Hearts in Service

  I opened my eyes this morning and laid sight on the flowers in the first two pictures above. My son, Stephen, gave me those for Mother's Day and they brought a smile to my face. Not a bad way to start the day. This week has been an eclectic kind of week. As I've gotten older I've learned to do a better job of being well-balanced in my daily activities. In the past I tended to hyper-focus on one area and would have a difficult time stopping to move on to something else. So I would spend hours and hours focusing on one particular activity instead of choosing to do it in increments each day. What I started doing, and it is working well, is I break my day up into segments. I'll generally use the morning for church or district work. I often have morning meetings. Then after lunch is when I work on my personal business, do some housework, or do some things for pleasure.  This works for me and I find that I'm able to get quite a bit done this way. It certainly makes for

It was a good weekend and one which included some of my favorite things - walking, crafting and family. I didn't remember to take pictures, but on Saturday night some of us took my mother-in-law out for a Mother's Day celebration as well. I had a bit of an epiphany yesterday about Mother's Day. I know so many struggle with this day either because they have lost a mom, their relationship with their mother is complicated, or they are struggling in their own mothering and relationships with children.  It's easy to set expectations for how the day should go and when it doesn't go according to your internal expectations, it's disheartening. My family does do a good job of showing me they love me, but I can fall in the trap of expecting this picture-perfect day or comparing my life to another person's life. Social media doesn't help because, of course, everyone is showing their best and brightest moments; their snapshot moments. I was starting to descend into

My husband was away at a conference the past three days and it's nice to have him back home. I decided that since I was stuck at home most of those days without a car that I was going to take a little mini-sabbatical.  I did use my son's car in the mornings before he left for work to go for a walk at our local Audubon Center. The weather has been beautiful this week so that has been nice. I've gone in the early morning when it's been empty and quiet and that is the best time to see many of the birds and wildlife.  This doe was totally unafraid of me. I got right a few yards away and she didn't budge other than keeping an eye on me. The same was true of this little bluebird. He was standing guard near the nest and I was able to get quite close. I experimented with some new recipes, including these quinoa, chickpea wraps.   I made some goat's milk soap. It's been almost two years since I've made soap.  I filmed a video for my website, The Frugal Connection

Matthew 6:25-34 ~ “This is why I tell you: Don’t worry about your life, what you will eat or what you will drink; or about your body, what you will wear. Isn’t life more than food and the body more than clothing?  Look at the birds of the sky: They don’t sow or reap or gather into barns, yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Aren’t you worth more than they? Can any of you add a single cubit to his height by worrying?  And why do you worry about clothes? Learn how the wildflowers of the field grow: they don’t labor or spin thread. Yet I tell you that not even Solomon in all his splendor was adorned like one of these! If that’s how God clothes the grass of the field, which is here today and thrown into the furnace tomorrow, won’t He do much more for you—you of little faith?  So don’t worry, saying, ‘What will we eat?’ or ‘What will we drink?’ or ‘What will we wear?’ For the idolaters eagerly seek all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them.  But seek first the king

The weather is dreary today and my mood felt much the same way as I started my walk. But as I looked around me at all the beautiful signs of spring and as I began to pray while walking, I felt the dark mood begin to lift.  There were delicate things everywhere I looked.  Delicate birds. Delicate wild flowers. Delicate blossoms. I'm thankful for the opportunity to get out and walk and I'm especially thankful for this time of the year when everything begins to come to life. Have a wonderful weekend!