Brave Girls Club and my Birdie

So excited that my little birdie painting

"Young At Heart" was

featured today on

one the Brave Girls Club

  "A Little Bird Told Me" daily encouragements.

Brave Girls Club was founded by two wonderful  women,

artist, Melody Ross and her sister, Kathy Wilkins.

You can sign up for yourself to receive these 

motivating and encouraging words here.

Or click on this button below and it takes you 

directly to the sign up page.

 Here is an example of the daily email  from
 the Brave Girls Club. 

♥♥♥♥♥♥

Dear Blessed Girl,

There is enough for everyone. If we have what you need, and if we work hard for what you want, this absolutely does not take away the ability or opportunity for others to do the same.

There is plenty of goodness for everyone to be surrounded by it. There is plenty of money to go around in the world. There is plenty of love for everyone to be bathed in it. Sometimes it is somewhere different than where we are looking, but there is always always always enough...more than enough!

PLEASE, wonderful friend, PLEASE do not let yourself get tricked into the idea that if your dreams are coming true, or that your life is good, or that you have found peace....that it means that you took that opportunity away from someone else.

AND PLEASE do not let yourself EVER believe that because someone else is living the kind of life that you want to live, that “those kinds of lives” are all taken up....it just is not so! There is enough for you, too.

We all have our own paths to take to find what we are seeking. We are all meant to seek for different things! Just be who YOU are and let others be who they are. Cheer each other on. Support each other....remind each other that there’s plenty to go around.

Life is so good...and you are so loved.
xoxo

♥♥♥♥♥♥   ♥♥♥♥♥♥   ♥♥♥♥♥♥

Hope you all have a
 "young at heart day"

and do something child like.

That means a lot of laughing going on
and maybe even kicking up your heels!!

Big Hugs,

Walking on through

Just came home
from taking a much needed

walk out in nature!  

(the old covered bridge is on my walking path by the river) 

The trees provided wonderful shade

as I walked the pretty and peaceful  path through them.

“Trees are the earth's endless effort

 to speak to the listening heaven.” 

Rabindranath Tagore, Fireflies, 1928

Have you ever thought about how

much we are like trees?  

Like the way we have to go through seasons

in our lives along with

 having to give up or let go of our leaves,

(things that we are comfortable with or love)

so to make room for new growth when

the new season arrives.

Sometimes I think it takes a 

mighty strong wind 

to loosen 

those leaves before they will drop.

Just like when God has too bring along

something strong to get us to loosen our grip.

I could go on and on about the many 

times it took a very strong wind 

to loosen my leaves.

I guess I hold on a little too tight sometimes!

"All good things on earth

are to be enjoyed, but holding

them loosely works best-

for where your treasure is,

there your heart

will be also."

Kay Rader

One of those windy seasons

( yes, I have many more than one)

was the beginning of the empty nest time for me.

That was about 7 years ago,

so I'm through it now,

but at the time, I felt like my trunk had just been hit

with a tornado!!! 

God had so much more planned for me, 

but I had to let go

to find what new step, what new song,

he had planned ahead.
And an even greater thing to look forward too is
the BEST is yet to come!

How about you? 

Do you hold on extra tightly to anything?

"Blessed are those who trust in the Lord.

They are like trees planted along a 

riverbank, with roots that reach deep into

the water.  Such trees are not bothered by the 

heat or worried by long months of drought.

There leaves stay green, and they go right on 

producing delicious fruit."

Jeremiah 17:7-8 (NLT)

I have had a special

love for trees ever since I was a  little girl.

I was in 6th grade

when my siblings and I went to live

with our grandparents.

They had just built a beautiful brick ranch home that

sat in the middle of many old and very tall oak trees.

I remember being so thankful every morning,

for a secure and happy place to live,

as I looked out

of my bedroom window and saw 

the
beautiful tall trees blowing in the wind. 
They were always there, through the storms, in
all of the changes through the seasons.
They remained secure and growing 
as they reached up to the top of the
sky to see the sun (SON).
Just as I learned to do at that age,
as I followed their example
and looked to the SON, my Savior, my creator
and loving Heavenly Father.

To this day, walking through the trees
makes me feel as though
I could touch God as if he were right there painting
a masterpiece and a word picture just for me.

If you are right in the middle of having to
loosen your  grip and let go
of something, or fearing the possibility 
of having to let go in the future, 
remember you are not alone. 
God has a new song, a new season planned
just for you... It may be scary now, not knowing 
what is ahead, but you can trust that 
His plans for you are good. 
 We will never know His Best if we don't let go.

You are always invited to come over and 
sit under the shade tree with me. 

I'll even make some sweet tea we can share.

I'm a much braver girl when I have 
a friend beside me.

Hugs,

Some wonderful words that encouraged me from
Brenda Waggoner 
author of  the book, "Fairy Tale Faith"

"Perhaps it takes some years of walking with 

God to learn to relax in his presence,

to realize that he's there even when

he seems absent and that he's not put off 

when we get distracted from him or go

to sleep in his lap. 

He isn't even shocked at our worst

foibles and follies, though we often are."

I Didn't Fly Away!

I bet you all
thought I flew the coup!!!

Life this summer so far has just been a whirlwind
and it seems and I had to take a little break from blogging.

Just got back last week from a visit with my 

daughter and family in Pennsylvania. 

Hubby couldn't go this time so......

I made the 9 hour drive, one way all by my lonesome.

Giving out those grandma kisses and hugs and 

spending time with my oldest daughter

is always a heart's treat for me and

worth the long trip.

I couldn't believe how well these two sweeties
could sing the song
"The Lion Sleeps Tonight".
  It was adorable
and on key and even some harmony going on.
They especially liked and sang boldly the
" Ee-e-e-um-um-a-weh" 
part of the song.

...then I saw why they are so good at singing this song
with the motions and all.....
MOMMY
sings and dances it with them.
We had a real live music jam session
at the breakfast table just before I had to leave for home.
I played the drums via the table tapping!
Smiled all the way back home
every time I remembered this music session
and even still catch myself humming this tune.

It means so much to me
how some of you have stopped by to tell me
that you've  missed me.
Thank Y♥U
Being told you are missed
is like getting a beautifully hand written
 "just for me"  sweet note in the mail with a hug attached.
I cherish you ~ I hope you know that.

 "Friends are those with whom

 we feel comfortable enough to

  'think out loud’.”

       Sondra

I'm learning that the best ME

that I can be

is "ME"

and I hope that

YOU are learning the best YOU

that you can be is  YOU.

I love the real YOU

On Becoming Real from the book
"The Velveteen Rabbit"
by Margery Williams

"It doesn't happen all at once," said the Skin Horse. "You become. It takes a long time. That's why it doesn't happen often to people who break easily, or have sharp edges, or who have to be carefully kept. Generally, by the time you are Real, most of your hair has been loved off, and your eyes drop out and you get loose in the joints and very shabby. But these things don't matter at all, because once you are Real, you can't be ugly, except to people who don't understand."