My Friend Will Be Healed

The past 5 to 6 weeks have flown by, although sometimes in slow motion. Is that even possible? In one way I feel as though it was yesterday when I was sitting beside my friend and laughing about things we'd said or done in the past. In another way I feel as though months have gone by without me being present to what was happening around me in other areas of my life.

In the middle of the summer, my friend was diagnosed with advanced stages of pancreatic cancer. It had gone undetected for several years. Tests showed that it had spread to her liver. After conversations with several doctors, she made the decision not to chemotherapy or radiation treatments -- as they were not expected to rid her body of the cancer. We went for about 5-6 weeks celebrating the fact that her "numbers were down". Anyone who has walked this journey of a loved one fighting the dreaded C disease knows all about "numbers being up" and "numbers being down."

First Monday In Heaven

My "JoyDare" from
a few weeks back.

This morning I awoke with the thought... "Yep! This is her first Monday in Heaven!" Why my mind works like that is a mystery to me. But, it was how I greeted the day in my mind. And, the thought made me smile AND yet feel a little lost at the same time.

Today will be the first weekday in quite awhile that I won't be getting ready to drive over to my friends house to keep her company as she prepares to meet the Lord. She went to be in His arms early Saturday evening. Her diagnosis 5 months ago took us all by surprise. But, she didn't seem to skip a beat as she put everything in place for her passing. If this was her time to leave this earth in God's plan, she was okay with that. She didn't want to die. She'd leave a grieving husband & many grieving friends. But, she had a peace about whatever God's plan was. And, she wanted to

2014 November ONE THOUSAND GIFTS #JoyDare

NOVEMBER 2014 

One Thousand Gifts (by Ann Voskamp)

#1000Gifts #JoyDare

Buy book here...      

Buy Kindle edition here...

I took the 1,000 Gifts Dare for the year of 2012... continued in 2013... and 2014! 
GOD IS FULL OF BLESSINGS!

Today I find JOY in...

BONUS: my girls on Halloween:

11/1/14 Sat

3085. my leopard print homage
still on the kitchen floor from yesterday!

3086. NOTE TO SELF: Check the windchill factor before heading out to work

3087. leftovers from Halloween

11/2/14 Sun
stayed home from church while the rest of the family went

3088. quiet time with just me

3089. posted my October JoyDare post :D

3090. crunchy fall leaves & small slides

11/3/14 Mon

3091. my front yard - I mean REALLY - such beauty

3092. fresh greens for lunch from the garden

3093. making a dinner which would earn the approval of my mom

11/4/14 Tues

3094. voting & not getting a sticker...

oh, and then throwing up for

Give Thanks... In Everything??

I am thankful for friends, family,
faith, freedom, farmers, food
and so much more!

Recently, it seems like people in my community -- my family of friends -- are being reminded of the brevity & value of life itself. A 90-year old mentor & friend to many of us passed away over the weekend... on his 67th wedding anniversary. His battle with cancer was a fierce one. He left a grieving wife whose life has now taken a step into the unknown. 

A wonderful young mom didn't get the outcome, for which her heart cried, in a custody hearing a few weeks ago. Thanksgiving & Christmas won't be the same. The memories of past holidays will bring some comfort this year, as her prayers will plead for new memories to be made in the coming years with her precious children.

Just last night another dear friend learned the unexpected news

Recipe for ORANGE Protein Smoothie

Things in the garden are shutting down and, if left to my own devices, I would too. I'd get out all my winter jammies, wash them up again - so they'd smell super fresh, and never leave my house. But, that's another post...

I've said it before, I am experiencing major withdrawal pains over the prospect of not being able to run out to the garden to satisfy my fresh, organic fruit & veggie cravings! This past summer was an odd one living out-of-state for 8 weeks. I didn't realize how much I'd taken my fresh garden veggies for granted! I hate to see those days end.

The other day, I used my last two cucumbers in a

House Embarrassment

This morning I'm surrounded by clutter. Some of the clutter is clean laundry waiting to be folded & put away. Some of the clutter is the contents of a purse emptied while searching for the check book. And, then there's just the normal "clutter" hanging out on floors, furniture and counters: children's books, school papers, unopened mail, clean dishes to be put away & dirty dishes to be cleaned AND so much more!

The priorities in this season of life lately have been more important than keeping up with things around the house. And, I'm reminded of a "pairing" I did some time ago about an unclean house. I loved the quote.

"At the worst, A HOUSE UNKEPT cannot be so distressing as a life unlived." ~ Rose Macaulay

A few days ago a new friend (whom I met through the Nesting Place #write31days challenge) shared a post that reminded me of where my priorities should be in these weeks.

Please hop over & read this brief & insightful post from PlaidFuzz: "How to be Content in a Crappy House" 

And take a few minutes to check out Melissa at The World According to PlaidFuzz on Facebook and her page over at PlaidFuzz

THE stuckinindiana ADVICE FOR TODAY:

FOR ANY OUT THERE STRESSING ABOUT THE SMALL STUFF... 

Relax about some of the things which might be stressing you out today & focus your time and attention on the IMPORTANT things in life :)

Related posts:

• The Clutter of Life
• Messy Rooms
• Crazy Clutter

Confessions No. 1 - Theft

I started a post the other day about confessions & then a song wrecked me for the day and the post wasn't completed. Well, I'm thinking that it probably sounded incomplete to others. However, the writing experience was very cleansing for me. I'm hesitant to put that song on today as I write. It could all happen again.

SO on to...

Confession 1. I stole a candy bar from a hardware store in Hickory, NC when I was 6 years old.

Well, that might not sound all that bad to you. But, I need to start somewhere, right?

Confessions

I have a few confessions to make... to my friends... to my family... to my peers. It's not easy to know where to begin. And, confessions open you wide to the judgement & scrutiny of others - not just to the ones you expect to be a safe place. Confessing in my private conversations with the God I've chosen to honor & serve can be tough -- especially when I let my pride get in the way. However, confessing to a God whom I believe loves me unconditionally is nothing compared to openly sharing my confessions by writing them down on paper... actually putting them out on the internet through this little blog... where anyone can read them. Not only the ones who love & accept me can read them. But, the ones who don't really care for me all that much can also see them & possibly solidify their reasons for "not really liking her all that much". 

Count Your Blessings

Thanks to Debba of
Girlfriendology for the
plaque pictured above!

There are all sorts of "thankfulness" events floating around the internet & social media this time of year. As I write this, it's the 3rd of November... and, I'm trying to determine which ones & how many I should attempt in addition to my daily counting & recording of three gifts. I'm well into year 3 of doing that in response to the challenge given some years ago by Ann Voskamp. I just published my October "JoyDare" list of those yesterday. 

So far, for the month of November, I've chosen to participate in the #OurThankful30 challenge on Instagram issued by Courtney of Click It Up A Notch and Kim of Shutter Bag. I'm also posting those photos daily to my Facebook Page album, "November 2014 #ourthankful30". To get information on how to participate in this same challenge, click this link (from Click It Up A Notch). 

If photography is one of your favorite things (like me), I invite you to find a way to share a photo blessing each day of November whether it be through social media or other ways. Here are a few ideas

2014 October ONE THOUSAND GIFTS #JoyDare

OCTOBER 2014 

One Thousand Gifts (by Ann Voskamp)

#1000Gifts #JoyDare


Buy book here...      

Buy Kindle edition here...

I took the 1,000 Gifts Dare for the year of 2012...
I continued in 2013... & 2014! GOD IS FULL OF BLESSINGS!

Today I find JOY in...

10/1/14 Wed

2992. early morning writing

I accepted the #write31days challenge from the Nester

2993. lunch w/a former babysitter of the kids - now the mother of 2 adorable little girls

2994. sunset in my backyard :)

10/2/14 Thurs

2995. wandering outside in jammies