Attitude....

I posted this photo yesterday on Facebook. This is my Gideon. He is the picture of a GREAT attitude. He is always cheerful. He could make a curmudgeon smile. He is my happy happy dose of furry fun every day. Love him to pieces. I can learn from him.

In this life, with all it's ups and downs on the journey, it is of GREAT value to have the CHOICE of your attitude each day. Yes. It IS a choice. You get to decide what you want to carry around with you in your heart and mind for this day. What will your OUTLOOK be? YOU have control of that. Circumstances can affect your schedule, your health, your relationships, your activities....but....YOU absolutely have the Say-So about HOW you will THINK and ADAPT and DEAL with the day's serving of "life".

And...don't forget that HOW you are acting or REacting...will absolutely have impact on those around you!



What will YOU choose today?

ATTITUDE
by: Charles Swindoll

The longer I live, the more I realize the impact of attitude on life.

Attitude, to me, is more important than facts. It is more important than the past, than education, than money, than circumstances, than failures, than successes, than what other people think or say or do. It is more important than appearance, giftedness or skill. It will make or break a company... a church... a home.

The remarkable thing is we have a choice every day regarding the attitude we will embrace for that day. We cannot change our past... we cannot change the fact that people will act in a certain way. We cannot change the inevitable. The only thing we can do is play on the one string we have, and that is our attitude... I am convinced that life is 10% what happens to me and 90% how I react to it.

And so it is with you... we are in charge of our attitudes.

How about it? Even if you get down to just that "One String"...play a tune with a beat that will get your heart dancing again.



Choose to LIVE with strength, gratitude, and hope. It sure beats the alternative of being down and depressed and dejected!! And you may just rub off on someone else who needs it worse than you.

{{Hugs}} to all my bloggy sisters.


God Bless you Justin.. WE LOVE YOU!!! Godspeed to the 24th MEU!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Returning!... and It's the Christmas season!!

I have been away for a while...for many reasons. I chose to impose my own



But I am coming back to test the waters again. The desktop computer beast is still WAY too slow, but that is the way it is...for now. Lap Top plans for 2013.

I have some things to share from my recent health challenges that may be helpful to some other gals out there, and will do that with several posts. For now, I shall just get right back in to the swing of things.

It is the Christmas celebration season! Two years ago after my mama's passing on Thanksgiving, and Kurt being in Iowa with the new job, I just could not, hard as I tried ...muster up the desire to decorate for the season. For the rest of those in the house, I finally put up the small 4 foot artificial green tree before Christmas Eve. Last year, being apart from the rest of our family for the first time, and Kam being quite ill I once again just put out minimal decor. This year I am committed to doing BETTER!

I've only added a few things here or there to put the "spirit" in our nest, (as we still have pending plans based on our Marine's homecoming status from his deployment) Everything is on standby, or shall we say we are in a "holding pattern" until further informed. Semper Gumby.


The 6 foot white tree is in the living room, and has the sweetest birds added to it this year.


The little wide eyed owls are my FAVORITE!


This tree does not have a manly top branch to hold up a topper of any weight whatsoever...so this frosted pear is doing duty for that special role.


On the settee is a framed stocking that was handmade by Kurt's aunt and mama. *(made from....his mama's wedding gown!)


detailed shot...so pretty and sentimental.


The LR mantel only had some mini trees, small pears, a few balls, and gold deer added to dress it up for Christmas


The family room mantel I only added a small evergreen tree and some red berries...that's it!


And here's the faithful little Charlie Brown tree.


In the guest bath...one small jeweled tree and a candle ring. *decorated in 10 seconds. :-)


The entry hall...one father Christmas.

OUTSIDE


This year, for the front door, I used my swag, but for something different, I chose to hang a framed print (an Old World Santa and Elves wooded scene)


To the left of the doorway, a very old and worn sled with a threadbare scarf of Kurt's gracing the runners. :-)


To the right of the door, my child-size red rocker with the Ice skates that suitably fit these cold days here in Iowa.

And so I will end my annual Christmas Nest post...a little long, but it feels good to be back posting and typing here in my E-journal of life in the Smith Nest.

As I touched on earlier, my Marine was returning from his 8 month deployment with a MEU (partnering with Navy sailors on ships) and right after they hit the Atlantic they were ordered to turn around and go back to sit tight in the Mediterranean right near Israel...and there they remain...on standby. It is hard here at home, but it is what they do. It is their job. Willing, Ready and Waiting to do whatever is necessary if they are needed to assist American citizens in that part of the world. God bless them, every one. God protect ALL our military heroes...and especially bless them when they are away from home and family over the holidays.


God BLESS you Justin. We LOVE you beyond measure...and can't WAIT to see you again.

To any popping in here - who happen to see that I POSTED AGAIN...(miracles do happen) :-p thank you for visiting, and many blessings of joy and God's grace in this special season to celebrate the best gift in all the world. His SON. Emmanuel. God with us.

Thursday Thoughts and Ponderings

My love of the color BLUE never dwindles. It will remain my favorite for all time.

It is the color of a beautiful "Carolina Blue" sky...

"Oak Island Lighthouse", North Carolina

refreshing and cool bodies of water...

Looking upstream on the Ohio River from Elizabethtown, Illinois

Rock of Gibraltar (where Justin passed by not too long ago)

brilliant shades of rocks and gemstones...

Turquoise

Sapphire

Aquamarine

But my FAVORITE blues pop up around MY NEST!!

the ever changing shades of blue and grey in the eyes of Da Man...


the "look" of all my macho guys in blue jeans...


My FAVORITE GIRL with blue!! hmmm....does she take after her mom??????!!!!!


the awesome sight of Dress Blues of the USMC....


the inspiring Blue in Old Glory ...


The pairing of my favored *blue and white* still catches my eye every day in every way, and remains a Top "LIKE" when feathering...


sweet stitching on a case for a baby pillow.


beautiful and peaceful rendering of Mary and the Christ child...


a nesting theme blue and white ware ~ Birdhouse lantern.


And a forever beloved childhood favorite...Beatrice Potter's PETER RABBIT. Love the story of this bunny and his little blue jacket. I came across this adorable little ceramic PETER basket at a place where I consign my things here in CR. *HAD to get it because it went with my " most favorite" clock in the house.



**{{Children's stories today aren't what they used to be like!!! I adore the Tales written by this author, and had the video collection for my kids (and me) to watch over and over.}}

A rambling post for sure on this Thursday in July..."thoughts and ponderings" shared across the web...

Blessings to ALL my blog sisters in this Big Wide E-world.


We LOVE you Justin... God BLESS you and PROTECT you.
Thank you for your commitment. Semper Fi to the 24th MEU! STAY STRONG!

T*R*U*S*T along the way...

Have there ever been times in your life where you felt you were unable to see what was out in front of you??

None of us has a Crystal Ball that we can look at and see glimpses of the future...



Or a "Mirror of Galadriel" where we can peer into magical water and have a view of what might come...



NO...

Life is a Journey...I find myself saying this many many times in this blog...a recurring theme. In almost 52 years of life, and 30 years of marriage, there have been times of enlightenment where the way to go was very clear, and times of darkness...where we couldn't even see two steps in front of us.

There are days in the journey where it feels like a tunnel and you are looking for the Light at the other end...


And sometimes the moment can feel like a cave of twisting and turning paths, and you aren't sure WHICH way to go, and all you have is a little bit of a candlelight to show the next step in front of you...



At these times doesn't our first prayer always seem to be GOD! Give me a SPOTLIGHT!!!!



Oh but it is GOOD that God does not answer our every whim and wish!! Just think. If He did...we would not pull in close and increase our dependence on Him...for HIS way and HIS path. Waiting on His timeline - which is perfect.

When we want to strike out on our own and try to MAKE things happen, we bungle up the perfect timing God already knows needs to take place.

Those of us who TRUST Him for HIS care over our journey here...learn...after many bumps and hurdles, and roadblocks, that EVERY thing is for a purpose. EVERYTHING. When seemingly bad things or HARD things occur....it is not God's PUNISHMENT....goodness no.

It is God's PROVIDENCE...



God is ALWAYS working...in MY life...in YOUR life...and some circumstances and pathways are not ALWAYS just about ME or YOU!! God uses moments in the journey that ripple out and touch many lives EVEN WHILE HE is working in my steps and your steps...and that takes time...

And...in the MEANTIME...we have a chance to grow in our FAITH journey...learning one more time to TRUST the ONE who knows everything about our lives. From the first breath we draw...to the last. Waiting on HIM.

"I will lead the blind by ways they have not known, along unfamiliar paths I will guide them; I will turn the darkness into light before them and make the rough places smooth. These are the things I will do; I will not forsake them"~ Isaiah 42:16

"Yet the Lord longs to be gracious to you; therefore he will rise up to show you compassion.
For the Lord is a God of justice. Blessed are all who wait for him!... Whether you turn to the right or to the left, your ears will hear a voice behind you, saying, 'This is the way; walk in it."” Isaiah 30:18, 21

Indeed...Life is a journey. Today I am simply posting what is on my heart...God is Good. He is THE ONE to whom we can turn to when we are unsure....wanting light...needing reassurance. God desires with all His heart for us to TRUST. To reach out and GRASP His hand and let the One who KNOWS the way....LEAD.



Life is about Waiting. While we Wait...we can choose.

Trust .....or..... Angst.

I choose to Trust the one who has a Father's love and my best interests in His heart.

What would You choose?

An entry for my "heart journal".





God bless all my BLOGGY sisters this day. HUGS sent out across the e-world.


We LOVE you Justin...God BLESS you...wherever your boots take you... xo

Tuesday's Treasures

The best thing about the future is that it comes only one day at a time. ~Abraham Lincoln




In this HOT summertime, often we begin to long for the Autumn changes...the drops in temperatures...the brilliant colors of the Fall foliage...



Summer is not even halfway through her seasonal journey and we hear the wishing for Fall to hurry up and get here.

Like a child longing for Christmas and it's treats



before Halloween and Thanksgiving have even closed their doors....



GIDEON wanted me to write a post today about "ENJOYING the PRESENT". He said that people should be more like dogs, and fully live in the moment...



Take the days you have now and find the GOOD in them...Smell the summer flowers while they are here...



Relish the FRESH produce that only thrives in the HOT climate of summer days...



Appreciate the beauty of a tree with it's sap running FULL THROTTLE and in it's glory fully clothed in Green and Blooms....



Take in the BRIGHT colors of Mother Nature's best art galleries that it took ALL of Spring to bring out...Candy Store displays before your eyes...coming right out of the earth...

One of the most tragic things I know about human nature is that all of us tend to put off living. We are all dreaming of some magical rose garden over the horizon - instead of enjoying the roses that are blooming outside our windows today. ~Dale Carnegie

Don't wish her away TOO soon....



For when the colors begin to fade , and the leaves begin to wither, and Fall's golden shades begin to turn to gray and dull landscapes...



Will you find yourself wishing for Summer's Warm Sunny days ....to feel her solar heat soaking into your chilled bones from Old Man Winter's winds????



Beauty is in the eye of the Beholder.

Contentment is in the heart of the Grateful.

Gratitude is appreciating what you have....today...and finding the blessings and beauty of what is yours....in the present.


And so Gideon says to write that Fall will be here quite soon enough...Enjoy your summertime. The HOT days are simply a part of what makes Summer....SUMMER! :-)



And he is thinking of Justin today...Ooo-Rah Justin...Semper Fi!!!



We Love you Justin. God Bless you!!!!

Hugs to all my bloggy sisters. Have a Beautiful Summer Day. Have a Tall Glass of Icy SweetTea with some lemon...celebrating the season.



















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