A Holiday to Remember | Chevrolet

https://youtu.be/QgWcWEKrcVc?si=3XsGoTDM68h5_aE_

Happiness

 

I think that happiness, unlike sadness is often overlooked in our discontented minds. I remember when I was little that finding a penny and stopping by the store for a penny’s worth of candy was happiness to me. It lasted as long as the candy did but I was left with a sweet memory. We find the same happiness today when we buy a pair of two hundred dollar pair shoes, or in my case a piece of junk that would be perfect in my house. The happiness probably lasts about as long as it took to devour that piece of penny candy. And then we are looking for something else to bring us happiness. Mama found great happiness in little things, just as the other old people did, a flower blooming, working on a quilt or the first ripe tomato in her garden. Pap loved to make a good gnat smoke and he would sit in a cane bottom chair all rared back, his wrinkled old hands folded in front of him and enjoyed the fruits of his labor, a chaw of baccer in his mouth.

Granny sometimes smoked a little corn cob pipe that someone gave her. She would sit in front of the fireplace or on the front porch and enjoy a few minutes of peace and happiness. It showed in every line of her face. She had suffered greatly in her lifetime but she still searched and found happiness.

My dad found laughter and happiness In telling stories, usually ones that pointed to him as the villain and he was good at laughing at himself. We used to smile when we would see him sitting around thinking and then he would laugh to himself and tell us something he had just thought about. His happiness was simply finding laughter in the sad world that was his.

I think I find happiness in simplicity…a child’s laughter, a good book, a sky full of stars, rain beating on the window panes and I still find happiness in a piece of candy that reminds me of yesterday. Or a great cup of coffee! With tThanksgiving nearly on us I hope you will think on what makes you happy.

Source: Facebook - Journey of a Mountain Woman

Friends - Music Video / Extended Intro RIP Matthew Perry

I looked up the word ‘yellow’ the other day. 

I found so many shades of yellow that they had been distinguished by words like 

gold

honey

daffodil.

I found words like fire and sand and champagne and lemon and sunbeam and I even found a song.

Now imagine someone telling yellow that it’s ‘just yellow’.

When yellow is a sunbeam and a daffodil and fire.

When yellow is a song.

Without yellow, we couldn’t make orange and we couldn’t create green and our world would be far less colourful because of it.

Yellow’s true colours are not limited to one thing.

And neither are yours.

Some days you are dark and fiery and intense.

Some days you are rich and bright and vibrant.

Some days you are buttercups and dandelions and some days you are champagne and a song.

And without you, someone’s life would be far less bright and far less beautiful. 

You are you as 

yellow is yellow.

And the world needs you.

Because, no matter what you think, you are not ‘just you’.

You are so much more.

💛💛💛

Source: Facebook - Becky Hemsley 2023

Image from Canva

'True Colours' is from 'Letters from Life' 

Neil Young - Harvest Moon [Official Music Video]

The Stanley Brothers - Angel Band

Some things I've learned.

Here’s the truth:

You can be a really good friend, and still not be liked. You can hold someone dear and still not be valued. You can say all the right things, and still have someone twist your words, brush off your words, or worse—use your words against you. You can give it your absolute best, and still have it not work out.

You can be straight-up sunshine in the flesh, and still walk into some heavy rain clouds. You can play your heart out, and still lose the game. You can place the highest bid, and still walk away empty-handed.

You can be pure as humanly possible, and still be painted as the bad guy.

After years of work, these are some things I’ve learned:

1. You can’t control other people. Not even in the slightest, and it is a complete waste to ever assume you can. It will make you angry, and exhausted, and chasing something you don’t have a chance to catch, so switch gears and control you. Control your mouth. Control how you treat people. Control your attitude. Guard your heart, and keep it genuine. Keep showing up, and let that be enough.

2. Other people aren’t you. They don’t think like you, or feel like you. Their experiences belong to them alone. They approach situations differently, and their outlook is nothing like yours. Don’t expect them to handle things exactly like you do. They aren’t you. They’re them. Do your best to love them for it.

3. Some people are never going to like you, and there isn’t necessarily and a rhyme or reason. Your life will improve significantly as soon as you learn this.

4. Sometimes you’re actually the bad guy. Sometimes you’re the one acting foolish. Sometimes you’re the one with the toxic trait or two. Check your own heart. Clean out the junk, and grow from it. Apologize, and now that you’ve learned—take that wisdom, do better next time, stay humble, and give others an awful lot of grace along the way.

5. There is a purpose to it all. There is beauty everywhere. That failed friendship will teach you how to do the next one better. That heartache will remind you to be gentle with other people. That loneliness will help you appreciate connection when you do find it—and you will find it. Not every season lasts forever, but every season does produce something precious eventually, even if it’s just a fresh perspective.

So sleep well, my dear friend.

Life is a long series of letting some things go and holding others close—a catch and release sort of cycle. Let go of needing approval. Let go of bitterness, and resentment, and any of that junk. Let go of insecurity. Let go of guilt. It will keep you shackled like nothing else.

Hold close to your family and the people in your life who have stuck around. Hold close to your morals and your integrity. Hold close to your light and your joy and your hope. Hold close to today. Believe in tomorrow. Hold closest to love. At the end of the day, it’s all that really matters, and as long as you have it—you have more than enough.

Source: Facebook - Sister I am with you

THE EMPTY NEST

THE EMPTY NEST

My nest is as it should be now, empty.

Tidy, ordered, calm.

My babies have grown, beautifully, and flown.

Just the way I taught them to.

And my heart is full of pride, and love, still so full of love.

But oh there is an ache there, a throb, a pang.

I have given of myself in a way that only a mother can.

So consuming is that gift,

there is scarce room for much else to thrive.

So what now?

My empty nest feels hollow,

the echo of my own breath rings in my ears.

My worries have not flown with the fledglings,

they linger still,

but now without the comfort of a slumbering head on a pillow up-stairs.

My imagination tells the tales I don’t want to see,

and my spare time,

once so coveted,

is now my enemy.

My nest is as it should be now, empty.

But I will not be empty little one.

I will fly, just like you, find my new place in this story.

Play music, bring friends, make noise and laughter and fill the house with life,

so that when you come home, you see nothing to worry about here, for that will clip your beautiful little wings.

And you will remember how nurturing your nest once was.

And you will crave the feeling of it, just once in a while.

This nest will never close and nor will I let it lose its love.

Fly, my loves, fly.

Just remember the way back home.

Donna Ashworth from her book ‘LIFE

Source: Facebook - Donna Ashworth

Journey of a Mountain Woman

There are times when i cant find words to pray...like when my husband was dying and when i thought i was as well...but He knows my heart and He wraps His arms around me...i go outside in the early morning and listen to the songs of the birds and i wonder if they are sending up their own little prayers in the words of their songs...fanciful thoughts but who knows? And i can feel His arms wrapped around me. In the quiet of the night i try to pray but no words come to my lips but He knows my heart. His arms are wrapped around me. Sometimes i just walk softly and whisper His name...but He knows...He knows my heart just as He knows the songs of the birds and knows they sing for Him.

Source: Facebook - Journey of a mountain woman

Appalachian Trail

Official.

On September 16th. 2023 kristian Morgan finished his southbound run on the Appalachian trail covering 2200 miles of mountainous terrain in 45 days 4 hours and 27 minutes creating a new world record. Last year he was 2nd fastest northbound making him the only person in the world to complete the Appalachian Trail north and south in less than 90 days. An accomplishment that has never, and may never be repeated.

He was supported by sharon mullan and David Martin (trail names, gunsection and Iceman)

The Appalachian National Scenic Trail is the longest hiking-only footpath in the world, measuring 2,198.4 miles in length. The Trail travels through fourteen states along the crests and valleys of the Appalachian Mountain Range, from its southern terminus at Springer Mountain, Georgia, to the northern terminus at Katahdin, Maine.

Known as the “A.T.”, more than 3 million people visit the Trail every year and over 3,000 people attempt to “thru-hike” the entire footpath in a single year. People from across the globe are drawn to the A.T. for a variety of reasons, such as reconnecting with nature, escaping the stress of city life, meeting new people or deepening old friendships, or experiencing a simpler life.

Completed in 1937, the A.T. is a unit of the National Park System. It is managed under a unique partnership between the public and private sectors led by the Appalachian Trail Conservancy.

Fun Facts

The Trail is 2,198.4 miles long, passing through 14 states. This distance typically changes slightly each year due to footpath relocations and more precise measurement techniques.

It takes roughly 5 million steps to hike the entire A.T. — whether that is over a series of section hikes or one “thru-hike” in a single year.

Thousands of volunteers contribute roughly 240,000 hours to the A.T. every year.

More than 250 three-sided shelters exist along the Trail.

Virginia is home to the most miles of the Trail (about 550), while West Virginia is home to the least (about 4).

The total elevation gain of hiking the entire A.T. is equivalent to climbing Mt. Everest 16 times.

Source: Facebook - Boomerstillblooming

Dear Daughter

 

Source: Facebook - Donna Ashworth

Never depend on anyone...

One Drop Of Water - Ralph Stanley & The Clinch Mtn. Boys

The Association - Cherish (1966)(Stereo)

Terry Kirkman, a singer-songwriter whose tender vocals, intricate wordplay and expansive musicianship helped make his band the Association one of the biggest, most eclectic folk rock groups of the late 1960s, with hits that ranged from the chart-topping ballad “Cherish” to the antiwar song “Requiem for the Masses,” died Sept. 23 at his home in Montclair, Calif. He was 83.

The cause was congestive heart failure, said his wife, Heidi Berinstein Kirkman.

A versatile musician who played more than two-dozen instruments (tuba, sousaphone, recorder, sax), Mr. Kirkman was a founding member of the Association, a sunny Southern California band that got together in 1965, at the height of the folk music revival, and won over millions of listeners with their dreamy arrangements and sensuous, Beach Boys-esque harmonies.

Mr. Kirkman wrote and sang lead on the group’s first No. 1, “Cherish” (1966), which became a staple of wedding-reception slow dances. He had another Top 10 hit with his love song “Everything That Touches You” (1968), and shared lead vocals with guitarist Larry Ramos on “Never My Love” (1967), a laid-back pop tune by songwriters Don and Dick Addrisi, which went to No. 2 and was covered by the 5th Dimension.

"Moon Dancer" by Cherokee flute player Mark Hicks

Admit it.

 

Admit it. You aren’t like them. You’re not even close. You may occasionally dress yourself up as one of them, watch the same mindless television shows as they do, maybe even eat the same fast food sometimes. But it seems that the more you try to fit in, the more you feel like an outsider, watching the “normal people” as they go about their automatic existences. For every time you say club passwords like “Have a nice day” and “Weather’s awful today, eh?”, you yearn inside to say forbidden things like “Tell me something that makes you cry” or “What do you think deja vu is for?”

Face it, you even want to talk to that girl in the elevator. But what if that girl in the elevator (and the balding man who walks past your cubicle at work) are thinking the same thing? Who knows what you might learn from taking a chance on conversation with a stranger? Everyone carries a piece of the puzzle. Nobody comes into your life by mere coincidence. Trust your instincts. Do the unexpected. Find the others. 

~Timothy Leary

Source: Facebook - Philo Thoughts

Desiderata

Go placidly amid the noise and the haste, and remember what peace there may be in silence. As far as possible, without surrender, be on good terms with all persons.

Speak your truth quietly and clearly; and listen to others, even to the dull and the ignorant; they too have their story.

Avoid loud and aggressive persons; they are vexatious to the spirit. If you compare yourself with others, you may become vain or bitter, for always there will be greater and lesser persons than yourself.

Enjoy your achievements as well as your plans. Keep interested in your own career, however humble; it is a real possession in the changing fortunes of time.

Exercise caution in your business affairs, for the world is full of trickery. But let this not blind you to what virtue there is; many persons strive for high ideals, and everywhere life is full of heroism.

Be yourself. Especially do not feign affection. Neither be cynical about love; for in the face of all aridity and disenchantment, it is as perennial as the grass.

Take kindly the counsel of the years, gracefully surrendering the things of youth.

Nurture strength of spirit to shield you in sudden misfortune. But do not distress yourself with dark imaginings. Many fears are born of fatigue and loneliness.

Beyond a wholesome discipline, be gentle with yourself. You are a child of the universe no less than the trees and the stars; you have a right to be here.

And whether or not it is clear to you, no doubt the universe is unfolding as it should. Therefore be at peace with God, whatever you conceive Him to be. And whatever your labors and aspirations, in the noisy confusion of life, keep peace in your soul. With all its sham, drudgery and broken dreams, it is still a beautiful world. Be cheerful. Strive to be happy.

by Max Ehrmann ©1927

The Road Not Taken

The Road Not Taken

Two roads diverged in a yellow wood,

And sorry I could not travel both

And be one traveler, long I stood

And looked down one as far as I could

To where it bent in the undergrowth;

Then took the other, as just as fair,

And having perhaps the better claim,

Because it was grassy and wanted wear;

Though as for that the passing there

Had worn them really about the same,

And both that morning equally lay

In leaves no step had trodden black.

Oh, I kept the first for another day!

Yet knowing how way leads on to way,

I doubted if I should ever come back.

I shall be telling this with a sigh

Somewhere ages and ages hence:

Two roads diverged in a wood, and I—

I took the one less traveled by,

And that has made all the difference.

~ Robert Frost

Mountain Interval

Metallica: Nothing Else Matters (Official Music Video)

Draft saved 9/4/23 8:46pm

David Gilmour Blues Rock Jam

Raw, beautiful talent!!

This one will hit you in your core.

“Jim” preaches at a church in the slums of New York.  He tells the following story:  

It was Easter Sunday, and I was so tired at the end of the day that I just went to the edge of the platform, pulled down my tie and sat down and draped my feet over the edge. It was a wonderful service with many people coming forward. The counselors were talking with these people.

As I was sitting there, I looked up the middle aisle, and there in about the third row was a man who looked about fifty, disheveled, filthy. He looked up at me rather sheepishly, as if saying, “Could I talk to you?” We have homeless people coming in all the time, asking for money or whatever. So, as I sat there, I said to myself, though I am ashamed of it, “What a way to end a Sunday. I’ve had such a good time, preaching and ministering, and here’s a fellow probably wanting some money for more wine.”

He walked up. When he got within about five feet of me, I smelled a horrible smell like I’d never smelled in my life. It was so awful that when he got close, I would inhale by looking away, and then I’d talk to him, and then look away to inhale, because I couldn’t inhale facing him.

I asked him, “What’s your name?” “David.” “How long have you been on the street?” “Six years.” “How old are you?” “Thirty-two.” He looked fifty—hair matted, front teeth missing, wino, eyes slightly glazed. “Where did you sleep last night, David?” “Abandoned truck.”

I keep in my back pocket a money clip that also holds some credit cards. I fumbled to pick one out thinking, I’ll give him some money. 

I won’t even get a volunteer. They are all busy talking with others. Usually we don’t give money to people; we take them to get something to eat. I took the money out. David pushed his finger in front of me. He said, “I don’t want your money. I want this Jesus, the One you were talking about, because I’m not going to make it. 

I’m going to die on the street.”

I completely forgot about David, and I started to weep for myself. I was going to give a couple of dollars to someone God had sent to me. See how easy it is? I could make the excuse I was tired. There is no excuse. I was not seeing him the way God sees him. I was not feeling what God feels.

But oh, did that change! David just stood there. He didn’t know what was happening. I pleaded with God, “God, forgive me! Forgive me! Please forgive me. I am so sorry to represent You this way. I’m so sorry. Here I am with my message and my points, and You send somebody and I am not ready for it. Oh, God!”

Something came over me. Suddenly I started to weep deeper, and David began to weep. He fell against my chest as I was sitting there. He fell against my white shirt and tie, and I put my arms around him, and there we wept on each other. The smell of his person became a beautiful aroma. Here is what I thought the Lord made real to me: If you don’t love this smell, I can’t use you, because this is why I called you where you are. This is what you are about. You are about this smell.

Christ changed David’s life. He started memorizing portions of Scripture that were incredible. We got him a place to live. We hired him in the church to do maintenance, and we got his teeth fixed. 

He was a handsome man when he came out of the hospital. They detoxed him in 6 days.

He spent that Thanksgiving at my house. He also spent Christmas at my house. When we were exchanging presents, he pulled out a little thing, and he said, “This is for you.” It was a little white hanky. It was the only thing he could afford.

A year later, David got up and talked about his conversion to Christ. The minute he took the mic and began to speak, I said, “The man is a preacher.” This past Easter, we ordained David. He is an associate minister of a church over in New Jersey.

And I was so close to saying, “Here, take this; I’m a busy preacher.” We can get so full of ourselves.

Lord, thank you for sending others our way.  May we never stop seeing them as Your precious children no matter how busy or tired we become.  Amen…

Source: Facebook - Grit & Grace

I miss them...

Those old love letters are faded now and the 'I love you's are all said and done. The house is lonely for no more snoring in my ear...lord I'd love to hear it just one more time. I drink my coffee alone and I stand alone as time wraps it's arms around me. I miss my littles who picked flowers and weeds to bring to me and while I was holding my hands out they grew up and flew away. I miss working and my friends but like me they are alone and some have left us. I miss working together with my husband and sometimes just sitting together. I miss calling my mama and hearing her say she didn't go to bed til midnight knowing that she fell asleep at eight on the couch. I miss her worrying over me like I was a little child. I was still her 'baby'.I miss my dad drinking coffee and saucering it and telling me some big story. He told them well. I miss my sense of peace in the old days, the little churches that I loved, the old ladies in their feedsack dresses. I miss granny and her old hands brushing my hair so tenderly. I miss them all. I miss those days gone by with the swiftness of a sure footed gazelle, leaving me with a lonely heart full of memories.

~ Written by: Shirley Noe Swiesz 

Source: Facebook - Journey of a mountain woman

The whole world paused this morning.

The whole world paused this morning. 

Do you know why? Because an 8 year old’s tank was empty. 

The boys had already started their school day at their desks and I was preparing to leave for work when I noticed my littlest standing in the bathroom wiping his face. 

I paused at the door and asked if he was okay. He looked up with tears silently dripping and shook his head. When I questioned if something happened, again he shook his head. 

So I sat on the side of the tub and pulled him in my lap. I told him sometimes our heart tanks feel empty and need to be refilled. 

He cried into my chest and I held tight. 

I asked if he could feel my love filling him up? 

A nod, and tears stopped... 

I waited a minute... 

‘Has it reached your toes yet?’ 

He shook his head no... 

‘Okay man. We will take as long as you need. Work doesn’t matter right now. School isn’t important either. This right here, is the most important thing today, okay? Filling you back to the top. Is that good?’

*nods* 

One more minute... 

‘Is your heart full of mamas love now?’

‘Yeah...’

*looks in his eyes* I see it shining in there, you’re full to the top, and you’re smiling! 

Y’all. You may not be 8- you may be 28, 38, 48 or whatever- but ALL of us run on empty just like he did. His weekend was so busy and so full and his little soul was just dry!!! 

We all have to pause, and take a moment to refill with the good things. Scripture, prayer, sunshine, worship, song, laughter, friends, hugs. Refill your empty, or you’ll find those emotions (tears, anger, snappy words) overflowing with no reason why. 

Take a moment. Refill. It’s the most important part of your day! 

Source: Facebook - Misty Starr Whittington Robertson

 

The way people view you.

The way people view you.

Sometimes I think about the different characters I play in everybody’s story.

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I’m a terrible person in some people's narratives and a Godsend in others. 

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And none of it has anything to do with the person I truly am. 

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The lens that others view you through is coloured by their upbringing, beliefs, and individual experiences.

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Some people see your bright personality as endearing and others see it as annoying.

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Some people think you’re weak and emotional and others feel safe to be themselves around you.

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Some people think you’re rude and selfish and others respect the way you stand up for yourself.

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Some people admire the way you take pride in the way you look and others think you’re conceited.

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And none of it has to do with who you truly are as a person. 

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What you have to understand is that you have no authority over how people view you so never try to control the way others see you because the only thing that truly matters when the dust settles down at the end of the day is what you genuinely see in yourself. 

 ~ Cody Bret

Source: Facebook - Grit & Grace

What if

WHAT IF?

What if you’re never ready?
What if, this is as close to being ready that you’ll ever actually be?
What if, the biggest regret you have when you look back on your life, is that you wasted time waiting, waiting to be better, when you were already so very much enough?
What if, the last thought you have when your life comes to an end, is that you didn’t do enough living whilst you were alive?
My friend, this is it.
This is your life, right here, right now.
And let me tell you something, somebody somewhere went to sleep last night assuming tomorrow would be a new day.
And it wasn’t.
Today is the day.
Every day is the day.
Life waits for no one.
Seize the moment, seize the day.
Dance like nobody’s watching.
Watch the sunset.
Eat the delicious cake.
Put your bare feet on the cool grass.
Be alive.

Be ALIVE.

Put your hand on your chest and feel that heartbeat pulsing through your body.
That’s all you need to be ready.
That is truly all the purpose you ever really need.
You, my friend, are alive.
So live.

Donna Ashworth

From ‘To The Women: words to live by’ by Donna Ashworth
Art: Demelsa Haughton Illustration

The wrong person.

The wrong person. 

Most of us throughout the years have experienced an abusive and narcissistic relationship at some point in time. 

The fighting. The pain.

The screaming. The threats.

The guiltripping. The gaslighting.

The manipulations. The emotional abuse. 

The trauma. The affairs and let's not forget the physical abuse.

You called it love at one time, but the person you were in a relationship with made you believe you’re being delusional. 

They convinced you into thinking you were the problem and that it was your fault why the relationship failed.

Then you begged for them to stay.

You would sit around and text them over and over and call them multiple times on end, but they never would respond.

You unfortunately had to throw away your dignity because you’d rather lose yourself than lose someone you thought you loved.

You cried countless nights while trying to fall asleep, but there’s nothing else you could do to change what happened.

You were emotionally damaged and they could have cared less. 

I know how it felt because I’ve been there as well.

What you need to realize is that this pain you're experiencing in not permanent. 

You never did anything wrong for wanting to be treated right. 

The fact of the matter is, they were not meant for you. 

Don’t blame yourself for loving deeper than the pain they unfortunately gave you.

You have a beautiful soul and you're worth more than you could ever imagine and that will never change even after everything you’ve been through.

Take my advice and remember... if you're giving your all to someone and it's not enough, you're giving it to the wrong person. 

~ Cody Bret

Facebook - Cody Bret

To be silent the whole day, see no newspaper, hear no radio, listen to no gossip, be thoroughly and completely lazy, thoroughly and completely indifferent to the fate of the world is the finest medicine a man can give himself. 

~Henry Miller

Book: The Colossus of Maroussi
Art: 'Distant Thunder', 1961 by Andrew Wyeth
Source: Facebook - Philo Thoughts

A Southern Gospel Revival - Jamie Wilson - Ain't No Grave

The House by the Sea

Yesterday I had a letter from a young woman who is living alone, a film maker of some reputation. She wants to do a film on people who live alone, and will come next week to talk about her plans. I gather she has some doubts about the solitary life. I told her that I feel it is not for the young (she is only thirty-three). I did not begin to live alone till I was forty-five, and had “lived” in the sense of passionate friendships and love affairs very richly for twenty-five years. I had a huge amount of life to think about and to digest, and, above all, I was a person by then and knew what I wanted of my life. The people we love are built into us. Every day I am suddenly aware of something someone taught me long ago — or just yesterday — of some certainty and self-awareness that grew out of conflict with someone I loved enough to try to encompass, however painful that effort may have been. 

~May Sarton

The House by the Sea
Art: Photograph by Andreas Feininger
Source: Facebook - Philo Thoughts

Eli's Coming (1975) - Three Dog Night

Shambala (1975) - Three Dog Night

Let Them

for my divine counterpart…

it’s never been pride

that has me always

“walking merrily on my way”

it’s always been about love

one day you will see ~ Jill Riley / Within Me on Facebook

“ Let Them”

“Just Let them.

If they want to choose something or someone over you, LET THEM.

If they want to go weeks without talking to you, LET THEM.

If they are okay with never seeing you, LET THEM.

If they are okay with always putting themselves first, LET THEM.

If they are showing you who they are and not what you perceived them to be, LET THEM.

If they want to follow the crowd, LET THEM.

If they want to judge or misunderstand you, LET THEM.

If they act like they can live without you, LET THEM.

If they want to walk out of your life and leave,

hold the door open, AND LET THEM.

Let them lose you.

You were never theirs, because you were always your own.

So let them.

Let them show you who they truly are, not tell you.

Let them prove how worthy they are of your time.

Let them make the necessary steps to be a part of your life.

Let them earn your forgiveness.

Let them call you to talk about ordinary things.

Let them take you out on a Thursday.

Let them talk about anything and everything just because it’s you they are talking to.

Let them have a safe place in you.

Let them see the heart in you that didn’t harden.

Let them love you. “

Author: Cassie Phillips

Metallica: Nothing Else Matters (Official Music Video)

The seeker said to Life

 

The seeker said to Life,

"How do I overcome shame about where I presently am in life?"

And Life replied,

"Your present circumstances do not define you

For the most successful people

Have once failed,

The most accomplished people

Have once struggled,

And the most rich people

Have once been penniless,

As life is a perpetual cycle of highs and lows, ups and downs, and temporary wins and losses

And so, you need not mistake a difficult period

For how your life is always going to be

For if you are presently struggling,

You will find strength.

If you are presently hurting,

You will find healing.

If you are presently confused

You will find clarity.

And if you are presently stuck,

You will find a path forward,

As where you currently are in life

Will differ from where you are in the future.

And in the meantime,

You may play the cards you have been dealt by life to the best of your ability,

For you don't have to wait until you are where you want to be in life to start appreciating and enjoying your life,

And you get to have the greatest life experience you are capable of creating."

Words by Tahlia Hunter / Facebook

Artwork by Claudia Tremblay

Mark Knopfler & Emmylou Harris - Our Shangri-La (Real Live Roadrunning ...

A Southern Gospel Revival: Courtney Patton - Take Your Shoes Off Moses

His name is Tom. He has wild hair, wears a T-shirt with holes in it, jeans and flip flops. This was literally his wardrobe for his four years of high school. He is brilliant. Kinda odd in his worldview and perspective, but he is very, very bright.

He became a Christian during his junior year of high school when a fellow student shared her faith with him.

Across the street from the high school campus is a modern, conservative and active church. They work hard to develop ministries to the students, but that process is constantly changing and a challenge.

One Sunday Tom decides to go visit the church. He walks in with no shoes, jeans, his T-shirt and wild hair. The service has just started so Tom starts down an aisle looking for a seat. The church is pretty full, and Tom doesn't want to invade anyone's territory. As he makes his way up the aisle, people are looking a bit uncomfortable, but no one says anything. Tom gets closer and closer to the front, and rather than bother anyone he just squats down on the carpet in front of the first row of chairs and makes himself comfortable.

Because this is so out of the norm, people who see Tom sitting up front on the floor become uncomfortable. About the time Tom gets settled in, the Pastor realizes that one of the Deacons who is sitting toward the back of the auditorium has gotten up from his seat and is making his way toward the front, and specifically toward Tom. He's a godly man, very dignified and respected, wearing a suit and tie as he walks with his cane, his silver hair neatly combed and his Bible under his arm. You can't blame him for what he is about to do. How can you expect a man of his age and of his background to understand some barefoot teenage kid with long hair, blue jeans and a T-shirt who has walked in and thinks it is somehow acceptable to just sit on the floor in front of everyone?

It takes what seems like a long time for the Deacon to reach the front where Tom is seated. The church is completely silent except for the whispers in the congregation. All eyes are focused on the front. Everyone is glad this one senior adult Deacon has taken matters into his own hands. Even the Pastor is frozen in the moment with mixed emotions and thoughts running through his mind and heart.

Then suddenly God showed up. When this elderly Deacon gets to where Tom is seated, he every slowly and carefully kneels down beside Tom, then lays his cane and his Bible on the floor and sits down - to worship beside Tom so he won't be sitting alone. Everyone chokes up with emotion. The Deacon doesn't say a word, he just gently reaches out his hand to shake Tom’s. In that moment, although nothing is said, much is communicated.

When the Pastor is able to speak, he simply says, "What I am about to preach, you will never remember. What you have just seen, you will never forget."

Source: Facebook - I bet you haven't seen this before

A Pirate Looks At Forty

Come Monday - RIP Jimmy Buffett

RIP Jimmy Buffett 

December 25, 1946 - September 1, 2023

“If you do decide to wander, please leave a tiny bit of room in your heart for me. For if I live in your hearts, I really have not died”

Jimmy Buffett “A Salty Piece of Land”

   

Robert Frost ~ The Road Not Taken

The Road Not Taken

Two roads diverged in a yellow wood,

And sorry I could not travel both

And be one traveler, long I stood

And looked down one as far as I could

To where it bent in the undergrowth;

Then took the other, as just as fair,

And having perhaps the better claim,

Because it was grassy and wanted wear;

Though as for that the passing there

Had worn them really about the same,

And both that morning equally lay

In leaves no step had trodden black.

Oh, I kept the first for another day!

Yet knowing how way leads on to way,

I doubted if I should ever come back.

I shall be telling this with a sigh

Somewhere ages and ages hence:

Two roads diverged in a wood, and I—

I took the one less traveled by,

And that has made all the difference.”

Robert Frost

Source: Face Book - English Literature

Beth & Joe - I'd Rather Go Blind - Live in Amsterdam

Christmas Eve 1942

It was Christmas Eve 1942. I was fifteen years old and feeling like the world had caved in on me because there just hadn't been enough money to buy me the rifle that I'd wanted for Christmas.

We did the chores early that night for some reason. I just figured Daddy wanted a little extra time so we could read in the Bible. After supper was over I took my boots off and stretched out in front of the fireplace and waited for Daddy to get down the old Bible.

I was still feeling sorry for myself and, to be honest, I wasn't in much of a mood to read Scriptures. But Daddy didn't get the Bible instead he bundled up again and went outside. I couldn't figure it out because we had already done all the chores. I didn't worry about it long though I was too busy wallowing in self-pity.

Soon he came back in. It was a cold clear night out and there was ice in his beard. "Come on, Matt," he said. "Bundle up good, it's cold out tonight." I was really upset then. Not only wasn't I getting the rifle for Christmas, now he was dragging me out in the cold, and for no earthly reason that I could see. We'd already done all the chores, and I couldn't think of anything else that needed doing, especially not on a night like this. But I knew he was not very patient at one dragging one's feet when he'd told them to do something, so I got up and put my boots back on and got my coat. Mommy gave me a mysterious smile as I opened the door to leave the house. Something was up, but I didn't know what..

Outside, I became even more dismayed. There in front of the house was the work team, already hitched to the big sled. Whatever it was we were going to do wasn't going to be a short, quick, little job. I could tell. We never hitched up this sled unless we were going to haul a big load. Daddy was already up on the seat, reins in hand. I reluctantly climbed up beside him. The cold was already biting at me. I wasn't happy. When I was on, Daddy pulled the sled around the house and stopped in front of the woodshed. He got off and I followed.

"I think we'll put on the high sideboards," he said. "Here, help me." The high sideboards! It had been a bigger job than I wanted to do with just the low sideboards on, but whatever it was we were going to do would be a lot bigger with the high side boards on.

Then Daddy went into the woodshed and came out with an armload of wood - the wood I'd spent all summer hauling down from the mountain, and then all Fall sawing into blocks and splitting. What was he doing? Finally I said something. I asked, "what are you doing?" You been by the Widow Jensen's lately?" he asked. Mrs.Jensen lived about two miles down the road. Her husband had died a year or so before and left her with three children, the oldest being eight. Sure, I'd been by, but so what?

Yeah," I said, "Why?"

"I rode by just today," he said. "Little Jakey was out digging around in the woodpile trying to find a few chips. They're out of wood, Matt." That was all he said and then he turned and went back into the woodshed for another armload of wood. I followed him. We loaded the sled so high that I began to wonder if the horses would be able to pull it. Finally, he called a halt to our loading then we went to the smoke house and he took down a big ham and a side of bacon. He handed them to me and told me to put them in the sled and wait. When he returned he was carrying a sack of flour over his right shoulder and a smaller sack of something in his left hand.

"What's in the little sack?" I asked. Shoes, they're out of shoes. Little Jakey just had gunny sacks wrapped around his feet when he was out in the woodpile this morning. I got the children a little candy too. It just wouldn't be Christmas without a little candy."

We rode the two miles to Mrs.Jensen's pretty much in silence. I tried to think through what Daddy was doing. We didn't have much by worldly standards. Of course, we did have a big woodpile, though most of what was left now was still in the form of logs that I would have to saw into blocks and split before we could use it. We also had meat and flour, so we could spare that, but I knew we didn't have any money, so why was he buying them shoes and candy? Really, why was he doing any of this? Widow Jensen had closer neighbors than us; it shouldn't have been our concern.

We came in from the blind side of the Jensen house and unloaded the wood as quietly as possible then we took the meat and flour and shoes to the door. We knocked. The door opened a crack and a timid voice said, "Who is it?" "Lucas Miles, Ma'am, and my son, Matt, could we come in for a bit?"

Mrs.Jensen opened the door and let us in. She had a blanket wrapped around her shoulders. The children were wrapped in another and were sitting in front of the fireplace by a very small fire that hardly gave off any heat at all. Mrs.Jensen fumbled with a match and finally lit the lamp.

"We brought you a few things, Ma'am," Daddy said and set down the sack of flour. I put the meat on the table. Then he handed her the sack that had the shoes in it. She opened it hesitantly and took the shoes out one pair at a time. There was a pair for her and one for each of the children - sturdy shoes, the best, shoes that would last. I watched her carefully. She bit her lower lip to keep it from trembling and then tears filled her eyes and started running down her cheeks. She looked up at my Daddy like she wanted to say something, but it wouldn't come out.

"We brought a load of wood too, Ma'am," he said. Then turned to me and said, "Matt, go bring in enough to last awhile. Let's get that fire up to size and heat this place up." I wasn't the same person when I went back out to bring in the wood. I had a big lump in my throat and as much as I hate to admit it, there were tears in my eyes too. In my mind I kept seeing those three kids huddled around the fireplace and their mother standing there with tears running down her cheeks with so much gratitude in her heart that she couldn't speak.

My heart swelled within me and a joy that I'd never known before filled my soul. I had given at Christmas many times before, but never when it had made so much difference. I could see we were literally saving the lives of these people.

I soon had the fire blazing and everyone's spirits soared. The kids started giggling when Daddy handed them each a piece of candy and Mrs.Jensen looked on with a smile that probably hadn't crossed her face for a long time. She finally turned to us. "God bless you," she said. "I know the Lord has sent you. The children and I have been praying that he would send one of his angels to spare us."

In spite of myself, the lump returned to my throat and the tears welled up in my eyes again. I'd never thought of my Daddy in those exact terms before, but after Widow Jensen mentioned it I could see that it was probably true. I was sure that a better man than Daddy had never walked the earth. I started remembering all the times he had gone out of his way for Mommy and me, and many others. The list seemed endless as I thought on it.

Daddy insisted that everyone try on the shoes before we left. I was amazed when they all fit and I wondered how he had known what sizes to get. Then I guessed that if he was on an errand for the Lord that the Lord would make sure he got the right sizes.

Tears were running down Widow Jensen's face again when we stood up to leave. My Daddy took each of the kids in his big arms and gave them a hug. They clung to him and didn't want us to go. I could see that they missed their Daddy and I was glad that I still had mine.

At the door he turned to Widow Jensen and said, "The Mrs. wanted me to invite you and the children over for Christmas dinner tomorrow. The turkey will be more than the three of us can eat, and a man can get cantankerous if he has to eat turkey for too many meals. We'll be by to get you about eleven. It'll be nice to have some little ones around again. Matt, here, hasn't been little for quite a spell." I was the youngest. My two brothers and two sisters had all married and had moved away.

Mrs.Jensen nodded and said, "Thank you, Brother Miles. I don't have to say, May the Lord bless you, I know for certain that He will."

Out on the sled I felt a warmth that came from deep within and I didn't even notice the cold. When we had gone a ways, Daddy turned to me and said, "Matt, I want you to know something. Your Mother and me have been tucking a little money away here and there all year so we could buy that rifle for you, but we didn't have quite enough.

Then yesterday a man who owed me a little money from years back came by to make things square. Your Mom and me were real excited, thinking that now we could get you that rifle, and I started into town this morning to do just that, but on the way I saw little Jakey out scratching in the woodpile with his feet wrapped in those gunny sacks and I knew what I had to do. Son, I spent the money for shoes and a little candy for those children. I hope you understand."

I understood, and my eyes became wet with tears again. I understood very well, and I was so glad Daddy had done it. Now the rifle seemed very low on my list of priorities. He had given me a lot more. He had given me the look on Mrs. Jensen's face and the radiant smiles of her three children. For the rest of my life, Whenever I saw any of the Jensens, or split a block of wood, I remembered, and remembering brought back that same joy I felt riding home beside of my Daddy that night. He had given me much more than a rifle that night, he had given me the best Christmas of my life..

Harvey Patterson

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