulled us into people we didn't like. But we are still Bill and Karen. We're still the original deal. And we are grateful that we didn't give up, and have honestly and truly BEAT the statistics of divorce for couples who have lived what we've lived.

There is a bigger plan, and it is definitely Bill and Karen GO TIME! And thank you to God that He still, and always will, open doors.

Welcome!

Welcome to the new blog style and the beginning to the next chapter in our lives!

Yes, we are at last those 'empty nesters' you all hear about. It's only been 3 days since the house is completely empty.... and I was blessed enough to only spend one of them in tears in anticipation of missing the little ones. They all have been with us for 2 years, but not being around the little ones will take some major getting used to.

Couldn't sleep. Up 3 hours too early. Two loads of wash and all the ironing done (that should have been done yesterday). Journal entry. New blog design. Two cups of coffee.

Priceless? We'll see.

An Ode to My Van

Today is the season finale of my van... It has gotten us through many tough spots and events, all beginning with my father-in-law's last days on earth. Hence.. my van story...

In November, 2003 we were on our way out of town to visit my FIL who was gravely ill. I proceeded to hit a deer on the way with my Ford, had the county sheriff come and pick us up, haul us into the next town where a dealership had a used van sitting and warming up for us to continue our journey. We ended up buying that van to use at our business for deliveries. We lost Bill's dad November 15th. Since we had the extra vehicle now, our son was going to buy the '67 Ford from us and wanted it repaired. The weekend he took it to be repaired, we lent him one of our vehicles. That was the weekend that Tyler was killed in an auto accident - just two weeks after losing Bill's dad. The van kept running tho, even though the poor thing was old and had nearly 200,000 miles on it. It was nice to have something that just kept on going, even when we had pretty much just stopped living. But times change, people heal and go on as best as they can. Vans have different stories. They can't last forever, even though you'd sure like for that to happen. Our van took us through the loss of many, and the loss of much. It stood by us through thick and thin, it let itself be made fun of and degraded, it always did it's job, it got old and rusty, but never wanted to give up - it was kind of like the story "The Giving Tree" only substitute my van for that dear tree.

He's off to maybe help some other of his kind work better, look better, feel better.... and to give other owners maybe some peace of mind at finding local parts.

I know, this all probably sounds pretty soppy and silly, but this van has seen a lot and been through even more. He's been our best friend through it all.

I will miss you - now it's time for you to go help others...........

Mother's Day 2010

I have to say that almost 80% of this Mother's Day weekend was the best ever. Nothing is ever perfect, so I had to shave something off that 100% goal. But all in all, it was one of the best weekends I've been able to enjoy in a very long time.

I miss my dear little mother. Her last years were some of the most precious ones to me. I still strive (maybe a little obsessively) to please her, do what she would have expected of me, and love to think on her life as MY mother and be thankful for all she ever did for, and how much she loved me.

.... on the weekend note, I was able to finish a project all the way to the very end! Even got all the Snapfish photos in the mail Saturday so the scrapbook journal of my projects is done except for little captions. There are notes and cards stuck in this scrapbook, too. I love to see my friends' handwriting and re-read their wishes. It's a good chance to stop and pray for each one as I touch, open and read each one. I know I have notes and cards stashed in other places, and when those are located, they'll go in there, too.

Thanks for reading, and enjoy your Monday's out there in blog-land.

Psalm 45:6-7

With an endeavor to reconnect, get back to the basics of my life, I decided to pick up a study book, and told myself whichever one I find first, THAT is the one I will work on. Wasn't sure what I'd find since we moved and I had downsized my library by about 90%. Well, right there in a drawer I never open in my nightstand, was a Beth Moore "Stepping Up" study. Need I say more. A workbook and study in the Psalms. What a great place for me to start. In just the first 6 pages of reading and studying, I was overwhelmed at what I'd learned in such a short span.

For those of you who are feeling a little on the unconnected or disconnected side, do yourself a favor and read through Psalm 45:6-7 today. (That wasn't in the study, my Bible just fell open to that one this morning, and for good reason.)

So step up your life's journey soon, if not TODAY! There is peace to be found and enjoyed.

^6-7 "Your throne is God's throne,
ever and always;
The scepter of your royal rule
measures right living.
You love the right
and hate the wrong.
And that is why God, your very own God,
poured fragrant oil on your head,
Marking you out as king
from among your dear companions." The Message

Life's Rollercoaster

Got to thinking today about the cycle of life; life's roller coaster; swinging door; or however you want to look at it. The perfect order of how things work always seems to amaze me.

It came to mind today as two co-workers were dealing with family things during the afternoon; one with a very ill grandfather who needed his family beside him, and another who was alerted her grandson may be born very soon which would call for family gathering also.

Life's passages. Where one life may end, another does begin. Each instance bearing great emotion, and in both there is great love. There is celebration to beginnings and endings - if we LOOK for it. It's there. God doesn't leave us to deal with joy or grief alone.

It was such a great reminder that every day is a gift, whether it is the first OR possibly the last.