Hello to you. How is your today? I hope this finds you doing well and if not, if you are having a rough time mentally, physically and or spiritually I want you to know your not alone. Whether it be good times or difficult times….things will change. With our personal power of perception we are empowered to influence the direction of that change.
I have said and heard other people say “I feel so alone!” This morning I am reminded that No matter how it feels sometimes, I’m not alone. God doesn’t just see through human eyes but through all creation. For example the other day I was walking Link and felt like I was being watched. I look up and there was a dove on a power line looking at me. Lots of birds, small animals, dogs, cats….flies, bees and wasps! Let’s not forget trees and plants that don’t have eyes in the way we do but they do sense and emit energy like that of feelings. It’s in all this, even the sun, moon, clouds and gentle winds! The drops of rain that fall….each drop full of life. If you start to experience life from an energy perspective, to me one of the universal languages of God and creation, you quickly will realize you are never alone. In some way, some how, God is always letting you know this. Least that’s how it is for me!
I wanted to share a couple things today for those experiencing pain in all it’s forms. I’ve been listening to this and though it’s short, it really helps. This is just one of a bunch of these I have found – if you enjoy Bible scripture they have those too on the Abide channel on You tube:
Something that I often see that’s missing is Hope – hope in God can help fill the voids in spirit
Again Link and I were able to get out in the neighborhood real slow and these are some of what we saw….God through so much beauty taking away pain and loneliness. Another thing is sharing with my parents and others who can’t get out much some beauty:
My neighbor a couple doors down has been busy! Looks so good! This tree is literally a birdie high rise apartment! I stand, listen and watch and so many little birds love this tree! I saw these lovely hydrangeas across the street and just had to take a look! This picture doesn’t quite do justice to what my eyes were seeing. The light was just right on the flowers. Hello sun! After walk happy Link face “I’m literally pooped out Mom!” Poofy clouds and afternoon sunlightI had been God to see orange flowers and these are close. I’m wondering if there are any orange wild flowers that grow hereIt’s hard to tell from this picture but I was trying to show you three different wild grasses growing in the same spotWe had to go over and see this purple princess! So much going on in just one pine cone: You can grow pine trees using seed in pine cone scales that are harvested from female cones. Female pine cones are considerably larger than their male counterparts. Mature pine cones are woody and brown in appearance. One cone produces about two seeds beneath each scale.Jul 26, 2021A view of all things, Arbor street. As a tree lover, I think that’s a cool name for a street!
I will remind myself that God makes no junk each time I doubt my value to those around me. – A Woman’s Spirit –
Hello to you. How are you today? I’m writing to you from my bed. My lower body is still not happy with me. Mornings are the toughest part of the day but through the course of the day things loosen and warm up. Yesterday was a really good day. The gravel install went really well and the men did a wonderful job. I’m so grateful to them. Such hard working people that I could even hear whistling as they worked! Doing that kind of work has to take a toll on the body. I prayed for them and their bodies.
This will make things a lot easier for me! My neighbors thought the crew did a great job too. My neighbor works 40-60 hrs a week and has a child. She doesn’t have much free time or energy for yard maintenance. She’s thinking about having these guys fix her yard too. With drought conditions also it’s a good move. These words really resonated thinking specifically about the men working here yesterday and others I see splashed over headlines. Generated a question as I observe much of the world and what it’s going through – who do you work for? Who is your boss? Ultimately who do you answer to with the work and other things you do? For me, God is my boss. God gets the glory not me.
Yesterday my cousin and I got a chance to talk on the phone and she mentioned my other cousins husbands mom had a stroke. My cousin and I are about the same age (50’s) and we are noticing that there is a whole generation of people, for us in their 70’s that are going through a lot of “body stuff” all at once. I felt sad when I heard about Naomi Judd and her battle with and ultimately succumbing to mental health issues. She was in her 70’s. I know from my own journey that mental health can be a potentially fatal condition. Suicide being the big part of it. What happens with our mind affects our entire existence. What I see in the news about all this doesn’t talk about what I see in the dis-eases of the mind and body. For all the proclamations of faith we are a very sick country spiritually. You can’t put tangibles…things of a material world in the soul. That space is just for God. All the pills, self help modalities, treatments and spa days in the world aren’t going to help a broken soul. This is what I have had to learn and relearn for most of my life.
Millions of Americans struggled with their mental health well before COVID-19, but the pandemic hasn’t made shouldering mental illness any easier – an issue brought to light over the weekend after the death of country music star Naomi Judd.
Who is your boss? Do you even really know? When I was in the military I had a boss all the way to the President! A lot of different people telling me, ordering, what to do each day. Through all the voices, expectations and demands I had to understand that ultimately I answer to God. When all is said and done in this life no one here on earth is going to matter to you. Who are you allowing to feed your soul?
Time for a walk, Link and I have been going even if it hurts! We just go really slow!
Another princess….Purples I looked this up and I think it’s going to be an Iris! This place gives me a rest – love the running waterSo vibrant! Had to stop and admire this! One of these walks I’m going to remember to bring money so I can try food from this little food truck!Hello sun! Doesn’t the sun look huge lol?! These are shops when we take the longer walk – pizza, tanning and s laundromat This is a musician I spent time listening to yesterday – mentioned him here before – Astravert aka Justin Carter. I realized yesterday when he smiles he reminds me of my younger dad when he would smile and laugh! He’s back in Omaha Nebraska with his parents for a couple months to save money. Some times trying to live off of A Twitch salary is rough! Watch https://twitch.tv/astravert with me on Twitch! astravert
I was exploring yesterday. I had been hearing an instrument in some music lately and discovered it was the Tanpura! You can really sing with this instrument – so soothing! It’s a very distinctive sound in music from India:
Hello to you. How are you today? I’m feeling better than yesterday or the day before. Today is a new day and I’m grateful for it. Something happened this morning that hasn’t happened for quite awhile – I cried. I was listening to the song I shared with you, Pray for Me by The Weeknd and I just felt the song really deep inside. There is a part of the song that made me think of Black Panther’s Wakanda – tribal. It made me think of sitting with Kyle and our friend Billy who had brought over the Black Panther movie so we could watch it together. I remember getting goosebumps watching it! Finally a new story being told with people of color starring in it! It’s one of my favorite Marvel movies. My thoughts touched on how sad it is Chadwick is not going to be in the next Black Panther movie….I suspect there will be a new king.
After all these thoughts and tears I found I felt less pain everywhere. I’ve been noticing how the pains in my body keep moving around. I’ll get relief in one part of my body only for a new part to start hurting! When I was doing Quantum Touch energy healing that phenomenon happened a lot. We would have to chase the pain around the body like it was a actual entity – a ghost needing to be sent to the light. Pain is a stubborn energy that like a bad renter can be difficult to evict! One of the ways to expel pain is through tears. Sometimes I think pain is a way for our body to seek attention from us. In our busy lives it’s really easy to take our bodies and the amazing….sometimes extremely complex things we ask of them for granted! I have been guilty of this at many points in my life.
Researchers have established that crying releases oxytocin and endogenous opioids, also known as endorphins.These feel-good chemicals help ease both physical and emotional pain.Mar 1, 2021
It doesn’t make you any less or weak when you let yourself feel things and shed tears
The walks yesterday:
I made myself go to church yesterday even though it hurt. There was an elderly woman there in a wheelchair…how then can I complain when I can walk? I was imagining my Aunt and Uncle filling these chairs. They are going through their own body stuff too! Leaving church….next it was going to get groceries! When you live alone everything is up to you. It won’t get done if you don’t do it. People offer to help but ultimately it ends up being your responsibility. Everybody has “stuff” going on! I love you This tree just captivated me every time I see it! Such a vibrant personality! One of the yard ornaments in a neighbors yard – it’s a spinning one Hello sun My eyes turned to the various wild grasses growing in the neighborhood. I had to touch them, so soft! Spring isn’t just about blooms! Yet another tree in the neighborhood being cut down. It always makes me sad as so many lives depend on just one tree. But I understand sometimes trees die or are causing a homeowner trouble like with the foundation. Some day….right now there are a lot of little Eden’s
Hello to you from here. How are you? I’m still really sore but I am in good spirits. Yesterday I wondered about finding dancing in the Bible. I have always loved to dance and to watch it done in all the various ways we do it. Early people expressed their love for God through dance and simple instruments from what I was able to find out. When I really find a song I like and dance to it, it feels like being connected to a divine energy- being close to God. Everything is warm, there is no time and the only limits are how deep the movements go. I’m not as limber as I once was lol! Especially lately. Do you like to dance or do you tell yourself you can’t? Sometimes I just dance with my hands! Just tapping your hand on your body or an object….sometimes I dance with my little Djembe drum lol.
The history of praise dance dates back to biblical times. The first mention of dance in the Bible is in the book of Exodus when Miriam, sister of Moses, took a tambourine and led the women of Israel into a dance after witnessing the parting of the Red Sea. They expressed joy and celebration in their dance after witnessing God’s great miracle on their behalf.
It was a bit rainy (yay!) yesterday so not so many pictures and that’s ok. On the second walk it was gently raining. Link got so wet and was not thrilled to get such a bath but I loved it. It had been awhile since I walked slowly while it was raining. The messages for me lately has been to slow down – as I keep saying, pain is a teacher. You learn yhd lessons or you continue to suffer!
It’s so much better to dance than to weepDaffodils A baby tree being so grown up! Thinking of all the people in my life and the world that are trying to heal and get well…survive day to day. God shows us in such beings like flowers the cycles of existence…there will be blooming times and times there are just bulbs to be planted – potential stored for better times and conditions. I had to acknowledge this beauty – I’m seeing a lot more of them. I wanted to get closer but I try to respect peoples property. There you are!
This morning as I’m still having back pain my thoughts turned to that special state you can get into where your body, time and existence are all synchronized….nothing hurts, there is no clock and your just completely absorbed in doing something what pleases every part of you. They call it the flow state:
Flow is a state of mind in which a person becomes fully immersed in an activity. Positive psychologist Mihály Csíkszentmihályi describes flow as a state of complete immersion in an activity. Being immersed can be defined as a state of focus in which a person is completely absorbed and engrossed in their work.
While in this mental flow state, people are highly involved and focused on what they are doing.
“The ego falls away. Time flies. Every action, movement, and thought follows inevitably from the previous one, like playing jazz. Your whole being is involved, and you’re using your skills to the utmost,” Csíkszentmihályi said in an interview with Wired magazine.1
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I find lately that I’m able to get into this state when I’m out exploring with Link and noticing the world around me. Taking pictures with my phone. What comes to mind again is Kairos time – for a moment operating in God’s time. I’m a car going on the best Sunday drives ever. I’m learning to cherish those moments when it feels like God makes the clock and pain disappear. Last night I found this song playing in my head again and so I decided to listen to it. I got goose bumps all over me. What a perfect song to play walking in the garden:
Each morning when I open my eyes is another day to be more in love with the one who made me. “I see you seeing me seeing you” This isn’t the greatest picture as cell phone cameras do have limits but I wanted to take a moment with this young tree as it begins to wake up. My neighbors up the street have been working so hard and this is some fruits of their labors. I think they did a great job! Do you remember the picture I took of Smokey all pooped out?! Link is tired but still smiles! I just love seeing what God is doing with the canvas of sky – ever changing as he stands stillThese tulips keep catching my eye. The owner of the yard has been doing some digging but these beauties remain in the seeming chaos around them. Can’t you almost hear Clair De Lune standing here? There is such glory in seeing a tree in the sunlight
The lyrics to this song speak of generations coming up behind me. Where is God in all this chaos every day? Do all I have is myself? From my own experience I know God is everywhere in my life but I can understand how young people can lose hope – think they have to get through all by themselves. This song also speaks of the fight Chadwick put up with his battle with colon cancer. Such a light extinguished way too soon:
I’m always ready for a war again (a war again) Go down that road again (that road again) It’s all the same (it’s all the same) I’m always ready to take a life again You know I’ll ride again It’s all the same (ooh, ooh, ooh)
Tell me who’s gon’ save me from myself When this life is all I know Tell me who’s gon’ save me from this hell Without you, I’m all alone
Who gon’ pray for me? (Who gon’ pray for me?) Take my pain for me? (Take my pain for me?) Save my soul for me? (Save my soul for me?) ‘Cause I’m alone, you see (I’m alone, you see) If I’m gon’ die for you (if I’m gon’ die for you ) If I’m gon’ kill for you (if I’m gon’ kill for you) Then I’ll spill this blood for you, hey
I fight the world, I fight you, I fight myself I fight God, just tell me how many burdens left I fight pain and hurricanes, today I wept I’m tryna fight back tears, flood on my doorsteps Life a livin’ hell, puddles of blood in the streets Shooters on top of the building, government aid ain’t relief Earthquake, the body drop, the ground breaks The poor run with smoke lungs and Scarface Who need a hero? (Hero) You need a hero, look in the mirror, there go your hero Who on the front lines at ground zero? (Hero) My heart don’t skip a beat, even when hard times bumps the needle Mass destruction and mass corruption The souls are sufferin’ men Clutchin’ on deaf ears again, rapture is comin’ It’s all prophecy and if I gotta be sacrificed for the greater good Then that’s what it gotta be
Who gon’ pray for me? (Who gon’ pray for me?) Take my pain for me? (Take my pain for me?) Save my soul for me? (Save my soul for me?) ‘Cause I’m alone, you see (I’m alone, you see) If I’m gon’ die for you (if I’m gon’ die for you ) If I’m gon’ kill for you (if I’m gon’ kill for you) Then I’ll spill this blood for you, hey
Hey, hey Hey, hey Hey, hey Hey, hey
Who gon’ pray for me? (Who gon’ pray for me?) Take my pain for me? (Take my pain for me?) Save my soul for me? (Save my soul for me?) ‘Cause I’m alone, you see (I’m alone, you see) If I’m gon’ die for you (if I’m gon’ die for you ) If I’m gon’ kill for you (if I’m gon’ kill for you) Then I’ll spill this blood for you, hey
Just in case my faith go I live by my own law I live by my own law I live by my own Just in case my faith go I live by my own law I live by my own law I live by my own
Hello to you. How are you today? I’m doing ok. Feeling grateful for the little rains we’ve been getting. What is amazing is when I go for walks with Link. Everywhere my eyes rest on beauty. This is what you get to experience getting out walking where you live.
Yesterday I found myself thinking that I’m living in a garden – God’s garden. So many different plants, flowers, trees, birds, animals and insects…..everywhere you look life is happening! Now there are the canals with water that sparkle in the sun. Yesterday Link and I just stood and listened to the rushing waters. The more I focus on the wonders of God’s creation, the more I see! Beyond the buildings, moving vehicles and pavement- the flurry of our daily lives – there is evidence of an amazing God all around us. Look and see!
Psalm 8:3-6New International Version
3 When I consider your heavens,(A) the work of your fingers,(B) the moon and the stars,(C) which you have set in place, 4 what is mankind that you are mindful of them, human beings that you care for them?[a](D)
5 You have made them[b] a little lower than the angels[c](E) and crowned them[d] with glory and honor.(F) 6 You made them rulers(G) over the works of your hands;(H) you put everything under their[e] feet:(I)
Pictures from yesterday:
These blooms smell so good! So soft. I’m like a bee when I go by this tree lol“You can learn a lot from us dogs. Slow down, take a nap if your tired and stay in the “now” – quit worrying so much. You are eruff!”
Happiness is mine today. It’s as close as the expression of my gratitude. – A Woman’s Spirit
Whenever I hear this song I think of standing in my driveway in base housing in Florida. The moon was full and I was waiting to be with who would become my husband. He introduced me to the voice of Chris:
Hello to you. How are you doing? I didn’t do a video for Twitch again today. It’s been about a week. I just haven’t felt up to it. It’s been hard to convince myself to get out of bed lately! I just hurt!
I was doing some surfing yesterday about joint pain and arthritis connected to having Covid. Turns out it’s indeed a thing! I’m really starting to believe what I’ve been going through is post Covid related stuff. Here is a link to one of the videos I found where a man and his wife have been experiencing joint pain after Covid: https://youtu.be/fyR9uJHCdKA – if you are experiencing inflammation and pain in your joints, like for me it’s my upper thighs and knees, this video might resonate with you. I am hoping it will eventually stop!
Despite the pain, I’ve been trying to get out for walks with Link. It’s so rewarding when I do! So much to see! There have been surprises lately too! This morning I looked down for just one minute and was amazed to see not one but two wild pansies in the edge of a yard we were passing! I struggled to get down to take the picture…..getting up made me curse gravity a bit lol….but it was worth it!
A lovely surprise for us today on the morning walk- a wild pansy!
Other pictures from yesterday and today:
The tulips are out here in Idaho – when I see them I think of my Mom. She used to grow flowers like tulips “You make me smile…”I noticed this yesterday in the shopping center on our walk This beauty caught my eye even with being surrounded by so many power linesPart of what makes each tree an individual is their bark – I love seeing trees in afternoon light This little one made me think of a cat we used to see all the time in Alvarado TX! Love the mustache! A blue version of the car I used to drive in Sr. High School! Mine was red. I’ll never forget Dad and I practicing stick shift in a parking lot lol! Ridleys is the grocery store I always go to. I told the cashier I was so grateful she was there (they seem a little short handed), that I was grateful to wake up to peace and quiet and that there was food in the store…..little things people in warring parts of the world aren’t experiencing today. We are so fortunate!
My day will be dark only if I shut out the light f my Higher Power. Through my faith and my friends I can know peace – A Woman’s Spirit
https://youtu.be/bFeNjMjk0dA – Toni Cornell singing Nothing Compares 2 U in honor of her Dad Chris. Her eyes are so sad to me. This was the first song Kyle and I listened to (the Sinead O’Conner version) after we said goodbye to our sweet dog Sam. It’s hard for me to listen to for that reason but I toughed it out to hear both Chris and now Toni’s interpretation of it. She did her Dad proud I think!
Hello to you. I hope this finds you well. It’s a sunny morning here – beautiful day for Easter. In a little while I plan to go to and share with others the good news of this day. Can you imagine what it must have been like to see Jesus after all he went through? I bet the sun was shining that day too! These words resonated this morning:
John 8:12 NIV
When Jesus spoke again to the people, he said, “I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.”
NIV: New International Version
Yesterday we were blessed to get some much needed rain! So grateful! There is water rushing through the canals again. Here are the pictures from yesterday:
Cheerful yellow blooms Enough rain to see pools of reflection Moss and lichen- thinking of the day my Mom taught me what lichen was during a visit to Pipestone South Dakota when I was a young girlI love seeing water droplets sparkle in the sun After the rain and storms it all gives way to glorious lightThis one made me smile. It’s like the sun has hair of clouds! Purple fit for a King God put on quite a show last night with views like this and so many birds were out! A huge crane, a hawk, ducks, geese and so much more. The miracles of water. Link checking out one of the canals on our amazing walk yesterday. We walked farther than normal and got to see and chat with other neighbors. One mentioned her taking care of a brother in Rapid City South Dakota! Since I’m originally from Sioux Falls that was pretty cool! This one….this one made me think “Hallelujah!” I can just see angels and glory.
This song came to my mind this morning. It’s about a love that stretches through the expanse of all existence. I think of God’s love for us:
We are Stars by the Pierces
We are stars Fashioned in the flesh and bone We are islands Excuses to remain alone We are moons Throw ourselves around each other We are oceans Being controlled by the pull of another
And I just wanna be loved by you Yeah, I just wanna be loved by you I see nothing worse Than to sail this universe without you
When we met I was pulling an angel out of a liar We forget Satisfaction kills our desire We are dreamers Wishing upon what we were born from We made plans Kill them ourselves And then we mourn them
And I just wanna be loved by you Yeah, I just wanna be loved by you I see nothing worse Than to sail this universe without you
I just wanna be loved by you Yeah, I just wanna be loved by you I see nothing worse Than to sail this universe without you (I just wanna be loved by you) I see nothing worse Than to sail this universe without you (Yeah, I just wanna be loved by you) I see nothing worse Than to sail this universe without you Without you
Hello to you. How are you today? In a little bit I will be going to join some others to help set up church for tonight’s Good Friday observance. In light of what is being remembered, I’ve always had a hard time thinking of this day as good. A good man was tortured, he suffered and died on a cross with criminals. What could possibly be good about that?’ What I’m reminded is good about today is he went through all that for us….so we wouldn’t have to. He took all of the world on himself out of love for both his father and each of us. It’s truly a beautiful thing to think about someone loving me that much to go through everything he did.
the Friday before Easter Sunday, on which the Crucifixion of Jesus Christ is commemorated in the Christian Church. It is traditionally a day of fasting and penance.
Last night I was restless and wanted to watch something. I was pleased to find and watch (finally! My cousin and his wife recommended this to me over a year ago!) The Case For Christ. It was the story of author Lee Strobel an atheist who after a journey of discovery and love found his way to believing in Jesus Christ. The movie did a really good job of showing what having a believer and an unbeliever living in the same house with children can really cause disruption….division. Test a marriage. My ex-husband and I went through some of that strife. If you haven’t seen it and are curious, I saw it on You tube.
As you can see by my note and the date I’ve struggled with sleep for a long time. This is another scripture of comfort. You can talk to God about anything you need help with!
Todays message from A Woman’s Spirit is a good one for what we are remembering today….forgiveness:
Work for justice. Struggle for forgiveness. Choose love. -Patricia Benson
Justice, forgiveness, and love sound far loftier than they are. Developing these qualities requires only that we live as we think God wants us to live. It’s as simple as that. Admittedly, when we have wanted to punish a significant person in our lives, we have often preferred “justifiable” anger or resentment over love. However, the emotional hangover that has followed the expression of our outrage has diminished any pleasure we might have gained.
Our inclination to forgive other people and ourselves, coupled with our decision to love rather than punish those who irritate us, seems to grow daily. Our changed perspective comes from our willingness to grow in recovery. We can be as peace-filled and as loving as we want. We’re in charge!
I will stay in control of who I am today. I can fulfill God’s wishes.
In all the mysteries of mysteries there is light both seen and unseen. Matthew 5:16 New International Version
16 In the same way, let your light shine before others,(A) that they may see your good deeds(B)and glorify(C) your Father in heaven.
Hello to you. This morning when I was preparing to get up, a phrase from a song kept repeating in my head, “I walk alone….” I tried to find it on You tube but found something better. I like the thought of never walking alone better. It makes me think of the scene from The Chosen last night. When Jesus meets the architect Nathanael and tells him “I saw you under the fig tree.” Nathanael had been sitting under that tree alone burning up his drawings. He had felt abandoned by God. How many feel that today living in the world as it is? I assure you in all the “noise” is God’s presence…you are seen and heard no matter how things may seem. Your not walking alone. Try to find hope today and let it make your steps lighter.
You’ll Never Walk Alone
Song by Gerry
When you walk through a storm Hold your head up high And don’t be afraid of the dark
At the end of a storm There’s a golden sky And the sweet silver song of a lark
Walk on through the wind Walk on through the rain Though your dreams be tossed and blown
Walk on, walk on With hope in your heart And you’ll never walk alone
You’ll never walk alone
Walk on, walk on With hope in your heart And you’ll never walk alone
“Walks are good. When you go for walks you get close to God. If you walk slow like me or can’t walk it’s nice to sit outside for a minute and look at the sky…hear the birds. God is good. May be today you can smile?”
To be 