“Far away, there in the sunshine, are my highest aspirations. I may not reach them but I can look up and see their beauty, believe in them, and try to follow where they lead.”
-Louisa May Alcott
Keep dreaming, and praying, and reaching. Slainte, Lisa
“Delight yourself in the Lord, and He will give you the desires of your heart.” (Psalm 37:4)
My yard is full of new leaves…some of them are just a week or two old, full of greenness and newness. Looking around, I see green, green, and more green, and with all that color, I see hope and new life and renewal. They remind me that in Christ I am a new creation; the old has passed, the new has come. (2 Cor. 5:17) God is all about new beginnings…”do-overs”….Thank goodness for that; I tend to need a lot of them in my life. 🙂 Enjoy the green today! Slainte, Lisa
Yesterday I wrote about joy catching. How to cultivate and encourage joyful moments in life. Today I’m thinking about the reality of joy snatchers…the circumstances or people that try to grab and steal that joy as soon as you think you’ve found some. I don’t want to dwell on that too long, because, well, that’s a real downer, and yes, a joy snatcher! 🙂 Instead I want to focus on ways to regain your inner peace and joy after the attack of the snatchers.
1. Read God’s Word. Best medicine and advice and love ever. Period.
2. Sit in the sun for a few moments. Soak in the warmth, close your eyes, and breathe.
3. Call a good friend or loved one.
4. Do something physical. Vacuum the house, run, take a walk, pet your dog.
5. Create something. It doesn’t have to be a new Rachmaninoff or anything, just have fun drawing, coloring, writing, doodling, singing, playing an instrument.
6. Put on your favorite music and dance in the kitchen. Or in the living room. Or outside in the driveway if you’re really daring.
Here’s a great toe-tapping song to help in that regard. Performed by the High Kings, who by the way just performed for the White House St. Patrick’s Day Celebration. They’re awesome and so talented. Check out their website at www.thehighkings.com.
Slainte, Lisa
A conundrum of a title for a conundrum of a problem….how to get a dreamer to move to action. As a writer and musician, I have no problem with the dreaming and thinking part. I love that part: planning, thinking, creating things in my mind. The rub? The nitty gritty of actually doing everything, moving out of my mind and into real action. So I am hereby inspiring myself into motion this morning with a few good quotes on the subject.
-“Words may show a man’s wit but actions his meaning.” – Benjamin Franklin
-“Action speaks louder than words but not nearly as often.” – Mark Twain
-“It’s not what you’re dreaming, but what you’re gonna do.” – U2
-“Start where you are; use what you can.” – Persecution Project Foundation, www.persecutionproject.org (check it out; help the Nuba/South Sudanese people today!)
-“Faith by itself, if it is not accompanied by action, is dead.” – James 2:17
Hmmm….I better get moving. Have a wonderful day! Slainte, Lisa
Think About These Things 