How many times in your life have you been stuck? I mean any kind of stuck. Stuck in a jam, traffic, in the mud, on a problem, in a relationship, you know, stuck! Do you know that one of the main things that keeps us stuck is fear? Fear of failure, change, success, you name it and we got fear about it! What is the one thing that we say when you realize we have said fear? We say we're going to work on that, don't we? Here's my question to you if you are nodding your head... How in the world do you do that?
I find that I work too stinkin' hard on stuff that I shouldn't even be messing with! Look at fear, what does God say about fear? It ain't from Him!!! So who would it be that brings us this lovely fear? That's right, the evil one! So if we are holding on to fear, what are we really holding on to?
Here's the deal: When we let go, when we choose, when we risk, we just might find that we are braver than we ever thought possible and stronger than we would have guessed. Why is that? Maybe because we are letting go, choosing, risking it all and that would require wholeheartedness on our part. Cuz you can't let go just some, that's called holding on. What if we were to enter into life fully, all in, all or nothing...ready to be surprised, forgiven, loved, trusted, to engage, to add to someone's life, to be counted on to forgive ourselves and move on? What if?
BUT IT"S SCARY!!! I know dear heart, it is. But the pure glory of it all, of letting go and surrendering, gives you this freedom, this lightness, that you will want again and again.
I'm so done with workin hard at stuff I have no business workin at. I'm ready to risk, I'm ready to run through the flowers of life and smell everything I can get my hands on!
I want to think again of dangerous and noble things.
I want to be light and frolicsome.
I want to be improbably beautiful and afraid of nothing,
as though I had wings! ~ Mary Oliver
Don't you want to come too?
Every morning, after Preacher man and I walk the dog herd, I set out to water whatever happens to still be alive in the backyard. We gave up on the grass last year and we're proud to repot that we have only cut it two times this summer. Anyway, I drag the hose out and pour the water from yesterday out of the birdbath, refill it and move on to the cucumbers. After everything has had a drink, I fill the two bird/squirrel feeders and get back in the house before the mosquitoes carry me off to parts unknown.
While I'm sitting here, posting this here blog, I can look out the window and see the squirrel herd taking stock of their yard. The funniest thing has started to happen. Where I pour out the water from the birdbath has become a popular squirrel area for what seems like two reasons.
1. They can dig in the ground easy because it's soft. That way they can find what may have been buried last year or earlier in the spring.
2. It makes a cool spot to roll in.
It is the funnest thing to see this one squirrel who thinks he can hide by laying flat on his belly. He does it in the tree when Preacher man goes out back, he does it when Gracie is let out of the house and stands ready to pounce on him, and he does it in the cool of the morning after he plays with his buddies. I hate to say it, but I'm learning some stuff from these hairy rats that live in our trees and run out in front of cars. They seem to have two main missions in life. Eat and play. They truly enjoy hanging out and playing with each other.
I remember when I was little, and we hung out with the neighborhood kids after dinner until the street lights started coming on. We played so hard we would have those dirt necklaces on, do you remember that? We would sweat so much and play so hard that the dirt would form a necklace in the creases of our necks. Daddy would call us home by the world renown whistle and my sister and I would begin the process of taking baths and getting all the play off of us.
I just don't see kids play like squirrels anymore do you? I wonder how many of you reading this have never wore the dirt necklace?
I think God wants us to remember how to play with squirrlish abandon! We take ourself way too seriously most of the time and most of us have forgotten how to play at all! Won't you take the time to watch something play today? Maybe even join in.
 |
| My Huffy! |
I made a flying trip down to Fort Smith to see Sisters Rachel and Hillary, get my last interview in to see if I was accepted into the Retreat in Daily Life, filled up with gas (it's cheaper there) and flew back home. I have good news, I have been accepted to participate in the seven month experience of the Spiritual Exercises of St. Ignatius! I'm so excited about this! It starts in Oct. and should be done around May. I took two pints of pickles down for the sisters and Hilary ended up selling them to another sister. Rachel was a little miffed that she got to hold her gift for about 20 seconds before Hillary said I sold these 2 can you get us more? They are the funnest gals to hang out with.
 |
| Back side of Huffy! |
We had to mail pickles and go pick up a tent for the block party tomorrow at one of the schools around here. While we were walking around the store I found a Huffy bike on clearance. It has one speed and no hand brakes, and a big seat for my big seat to sit on! Do you see the white walls? This is so old school, I love it! I told Preacher man I was going to get a basket for the front and I think he thought about disowning me for a second. This bad boy even has fenders! I could get some cards and stick them on the fender and make that really cool sound, remember? This baby is built for style not speed!
Check out the R, theres a L on the other side so I know where to put my feet! How cool is that huh? I was a little concerned when I read the warning on the middle ball cracker bar.
 |
| R is for Right! |
Seems there are four rules and I can tell you right now, I'm breaking the first one! I have no helmet and will argue with anyone who asks me about it. When you make people who ride those gas burning fast bikes wear helmets again, I will think about getting one! Fair enough? Hope so. So now Preacher man and his wife have bikes! We will be able to get on the bike path and ride for as far as we can, which I'm sure won't be too far to start with! Do you know how excited I am to be able to do some exercise with Preacher man? I don't think there is enough gold in China (maybe now there is) to pay him to run! So this is what we have compromised on! I really wanted a bicycle built for two, but he would put me in the back and I wouldn't be able to see anything but his back. If you think about it, if he put me on the front, theres no telling where we'd end up and then I start pointing and taking my eyes off the road and running over those noisy strip things on the side of the road and... sounds like I know what I'm talking about huh?
