Thoughts

 

A friend of mine passed this along to me suggesting it might be a good thought for this blog.  I agree!  My first thought is: "If others only knew what was really going in my mind..." 

Recently an acquaintance of mine called, all frazzled telling me something that was tipping her upside-down.  She explained the whole story, giving me "facts"; so I thought.  I simply asked how she had come onto those facts.  Her reply: "I figured it all out myself!" 

There are times we jump to conclusions that really end up being incorrect. That is our thinking. Remembering a math class taught me that...coming to an answer that was absolutely incorrect but the "logic" that I used did bring me to that answer...however, wrong! 

Until my friend followed up to actually get the real facts she would continue to swirl and make herself sick with worry. All those thoughts are like salt on automobiles...they rust and eventually fall apart! Our negative thoughts just erode our peace of mind away slowly but surely. Isn't it amazing how sometimes our outsides don't match the insides...until we do a bit of censoring, filtering and thinking or even seeing a picture!                            

It is so nice to have a trusted friend, spiritual director or someone to bounce things off of, who will give us feedback, but the trick is to listen and ponder;  our own thoughts may need some tweeking.  Prayer often can set us on a better course...that still small voice that each of us has perhaps is a divine compass.

So, when we would rather not expose our inner thoughts to the whole world, it is very safe to be in an atmosphere with a person who makes it safe to share our inner selves.  It really is amazing to have someone help us to not "believe everything we think."

PS

 PS. I need a favor in order to access some stats for my blog. I know some of you hesitate to "share" or forward a post however, would those who are able please forward the last post of my blog to your friends (the one with the fish pic).  I am soooo close and need only a few more numbers. Thank you in advance! Molly P.S.S.  Thank you very much!  It worked!

Balance

Labor Day weekend is only a memory now.  The town was swarming with vacationers hoping to get the last of a long weekend of play in before school and "real life" hit the calendar. Company was coming so some tasks had to be done before that. 

The summer was hot, windy and really not conducive for a whole lot of outside work, especially when it got into the 90's. However, toward the end of August things turned around and my freezer now has a few fish in it to treat company! Don't know about you but "balance" comes to mind... to not spend the whole day or week working but finding some time to play, too. 

I find that often what really is work I can call play because I enjoy the task so much but if I think with a mind of a child, what would a child do to play?  Then the mind goes to going out in the rain or jumping in puddles or using big chalk to make hopscotch squares on the sidewalk...or fishing! 

So, even though the official end of summer is here, how can each of us continue to find time to take a holiday, vacation or snippets of time to play and relax?  Think of a teeter-totter...it's about balance...not all work and not all play!

19" Smallmouth

This past week refreshed the spirit having two sisters visit for several days!! My sister and I were able to fish one day; it was productive even though they weren't on the line with every cast! So, hopefully your memories of the last few days of summer make you smile, too!  

Front Door

 In my post, "Doing Nothing" you might recall all the updating I did this summer.  A couple of weeks ago I was so happy it was all finished, until my carpenter's dad came over and made a comment about what poor shape the living room door and trim around it was.  I could have sunk into the floor! My day was so sunshiny, now it became dark, overcast and just about rained!

Crummy Old Door

When the carpenter pointed out a few things on the door, that it was only covered in paneling and no insulation I could see how wise it would be to install a new one but of course there is always a domino effect, too.  You know, it's not just one thing but other things that now need attention. 

This domino effect now included chasing to the store for a new door, paint for it as well as the old screen. It meant I needed to plane the wood for the trim around the door.  Thank goodness there was enough polyurethane for the finish.  The final domino effect occurred when the table saw quit and the cutting couldn't be finished.

New Front Door

So, more time, more adjustments and with a couple of paint smudges some touch-ups down the road will complete it all. To top it off, I'm not quite sure what to do with a table saw that doesn't work...get a new one or would someone take it just to have a project of tinkering with it?  I don't know. 

All I know is that my two sisters are coming up this next week and I am proud as a peacock that all this refreshing is done!  Plus, the grass is growing and with strict orders, "don't mow, I'll do it when I come up...I love to mow!"  Sisters are wonderful!

Life and all its nuances happen for a reason. If we focus only on the individual details and happenings we could become very discouraged and despondent but after some time the bigger picture emerges  and a wonderful picture eventually takes shape. 

There are many different colors in that picture and often with many blacks, browns and dark areas but they are not the whole picture. Trusting the divine Picturemaker, whoever that is for each of us, can help us get through those dark times. It has me; how about you? PS. I talk to that Picturemaker quite often;  I think that certainly helps, too!