STOP and OBSERVE Your Surroundings, Wednesday, July 1, 2015

WHERE is time going?  We are now officially half way through this year…WHERE did it go?  What have I done?  What am I going to do????? YIKES!!!

I think if we each would stop for just a moment and reflect, we might not seem as disappointed in ourselves and we might realize that we are pretty awesome creatures who have accomplished much…For some reason, we can fill the list of DIDN’T DO so much faster that DID DO…we MUST stop doing that!!

A Facebook friend posted yesterday about SLOWING DOWN and observing her surrounds.  When I was in management, I would tell our employees to ALWAYS observe their surroundings because someone is going to stop and ASK where something is and you SHOULD be able to tell them…I guess that comes from me being self-sufficient at a young age…Mother and Daddy were so busy with 3 children and 3 people past 80.  I am CERTAIN that every break they could catch was welcomed.  I was about 5 years old and Mother was trying to gather me so she could wash my hair…I told her that I did NOT need her to wash my hair and that I could do it…She said “have at it, child” and I did and that was the end of Martha’s Beauty Shop in my life.  I have always been quite stubborn and the kid who took NO as a challenge…poor Martha and Robert, which was a loving phrase uttered OFTEN by one of my co-workers.

 

Back to the story of my FB friend…This friend went on to tell about having to go to the hospital each month for blood work and what an inconvenience it was and how she always ran in and out without stopping to look, BUT for some reason, this day, she observed her surroundings to notice people standing and crying…she was certain that family has received bad news…she saw an elderly man who was so weak, he could barely hold up his head…she saw a lady that she knew who told her of her husband’s death and they talked and hugged…another lady shared her testimony and made sure SHE knew of Christ…when it was time for the friend to leave, she got up and then stopped to ask if she could give the elderly lady a hug and so she did…She recounted that she HOPED that from now on, she would slow down and count her blessings more often and notice others around her who had times far tougher than hers….WOW…just WOW…

I don’t think I need to give a synopsis of that story because the lesson is clear…SLOW DOWN and OBSERVE your surroundings…YOU are WHERE you are for a REASON…GOD can and WILL use you when you heart is open and ready…YOU CAN BE the CHANGE in the world…YOU CAN make a difference in this world~~make it a POSITIVE CHANGE!  I posted on my fb wall this week that IF you think you are TOO small to make a difference, you have NEVER spent a night with a mosquito in your room!!  YOU ARE GREAT ENOUGH!!  Besides, if you have been TAKING Blessings lately, it is time to pass them on.

Another friend from College has been doing some amazing work helping people in her area…who KNOWS what doors have been opened because of her willingness.  She has helped two people get air conditioners, helped people with water and electric bills.  These are NOT people without jobs.  These are people who cannot make the paycheck stretch far enough.  STOP and OBSERVE YOUR SURROUNDINGS….

I DAILY read Prayer requests on FB…People are hurting and searching…STOP and OBSERVE your surroundings…it take little effort to utter a prayer on their behalf…PRAY is the GREATEST gift we have…what an honor to be asked to pray together with other believers…

There is too much evil at work in our societies…we MUST learn to LOVE and to SUPPORT each other…build each other UP with every chance instead of TEARING people down…GOD will take care of our enemies, and BELIEVE me, GOD is FAR MORE POWERFUL than KARMA…Karma doesn’t hold a stick to what my GOD can and WILL do when I follow Him.  OBSERVE your surrounds…offer smiles…hold doors…help those SHORT people get items from the top shelves…STOP and say HEY to those who look lost or sad…LOOK at PEOPLE…SLOW DOWN, you are just going to be standing in the checkout line anyway…AND find a reason to strike up a conversation with those in line with you…ASK the cashier HOW they are doing instead of WAITING to be asked…it takes NO EFFORT to be kind…

Make the SECOND ACT of this year memorable!  Keep your eyes, ears and heart OPENED to needs around you…YOU MAKE A DIFFERENCE in my life…Thanks for stopping by my little corner of the world…Blessings to YOU…~charlotte

OH…TODAY the NEW ISSUE of PAINTING EZINE comes out…IF you are not getting it, PLEASE DO…There is a link on each side of my blog that will take you RIGHT there…just click on it…IF you are on your phone, scroll down and choose to view as web and you will see the links…easy peasy…A one year PRESCRIPTION is $16~~what a value!!  If  you use only 3 patterns the entire year, and you will want to use MORE, then you have paid for the PRESCRIPTION…

 

Why am I typing PRESCRIPTION?  Because PAINTING is my daily medication to keeping my sanity…it is my passion…it is my joy…it is my challenge…THANK YOU GOD, for this gift…may I always use it to YOUR GLORY and honor…peace out, dudes…