Finding joy in the everyday

I've been thinking about life, living and what it all means and now that I have reached 50 I thought I would create a list of 50 thoughts!! Things that are important to me and that I have learn along the way.  Praying works every time. The bible is our life manual, read it daily. God is always right, let Him take the drivers seat. It doesn’t have to cost much at all to be happy. You’re never too young to start saving money. You don’t need a lot of friends, just a few really good ones. Time is not a renewable resource. Being kind to others is a good thing Savour the quiet and still moments.   Crying is good, never be afraid to crying. Don't take yourself so seriously. No one else does. Don't compare your life to others'. You have no idea what their journey is all about. Laughter really is the best medicine Forgive everyone everything. Life is too short to waste time hating anyone.   No one is in charge of your happiness except you. Your chi...

source Give instruction to a wise man, and he will be still wiser; teach a righteous man, and he will increase in learning.   (Proverbs 9:9) Teachable : capable of being taught and willing to learn.  *** Do you have a teachable heart? Do you still need many more lessons? Do your solicit and welcome council from others? Do you have people around you that will speak the truth to you? Are you easy to correct and change your ways? I am not perfect, I am a Christian that stumbles and falls and in desperate need of God. I need Him daily, something minute by minute. I make mistakes and I cry out for help . . . I have much to learn and grow as a Christian. I doubt there are any Christians that would say they are perfect, because none of us are. And if they say they are a model Christian I would have to wonder why they have reached that conclusion.  We all have room to improve—we all have things to learn and we all imperfect.  ...

Portrait of Adele Bloch-Bauer I Also known as the "Woman in Gold" Artist: Gustav Klimit (1862 - 1918) Austrian Dimensions:  138 x 138 cm (54 x 54 inches) The picture was painted in Vienna and commissioned by Adele's husband Ferdinand Bloch-Bauer. As a wealthy industrialist who had made his fortune in the sugar industry, he sponsored the arts and favoured and supported Gustav Klimt. Adele Bloch-Bauer  became the only model who was painted twice by Klimt when he completed a second picture of her, Portrait of Adele Bloch-Bauer II , in 1912. This painting became famous because of what happened to it during World War Two and the fight for ownership by  Maria Viktoria Bloch-Bauer, the niece of Adele Bloch-Bauer. The Nazis stole many many  paintings   from  private Jewish families during the war and in recent years many of these families have fought to have them returned. The battles have taken years but many have won, such as...

It is my birthday this week and I have reached a significant age. This is the one age that I am not overly keen on reaching as it feels so old.  But I was pulled up sharp by this quote — my sister died as a tiny baby, she never reached 10 or 20 and certainly never got to 50. A friend I went to school with died from cancer in hers 30s. She was vivacious woman, full of life and energy — taken too soon. Age is only a number — it does not define who you are We must be thankful for every year that the Lord gives us and enjoy each precious moment because we will never enjoy it again and we have no idea of tomorrow.  Remember you only have one life — this is not a dress rehearsal Old age doesn't mean the end of fun or laughter, nor does it mean giving up and having no more adventures. I do pray that I have many more years to live and that those years are full of living. Whilst I am not keen about being 50, one can do very little about it. I can't stop reaching 50,...

I love my children and would travel to the moon and back for them — and they know this.  They know my love is endless and that I would drop anything to be at their side. I have done this many times and will do it again until the day I die or incapable of doing so. Working mothers love their children just as much as mothers who stay home. Just because some women work does not reduce their love for their children, it never has and it never will.  Of course there are mothers who struggle with loving their children but this has NOTHING to do with working, they have other much more complex issues going on.  It saddens me greatly that there are Christian women who believe this and spread the message that only women who are at home 24/7 can truely love their children.  Have you ever wondered if mothers of the past were with their children 24/7? The answer is no — rich women had nannies and had far less real contact with their children than modern mothers....

Sunday church I don't know about you, but Sundays was the one day where I had to dress in my "Sunday best" and stay clean and tidy all day :) I wore a hat to morning meeting and had to be very well behaved all day. Sundays was the day of quiet play, letter writing or reading (Christian literature only). We didn't attend a church as in these paintings, rather had a family gathering which we called "Sunday Meeting". Shawn Barton "Going To Church" By Providence Lithograph Co., 1936 Church picnic Grace COSSINGTON SMITH Church interior After Church - Stevan Dohanos Dane Tilghman - Going-to-Church Gullah African-American Art by John W. Jones at Gallery Chuma, Charleston, SC Sunday Sermon  Country Church by Corbert Gauthier Alexei Danilovich Kivshenko - In A Church [1881]

A few months ago I wrote a blog post about the taking an audit of the skills that young women need when when they marry and start a family. One of my readers asked if I could do a post looking at what skills a young modern women needs when they marry and set up home for the first time and when they have children.  Women do a lot of things and the list is diverse. None of us go into marriage knowing everything, but there are basics we really should know and should have been taught growing up i.e. how to cook a simple meal, how to wash the clothes, vacuum, make a bed etc... If we are lacking these skills we will run into problems on day one.  Basic "female" skills are becoming endangered with fewer young women able to iron a shirt, cook a roast chicken or hem a skirt. Just as more modern men are unable to complete traditional male tasks, new research shows Generation Y women can't do the chores their mothers and grandmothers did daily ( source ) Sadly many...

Colouring-in is so enjoyable, so much so, I thought I would find some to share with you. Why not print these off and have some relaxing fun.  Colouring-in is calming and peaceful and one that you can do with your children. Perhaps introduce it to your husband, you never know, he might love it too!! Happy colouring :) *******************

T rust in the Lord with all your heart, And lean not on your own understanding; In all your ways acknowledge Him, And He shall direct  your paths. Proverbs 3:5-6 ******* One of the hardest things to do as a parent is letting go. Allowing your children to spread their wings and fly.  All parents must allow their children to fly, you can not keep them under your wing forever.  Do you remember when you were a child and you learnt to spread your wings: you left home, you started to make your own decisions, formed your own opinions that may have been different to your parents, you feel in love, you married, you have children. You may have made mistakes, but that is a necessary part of life —without mistakes we do not learn. Life is painful, but we all make it through We have all survived. So will your children.  But you will need courage and a trust in the Lord to allow your children to do what you did.  It isn't easy but ...