Project Something Beautiful: GRATITUDE

Gratitude is one of my two "touchstone" words. I start each day in prayer, in "gratitude and grace for everything You have done for me." Starting the day with gratitude sets the tone. If I can continue to live each day, each moment, in gratitude I am in a better place; I am a better person. I have so much in my life to be grateful for that I am overwhelmed on a daily basis. Once I started to consider the things I'm grateful for, this post became much longer than I had anticipated. What's on your Gratitude List?

GOD'S CREATION

FAMILY

Photo by Cynthia Dawson

FRIENDS

THIS LIFE

Coffee

Dessert

America

Travel

Music

Creativity

  

Books

Sunsets over the ocean

Photography

And finally, technology... technology has allowed me to find a wonderful group of photographers, some of whom are participating in Project Something Beautiful; and allowed me to complete this blog post while traveling with friends in a 5th wheel, accessing photos I've stored in the cloud. Life is indeed good. And I am so very grateful.

This post is part of a series and a blog circle titled "Project Something Beautiful," exploring our lives and emotions. I'm so excited to collaborate with this wonderful group of talented women. For more on GRATITUDE, check out Tina's blog here: Love Came Down Photography

Project Something Beautiful: STILL

STILL. Calm. Quiet. Reflect. Peace. God. Breathe. Me. Rest. Difficult. Fleeting. Worth fighting for.

I am blessed to be able to start my day being STILL with God ~ to me, these go hand in hand. I read his Word, I write my prayers, I meditate, I reflect, I breathe. And I feel the stillness within, and peace.

But then the day moves on and that stillness is left in the dust as I take care of the seemingly millions of little things and some big ones. There always seems to be one more thing that needs to be done; one more something. One more way to keep moving. One more thing for my brain to focus on, to worry over. One more, one more, one more... I want my stillness to be with me throughout my day. I need that grounded feeling to stay balanced. By dinner time, usually earlier, my morning stillness has evaporated, not to be found again until the new day dawns. And my soul is unsettled.

If I can only stop for a bit in the midst of all the movement and recharge. I need to be still. I remember a meditation prayer taught to me about a year ago by Rev. Judy Yates Siker during a woman's retreat ... and I take some time to breathe.

 Be still and know that I am God

Be still and know

Be still

Be

And I am made whole.

Meditation ~ Psalm 46:10

This post is part of a series and a blog circle titled "Project Something Beautiful," exploring our lives and emotions. I'm so excited to collaborate with this wonderful group of talented women. For more on STILL, check out Britney's blog here:  Britney Wharton Photography

August Monthly Madness

OK... we used to have Fab Fridays because I was off work on Friday. We would go do something different each month (well, maybe not EVERY month!) on a Friday. Well, now that I'm totally retired, we don't need to go on a Friday, we can go any day. So "Fab Friday" doesn't really work anymore. So I'm thinking it should be "Montly Madness," what do you think?

For August's Madness, we went to the Orange County Fair. Neither of us had been in a loooong time. But this was the year, and here's why: I submitted photos to the fair's photo competition and had two accepted for the competition and exhibition. So, of course we had to go see them!! And, I received an Honorable Mention for the Photojournalism photo and 3rd place for the Color-Children & Family photo!!! I was so excited just to have them accepted. Then blown away to get ribbons!! So, here are some photos from our August Montly Madness!! To see the rest, check out the Monthly Madness tab!

Yep, deep fried Oreos!!

Project Something Beautiful: HOPE

I think there are great similarities between Hope and Prayer. I cannot see either one; I cannot hold either one; I cannot control either one. Hope and Prayer are brother and sister, cousins, lovers, you & I. Hope looks forward, to the future.

Hope is ethereral. Hope is eternal.

Hope is like a mist moving softly through you.

Hope is growing, reaching, blooming.

Hope is living, for I cannot live without Hope.

My husband and I recently overheard a man near us at dinner saying that he knows statistically what will happen in life, so basically that's it. What a sad statement. He is living a hopeless life, full of darkness, pain, and status quo. I want to live a life full of Hope. If I didn't have hope I don't know how I would have made it through the end of 2002-2003. My husband almost died from Multiple Myeloma (just writing that still shakes me to my core). He was a week in ICU, then treatment, surgeries, & therapy; finally, underwent a stem cell transplant the end of 2003. Statistically he should have died. Without Hope and Prayer I would have been lost. We would have been lost.

I see Hope in every day dawning.

I hear Hope in a child's laughter.

I lived Hope through my husband's illness.

In the end, I trust in Hope and Prayer. On a breath releasing both to God, and they float away.

This post is part of a series and a blog circle titled "Project Something Beautiful," exploring our lives and emotions. I'm so excited to collaborate with this wonderful group of talented women. For more on HOPE, check out Britney's blog here:  Britney Wharton Photographer