A Powerful Statement to Get you through Friday !

A powerful statement by Alexander Maclaren:  The riddle of Providence is solved when we have grasped this conviction—all events do serve me, for all circumstances come from His will and pleasure, which is love.  Everywhere I go—be it in the darkness of disaster or in the sunshine of prosperity—I shall see standing before me that familiar and beloved shape, and shall be able to say, "It is the Lord!" John 21

How do you get to such a place of conviction?  Something that really helps nurture our relationship with God is during our daily quiet reflection, give God SPACE:  While reading through HIs Word, look in the passage for a SIN to confess, a PROMISE to receive, an ATTITUDE  to change, a COMMAND to obey, an EXAMPLE  for me to follow.
Be mindful of His Presence with you and in you today!

Hugs,
Mimi D

Reminder: You are special and beloved!

Good Monday morning!  Well here's to hoping anyway.....This liitle bunny is Starburst. He is helping us keep the grass between the blocks of our front walk mowed. I will try to keep the coyotes away from him. I saw two taking a short cut through our property on Saturday! Bob saw a little garter snake while discovering some cane sprouting in our arroyo.  It's been a 'nature weekend' for us!  The next one will be full of watching Lance Armstrong and the likes of him tackle our mountain roads ala bicycle. The five day Tour of the Gila starts Wed.

Just like the bunny you are special and beloved by the creator of both.
Make someone smile today!
Mimi D.

Inspiration requires exhaling

Inspiration requires exhaling and in doing so we create more room for more  inspiration.  It's a wonderful habit to develop. Here's a quick exercise that will get your blood flowing through a heart of gratitude.  Choose someone—friend, co-worker, family member, neighbor— close to you and write them a list of appreciation for the little things they do for you. You will be blessed by letting a wave of gratitude wash over you....and any little nit picky things about them that drives you nuts, will be put in perspective; they really are just gnats in the big picture.
Hugs to all
Mimi

Let Inspiration have it's work in you — TODAY!

Invite Inspiration 4/22/10


Breathing in divine influence

Along The Most Excellent Way there are places to pull off the road and take in a scenic view. Often we don’t do them because pedal to the metal we are ‘making good time!’ We need a change of perspective here folks; for it may be as we pull off the rapidly moving thoroughfare of life that we find the inspiration to stay on the Most Excellent Way, living a life based upon and living I Corinthians 13.

Three great sources of inspiration: People, Nature, and a nurturing relationship with God. Inspiration requires lingering, not an easy task in today’s world but definitely beneficial. It is the key to being able to do the rest of the list.

Give God’s Word S.P.A.C.E. in your life’ an idea that first heard from Billie Hanks. When I read a passage of Scripture I look for a sin for me to confess, a promise for me to receive, attitude for me to change, command for me to obey, and an example for me to follow.

Two definitions for inspiration are “breathing in” and “divine influence.”If you have never tried this, today is a good day to begin!

Hugs to each of you,

Mimi D.

Be authentic

Who likes or needs or wants another hypocrite in their lives? No one who lives on my block that’s for sure! Authentic goes beyond what you see Is what you get to what you see is what I am. We think of synonyms: genuine and real.


However, according to my red-letter dictionary, it also has the meanings of authoritative, trustworthy, and reliable, too. So our challenge to live in the Most Excellent Way is to nurture a relationship with the Lord which makes us through and through a reflection of Him. One way to do this is to sing His praises as you go throughout your days. The realization of His love for us starts my praising, His provision for our needs—material, spiritual, emotional, social—sets my feet to dancing! Rejoice in the Lord always, and again, I say rejoice!

Hugs,
Mimi

Ten Ways to Create Community

Let's put our heads together and come up with ten ways to create community.We had better first think about what is community.It's the group of people who you don't always say, "Fine. And you?" when asked how you are doing. So....#1 Find folks who you are comfortable with and spend time with. In person is best but in touch if they live at a distance from you. #3 Help wherever you can , at your church, your child's school, as a community volunteer,etc. #5 Realize that friends may be plentiful but confidantes are few and far between. Treasure them and do not neglect them. #7Take a good look at your neighbos. Isn't there some way to get more connected to them. #9Think outside the box of like age, like mindedness , same hobbies, etc. Since we are putting our heads together, let me know how you create community.
Hugs all around, Mimi

#2 could be just that—hugs!

Take a sabbath

From the list from Now is the time...to take a day of rest. Allow me to share my self talk with you. " Take it before you need it. For a 24 hour period do only those things which promote a rested body, a soul at peace, a mind that is carefree, and a spirit of harmony with God and folks.Often we have to plan ahead for it, guard it with the tenacity of a bulldog, and then joyfully receive it as a gift from God. Next thing I 'm doing is looking at my calendar for an available date"...
Power naps are good but there's nothing like a good day of rest.
Mimi

The Makings For An Abundant Life

I am enjoying making my way through a book of short readings, Now is the Time…insights for living the abundant life from Christian Life. It’s one that has so much to think about and work into your soul and spirit that I’m not very far along in the book and I’ve been at it awhile. Not a real page turner, in other words.


I came to a list today that is interesting to me as it seems almost contradictory when first read. The list is “Now is the time to* invite inspiration* find your balance*work wholeheartedly* take a Sabbath*eliminate distractions* choose your conversations* create community*be authentic*live artfully.” At first I thought of them as a list to check off and that’s when they seemed contradictory. But when I gave it some thought and changed the list to a “stew”(choose your own favorite blended item) the savory stew, and of abundant life, is found in the blending of the ingredients. I think the list covers the ingredients pretty well!

Some of my choices of blended items: mocha, chocolate chip cookies with pecans, a stylin’ outfit

Invite inspiration......Hmmmm....today!
Hugs,
Mimi D

Easter 2010

"You smiled and the sun burst through the shadows of chaos." Thom Shuman

We began our Easter morning with a fire in our firepit that is on the eastern side of our house...and a cup of coffee, of course. The scenic landmark in the background is the kneeling nun.  So I guess you could say that we started our day with a praying sister in sight.

 

After a wonderful oatmeal pancake breakfast (recipe follows) we got dolled up and enjoyed joining others in worshiping our risen savior.

After a lovely early supper with Mom and Dad, it's a wrap up to our Easter Day celebration. However, there is Easter Monday waiting on the side stage. May our words and deeds be a reflection of His love.
Mimi D and her #1 sidekick

Oatmeal pancakes—wheat free and yummy!
Warm 1 cup of milk and add to it 3/4 cup of oatmeal. Take 3 eggs and separate them beating the whites until stiff. Add mixture of 3/4 oat flour, 2 T. of baking powder, 1/2 t cinnamon, one of the egg yolks and a wee bit of sugar to the stiff egg whites. Fry on a hot griddle.  May add applesauce if mixture is too thick.

Ready for the egg hunt

This is not a tribute to casual Easter apparel, though there is

certainly nothing wrong with it. Easter Sunday always brought a

time of dinner, fellowship, and an egg hunt immediately following

the church service. I didn’t find the golden egg that year—some teens

had actually buried it!—but I did win the award for changing out of

our Easter finery first. On my left is my older suster Chris and on my right is Beth Walters.  Many fond memories of Easters Past.

Enjoy the day!

Mimi D

Go ahead...Wear an Easter bonnet!

While trying on the umpteenth hat at a local store that carries from vintage to ultra modern hats, I found it. It is a nice little white pillbox shaped hat with large bow and netting.  Now for the dress....Not really but it has called for a different one than I had thought to wear. Fun, fun,fun!!!  I figured out yesterday why I had settled on that particular hat as a memory of Easter 1965ish came to mind.  A very generous lady from our church made dresses for my sisters and me.  All the same style but of different colors of rich brocade material. We felt like princesses as we were crowned by pillbox hats made by Mom of the same material. Mom had covered the bottoms of oatmeal boxes with the brocade material.  We were stylin'!  
This careful preparation of an Easter outfit communicated the significance of day to me  We didn't get new clothes at a drop of a hat like nowadays. . Don't need anything new?  I imagine there is a child near you who does.
Read more on my take on Easter and its parades in the April issue of the Desert Exposure, page 24 wwwdesertexposure.com

Blessings on your day,
Mimi D.