Look At the Season Through the Eyes of a Child

Do you have little children around you? If you want to really see what the spirit of the season reveals, look through the eyes of a child.

Adults often live alone or in a retirement village somewhere. Retirees have their friends to celebrate the holidays with; however, things are often missed, moments of wonder, unless you have a child in your midst.

If you won't be spending the holidays with children in your own family, visit an orphanage, a boy's club, or a homeless shelter. Bring some presents and a snack. Reveal to someone this season the love of Christ through you. People ask for miracles: Be the miracle and watch the eyes of a small child light up. Your life will light up too, and you'll feel your youth all over again.

Who knows; maybe that little act of kindness will become a friendship that will last all year long bringing moments of joy to both your lives.

God bless you,
Donna

Holidays Are Just About Here-Are You Stressed Out?

It's a very busy time-so much to do. I hope that you're not losing out on the joy of life over the stresses of meeting deadlines and "shopping till you drop."

Hi, I've been on a bit of a hiatus since my last post. I got on the proverbial merry-go-round myself and had to stop. Life can get one in a tail spin if you don't watch out.

Are you a perfectionist? I admit that I am. I have to remind myself of what's actually important in life this time of year. If the last decoration doesn't get up, or the Christmas dinner isn't absolutely perfect, or, heaven forbid, Aunt Susie didn't get her gift in time even though you mailed it two weeks ago, learn to stop and relax.

Stop and enjoy a cup of tea with your Santa or Mrs. Claus. Make some cookies with your children-you, too, Dad, even though they'll make a mess and persnickety Uncle Joe and Aunt Mary may stop over.

This is family time. Just be grateful! That's what this whole season is all about; being thankful, grateful for all that we are, all that we have, and for being alive.

Until next time...Love to all.

God bless,
Donna

Keep Moving Forward

Something has gone awry. What ever it was, it shouldn't have happened, you tell yourself. But it did.

The "It" can stop you in your tracks and you can become paralyzed with the moment. Sometimes the "It" paralyzes you for years.

Suggestion: Look whatever "it" is straight on; whether it be a circumstance, a person, a tragedy. If "it" has stolen days, months, or years, confront "it" at the moment it happened; at the age you were at the time. Take that person you were and mentally hold yourself, love yourself, and forgive yourself and whoever or whatever else was involved at the time.

Release so that you can keep moving forward. If you stay in unforgiveness or regret and remorse, it is death to your soul. To have the freedom to feel joy again is to have life. Have life again. Move forward.

Forgive yourself and others. Love yourself, and "Keep Moving Forward."

Love to you,
Donna

The Path with a Heart

Are you following a path with a heart? What is that, you ask? It's the course of life that fulfills you. It's following your passion, or, as one might say, your God-given path.

Thirty-seven years ago my husband and I found a framed saying in an old barn sale. It was the "The Path With A Heart." We have had it hanging in our homes ever since. I would like to share a few lines with you:

"I warn you. Look at every path closely and deliberately. Try it many times as you think necessary. Then ask yourself, and yourself alone, one question. This question is one a very old man asks. My benefactor told me about it once when I was young, and my blood was too vigorous for me to understand it. Now I do understand it. I will tell you what it is: Does this path have a heart?"

I was going over one of my latest blogs, "I Asked God", and I spoke of always knowing that you are in the Potter's hands. I stopped to reflect on that a bit and felt I should add something to that statement for a moment here.

Sometimes we can get off track. We all know the feeling of being in the right place. Yet, because of circumstances, anxiousness, fear, worry, or being enticed like the character Pinocchio, we can veer off-track of our destiny. We have to get into the habit of stopping once in awhile and asking ourselves if what we are doing is involving our life's passion. Each one of us has unique gifts that are given to us. If we do our work using them, life just seems to flow naturally. If, however, we continue to do things contrary to our gifts or neglect to involve those gifts in our work, we find an emptiness within and life is burdensome.

Are you staying in the Potter's hands? If not, you have to make the move to get back in His hands. Trust Him, and have patience. Have the patience to wait for Him to open the doors for the next step in life's journey that He has already prepared for you; steps that are filled with joyful expectation of what will come next; and steps full of inward peace: "The Path With A Heart."


In love & joy,

Donna

"For me there is only the traveling on paths that have a heart, on any path that may have heart. There I travel, and the only worthwhile challenge is to traverse its full length. And, there I travel looking, looking, breathlessly. ---The last lines of "The Path With A Heart." May you have a wondrous journey following your Path With A Heart. God bless

Your Magic Wand

Did you know you had one? We all do. Many just don't realize it. People can go through their whole life and not use it. In fact, they often use it wrongly. What a shame to waste such a gift!

What is it? It's your words. Your words are the most powerful force you have. They can build up or tear down, not only yourself but others, too. They can express fear, worry, and other negative emotions that stop you ...in your tracts unable to go forward.

If you have a mind filled with worry, you can't have a mind filled with faith and courage. They can't occupy the same space. Choose-choose wisely what you say with your mouth and the thoughts that run around in your head. Fear just brings about mental paralysis which will prevent you from taking the steps which can enable you to overcome fear. It becomes a vicious circle that only you can change.

Use your magic wand. Use it for good. Eliminate fear. TRUST your heavenly Father. Let go and let God without question. Learn to live in the mystery of God. It's a wonderful journey if you choose to accept it. Live and speak only love, joy, and faith.

God bless,
Donna

"Father, We Thank Thee"

Wishing you a beautiful Sunday...

“We Thank Thee”
For the flowers that bloom about our feet;
For the song of bird and the hum of bee;
For all things fair we hear and see,
Father in heaven we thank Thee!
For the blue of the stream and the blue of the sky;
For the pleasant shade of branches high;
For the fragrant air and the cooling breeze;
For the beauty of the blooming trees,
Father in heaven we thank Thee!
For the mother-love and father -care,
For brothers strong and sisters fair;
For the love at home and here each day;
For guidance lest we go astray,
Father in heaven we thank Thee!
For this new morning with its light;
For rest and shelter of the night;
For health and food, for love and friends;
For everything His goodness sends,
Father in heaven we Thank Thee! –Ralph Waldo Emerson
Amen

"I Asked God"

How are you today? I was pondering on my post for today and looked over at a little plaque that my aunt had. It reads:

I asked God for all things,

That I might enjoy life.

He gave me life,

That I might enjoy all things.

What a wonderful saying. It reminds us that we have everything we need: We have life. And, no matter what comes our way, the altitude of our attitude and our gratefulness can change even the most dire circumstances.

Look at life with an expectancy for good and an inner joy; a knowing that you are always in the Potter's hands and exactly where you need to be for each and every moment. If you do that, you'll have inner "peace that passes understanding"; you'll have unconditional love and acceptance for all and yourself; and you will "enjoy all things."

God bless you, and have a beautiful day.

In love & joy,

Donna

Take the Time to Love

It is so good to be back. I've missed blogging and sharing "possibilities" with you. I was with my dear, sweet, 94 year old aunt while she was ill, and when she passed on a few weeks later. I will miss her for we were very close. I took off a few weeks to reflect and spend time with the family.

Life takes twists and turns along the road of life. Being with someone who is in their last days on the earth gives one new perspectives on life in general. I was going through her humble possessions and shedding copius tears in remembering many joyous moments together. As I looked up, I saw a little piece of paper on the side of a cabinet that I hadn't noticed being there before. It said "Life goes on." And, it was in her own handwriting. Wow, in that moment I desparately needed that advice from her.

Love those who are around you. Take the time to call or write those who aren't. If there is time for anything, there is time for love. Make time to share a hug; time to listen to a friend; time to smile at someone. Take time today to stop for a moment and just be thankful. Life, no matter how long it is, even 94 years, is still too short. Don't miss out on what's truly important-loving people.

May you have a life that is long, filled with music, laughter, joy, and love.

God bless you,
Donna

The Most Interesting Feature of Worry

Ralph Waldo Trine once said, " The most interesting feature of worry, as well as the most astonishing when we examine carefully into it, is the fact that through it nothing is ever gained, but on the other hand, everything is lost."

What do we lose? We lose time, our physical well-being, mental well-being, and even our looks over worry. Lines appear on our face in the course of consistent worry. Is it worth it, especially when it is a fact that the majority of the things we worry about NEVER happen? What a price we pay!

Trust God, be joyful, have peace that passes understanding, and know that you are in good hands. He won't let you down.

Be happy, Donna

P.S. I am going to have to take a pause in posting for several days to be with my dear aunt who is in the hospital. So, till my next post-LIVE IN JOY!! God bless you.

Look at Obstacles as Stepping Stones

Have you ever had things come up in your life that seemed so overwhelming that you thought, "I just can't handle this"? I know I have.

Something that helped me was to think of the circumstance as flat stepping stones rather than boulders I would trip and fall over. Just as a seeds often struggle to push through hard soil to come up to greet the sun and grow, our struggles can be blessings in disguise to help us grow.

God works in mysterious ways. It's what the Bible tells us; that's just the way it is. If there is a struggle, greet it as a stepping stone to your growth. Know that God is with you, and what is happening is just a way to take you a step further on your path of life. Be assured that He'll carry you through whatever you're facing. Don't give up. Look at life joyfully, have faith, and walk on top of the stepping stones of life, one step at a time.

God loves you,
Donna

Be Undisturbed

God is waiting for you to say,"I am undisturbed by _____. I trust that You will take care of _____, and nothing-not a thing- moves me to be fearful or worry and doubt your eternal care."

That's what God was waiting for the Israelites to say when they first faced the "Land of milk and honey." However, in their eyes, they, also faced "giants" that they felt were too big and scary for them to go up against.

Oh, how things would have changed had they completely trusted God's strong arms to carry them through the perceived danger. He would have, you know. Instead, they were fearful and took themselves out of God's arms. The rest of the story we all know.

Don't deprive yourself of your land flowing with milk and honey. Trust and believe God. Nothing is impossible for Him. Jesus told us that. Be undisturbed by your circumstances: Let go and let God.

In love and joy,
Donna

The Golden Rule

Jesus wrote of the Golden Rule. Yes, it can be found at Matthew 7:12: "Therefore, however you want people to treat you, so treat them, for this is the law." It's so simple, yet so apropos for these days of turmoil.

There is a poem, What We Learned in Kindergarten. They were all those simple little rules to live by that we were taught that could carry us through our whole life, most of which told us to just be nice to one another.

Here's a little poem on this thought:

"If you'd help the world a bit,
Do as you'd be done by:
If you'd help to brighten it,
Do as you'd be done by;
If you have a blessing, let
Someone share it; don't forget,
Selfishness will bring regret;--
Do as you'd be done by.

So, simply do unto others as you'd have them do unto you. The Golden Rule is summed up in just one little word-Love.

In love-God bless you,
Donna

God's Got Strong Arms

There's a scripture in Deut. 33:27 which reads, "The Eternal God is thy refuge, and underneath are the everlasting arms. and he will thrust out the enemy from before thee; and shall say, Destroy them.""

The arm of God symbolizes protection for us. The scriptural words used was one way to help us to visualize His power. God's arm, also, symbolizes strength. If you can just realize that God reaches out to you to hold you up under all circumstances, you could then relax, let go, and let God. It's the ability to be like King Jehosophat.

The king and his kingdom knew great armies were coming against them, and so he prayed to God for direction. Jehosophat told God they felt powerless before the great multitude but that their "eyes were on Him." As they stood looking out over the approaching armies, God's Spirit through a prophet said, "Stand and watch the salvation of the Lord on your behalf. Do not fear or be dismayed for the Lord is with you!"

God literally took over. The enemies were defeated miraculously while the king's people gave thanks for God's lovingkindness and sang praises. Afterward, King Jehosophat sent his men down to collect the spoils. It is an amazing story that can be found at 2 Chronicles 20:12-25.

Can we stand back in faith and trust allowing God to work in our lives? Believe in God's power and be miracle minded. Ask for direction believing, and God's arms will lift and carry you through your problems to victory.

In love and joy,
Donna

Faith is Expectancy

I've posted on faith and Hebrews 11:1: "Faith is the assured expectation of things hoped for though the evidence is unseen." Faith is expectancy of things hoped for without seeing the outcome.

Matthew 9:29 says, "According to your faith be it unto you." Another way to say this is : According to your expectancies be it done unto you. So, what are you expecting?

Are you expecting the worst consciously or even unconsciously? Are you one who says things like, "I don't know, it certainly looks bad."

Change your expectancies! Instead of expecting loss, failure, or lack, expect good, happiness, and abundance. God can make a way when there is no way. That's believing and having trust in your Heavenly Father. Get excited. God acts through our joy which is our strength. He sympathizes in our tears, but it's our joy and unwavering faith that, Jesus says, moves mountains!

More tomorrow...Until then, be miracle minded.

In love and joy,
Donna

Don't Reason Too Much

People have a way of reasoning away their blessings. The reasoning mind and will often causes a short circuit in the path of receiving blessings. Most are filled with fear when there is nothing visible to hang on to.

Simply pray, believe, and TRUST. The trusting is the hard part that most people fail to do.

Remember: You needn't worry having God to back you up. Just trust Him

God bless you,
Donna

The Lord Is My Shepard-cont'd

Yesterday's post was regarding, "The Lord is my Shepard, I shall not want," from the 23rd Psalms. When you get into the mindset that the Lord is really your Shepard, you will come to the full realization that your supply will be met.

Say that scripture to yourself and truly mean it. Say it several times a day. Feel the words. Don't let old Mr. Doubt creep into one thought you have.

When there is a need, is your first thought that of worry and fear? Or, is it complete trust that "I shall not want"? Put your faith thought out there first, not last. God never changes. He never lies. It all depends on our faith and trust that He is our Father, we are His children, and His love never fails. So don't allow Mr. Doubt into your life. Only you can stop him, and kick him out for good.

God bless you-Live in joy and prosperity,
Donna

Psalms 23:1, "The Lord Is My Shepard, I Shall Not Want."

I love the 23rd Psalms. More people have gotten comfort from this passage. There have been some people, however, that have been taught that the above scripture at Psalms 23:1, means that should not desire anything materially.

Upon hearing this, I had to post regarding this scripture. I have said before that I am passionate about word origins. And, when it says " I shall not want," want definitely means "lack," and we can substitute that word in the scripture and say, "I shall not lack."

Our Infinite Father wants us to live in prosperity or wholeness: Wholeness spiritually, physically, and materially. He said He would give us the desires of our heart. Humans were made to have the desires of their heart,made to dream, and to have dreams fulfilled. It's what makes life full and exciting. And, the word "shall" means absolutely or definitely without any doubt whatsoever.

Open up to the abundance of this life that is yours by divine right. Know that God loves you...
More tomorrow...

Till then, have a beautiful evening,
Donna

Earth Month

This post is dedicated to Earth Month and the upcoming Earth Day, April 22nd. I can't help but bring attention to this event. In order to truly Live in Joy on this beautiful planet we all call home, our home has to be the best we can possibly help to make it.

The scripture in Genesis 2:14, says."Then the Lord God took the man and put him in the Garden of Eden to cultivate and keep it."

That word "keep" is a very special word. It means to care for something so gently and so completely. It means to make sure that no harm comes to it, to cherish it. That was the command that God gave to man. That was man's responsibility, our responsibility.

Let's all take notice of the things that are happening to our "home" which is the only one we have, and do what we can to "keep it." What we do to the earth, we do to ourselves. By making sure we do our part, we will not only live in joy here, but we will give our children, grandchildren, and future generations to come a beautiful, safe, healthy world in which to live and enjoy life as we have had the priviledge of doing.

Here are some links to help you to Live Green in order to take care of our home:
www.fuelnews.net -Where you can get Solar Energy with NO System or maintenance cost! Adopting solar just makes sense! It's clean and always accessible.
www.skudabeck.myfti.biz - Where you can get an easy way to save up to 25% or more on your electric bills and reduce the hazardous EMF's in your home at the same time.
www.yourlifeandhome.wordpress.com - A blog to inform of the developments in environmental issues, more links, and tips.
emailto: adoptsolar@gmail.com - Contact us if you have any questions or comments. We'd love to hear from you.

We can stop Global Warming and keep the earth beautiful; however, we can only make a difference by working together and making changes NOW.

God bless you,
Donna

Count the Day Well Spent

If we sit down at set of sun
And count the things that we have done,
And after counting find
One self-denying act, one word
That eased the heart of him who heard,
One glance most kind,
That fell like sunshine where it went,
Then we may count the day well spent.

In a world such as what we have seen in the last week, give a kind word or deed to someone least expecting it so as to spread a glimmer of hope to them. Thousands of glimmers make a beam of light. Let's bring love, hope, faith back into the lives of those who so desparately need it.

In love & joy,
Donna

Inspiration

In these days of such tragedy such as we have seen at Virginia Tech, we have to build one another up, embrace one another, and send love to every person we meet. Love is stronger than hate, and love will triumph in the end. Here's a little thought for the day.

Inspiration

If I could climb to heavenly heights,
And beg one gift from the white-winged choir
I would not ask a greater boon
Than the power to inspire,
To lift by timely words and acts
The weak from day to day,
To point them to a higher life
To brighten all their way.

Inspire and life one another up. Let everyone see God in you.

God be with you,
Donna