Spread A Little Joy

Some days are hectic and you find yourself taking a much needed break with a little social media for a distraction; Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, etc. Then there are days when you hit a lull in your schedule and you turn to social media to pass a few minutes while you're waiting for an appointment. Either way social media can drag you in. Maybe you just cruise the Internet to check the baseball scores or read the latest Covid numbers, it's entirely up to you. Social media though, like anything else in life, has it's pros and cons. There are YouTube videos that can explain anything from installing a light fixture, fixing a leaky kitchen faucet, to opening up a kid's stroller (don't judge me but I looked up this video when my oldest granddaughter was a baby and I was watching her - let's just say the strollers today are WAY different than when my kids were babies). There are also going to be letdowns with social media; bad stock reviews, disheartening headlines, and trolls that post unnecessary comments on just about anything. Suddenly people declare themselves both judge and jury on topics they know absolutely nothing about.

So how do we direct the social media we take in? By learning to make important choices for ourselves. We choose what we want to read or watch. People will always post negative items and simply justify it by saying, 'If you don't like it, don't read it.' True enough, that choice is on us. Sometimes those choices can be difficult though. You may not want to 'unfriend' someone right now because they may need you (or vice versa) someday, but you can choose not to comment and add fuel to their fire. 

Choose to follow the sites that make you healthy, happy, and want to see or hear more. If nothing else, it will help to create a balance for you with the pros and the cons.

I've come across a few Facebook groups that I chose to follow because when I contribute something it will be positive, the posts I read are mostly uplifting or give me productive ideas, and I've had the opportunity to meet people that inspire me. Choose sites that talk about things you like to do or always wanted to do, but lacked the motivation.

Here are a few Facebook groups I follow. They may not be your cup of tea, but there are surely ones out there that will work for you.

• Addicted To Mackinac Island (my absolute favorite place for vacation time)
• My Paint By Numbers Support Group (for those of us who have discovered the joy of adult paint by numbers ... great new hobby)
• Creative Gardening (people sharing pictures of their DIY home gardens; everything from color and plant suggestions to making accent pieces)
• 8:28 Photography (a young lady I had the pleasure of meeting a few years ago for some professional headshots directed her photography business into focusing on newborn and maternity photo sessions. HER WORK IS AMAZING!)

You can follow sites from your favorite author, musician, chef, travel group, or business; not to mention there are ones for horse lovers, cat lovers, dog lovers, etc.

When you have so many positive choices available at your fingertips, try not to dwell on the negative ones. It's just not worth the aggravation.

What are some of the sites you choose to follow that help you center yourself, relax, or feel inspired?

What inspires you?

There are days we think we have it all together; that we can accomplish anything we set our mind to. Oh, if that were just the case every day. Some days we need a nudge, a vigorous shove, or some help from outside sources. Often that help can come in the form of inspiration.

If you are an artist you may need to take a walk in wooded nature or on the beach to visually take in all the colors and textures before you put your brush to the canvas.

If you are a songwriter you might want to observe the people and circumstances around you before you feel you can adequately retell the situation with song lyrics.

If you are a writer you may get your best inspirations from quotes that you come across. Sometimes you find the quotes and sometimes they find you; for me those unexpected ones are the best. Here is one that was part of an email sent to me recently by a friend.

'When you discover something that nourishes your soul and brings you joy, care enough about yourself to make room for it in your life.'   ~ Jean Shinoda Bolen

This quote, for me, is literally the vigorous shove or the proverbial 2x4 between the eyes. Some people simply have the ability to point out clearly exactly what I need to be reminded of. Like many other people, I wear a lot of hats. I'm a wife, a mother, a mother-in-law, a grandmother, a daughter, a sister, an employee, a friend, someone who likes to putz in her flower beds, a Christian, a cancer survivor, and when I can make time for myself ... a blogger. Writing, for me, is that thing that nourishes my soul and brings me joy. Sometimes, though, the hours and the days get away from me, because 'life' shows up at my doorstep. When I remember to care about myself, I make time to write. It helps me sort through all the 'life' stuff and hopefully regain a little order in my day.

Sometimes I remember and then I blog twice in a week. Other times, like the last 2 weeks, I forget and then days slip by in between blog posts. 

Sometimes you just get tired; the kind of tired that a good night's sleep can't cure. That is another quote I heard somewhere recently, but can't remember where or who said it, sorry. I am feeling inspired by the quotes that have found me. I wrote them out and put them where I can read them whenever I need reminding; which sadly is too often.

Are you feeling frustrated? Overwhelmed? In a rut? 

Ready for a life transition? Encouraged? 
Ready to make things happen in your life?

Where you do find your inspiration?

Does anyone read blogs?

I started writing a blog maybe a year or more ago. I enjoy sharing my thoughts, my insights, my take on life and all that it brings my way. I read on someone else's blog once that some people write because they want the feedback from the readers. That they are searching for approval. Yet it said other people write just for the joy of writing. I'm sure some people would love to say that they only write for themsleves and that it really doesn't matter what other people think, but could that REALLY be true? Good question. It would be great to think so, but I wonder how many people could really say that and be telling the truth.

I recently read on a blog that I've started following that dreams don't come with an age limit. It's never too late to go after your passions. Don't let others tell you what you should or shouldn't be doing. Don't let others convince you that you're wasting your time. In that sense it really doesn't matter what other people think. It's what you think that matters.

Do you love to cook or bake? If you do it for yourself because you enjoy it then it doesn't matter that you might not be a famous chef on the Food Network shows, it only matters that your kids' faces light up when you bake them that special birthday cake or that your co-workers really enjoyed your hors d'oeuvres at last year's Christmas party.

For me it's writing. Does anyone out there read the newsletter articles I write at my church or my blog entries? I don't know. I admit it would be nice, but if no one does I guess that's o.k. What it does mean is that I won't give up. There's no age limit for my dream. My birthday is in a few days and while I've had some articles published and I write on my blog I still haven't gotten a children's book published yet. But guess what? I'm not giving up. I enjoy writing these blog entries and articles and whatever else I feel inspired to write. Someday I will write the series of children's stories and maybe even illustrate them (or at least find a better artist than me and show them my ideas so they can improve them and make my characters come to life).

So stay tuned. Send me a comment sometime. Share my blog with a friend. Let me know what your dreams are, maybe we can all inspire each other.

What Are Your Summer Plans?

‘To everything there is a season, a time for every purpose under heaven.’
-Ecclesiastes 3:1

I recently received a copy of a report from a local outreach agency. In it the coordinator (who had just joined their team one year ago) wrote about all that had happened during the last 12 months. She said she’d endured a lot of mishaps, restructuring, learning, laughing and growing – but through it all she felt her job had truly been a gift from God. Now she was giving serious thought to what she had done with this gift. What an awesome question to pose to ourselves. We’ve all been given special gifts; but how many of us ignore them and let them go to waste?
The month of June is almost upon us. For some that means the current school year is winding down, graduation details are in the works, and vacations are in the early planning stages. For many it means that our schedules, as we know them, may be changing. For my house it will involve 3 weeks of driver’s training for our teenage daughter and lots of walking for me as I continue to train for a 60 mile adventure. For someone else it might involve some quality gardening, extra visits with extended family or time devoted to a special project. During the fall, winter and spring many of us find ourselves caught up in our hectic schedules, often putting lots of demands and responsibilities on ourselves. Someone once told me that it is o.k. to say ‘No’ once in a while, but I admit that’s one I still find myself struggling with. Every year I find myself saying ‘Just as soon as summer comes and things slow down a bit, I’ll find some time to do ________’ (you can fill in the blank with whatever you’ve been putting off). The point is that we all have gifts and talents that we should be tapping in to, not just for what we’ll get out of it, but because of what it could potentially do for someone else.
Everything God does starts with a seed. The Bible tells us that He gives seed to the sower. If you are person with a gift or passion and have a desire to bless others and sow the seed, God will make sure that you have plenty to give. You’ll never be able to out give God. The Bible says He will pour out blessings on you that you can barely contain. God wants to do His work on this earth through you. He has equipped each one of us with the tools we need to help others and perhaps even be their miracle. Each day opportunities present themselves for us to show God’s love and compassion to others. We have the time, the abilities, and the heart to meet the needs of others, helping to bring (spiritual) healing and offering hope and encouragement. I think summer is a perfect opportunity to make the time (or take the time).
Whatever you choose to do during these summer months, keep God at the heart of it and every decision you make because God must have first place in our lives. Trust me, summer is a great time to take a well-deserved break; but just because it’s summer doesn’t mean that we should skip out on God or doing things for others. Take the break you need this summer, but while you’re at it think about what you can do with your special gift.