This Weekend~Easy Weekend Acitivity~March Madness! Be MAD!

Before signing off to March Madness, Remember You are the MAD~
Master’s Authentic Design
Master’s Authentic Daughter
Master’s Authentic Dude

Other Weekend Activities

Mid-week Question of the Week~Can I Really Be A Blessing?

This post is a little bit late today. Had to make an unscheduled stop on the way home from the overnight with Dad.

Because of the homeless man.

I saw him at the first light at first light. He had a small sign made from a box panel. Because the sun hadn’t quite decided to rise yet, I could not make out what the sign said, but I inferred.

I reached in the floor of the back seat, passenger side.

Out.

Out of blessing bags.

All I had was granola. I offered him the granola and an apology. He showed me why he couldn’t take it.

He had no teeth.

And I had no idea until that moment. That my blessing could not be one size fits all.

Because of Grace, God’s blessings to us are never one size fits all.

I grew anxious and the stoplight was about to turn and, in a 24-hour-up-all-night stupor, I grabbed a handful of what was in my overnight bag.

A handful of Organic Green Tea Citrus throat drops.

Really?

REALLY????

I suddenly remembered like the cosmetics firm from New York’s 5^th Avenue who sent care packages to victims of the Katrina hurricane. The care packages contained bronzer, firming cream, and blush.
And, at the time,  hearing this news while working in New Orleans, I shook my head in disdained judgment. “How pampered they are in New York. How out of touch,” I remarked back then.

I remembered that incident today with internal sermon intensity.

So, sleep must wait. The car and I made an unscheduled stop. At the Grocery. Blessing Bag items. Restocking with the sunrise. Returning to the corner. The man was gone. But my resolve is not. I am ready and restocked. The weather is changing and the need will be great.

Now, close friends who also read this blog will know that I am going through a season of “Financial Repositioning.” (Translation: I ain’t got no full-time job).

So, the grocery store adventure koan  becomes, “Can you do Blessing Bags on a Budget?” A very tight budget. A Financial Repositioning budget.

Um, well, you have to.

And as the old saying goes, “to a child with a hammer, everything becomes a nail.” Wheeling in to the United Grocery store, I found an abundance of Blessing Bag bargains. Especially for those without teeth, or, in my personal looking-in-the-mirror case, without the teeth of convicting grace during tough seasons. There were many options in the store and at home. Because as harrowing the story is that I tell myself about this time in my occupational life, the fact is, I have not missed a meal and I am typing this with a roof over my head.

Twelve blessing bags assembled for $10.00 in 10 minutes.

And a reminder of Grace included. I like these bookmarks

but there are many, many positive messages that can be included. Write the phone number/address of a church or shelter—takes just a minute more.

So at this time of uncertainty do I convince myself to hold grace in, conserving it, hoarding it?

Am I Really A Blessing? Can I Really Be a Blessing?

Because of Grace, the answer is always YES!

Click here for Blessing Bag on a budget items. Or a link to cooler, better, Blessing Bags when times are not lean.

Never Let Someone Tell You This…

Please Remember…

When you are caught off guard and become confused, never lose sight of the Lord who is our protector, let Him be your confidence. Proverbs 3:25-26

Monday Words for the Soul~March 26~Life and Arrows

Other Words for the Soul

A Word from The Sponsor~March 25

Let the beloved of the LORD rest secure in Him, 
for He shields him all day long, 
and the one the LORD loves rests between His shoulders.
Deuteronomy 33:12

Picture Source

Other Words from The Sponsor

This Weekend~Easy Weekend Activity~ROMP!

Romp!

Put an exclamation into your Weekend!

Update: March 28: Really wanted to include Rachel’s wonderful acronym and verses:

Receive  the holy spirit! ~Acts 1:8
Overflow ~Joel 2:24
Marvellous ~Job 9:10
Peace ~John 14:27

Other Weekend Activities

Picture originally seen here

Wholehearted Living Thursdays~A Scottish Farmer

For awhile, some Thursdays will provide a Because of Grace Wholehearted Living Story

Paying It Forward Works!

His name was Fleming, and he was a poor Scottish farmer. One day, while trying to make a living for his family, he heard a cry for help coming from a nearby bog. He dropped his tools and ran to the bog.

There, mired to his waist in black muck, was a terrified boy, screaming and struggling to free himself. Farmer Fleming saved the lad from what could have been a slow and terrifying death

The next day, a fancy carriage pulled up to the Scotsman’s sparse surroundings. An elegantly dressed nobleman stepped out and introduced himself as the father of the boy Farmer Fleming had saved.

‘I want to repay you,’ said the nobleman. ‘You saved my son’s life.’

‘No, I can’t accept payment for what I did,’ the Scottish farmer replied waving off the offer. At that moment, the farmer’s own son came to the door of the family hovel.

‘Is that your son?’ the nobleman asked.
‘Yes,’ the farmer replied proudly.

‘I’ll make you a deal. Let me provide him with the level of education my own son will enjoy If the lad is anything like his father, he’ll no doubt grow to be a man we both will be proud of.’ And that he did.

Farmer Fleming’s son attended the very best schools and in time, graduated from St. Mary’s Hospital Medical School in London, and went on to become known throughout the world as the noted Sir Alexander Fleming, the discoverer of Penicillin.

Years afterward, the same nobleman’s son who was saved from the bog was stricken with pneumonia.

What saved his life this time? Penicillin.

The name of the nobleman? Lord Randolph Churchill … His son’s name?

Sir Winston Churchill.
Keeping Springing Forward and Paying It Forward!

~~~ More Wholehearted Living Stories

Goodbye to Winter~First Day of Spring

Time to Say Goodbye to Winter

A blanket of snow can create a winter wonderland. Everything beneath the snow is the same, the snow creates a cover that transforms everything into something magical. In our life, hope, gratitude and faith can be like that beautiful blanket of snow. It can allow us to see that which surrounds us in a new way and in doing so allow us to transform our lives~

And then as Spring unfolds, new growth reaches for the sun. New growth works best if the decay of dread and rot of regret is discarded.

Circumstances are weighing heavily on you and on even some of those around you. When you see yourself in the mirror you notice that your body is even stooped because of the weight. Drop this burden, not on other people but on Me. Then pick up, carry and distribute thankfulness. That makes you much lighter. It is not enough to drop the burden. You need to replace it with a grateful heart. Get your mind off the burden and onto My goodness. I say again it is not enough to drop the burden, but it is more than enough to replace it with thankfulness.  Trade your burdens for bundles of peace.

 ~Speaking to one another with psalms, hymns, and songs from the Spirit. Sing and make music from your heart to the Lord, always giving thanks to God the Father for everything, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ. ~Ephesians 5:19-20 niv
~Faithfulness springs forth from the earth, and righteousness looks down from heaven. ~Psalm 85:11 niv
~See, I am doing a new thing!    Now it springs up; do you not perceive it? I am making a way in the wilderness    and streams in the wasteland. ~Isaiah 43:19 niv
~Let us know; let us press on to know the Lord; his going out is sure as the dawn; he will come to us  as the showers, as the spring rains that water the earth. ~Hosea 6:3 esv
~Be patient, then, brothers and sisters, until the Lord’s coming. See how the farmer waits for the land to yield its valuable crop, patiently waiting for the autumn and spring rains. ⁸ You too, be patient and stand firm, because the Lord’s coming is near.~ James 5:6-8 niv

Happy First Day of Spring!
To see more pictures of spring flowers click here

Snow message courtesy of Waves of Gratitude
Spring message courtesy of Bev Robinson
Polar Bear waving ba-bye picture source
Spring flowers picture source

Words for the Soul~March 19~Your Dreams

Please do not let anyone who has
Made Excuses
or
Crafted Rationalizations
with
Eloquent Justifications
for not pursuing their dreams

Talk you out of going after yours

:)

Other Words for the Soul

Picture First Seen Here

A Word from The Sponsor~March 18

so that you may live a life worthy of the Lord and please him in every way: bearing fruit in every good work, growing in the knowledge of God, ~Colossians 1:10

and

But if from there you seek the Lord your God, you will find Him if you look for Him with all your heart and with all your soul. ~Deuteronomy 4:29

More Words from The Sponsor

This Weekend~Easy Weekend Activity II~Harvest Clover!

Clover is the essence of hope.

Find it, Embrace It, Draw it boldly on paper if you must, but hug and harvest some clover this weekend!

If you find it, will you return here and share?

More information on clovers

Other Weekend Activities

This Weekend~Easy Weekend Activity I~Be Your Own Blarney Stone!!

This Weekend: Be Your Own Blarney Stone!

Legend says that anyone who kisses the Blarney Stone of Ireland will be blessed with eloquent words of flattery. Old tales  further hint that the original Blarney Stone was taken from Blarney Castle and traveled to Scotland.

Or did it?  There is a stone fragment on display at Texas Tech University in Lubbock, Texas claiming to be part of the original Blarney Stone. Perhaps it migrated and traveled to you! You never know!

Or perhaps you embody the Blarney Stone’s good cheer. Be your own Blarney Stone this weekend!

Blow a kiss to yourself! Take a little time this weekend to wear some green and say some flatteringly eloquent words to yourself. Perhaps eat some Blarney Stone cookies, or chocolate kisses, or even Lucky Charms cereal. You are your own best leprechaun   

 

Click here for a Recipe for Blarney Stone-KISSed Cookies

 

 

 

Blarney Stone Picture Link

 

Other Weekend Activities

Mid-Week Question to Consider~Needs

What need do you have today that only God’s love can fill?

Taking Off From LGA, Photo by Helen Teague

God is Love…………Call upon His name.
1 John 4:7,17 ……..1 Chronicles 16:8

Other Questions to Consider

Words for the Soul~March 12

Source: facebook.com via Sherilee on Pinterest

Other Words of the Soul

A Word from The Sponsor~March 11

Lord, please light my way along Your path

so that all I do leads me toward the

destination You have in mind.
~Psalm 18:35, Psalm 109:105

Additional Words from The Sponsor

Picture by Eloise Renouf @ her Etsy Store
first seen @

Saturday Digest~March 10

A couple of poems from this rainy Saturday

~Love this poem about being different. “Some lies are told to us and some are in our heads” Click here

~I just caught my breath when I read these words of poetry…Click here

~Jean wonders if she is crazy. Well, I love Jean’s kind of crazy and if Jean she is crazy, let’s all join her on her next adventure!  Click here

~ Soul-searching post featuring 3 reasons you’re neglecting yourself and how to start changing that

Video of the Week: The Best Way Out Is Always Through

View this inspiring movie from Simple Truths called The Best Way Out Is Always Through
Remember to set your clocks an hour later tonight. :)

Picture Source 

 

This Weekend~Easy Weekend Activity~Twinkle

This first weekend in March, on the transition between winter and spring, just do one subtle, gentle thing for yourself, unnoticed and unknown to anyone else. No big splashes, just one solitary minute in praise, prayers, breathing, gratitude, dreaming, shining, creating…twinkling !

I am going to dip some blossom petals in glitter…what are you going to do?

Picture Source

Getting Over a Criticizing Experience

The need to criticize simply belies a longing for recognition,
appreciation, and validation.
None of which, however, can be obtained through criticism.
~Mike Dooley

Mid-Week Question to Consider~Speak Easy

My internal sermons on criticism became louder when i began to consider the sometimes my most consistent critic has been myself.

I am going to fire my inner critic. Wanna fire yours too?

~~~

Other Questions to Consider

Read this only if you are thin-skinned

This post is for anyone with thin-skin.

Please Read this post only if you have thin-skin. If you feel deeply the unkind words and actions of others…if you have received criticism through angry words, callous actions, insidious gossip, careless jokes, please continue reading.

Disclaimer: This post is written by someone with thin-skin. It is for those with thin-skin.

If you are a thick-skinned, “take no prisoners”, kick-fanny-and-take-names kinda person, kindly click away. There is exciting content just for you on other pages and blogs.

Ok…are we alone now? <Looking over shoulder>.

Here is something i want you to know when you are in the midst of another’s criticism storm…

You are not alone. I want to wrap you in a hoodie of grace to weather criticism’s storm.
As you feel the insulation of this hoodie I want you to feel insulated in His love.

And here is something else i am learning as well…

~Some advocate running away from criticizers. But, running away leaves the possibility for being caught.
~Some advocate arguing with the accuser. But when pots and kettles clang and clamor, then peace is lost. We are unmatched in the meanness arena.
~Some advocate envisioning a wall of protection, but what is walled-in and contained is difficult to share. And those who accuse and criticize are swirling in a poison chaos. They need what you have to share. Desperately. But from a distance, perhaps.

Every criticism, judgment, diagnosis, and expression of anger is the tragic expression of an unmet need. ~Marshall Rosenberg

I saw this quote from Marshall Rosenberg at Amanda Oaks’ kindness portal  and it zipped the hoodie of grace snugly around me.

When in the storm of criticizing, i learned to count

and Because of Grace…
The tally of letter i’s grew.
And there was absolutely no u’s to view.
It is about them and not you.
Or me.
Does it help to know you are not alone?
Does this help at all to heal from the pain?