Do I necessarily have a soaring spirit today? Not necessarily.
Some times I write when I'm feeling up and some times I write when I'm feeling down.
You know some times when I'm down - the writing is better - because it makes me more accountable for what I'm sharing with you!
I read lots and lots and lots of blogs last week. And I'm a thief with good intentions - I copy quotes, but I give credit where credit is due. Now I visited Heart of the Homes blog and found this quote I love:
CeCe Winans says: Faith is about how you live your life in the meantime, how you make decisions when you don’t know what’s next. What you do with yourself between the last time you heard from God and the next time you hear from God - that is the ongoing challenge of a life of faith.I have realized for some time now that I can't guide my own life, I can't get my life to where I want it. I don't know how. I'm not in control. I have no choice, but to turn it over to God. That's so incredibly hard for me! Funny how you know things in your head, but it's much harder to live what you know especially when your heart wants to take you somewhere else!
Someone else - Sharon - asked about life - how do we know the course to go? She was talking about ships and how they find out where to go when they don't 'see' where they are going. She said by a compass. Dah - of course - God is our compass she says. Don't you find it hard to let go and give him the reigns of your life? I think - maybe if I explain things to him one more time - He might understand better what I want!
Now another quote I borrowed from Becky P.-I think it is all a matter of love: the more you love a memory the stronger and stranger it becomes. Vladmir Nabokov
I obviously have been around the world last week - Dublin - Texas - Maryland - California - England - Alaska - everywhere. And so has my mind! Teehee - lots and lots of things going on it.
"A single sunbeam is enough to drive away many shadows." ~ St. Francis of Assisi
A good positive thought to end the post.
I've studied St. Francis of Assisi - I've been to Italy and I've seen his church. I've walked the steps he walked. I've seen the things he saw. It was such a beautiful area - kind of on a cliff in a cave I guess you'd say - and you can over look the gorgeous breath taking area below. They have a restaurant there on the cliff as well - when my daughter and I were in Assisi we had lunch - the breeze and the scenery was awesome.
What do you think about beauty? Flowers - birds - things that come in such gorgeous colors - eye candy from God and not any calories! My friend Nikki coined that term and I borrowed/stole it. Susan just wrote about it on her blog yesterday.
Beauty saves me at times - it lifts my spirit like none other. I can look at pictures of flowers, birds, and scenery almost all day long. I love posts with pictures of this kind of thing. And music - helps my soul. It feels me up when I feel down.
Did you know that the Dutch artist Vincent Van Gogh painted bold and distinctive sunflowers because he felt they symbolized gratitude - to his brother Theo for support, the artist Gauguin for friendship, and the sun for light and warmth. "Yellow," he said, "is capable of charming God."
Today where you feel it or not - let your spectacular heart bloom like a radiant sunflower!
33 comments:
Oh, wow, Sandie.
This is a great post. I'm sort of in one of those in between times that you spoke of (Or someone else did and you quoted them. I can't remember)
I also saw on another blog about looking for beauty in simplicity. Between that blog and yours, I have given myself a little assignment.
Hi Chatty. My mind is soaring after reading this post my friend!I certainly don't want this to sound patronizing, but I love your writing. I know I will always find something to make me smile on your blog, and often, things to make me think. Good post today.
Thanks for getting my spirits soaring!
Sometimes, Kiddo, it is a struggle between our hearts and our heads But, for me, God always takes me the right way...HE KNOWS what's best for me!...:)JP
I have a statue of him lying on the sidewalk of my garden.
Birds, plants, trees... anything living is beautiful to me. People are beautiful if they want to be.
My spirit has not been soaring, but I know it will. Perhaps that is why I'm up at 5:41am in the morning.
You have more courage than I do. I think. I bare my soul to God. Perhaps I should write about it.
Love to you,
Joey
Beautifully written, a great reminder to slow down and take time we notice God's beauty everywhere.
Some wonderful quotes - I especially love the one by Elisabeth Kubler-Ross - many thanks for sharing them with us.
Wonderful post, Sandie. Soar, Baby! Soar!! blessings ~ Tanna
Lots of deep thoughts today Sandie. May your spirit soar!
great post to get my thinker going. my head/mind has struggled with my heart knowledge for all of my life. i am going to soar today just because you said so. i like Debbies idea of an assigment for ourselves, i am thinking about that now. what assignment could i give me that would make me soar. can't be outside since God is blessing us with sorely needed rain, we have had blessed rain once a day 7 days and it makes me so happy. i am with you CC with looking at photos and blogs can make me soar. we can visit other countries from our sofa or chair. i had not idea you are a world traveler. the USA is the only place I have ever been.
Thank you for that Sandie - the first thing I read today. My DIL gave me a bouquet of sunflowers yesterday. They'll be on my work table all day today as I scrapbook with a dear friend. They'll remind me to be grateful for all of my many blessings.
Sandie this post has made me think! I agree that trying to guide my life hasn't worked out all that well. I believe I am where God wants me right now...will that change, we will see. Today as I write this I'm sitting on the screened porch enjoying the birds and the drifting fragrance of my Gardenia's. Life is pretty darn sweet! hugs, Linda
Sandie, My favorite flower in the whole wide world the SUNFLOWER,and the color yellow always cheers me up.
I needed these words today!
~JO
LazyonLoblolly
~smiles & hugs~
Happy 4th
Hey Chickie Chatty...LOVED your post today. I'm going to make this a sunflower day...not just one sunflower, but a big fat bouquet of them!
I have lots of chores on my list today....all need doing. I'm going to do them with a happy heart and be grateful I can!
It is hard to turn our lives over to God but once we do, wow! All kinds of wonderful things happen. When we let Him be in control, we are in for a wild ride. woo hoo
Take care, and have a bouquet of sunflowers day yourself! Susan
Well done, my friend! This was an amazing post! Thank you....
I think I needed this... My spirit has really been in the dumps lately....Thanks...
great post Sandie, it's made me think of a whole lot of things.
You see, there are times when a little problem feels like it's the end of the world. I get wrapped up in my own limiting thoughts. But when I realize I'm doing that, I turn to God and he shows me pain, suffering and sorrow in others and that's when I snap out of it and get back to being myself. Only God can do that for us.
No wonder I love sunflowers so much - and Vicent's are beautiful. Your quote at the top of your blog is what resonated most with me today. It is so true.
The beauty of the world around us is sometimes the only thing that can brighten a difficult day. A flower, a bird, even an insect can put things right back into perspective.
Thanks for a day brightener. Ann
I really enjoyed this post...I have a post coming up next week about sunflowers. Wild sunflowers!
Just to let you know, my spirits are soring high...
shug
Goodness, Sandie - I loved, and so needed, this post today. My post is all about feeling sad - just because it's what I was feeling today. But, this has been a good word to me today. In spite of my feelings, I've got to look around and enjoy the beauty that God has given me to enjoy.
I'm going to choose gratitude instead of griping.
And I'm going to follow The Compass - (I have a feeling that I should practice more what "Sharon" has to say!)
What a beautiful post my friend. Your time away was good for you. Your beautiful mind is filled back up with fabulous thoughts you've opted to send our way.
Thank you.
Thank you.
THANK YOU!
xoRebecca
A wonderful post, Sandie!!! I actually read Van Gogh's letters to his brother Theo. He was very tormented, may have had schizophrenia, but out of it all that beauty came flowing!!! So it can be with us! Now it's not about US, is it? How are YOU doing and feeling?
Great post - a lot of nice things to read :-)
I love the quotes! Good words.
Have a lovely evening my friend.
Saying we trust God and want him to direct our lives and then actually trusting Him and allowing Him his way are two very different things. It's easy to say...much harder to do it, huh?
I think all of us can admit to wanting to run our own lives and the difficulty we have with surrendering.
Hope you're having a wonderful day.
Love,
Patti
Inspiring advice! Thanks for being a ray of sunshine today! :)
My first time visit, I do believe.
And what fun I had poking around and reading this and that.
Wishing you glimpses of heaven in unexpected places. I'll be back !
Great post, one to get our mind a tickin and thinking in the right direction...thanks for the uplift!! Debb
I actually feel a little different about this. Most people are waiting for God to tell them what to do...I believe God is waiting for us.
Lots of food for thought here today. I liked the way you started with "Just for today".
Beauty in simplicity is something I learned to appreciate more once I started looking through the lens of my camera. I'm amazed by things I used to pass every day and never noticed. It's all around us if we look
it does all come down to trust and faith in God and allowing him to do what is best for our lives; it is hard to give up control though; I know I struggle with it but he has a way of putting me right where he wants me :) (although sometimes I go there very reluctantly with lots of kicking and screaming and tears!)
I love the beauty around us in the world God created for us to enjoy and for his glory!
You always write the bests of posts, I know you search your heart to do so Sandie
betty
It has been hard for me to "Let Go and Let God", but I am learning as I go. It does take the pressure off me! Beautiful post.
So much to think about! I take the reins too often and forget Who is really directing me and that never works out well. My goal is to set my course daily knowing Who is guiding the ship. Of course sailors go off course all the time and need to get back in the right direction. One of my favorite quotes is that it's safe in the harbor, but ships were made to sail in the ocean.
Your comment on my post mentioned sunflowers (we both love them) so I came right over to see you here. This post is very insightful, and I like that flowers are eye candy from God. How lovely that you visited St. Francis' church in Assisi.
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