My Reading Blog

I think of embracing as giving someone a hug.  And we all need hugs.  But, it's also about embracing life - capturing all that makes me, me and keeping it together.  Do I embrace everything in my life - no, there are many things that I don't want to include in that embrace.  But, by embracing everything, good and no so good, that's what makes my life worth living. I think how God has embraced all of us in his loving arms.  He put each of us here on Earth to embrace one another, to serve and care for, to share our faith, to teach and learn.    Lord, help me to embrace with your loving arms so that I can embrace those around me.

It just takes a "moment" to: Reach out to someone Share with someone Care for someone Say "yes" or "no" Make a phone call or send an e-mail Smile Listen and not speak Enjoy the world around us ....The moment possibilities are endless. If we pass up that moment, we could lose out on so much. So let me make each moment count.

To be free - free to be who I want to be, free to do what I want to do, free to do something new and different, free to quit something if I don't enjoy it. I'm so thankful that we live in a country where we have freedom - there are times when people take advantage of this freedom and ruin it for others.  When you hear about the oppression in other countries, we are truly blessed to live in America.  We take our freedom for granted and most of the time we don't even think about being free - unless we perceive something being taken from us. Lord, you have given me the freedom to choose what I want to do.  I ask that you guide me to live my life to be free from sin, free to help others, free to accept others as they are, free to enjoy your blessings, free to share your love.

Live - to experience every moment of every year, month, day, hour, minute, second, nanosecond to the fullest. Life is full of ups and downs, but if we focus only on the terrible or troublesome things that happen, we can't really live it to the fullest.  The saying "Take time to smell the roses" comes to mind when I think of the word "live".  How can we truly live if our lives are so busy and rushed that we don't take time to enjoy the little things? I think it is much easier for me at this point in my life to "live" - to experience those things that I never took time for before.  Did I enjoy my children as much as I do my grandchildren?  Or was I too busy just trying to get everything accomplished?  Did I enjoy the satisfaction of accomplishment in my employment or was I too frustrated by things that went wrong?  Do I focus more on the negative than the positive? We have a sign hanging in our house that says:  "Never get so busy making a l...

Book Cover:The Curtlees are a powerful force in San Francisco, unscrupulous billionaires who've lined every important pocket in the Bay Area in pursuit of their own ascent.  So when the family's heir, Ro Curtlee, was convicted of rate and murder a decade ago, the fallout for those who helped to bring him to justice was swift and uncompromising.  The jury foreman was fired from his job and blacklisted in his industry.  The lead prosecutor was pushed off the fast track, her dreams of becoming district attorney dashed.  And head homicide detective Abe Glitsky was reassigned to the police department's payroll office.  Eventually, all three were able to rebuild their lives. And then Ro Curtlee's lawyers won him a retrial, and he was released from jail. Within 24 hours, a fire destroys the home of the original trial's star witness, her abused remains discovered in the ruins.  When a second fire claims a participant in the case, Abe is convinced, Ro is out for...

When I think of the word "Cherish", I think of something dear and precious, something or someone to put on a pedestal and admire.  I'm sure over the years, I have cherished many people and things, but as I write this, I think that I Cherish my husband, children, and grandchildren the most.  They are what makes me want to keep on going and doing.  "Things" come and go, but family and friends remain steadfast. I see all of the disjointed families in this world and wonder why they are that way.  What makes parents berate their children when it is so much easier to build them up, give them encouragement and cherish them. I look at the joy on a child's face when he/she gets an extra hug or smile or when a parent takes time to read a book or play a game.  I see the joy on the face of a person who is in a nursing home when they get a hug or someone takes time to talk to them.  These are all ways that we can cherish those around us.

When I first saw what the word of the day was, I thought I can't relate to that word.  But after pondering it for a while, I thought about how a mother and father bird so carefully and diligently bring twigs, fuzz, and anything handy to build a "nest" for their soon to be laid eggs and as they sit in that nest on those eggs until they hatch and then so faithfully bring food to those little birds.   We've watched our chickadees do this for several years now and it is amazing how 4 or 5 baby birds survive all crunched into this little space that Mama & Daddy bird have created for them.  And then, in the blink of an eye, they are gone....  And then the process starts all over. In our human way, we too create a "nest" for ourselves and our family.  It's a place to call home, a place to care for our young children, a place for them to come back to when they need to be comforted, and as they get older and have their own "nests", they can still ...

Enjoy - to have a good time; 1: to have for one's use, benefit, or lot:  experience; 2:  to take pleasure or satisfaction in I feel that I have much more time to "enjoy" myself now that I'm semi-retired (more like retired, but going to a "job" 2 days a week).  I enjoy working for Shawn and Colin - can't say that about every (or maybe any) job that I've had.  But, I do enjoy the challenge of learning new things about the financial and insurance world.  I enjoy talking and helping those who call or come in the office. On the days that I don't work, I enjoy being at home, doing "my things" - even if it's cleaning and laundry.  I enjoy sitting on the front porch in the early morning, listening to the sounds of nature, sipping a cup of coffee and waiting for the sunrise to appear over the lake.  I enjoy my walks with Max, giving me time to think, reflect and listen to God's plan for my day (or is it my plan for the day?).  I en...

As Max and I were walking this morning, I thought about the word "GIVE" and what it means to me.  I thought about the lyrics to The Little Drummer Boy - "I'm just a poor boy too, what can I give Him" and how he played his drum for the baby Jesus.  There are many verses in the Bible talking about giving.  Here are two that represent what God has given us:   Mat 11:28  Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will  give  you rest.   Mar 10:45   For the Son of man also came not to be served but to serve, and to  give  his life as a ransom for many." The easy way out is to give money (if you have extra), but I think it means to give of myself to someone or to an important cause.  Yes, money is always needed, but what better way to give than to listen, be there for someone, give a hug, give a compliment, give encouragement, give your time, give a hand....   As a mother and woman, I think giving comes nat...

The first thing that came to mind when I thought about LESS was "Less is More".  The best way to explain this is a comparison list. Less worry, More contentment Less expectation, More acceptance Less stuff, More space Less complaining, More compliments Less work, More time to do the things I enjoy Less technology, More thinking Less talking, More listening Less means getting back to the basics.  We really don't need a lot to live our lives.  All that "Stuff" gets in the way of what gives us happiness.  I need to focus on the reason God has put me on this earth  - am I fulfilling His plan for my life or am I letting my wants and desires get in the way.  I pray that He will help me focus on Less in order to receive More.

Tami wrote:   I love that wonder can mean several things: a feeling of surprise caused by something beautiful, unexpected, unfamiliar, or inexplicable to desire to be curious or know something a feeling of admiration and amazement I want you to find a little bit of wonder in your day today. Choose one of the following: Learn something new. What's something you've been wondering about? Google it, and record your findings on your page. Put it back on the radar. Marvel at an everyday occurrence with surprise and amazement, as though you were seeing it for the first time…and then document it. Embrace your inner superhero. Are you a wonder in the kitchen? ...

This week I started a scrapbook class - there are 12 different teachers and each of them will give us a "Word For the Day" and ideas to create a scrapbook page.  Eventually, I will do that, but I thought for now I will write about the "Word For the Day". Today's word is "SHARE".  What do I share or what has been shared with me? The first thing that came to mind was that I share my love with family and friends.  My faith in God - not always easy to share - verbally, but I think I share my faith through my actions.  I share my dedication to Stephen Ministry by being a leader, teaching and telling others what Stephen Ministry means to me. I share my love of card making by making "special" cards to give to family and friends. What's been shared with me?  Seeing the world thru M & P eyes.  Taking the time to reflect on what they do so easily, learn so quickly and love unconditionally.

Book Cover:  Peter Hale is a young attorney with a lot to prove.  Crossing his father, one of Portland's most powerful lawyers, was a costly mistake.  Now, cut loose from his job and from his inheritance, Peter's landed in the public defender's office of a small Oregon town - and in the middle of a high-profile case that could make or break his career.  His mentally retarded client, accused of the savage murder of a college coed, faces the death penalty.  And Peter faces a choice - between the pursuit of headlines and the pursuit of truth, between the compulsion to save himself and the courage to save his client - in a devastating trial by fire. I went from hating Peter Hale because he was a spoiled, self-centered guy, but he changed and I ended up actually liking him and hoping that he would achieve his goal of winning the case in the end.  The author had a way of weaving people in and out of his life - some to make him fail and others to help him succee...

Book cover:  The best kept secret of the U.S. Presidency is about to be revealed.  "There are stories no one knows.  Hidden stories.  I love those stories.  And since I work in the National Archives, I find those stories for a living." Beecher White, a young archivist, spends his days working with the most important documents of the U.S. government.  He has always been the keeper of other people's stories, never a part of the story himself.... Until now.  When Clemetine Kaye, Beecher's first childhood crush, shows up at the National Archives asking for his help tracking down her long-lost father, Beecher tries to impress her by showing her the secret vault where the President of the United State privately reviews classified documents.  After they accidentally happen upon a priceless artifact - a 200 year old dictionary that once belonged to George Washington - hidden underneath a desk chair, Beecher and Clementine find themselves suddenly entang...

Just a week - seven days Never long enough, but just enough No longer babies, but two beautiful, smart girls Full of fun, Investigating, Wonder & delight Smiles and giggles Cries of frustration and hurt feelings Walks and swinging (never long enough) Waking from a good night's sleep or a nap, One kinda groggy, the other full of smiles Watching, waiting for Mama and Dada to come home. Kisses and cuddling Loving and being loved unconditionally Yes, only a week, but special days to fill my memory bank. Thank you for giving me this special time with M & P (and Mama & Dada, too!)