Amen........

My Thought for this Day....There were no black-eyed peas, nor cabbage, nor greens of any kind on the Farm yesterday. We aren't going to rely and hope for Veggie Luck. Instead, we will walk through 2018 with self endurance, empathy, courage, and faith. We will stomp out the fires with our feet of clay and turn our eyes to the hills from whence comes our help. We will grow in grace. We will be humble so we don't have to be humbled. We will be ever aware of our fortune, not our luck. And we will stand on the promises, and in the gap with confidence to take on this new year with renewed and lasting hope. And we will know beyond a shadow of a doubt that we are, no matter what befalls us, protected by the full armor. And when we slip, for we surely will, we will rise from the ashes with fierceness and might. Amen.

New Year......

My Thought for this Day.......So here we are, looking through a clean sparkling window. This year is a brand new baby, an unwritten poem, a car with no miles. As we sit and take in the view, let's realize that there will be days of raindrops on our windows, but also days of radiant rainbows shining through. There will be days when the winds of change blow the tree of life outside the glass and days of calmness and tranquility. With this knowledge comes preparation. With this awareness comes peace in the certainty that we are people of strength and wisdom. For we also know that life is beautiful, both the mountains and the valleys. I hope that when you are on your mountaintop, you are absorbing the wonder and glory around you. And I hope that when you are walking your valley, your eyes are on the peaks of your mountain and you are secure in the knowledge that you are a creature of our God and have been promised a deep well of comfort and security. And that you draw on the waters of your well. My heartfelt wish for us all is that we become whom we are meant to be, that each and every one of us realizes we are a common race, a circle of humankind, branches, both spindly and mighty, of the Tree of Life. And that my tree is your tree and yours, mine. We all are rooted in the same soil, and are inevitably linked in the experience called Life. Don't live singly, don't be the barren branch that grows solely. Be that branch that is entwined with others, that branch that is leafy and green and when seen through the Window of 2018 clearly, is joyfully living the life that nature intended. Seasons will change, windows will fog, and at times cry with the raindrops of life. But listen carefully, the winds of change are always blowing, see clearly that the sun of hope is behind every cloud. You must realize your mountaintop always awaits you and when you climb to it.....one more time.....you will be stronger, more mighty, and how glorious it will be to then reach down to those who walk their valleys. Stretch out a hand of hope and help. Be that wonder you are meant to be. In these first, brand new hours quietly gaze through your window, visualize what awaits, seek out the superior, not the inferior. Make this new year yours. Happy New Year my friends. I hope that somehow, sometimes, my ramblings touch your souls. They are meant to be seeds of joy carefully planted in your garden. Flower with your specialness, for you truly are uniquely wonderful.

Past......

My Thought for this Day....Before we speak of new hopes and dreams of 2018, let us speak of closure. May you in all sincerity close the door on painful things, separations, and each circumstance that keeps you from those whom you love. At midnight tonight 2017 fades into 2018. Let those hurts and broken promises and dreams fade with it. Let it go. You are better than your perceived failures and wrongdoings. You are mighty in your life. Bow down, kneel, and in your supplication realize we live on the wings of the ever changing wind. And what seems forever may just be for now. Gather your miracles. They walk by your side. Yet there is a time limit, a stopping point, a period, for all things, both dark and light. Don’t let joy pass you by because of pride, guilt, or general humanism. Each breath is a gift, each moment a wonder. Life is precious. Happy 2018 my friends.

Reflection.......

My Thought for this Day.......For me the days between Christmas and New Year's Day are days of reflection. Somehow I seem to be stuck in the space between memories and new footprints I'll make in the sand of the path of my life. I hope as I sit at my Reflection Pool, I learn from the ripples of memories that slowly drift in the waters that were my 2017 I want to savor each memory, both good and bad. I want to build on each one, to learn from each one and to see myself reflected as I truly was. I have room for tremendous growth, I have an entire lake to fill with hope and goodness and kindness and generosity and strength. As I ponder those mirrored images that make me sad or not proud, I hope I can change myself so that next year......the days of 2018 I see less and less of them. I truly, deeply want to be that person who never takes for granted her days, that person who goes out of her way to lend a hand or a heart, that person who diligently seeks out those in need and stretches her arms to lift up and smooth out and simply give. I don't know what you see in your Lake of Reflection. I hope whatever it is, gives you more joy than sorrow, more laughter than tears and more comfort than angst. But my deepest hope is that you too can begin to see your 2018 as days of becoming your new Reflection Pond and if you are fortunate enough to sit and study it this time next year, that you will see more smiles, more love and more understanding that you and only you are responsible, not for others, but for yourself. Yet in that understanding, you see yourself reflected in the lives of others. And it is good. It’s called the spirit of giving, without expectation in return. I'm working on it. And it feels worthy and grace filled.

Show up.....

My Thought for this Day......I once heard ........Decisions are made by those who show up. Do you show up? Do you show up in your own life and in the lives of those you love? If not, then don't criticize attitudes, actions, or end results. And don't expect miracles to happen in your own life.

Sacred........

My Question of the Day?.......What is sacred to you? Do you truly understand the word? There are several definitions, but we'll go with 'Reverently Dedicated". So, again, what is sacred to you? I think the answer to this question speaks volumes about a person. It is their symphony, their book of life, their mountaintop. It sets the parameters of their actions, words, goals. It, in fact, is the true inner core of their being. Imagine that which is sacred to you is the Hub of your Wheel of Life and everything you do, speak, think, are the spokes. Your wheel turns daily guided by your Sacredness, your Reverent Dedication. And do you even realize this? Have you ever stopped to truly soak in, immerse yourself in that which is hallowed to you? It doesn't come easily. It takes inner revelation. It draws on the spirit. It defines you in a way like no other. So, I hope you take the time to soul search, to throw out the trash, that which is evil and destructive, and dwell peacefully, calmly and with dignity and grace in your Spirit of Sacredness. This is a cherished season. No glitter, nor bow, nor ribbon can begin to touch the true joy of these days. They are solemnly sacred. They give purpose to lives well lived, immersed not in the commercialism, but in the divine.

Season......

My Thought for this Day......And so it has begun....... The season of hopes and dreams and wishes coming true arrives. The time of giving and loving and goodwill toward men is once again upon us. We're dreaming of sugarplums and rockin' around our Christmas trees and filling our lives with festivities and fun. But before you can truly, honestly and completely revel in the season, I think there are things that must be done, words that must be said, acts that must be taken. Draw in that cleansing breath, step over that wall of pride, be the better person and forgive. And not only forgive in your heart, but in person, with words, aloud, in truth and in beauty. You can't begin anew until you cleanse your palate of hurt. And isn't this what the season is really about......that long ago birth that began mankind on a forever walk, an eternal walk, a walk of a Babe who showed us the path of righteousness and forgiveness? I dare you! Take that breath, search your soul, swallow your pride, do it because it is the right thing, the godly thing, the honorable thing. Purge and release and exonerate. Believe it or not, it is a selfish act. If wholeheartedly done, you will reap the Joys of lightness, and freedom. You will no longer sag under the weight of pride. And so I dare you. Grab those ribbons of renewal. Shut that door. And let it be.