Open Space Open Space

Author Gravatar is shown here. Clickable link to Author page. pamela ♥   Article by: pamela ♥ Authors link to author website or other works. admin

One of the challenges I’ve been experiencing as I have been going through closets, cupboards, and drawers specifically — and rooms, in general is newly exposed space: open space! If you’re either a Queen Of Quite A Lot or a Saver Of Quite A Lot, you just might find yourself in a quandary. No, not the first day, not the second day, but a couple of weeks after you uncover OPEN SPACE in your home, your natural tendency will be to FILL it! Fill it back up. Quickly. Don’t do it. Resist the urge to fill space. Now, I know this advice is probably only applicable to Savers Of Quite A Lot. I know women who do not struggle with this {I know, right?!?!} — open space is natural for them. To them, minimalism is natural or intentional. But it’s not for me. I seem to like to fill space. continue reading

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Eliminating Clutter Eliminating Clutter

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Eliminating Clutter

Clutter, clutter everywhere and not enough places to put it. That’s how the beginning of this year felt to me. Clutter of things, clutter of thoughts, clutter of concerns. I didn’t know what I needed to do, initially, but I knew I needed to get busy. I process things either verbally, by writing or by cleaning. So, it really stands to reason that my resolve to clean out the clutter was really a resolve to clean up some other areas of my life, too. I didn’t start with an exact plan or schedule beyond the decision to eliminate clutter, but the first decision or first item I decided to eliminate set in motion the work of the next 30 days. That first decision was to eliminate the large oak computer desk in our kitchen/family room. It has been the gathering place for the last 20 years–not only of people, but continue reading

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Why I Write Why I Write

Author Gravatar is shown here. Clickable link to Author page. pamela ♥   Article by: pamela ♥ Authors link to author website or other works. admin

 rowsing Twitter this morning, I noticed the hashtag #WhyIWrite and I decided to click on the link to read why others write.  Not surprising, the answers or reasons are very similar—very familiar, albeit with an occasional condescending comment.  It’s the occasional condescension that trips me up from time to time, but over time I’m learning to not take negative opinions so seriously (and I sure hope those twitter writers weren’t derailed by some of the rude comments).  Insults, along with self-doubt, really have an effect on creativity, so it’s been instructive to me to weigh negative comments carefully, glean what I can and literally ignore the rest.  Sometimes, insults can be instructive: they help me refine my message, they help me see what I might be blind to and surely to see what I don’t want to be, and they help me clarify or to attempt to more carefully articulate continue reading

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When You Know What God’s Called You To When You Know What God’s Called You To

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When you know what God’s called you to, you’ll seek it, you’ll endeavor to walk in Truth, it will be your joy to be called by His name, His great name.

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Autumn Days Autumn Days

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The lazy, hazy days of summer are giving way to the busy, hurry, scurry days of autumn as the new “school year” begins and demanding schedules and activities fill the calendar.  You know the first thing that comes to mind as I consider these upcoming autumn days? Where’d summer go? It came and went so fast.  Sort of like motherhood (but that’s another topic for another day). Did you complete the plans and projects you had for summertime?  Me neither.  But there’s still time to get a few things done before the time comes to put away all the outdoor equipment, furnishings, plants, etc.  I’m just writing to encourage you (and myself!) to make use of the few sunny days remaining in this season.   I’m determined to attempt to preserve some of the plants and hanging baskets by bringing them in to the greenhouse before the chilly weather and to continue reading

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Regard Not Your Stuff Regard Not Your Stuff

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Regard Not Your Stuff

And so, I encourage you to rest in the Lord… fret not over what God’s doing in your life or where He’ll call you to go or what He’ll call you to do. Regard not your stuff. No matter how things seem to you to be today: God cares for you, the Holy Spirit is ever making intercession for you. The LORD Jesus has taken care of everything that concerns you. God says He will be found by you when you call upon His name.

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the suicide option the suicide option

Author Gravatar is shown here. Clickable link to Author page. pamela ♥   Article by: pamela ♥ Authors link to author website or other works. admin

Through our lives we have experiences that are etched on our hearts and minds — experiences that shape our thinking, shape our reactions, shape our responses, shape our decisions — maybe even shape our initial theology or lack thereof.  If these etchings were recorded on 3×5 cards, in time we’d have quite a card file full, wouldn’t we?  Events and experiences, lessons and influences all recorded on cards make up our individual card catalogs.  It’s interesting to me, every now and then, to come across a card I realize has had a profound impact on my life and thinking.  One of the greatest regrets I have from a young age is collecting a couple of influence cards I wish I’d never acquired.  On the cards are written: the suicide option.  I’ve been thinking about this a lot recently…  deaths of friends and loved ones, news headlines trigger memories… the file continue reading

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The Power of Music The Power of Music

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The Power of Music

Music. It tells a story, makes us smile, makes us cry, warms our hearts, consoles our hurts, tells our stories. That’s the power of music. This morning one of my daughters sent a text, a picture of her home’s front flowerbed: hyacinths and dozens of tulips just beginning to bloom. How sweet of the Lord to give her that gift — this is the first Springtime in her new home and so the various plantings done by the previous owner are just coming into view.  This is just an example of so many things the Lord has done for her. As I was gratefully thanking the Lord for His marvelous works and  gifts in her life, her next text was a link to a powerful  song. She’s a deep thinker, a planner, a motivator, a passionate worker and overachiever. She takes things very seriously and so when she suggests a continue reading

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Lists Are Tools Lists Are Tools

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Lists Are Tools

After writing last week how I dealt with starting out unprepared, my friend wrote about lists I used to have on my walls. So I thought I’d continue on today sharing about lists and how to use them — remembering: lists are tools, they’re simply tools. Again, I wasn’t born organized — I’m not a naturally organized girl, but life as a mother to many children gave me much practice and many opportunities to test the results of being disorganized and being organized. And, believe me, organized was better. It’s still better — and it is for so many reasons I actually had no grasp of at the time. Lists help us to be clear on the concept.  And, as the picture to the left shows, when a child isn’t clear on the concept, what we want to have happen isn’t going to happen!  In this case, I needed the continue reading

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Unprepared Unprepared

Author Gravatar is shown here. Clickable link to Author page. pamela ♥   Article by: pamela ♥ Authors link to author website or other works. admin

Just so’s ya know, I’m not a naturally prepared girl — I’m more unprepared than prepared.  But God. It was through many blessings in my life that I learned to be prepared for things. It was through many failures, missed events and opportunities that I had to develop methods to be better prepared for — well, for life. But I was unprepared. I didn’t come from a large family. I wasn’t raised in a Christian home. I didn’t have a great deal of Bible knowledge yet–but I had faith and that faith began to bloom.  And so, that was the foundation of our marriage from the beginning: faith, hope and love.  I didn’t have great homemaking, or cooking, or gardening, or time-management skills.  And while I didn’t have a whole lot of experience, what I did have was a whole lot of want to! I really wanted to be a continue reading

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