The Choice Belongs to YOU!

Writing today with the Tuesday at Ten group on the prompt word... CHOICE

Are there any other parents out there who feel like they said this a thousand times to their children... "LIFE IS NOT FAIR!" When one child complained that it wasn't fair that the other got to attend a special concert that they couldn't... we tried to explain that things in life can't seem "EVEN" and often don't seem "FAIR". When one child got on a team or into a group that the other didn't... we had to try to help them see that sometimes things happen in a way that we totally do not expect.  We told both, "We must take what happens in our life and make the best of our life."  We don't always get

I am... KNOWN

Writing prompt for Tuesday at Ten (week of 3/1 - 3/7/16) is "I am..."

This post is based upon my #JoyDare No. 4400 from February 14th of 2016.

The LOML & I have been friends for nearly

WHEN... When You're NOT So Lovable...

Linking up with the Tuesday at Ten Writing group for the week of Feb 9-15... The writing prompt... WHEN

Have you gotten to the age yet where you look back at yourself in your younger days & wonder, "Why did anyone love me? I was not very lovable back then!" Honestly, there were times when I tried not to be lovable. I wanted to distance myself from others and feed the voice inside that said I was unworthy of love.

Part of youth and part of maturing involves making a lot of mistakes... some by omission and some by co-mission. While we are making those mistakes and poor choices, we are watching others around us make their own. The trick is to

Patience Brings Sweet Fruit

One of my favorite hobbies (if you can call it that) is finding thought-provoking words & pairing them up with a picture I've taken or a picture one of our stuckinindiana family members has done. I recently came across a quote by Aristotle & immediately knew which photo I'd use. 

"Patience is bitter, but its fruit is sweet." ~ Aristotle #quote

A Moment I Will Never Forget...

If YOU were asked to describe a moment that you would NEVER forget, WHAT WOULD IT BE? You know, never is a LONG time. I've had quite a few awesome "moments" in my life. But, of all the things that ever happened to me, I'd have to say that one Sunday... a few minutes after noon... as the sun broke through the clouds & warmed my back through the family room window... would be the moment.

It all began with a dream I had when I was 4 or 5.

Our Chautauqua Adventure - Journal Entry July 8

Posting this from a journal entry written the summer of 2014.... because I FIND JOY IN... looking back on tough times & seeing God's faithfulness through the entire experience...

A day in the life of our Chautauqua Adventure - Summer of 2014 - July 8  (all pics from 7-8-14)

There are openings here in CHQ throughout the remainder of the summer -- EXCEPT that one week. Ken Burns will be here that week. If you can come any other time than Week 7 there should be no problem finding housing :) We are just in the beginning of Week 4.

Broken Things -- All Around

I'm not even certain when it began. Perhaps the problem was visible all those years ago and we didn't notice. Or maybe we DID notice it... but, failed to give it the attention needed. That's the most likely scenario. How often in our lives do we miss the obvious? How often do we neglect something until it's beyond repair?

If I were to read the above words at the beginning of a post, my mind would immediately form these questions:

• Is this post about a failing relationship?
• I wonder what happened?
• I wonder how serious this is??
• What did they do?
• Regardless of the above... I'm sure this is NOT a mistake I've made or would ever make!

Tuesday at Ten - Someday I Will...

A sentence beginning with "Someday I will..." would have been finished in many ways at various stages of my life.

 

As a young child, I would have said,
          "Someday I will... have a pony & live on a farm." 

At a very awkward stage, I would have said,
          "Someday I will... be beautiful & not ugly and skinny."

As I grew older, I would have said,
          "Someday I will... live in the Biltmore Estate!"

My sophomore year in college, I would have said,
          "Someday I will... not be so fat and won't complain about being thin."

 

After being dumped by a guy I really thought was my soul mate, I would have said,
          "Someday I will... BE LOVED!

 

I wish I could say that I "got it" immediately following college. But, I didn't. I wasn't even at that point 10 years ago. Thankfully, at some point as the years passed, I got less and less concerned with "someday" and more and more concerned with "this moment" -- right now. I was looking ahead so intently that I often missed the blessings of the moment I was occupying. I've learned the lesson that SOMEDAY will take care of itself if you give full attention to NOW. 

Linking up with... Tuesday at Ten

 http://i1.wp.com/www.findingthegracewithin.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/01/JPEG-image-2CCA02FF19CA-11.jpeg

How Many SIGNS Do You Need to See?

Linking this week with Tuesday at Ten... the writing prompt phrase for the week: "If only..."

So, today I write about "If only... I had paid attention to all the SIGNS..."

One of my "recent passions" is administrating a "PAGE" on Facebook called When You're STUCKinindiana. Why such a passion at this time in my life? I HAVE NO IDEA. But, it seems to be something that I can't resist :) I believe that everything is for a season. And, I have no idea how long this season will last. As much as I'm enjoying it & feeling fulfilled by it at this time, I'm confident it will end at some point. But right now, I'm focused on sharing life with others through that page... by way of pairing up some of my photos with quotes, sayings, lyrics, etc. for the purpose of relating to, encouraging, inspiring, and affirming others.

When I find a quote or saying (or someone else's original post) that I like, I save it in a file. When someone sends me a favorite quote, I save it in a file. When I write a blog post and a certain "thought" stands out to me, I save it in a file. I pair these up with one of my photos & save them to post at a later date.

In looking back at my life, I noticed that there were a LOT of "signs" that I ignored as I rushed along from one thing to another. I began keeping a list several years ago of things which should have made me STOP to think before I proceeded. If you're interested in seeing that list as it's posted, check out the When You're STUCKinindiana Facebook page & watch for them to post. I'll organize them in an album as I post them too :)

So, how many signs do YOU need to see before you STOP and think before proceeding? Sometimes it's more than I want to admit.

Tuesday at Ten... I Often Wonder...

I often wonder what the world will be like in 25 years... 50 years...100 years... after I've gone to re-unite with loved ones already gone from this earth. Technology seems to be advancing so rapidly. You can't go anywhere now without seeing someone on a smart phone or someone taking a "selfie". The phrase "family values" has changed quite a bit since I was raised back in the day of the wood paneled station wagons with the "back window seat well". There seems to be less & less personal communication and more & more communication via technology (texts, Facebook messages, voice memos, etc). It seems as though "being politically correct" is required for individuals & businesses to be accepted. But, the definition of what's acceptable is becoming increasingly difficult.

A true statement from the beginning of time until now is that "times, they changing!"