10 Random Things...to make your day brighter

How's your week going? Mine has been a little rough...the book writing process has me peeling back layers of memories and it is ever so painful.

I thought I would do something a little different with my post this week. I got this idea from another blogger and as Solomon said, "There really is nothing new under the sun." I needed this for myself and thought I'd share my randomness with you.

1. It REALLY, REALLY is better to give than to receive.

2. My chicken won the "Chicken Flying Contest" during the Black Walnut Festival in Spencer, West Virginia in the early 1980's. (My picture was in the paper to prove it) :)

3. It's 181 days till Christmas or 182 days till the day after. You choose the one that makes you smile.

4. I may or may not have a lead foot when I'm driving....just sayin'.... ;)

5. Time will not stand still, so enjoy your babies now. There will be plenty of time later for cleaning grout.



Yes, it is what you think it is!!
Does anybody remember the cartoon "Underdog"?

6. I have a chocolate drawer in my kitchen...doesn't everybody?!!!

7. Friends can lighten our load when they share our burdens...I'm blessed with good friends. How about you?

8. I have every birthday card ever given to me...yes, even the ones heralding my arrival in 1959. Does the word "hoarder" come to mind? Oops, I just told my age. ;)

9. This one is for my friend Myrlene...we understand cats are special animals (no matter what Gary says) and some really do talk!

10. I'm in love with the creator of the universe and lover of my soul. Without Him, I would still be in a pit of despair and grief. He gave His life for me and desires an intimate relationship with me, His child. He wants the same with you.

Have a blessed day,
Cindy

p.s. I hope you're smiling! :)

A Kind Of Messy Life

This is My Little Corner...no really...this is literally my little corner of the house I call my home office. This is the space where I write, sew, dream, read, cry, pray, laugh, talk and work. These walls hold my conversations and a lot of my life and in this little corner I feel safe.



Me and Buck

I love antiques and my house is full of them. The roll top desk is a 15th anniversary gift from my husband and works beautifully for a bookkeeper. (That would be my day job). I'm surrounded by photos of those I love, some whose faces I can no longer touch, whose voices I hear in my memories. My sewing machine sits waiting for a new project while pictures lay on the floor begging to be put in albums. Baby albums are strewn about because I love to reminisce.

If you look closely at my photos, you'll see my little corner is messy. I took these pictures to show you just how messy it is. The rest of my house is neat, clean and organized most of the time but I allow myself this space to be however I feel at the moment. Sometimes I straighten, organize and clean it and sometimes...well...I don't...and you know what I've discovered? Life is not always neat, clean and organized.

I'm writing a book; A book about a messy life...my life. Most of my life has been neat, clean and organized. Controlled. Just the way I like things. There are some parts I'd like to forget. But something else I've learned...we can't always control life anymore than we can control the weather, or people for that matter.

I decided if I could be vulnerable enough to show you messy office pictures then maybe one day if my book ever gets published, my heart will still be beating when my story is in print. Maybe my journey will help someone else find their way home and to a safe place.

I'm learning to let go and enjoy life a little. I love writing in my messy little corner. They always know where to find me. Just give me a Starbucks latte or a cup of tea and I'm all set. Now, if my messiness starts spilling over into the rest of the house...not so good. ;)

Blessings from My Little Corner,
Cindy and Buck (the cat)

A Journey Destined For Two

I was into the hair drying thing again one morning, lost in my thoughts of the past several months. I've been on a pilgrimage, a journey of healing from issues I'd locked away deep inside me...childhood trauma, hurt, abandonment, grief. Out of my journey, one abiding truth has been evident and that is the Faithfulness of God. I didn't always see it or recognize His Presence, but He was there.

He was there when my mom got sick...and when she died. He was there when my dad was floundering and I had to be a mom and dad to my brother. He was there in the form of Wilma, my "other mother." He was there when I met my husband and He was there when we couldn't have babies. He brought us to South Carolina so He could bless us beyond my wildest dreams and give us Andy and Bailey...and He was there last summer when He called to me and said, "Be still and know that I Am." He's been holding my hand and walking with me through this journey and I've never felt alone.

He continues to lead me through uncharted territory. I don't like the unknown but I'm learning to trust Him because He is faithful. We have a joke in our family about me...I love to walk but I'm not a hiker and it's because of the unknown. I'll walk miles around a track or in my neighborhood but don't ask me to go somewhere I'm unfamiliar with. My family thinks that's so boring, but they've learned to accept my quirkiness because they love me.

His word says, "You will seek Me and find Me when you search for Me with all your heart." Jeremiah 29:13 NASB Whatever you're going through, He will be with you...every heartache...every tear...every triumph...He will make Himself real to You, but you must seek Him. It's as simple as asking.

Are you at a place in your life where you need healing? Maybe you need a fresh sense of His Presence...He is as close as a prayer away.

It's hard to explain the peace and joy that comes from true healing. That can only come from a power greater than ourselves...especially when you consider the baggage of more than 38 years. One thing I can count on dear friends, He will be faithful in all my tomorrows. He will be in the lines and pages of the rest of my story and only He knows when my days on earth will end. I'm so thankful He's given me the courage to write and share my heart. The unknown isn't as scary anymore. He will do the same for you.

O God, You are my God, earnestly I seek You;

my soul thirsts for you...

I have seen You in the sanctuary

and beheld your power and glory.

Because Your love is better than life,

my lips will glorify You.

I will praise You as long as I live,

and in Your name I will lift up my hands.

Psalm 63:1-4

Blessings from My Little Corner,

Cindy



Blessed To Serve...Serve To Bless

Nate shared his talent of singing and recited the
Pledge of Allegiance

My heart is full as I write this post. Last night my mission group went to a local assisted living facility to sing and visit the residents. We came away with happy hearts and smiles so wide that every dentist in town would be proud.

We went to be a blessing and came away being the ones blessed. Isn't that the way it always works? This group of people is really something special. They're not shy at all and have their favorite songs, as we all do. How wonderful to look around the room and see them singing joyfully without even looking at their hymn books. We even brought along a couple of our children and grandchildren who entertained in grand style. Children have a way of communicating that is uninhibited. They were a joy to behold.

When asked if there were any who had served in the armed forces of our country there were a few who quickly raised their hand and one man who raised both of his. Can you imagine the sacrifice that would require a young man or woman to give several years of their lives, fight on foreign land or be on a ship for months at a time, never knowing whether they would return home to see loved ones again? And then 60 or 70 years later throw both of your hands in the air with a smile on your face. That has to be because of a cause greater than yourself. These men proudly told us the branch they served in as if they were fresh out of service.

I think that's what our world, our country, is missing. We are so caught up in ourselves. Jesus taught us to serve...He said, "He came to serve, not to be served." He is our example, we are to follow His lead. That's why my friend was so excited about his service to our country. It was not about him, it was about freedom. It was about serving others and putting aside personal preferences and goals and doing something worthwhile that would benefit mankind long after he and those he served with are gone. His sacrifice will not soon be forgotten. The same is true of our Savior except His sacrifice has eternal benefits.

There is so much sadness and destruction, terror and natural disasters but we can't focus on that all the time. We must serve our fellow man where we can. Get involved in your community...serve somewhere...disaster relief...soup kitchens...homeless shelters...battered women's shelters...crisis pregnancy centers...meals on wheels...clothes closets...the list is endless because hurting people are everywhere. And while you're serving them tell them about the One Who can change their life.

I want to be like my friend someday when I'm asked that question about an event in my life where I served the Lord. I want to be able to raise both my hands in the air, and my legs too, if I can get them high enough!;)

May all your days be filled with blessings because you spent yourself out in service on something other than yourself. Your life will be so much richer. If you don't believe me, just go with me next time to visit my friends at the assisted living home. They'll make a believer out of you!

Blessings from My Little Corner,
Cindy