It’s been a rough couple of days…weeks, a year really, and I wasn’t necessarily looking forward to a wet, overcast Monday today. Seeing my mom on two separate occasions last week just really broke my heart. 💔 It is so hard for me to see the suffering she is going through and feeling my hands are tied. The 26th will be a year since the doctor caused her stroke. And if I were to be honest, it’s hard for me to enjoy much of anything in my own life because of it. She is always, always on my mind and in my prayers! I tried hard today to let God in, to take my heavy load, it’s a continual load, but He reminds me He is STILL here and to look for beauty where I can. It is an attitude adjustment I surely struggle with but today, right now, I choose to focus on the beauty He has given me out my rear window.
College Bound
The Indiana University students are back! We observed many a mom and dad walking alongside their new college student. Boy, that sure brought back memories of me choking up all the way home from Missouri and Georgia.
My kids both left home within a year of each other and I found myself walking by their bedrooms to say something then would quickly realize they weren’t there.
I ended up just shutting their doors. 🗣😭
Leaving our babies behind, wondering when we’ll see them next is a difficult transition. And many of us are/were going through menopause at the same time! 😳 I always said it was God’s cruel joke! We put in all these years of hard work, making lunches, sewing costumes, throwing parties, working in their classrooms, for all of it to come down to moments like this. This is when we do double duty praying that our kids meet professors that align with their upbringing, meet encouraging friends that have the same morals, that their minds only be open to things that will help them grow and become the people they were destined to be.
We’ve worked with college ministries as well as international students. And can you imagine leaving your child in another country? 🙀
We pray our young people come to know God and make a change in this world just by being who God always intended them to be.🙏 .
Do I Represent God Well?
I took this photo on one of our walks nearby.
I have always loved Francis Chan and this quote came from reading his book “Crazy Love”.
My other Instagram acct deals with fashion, food, home decor and faith. @Morgie_and_Me
Big Sky
I pulled over to take this pic after going up to an appointment for my mom. I call it “Big Sky”.😍
Easter is My Favorite Holiday
If anyone knows me well, they know I love Easter!
No I mean I really LOVE Easter!💗
I was thinking about this the other day as we had a few sunny days and all this spring decor had me thinking about Easter and why I liked it so much. 🐥🐇
Well for one, I grew up in southern California where it was always WARM and SUNNY, 😎 so Easter had us buying new, spring clothes with all the beautiful colors.
My mom sewed almost all my clothes and Easter was extra special as we browsed through huge pattern books and admired all the pretty pastel fabrics.
Then, what followed was looking for the accessories: white shoes, purse and little white gloves, with lace.
I loved my little, white gloves so much that I wouldn’t take them off when eating chocolate in Sunday school. 😂
And occasionally I had a “bonnet” or kerchief.
We had so much fun coloring Easter eggs.
And then there were the HUGE, SEE’S Chocolate Easter eggs beautifully decorated with pastel flowers. They were almost the size of an ostrich egg and usually filled with a rich creamy filling. That big ol’ egg would be rationed to last me 2 weeks HA.
Oh, I just loved waking up to big, stuffed Easter baskets, putting on my Easter best, going to church with the family, singing all the special music, smelling the flowers in the air, then enjoying a big Easter spread.
Just lots of really warm memories.
Now, compare that to my first Easter in Indiana.
I was so bummed when I realized my pretty, new sun dress was going to be covered by a winter coat, and it was way too cold ❄️ to even want to take it off for any pictures.😒
Year after year.
Why did we even bother getting new clothes for Easter?🤷🏻♀️
Yep, Easter in the midwest has pretty much always been cold, rainy or overcast. Sometimes it even snows! Just makes you feel all cheery inside when looking forward to spring. (Insert sarcasm) 😒
Then, I grew up and my own kids came along.
SAME STORY.
I’d try to dress them in cute, little outfits but worried their little legs would freeze off, so I added tights, a sweater,
a parka. 😞
And we still tried to provide an Easter egg hunt…most were INDOORS.
But I mean, who wants to hunt Easter eggs INDOORS? 👎🏼
And guess who else likes little, white gloves?👇🏻
He just had to have a suit.
So, my thoughts going way back to sunny California have always brought fond memories. ☀️
As I reflect, I can say one constant has remained.
That Easter really has NOTHING to do with any of this.
Not weather, not new clothes, or a big yummy meal, not even another “holiday”…
That it’s all really only been about Jesus.
Easter always caused me to reflect on what Christ has done for me, personally.
Rereading the resurrection story and the hours Christ submitted to his father’s will just grips my heart every time. I try to slow down taking in each detail of what really took place.
The torture, the betrayal, the extreme love and sacrifice for all mankind.
Every year of my life, even as a kid, I tried to imagine the scene, and it always moved me to tears.
No matter how I try to contain myself, the tears always flow.
Because I know no one could ever love me that much, nor willingly sacrifice their life for me.
And so it’s not the new clothes, the candy, the sunshine…not even being with family.
It’s about pure love. Unimaginable tenderness for ALL mankind.
You never have to earn this love nor question his love for you.
Bottom line…
He came as a baby
to die as a young man.
For you and for me. ❤️
He created us and He wants to see us again with Him someday.
Hope you have a very blessed Easter!
What are your traditions on Easter Sunday? Please tell me in the comments.
Today I Reflect
Have you ever been betrayed? Betrayed to the point it will cost you your life? Choices. Today, Maundy Thursday is observed by Christians everywhere…the Thursday before Easter. 🌷It also signifies the Last Supper of Jesus Christ with his apostles prior to his betrayal and ultimately his death. Can you imagine loving another so much that you’re willing to die for them including the one that betrayed you? Heavy, heavy choices. Today I pause to reflect on both the turmoil and burden Christ must’ve had in his heart. Life brings many choices… some, very difficult. You just pray you’re hearing correctly. Yesterday, I had to help make such a choice for my mother who could not make the choice for herself. Seeing her cry, being continually scared 💔(esp since her cardiologist stroked her) just put through SO MUCH since October and now yet another, major, choice followed by surgery. I sure hoped and prayed I was doing the right thing on her behalf. AND praying the doctors were right this time. My heart felt like it would burst. Only time will tell if we made the right one. So today, I lean hard on my Lord and reflect on choices and the heavy decisions that Christ would face as he walked this lone road. 💗 Life can be hard, not at all like we expected and yet we still have to believe this is the path God intended us to walk. Ultimately, he is in control and knows beginning to end. It’s our path to walk. Our story. Our testimony. Hard or not. May I make the right choices and may I be found worthy in the end. 🙌
A Reblog from Another Author: Narcissism
As you know, I follow several bloggers, counselors, psychologists, pastors…all writers here on WordPress Reader, and this came through my email recently (via my subscription to one of the authors’ newsletter). I’m just now getting around to my mail and reading some newsletters, while I recuperate from surgery. I thought I would forward (reblog) Ana’s article as it contains very useful information regarding narcissistic and/or toxic people. Towards the very end of the written material, you will have to click “view original post below” to read on. That’s where the information is so interesting and hits the nail on the head.
Also, you might consider ordering Ana’s book; it would be such a valuable tool.
Author quote: “You can’t have reality in a situation or relationship where there is none, especially a situation that is embellished with toxic behavior to push your buttons, play with your emotions and manipulate you to your lowest level like that with a NARCISSIST.”
Ana’s bio link: https://afternarcissisticabuse.wordpress.com/about-ana/
From her blog post:
From my Book – From Charm to Harm and Everything else in Between with a Narcissist! @ https://www.amazon.com/Charm-Harm-Everything-Narcissist-Narcissistic/dp/1523820179/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1468595784&sr=1-1&keywords=from+charm+to+harm
One of the most obvious signs of malignant Narcissism is the way they constantly malign others. They are constantly remodeling, redeveloping, and improving their own image at someone else’s expense through their acts of back-stabbing, triangulating, smearing, putting others down, constant negativity, betrayal, lies, extortion, etc. We must ALWAYS consider that love should never hurt a person nor take them down a road of destruction. Ultimately love can make us sad when we lose a loved one but that is the reality of unconditional love when someone near to us is suffering, or we lose them completely – and that is more or less grieving a REAL connection between two normally functioning people. Abuse at the hands of a Narcissist is psychological and emotional abuse MEANT to intentionally harm and damage a…
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Pathways
You never know what’s just around the bend (good or bad). Refocus to assure you don’t swerve too far off the chosen path you’ve been asked to travel.
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Have No Regrets!
Do you constantly see things in the news or feel frustrated with hearing issues you wish you could change? 😿Well, you can… in your own, little corner of the world. Bloom where you’re planted. 🌻You may not be able to help everybody, but you can help that one person.
Do good. 🌾
Even in your own struggle and pain; REACH OUT to others.
It’s very hard at times, with all that life throws you, but oh so rewarding!
You were designed for a purpose. Don’t leave this earth regretting you didn’t do more to help mankind or to be God’s hand extended.
Waste no time.
Leave this earth knowing you made it a better place!
🙏💕
(pic taken along a walking trail with my hubby)
then there's two...Morgie & Me 