Monday, January 26, 2015

Undercurrents of Wonderfulness

Have you ever felt like something big was going to happen, but it just wasn't there yet? Like there was an underground torrent of good stuff under your feet- you can feel the vibrations of something powerful working in the background, but you couldn't put your finger on what it was or what was going to happen?

Oh yeah baby, that's an immensely awesome feeling- and a scary one too!

When God decides to do something in your life, He never does it in a small way- and that way can be a roller coaster ride- both exhilarating and terrifying at the same time.

I feel a lot of big life changes are going to happen soon- and I don't know whether to pack the duct tape or the parachute!

What I do know is this- when it happens, I'm going to be sloppin' over with God's wonderfulness.

It feels like Christmas when you know that great, big package with the fancy paper and ribbons has your name on it- but you can't open it yet. AARGH!

I hope that you're feeling this too- the question is, what can we do about it without jumping out of our own skin in frustration?

Close your eyes, take a deep breath, grin your face off, and thank Him for doing all of this Great Stuff He's about to do, and then go out into the world and act as if He's already done it.

Smile like you've already been blessed, Talk with others and use that excitement to make people excited too. Do like that song Happy says- Clap along if you feel like a room without a roof- act like there's no limits to being blessed- and when God is in charge, there isn't!

I'm doing that in this blog, and with anyone I meet via the Internet or the real world. I'm going to celebrate the undercurrents of wonderfulness God has planned- because when it comes, it's going to be awesome!

Monday, January 19, 2015

New Years Evolutions

Yes, you read that right- evolutions, not resolutions. Because resolutions don't stick, while evolutions do.

Not because it's the New Year either- it's because I'm finally ready to get serious, and my nutritionist appointment was in early January. So there.

For details, I have restarted my weight loss blog I'm Fighting Fat. It's also filled with trials and errors from the past, so  learn from it what you will. But I'm starting over- one more time and I wanted to share my journeys with you.

I just acquired an exercise bike, because exercising out in the cold with osteoarthritis is a bad idea. If I don't exercise, I don't work those joints, I don't increase mobility, and eventually I'll freeze up like the Tin Man in the Wizard of Oz. Not good if I plan to be remotely active in the spring.
To compromise, I got a stationary bike- one I can use while I watch videos. That will practically guarantee that I do 20-30 minutes of my require exercises each day. Especially when it's too rainy/icy/snowy/hot/humid/whatever outside.

No excuses this time!

This also gives me the chance to do a little redecorating. The living room is a feng-shui disaster, and is very, very cluttered. Now I have an exercise bike on top of that, so a little revamping is in order- and I get to have the men in the family move stuff while my daughter and I make thinks shiny- that's always a good thing.

I'm also making other changes. I'm working on formatting a book for self-publication as well as getting one published through an indie publisher (hopefully). The ideal would be to get both out this year, but I'll settle for at least one. And you, Dear Readers, will be the first to know when I do!

I'd joined Toastmasters to learn public speaking, but I'm really not enjoying the meetings. I thought it would be more like a class, but it seems as if there's more fumbling around on my own than anything being taught, so I might find a better way to learn this skill. Besides, I don't like the manuals that tell you you have to achieve all these goals (like be a timekeeper, or an "um" counter) in order to move on. I just don't learn that way.

Crafting is still in the mix- I think I'd go nuts if I didn't have a creative outlet using my hands! My plan is to work all year on finishing UFO's (UnFinished Objects) and sell them at craft shows during the college and Christmas seasons. In the meantime, I'll put some handcrafted goodies up on my Etsy store

I hope to get my joints limber enough to get my garden restarted in the spring. We had a bumper crop of tomatoes last year (I made some great homemade sauce!), but it played havoc on my joints because I'd planted a little too much and the plants grew into tomatozillas that I needed a scythe just to get to the shiny red produce. Better planning, better planting and better use of small garden space is key, because we don't have time to do the community garden this year.
I'm plating a lot more herbs too. I've been "going herbal" for about a year now, and found they make really good remedies for everyday afflictions- though I won't go all out and get a beehive for fresh honey- I need an excuse to go to Lancaster, after all!

Lots of plans. Lots of ideas and enthusiasm. I just hope I can pull all of this off! But to be honest, I'll be happy to pull most of this off. Especially the book- I really want that to happen this year!

Monday, January 12, 2015

Do Dreams Equal God's Will?

My husband and I have a dream. 

One day, we'd really love to have a Bed and Breakfast, or an Inn with a little cafe attached. I even have a name for it, what kind of theme I want for each bedroom, and even what the cafe decor would be like. We'd even have a large space for classes, meetings, or small conferences.
The location would be somewhere in the scenic countryside, easy access to highways but far enough away from everything that you can enjoy nature. In fact, I want enough acreage to grow our own food and have a path for at least a one-mile round-trip nature walk, complete with benches in secluded spots for romance and bird-watching.
And at least one gazebo. Gotta have one of those.

It's all perfectly formed in my head. He would run the cafe, and I would run the Inn. Shangri-la, here we come!

But is that what God wants for us?

We gave the idea serious thought a few years back before we moved here. Church life was becoming stagnant, and we were at a loss as to where to go. We found large acreage here and there- once there was even a plot about eight hours from here- but nothing ever worked out. We either couldn't get the financing or it would be too far for him to commute to work and back. Yes- he still needed to work before our plan came to fruition.

Then God stepped in and monkey-wrenched our plans. We weren't meant to be in an inn in the boonies. Not yet. He wanted us just a little further down the road than we were, slapping us right in the middle of a city community.

And we love it!

We have a new church we love dearly. The church is community oriented. I'm involved with ministry and community events, and so are my husband and kids. My husband became a deacon in this church a few years after we joined, and it was the best thing that could've happened for us and the community.

Are we giving up the dream? Nope. We might get there, we might not. The dream might even change. The point is that we are letting God show us the path before we start looking at the maps and making plans, because He's probably going to change them anyway. It would be great to have our own inn (at least in my mind) but when God tells you to be somewhere else, you go. He has a way of putting you in places you need to be, whether or not you think differently. 

It's a God thing. Annoying sometimes, I know. I'm like a kid who never ate carrots before and refuses to eat them because they're different. Then He makes me eat them and I like them. Dagnabbit.

I don't know where we'll be in the next few years, but it will be somewhere that's hospitality oriented. That hasn't changed, and we're good at it. And if He offers me something different again, I'll give the thing a new taste, whatever it is. Because God is going to make it good, no matter what!

Tuesday, January 6, 2015

I Forget What I Forgot!

Good grief- is this Tuesday?

Did you ever forget something so bad that you never even realized you forgot it until the next morning?

Like that doctor's appointment, or you were supposed to take the car in for repairs....or you forgot to make your weekly blog post.

Oh yeah, it happened. The worst part is I didn't even remember to post until now, and it's almost dinner time!

*swats forehead*

I think my brain is shutting down. How could I possibly forget to make a blog post? I've done this for years without missing a beat! In fact, the only times I've missed it was due to being too sick to blink, or my computer crashed. That's it.

Even as I write this, my heart is pounding. What could possibly be wrong with me that I forgot such an important weekly routine?

The holidays are over. The decorations are put away. My birthday was celebrated (awesomely so- I'll tell you in my next post- probably a month from now...sheesh!). Everything is now back to its normal, chaotic state. 

Granted, I have a slight cold and I have a lot of writing deadlines, including Ruby for Women magazine's articles, columns, interviews and puzzles that are due, I got a one-time writing gig that actually pays good fundage, and I just started formatting my book for self-publication, and my daughter had been sick, and I'm making dinner, and the window guy is coming for an estimate, and, and, and....

Oh. That is a lot to be remembering, isn't it? Maybe my brain isn't dying after all. It just needs a nap.

I sincerely hope you're not having this kind of experience. But if you are, know that I'm there for you to assure you that you aren't losing your mind. We forget things because we are multi-taskers. Even a juggler can handle so many objects, and it's like we're juggling a bowling ball, twenty pineapples and a chainsaw sometimes. 

If you're like me, here's what you have to do:

Take a deep breath, forgive yourself and move on. Then make that blog post!