Serendipity Sunday

It has been a while since I have posted a SERENDIPITY SUNDAY.

That certainly is not because I haven't had any blessed surprises. I just find myself posting something on fb.

I am blessed to most always get good views on my blog, but I find myself at a struggle with what I really should post.

I know, there can be too much of me! 😁😂🤣

I guess, I think, I should always post an inspiring project for you,  but every now and then, I just feel called to share some thoughts...

Oh, no....she is thinking again! Watch out.

Yes, watch out indeed! 

AND that brings me to my first SHOUT OUT to God for safe keeping through the storms. 

While I was sleeping on Saturday afternoon (yep--days and nights are mixed up, again), a tornado touched down, without a warning, and destroyed one house and heavily damaged another. It was about 3 miles away, as the crow flies. 

One house that was destroyed belonged to a family whose husband died recently.  My heart goes out to all.

I have to admit, I sometimes think we ARE given more than we can handle. Nope, I don't think it is HIS doing this. It is just a result of mankind having choices. I don't doubt that God is faithful, because He is, but I do think sometimes, some people get hit way worse than they deserve! 😔 I hope y'all understand what I am saying. I still love and serve God, but it breaks my heart to see people suffering.

Oh, and on the flip side, lest you think I am drinking that half empty glass--we most often get WAY better than we deserve! ♡

Another man was also killed trying to put up covering on his house. Praying for his family.

Our storms of the night have just passed, and I pray peace for those still in the path.

I offer Praise for a friend whose husband is sick for an unknown reason, because one reason for his illness was ruled out--it was an ugly possibility --but now, the search for the cause still evades them. May peace settle on their home and May they be led to the right person to help heal him completely!

The beginning of the year brought news of a fb friend's unexpected death! She was a quirky and a bright spot in this world, and our lives are dimmed by her death, but it inspires me to try to shine just a bit brighter, in her memory. My heart breaks for her 2 puppies, who were her great Joy. Judy, you are missed.

Another fb friend was admitted  to the hospital on Friday night because she has been battling mono and great exhaustion. Join me in praying for a clear biopsy on her liver! Get better, Cheryl! There is much beauty waiting for you to create.♡

Oh, I give a huge praise for a new $15 keyboard.

Yep, you think this is a crazy one, but it extends the life of my slowly dying laptop. Somehow, God will make a way for me to buy a new one, that actually connects to my slow dial up internet...yes, high speed internet remains on my prayer request,  but when the time is right,  it will happen. I remain hopeful, and feel blessed for what I have. As Mother said, sometimes, it is like Slugo's house, here, with things pieced together! 😁😂🤣😃

I am most grateful for all of those "pieces"! 😉😊

As I am finishing up a deadline project (almost done), I sit here listening to my sweet Charcoal snoring, and my heart if filled with good thoughts of those I love, and of things I love to do. 

Yes, I most certainly could do more and do better, but I want to give myself a break and give thanks for what I have done.

I hope you will do that for yourself, too.

We live in a world where people have "bad hearts" and do bad things. 

Our screaming at each other on social media does nothing to solve this problem, and, yes, in my opinion, creates a bigger problem, because, we are just fostering more "bad hearts".

LOVE is the only answer.

If what you post doesn't promote love, then stop posting it.

If you don't have a solution,  then pray for what you can do to help, instead of inflaming others.

What can you do to promote love?

Be kind.

Pray.

Promote Art.

Paint pretty things.
Sew whimsical creations.
Write uplifting music.
Create poetry in any form.

Dance!

Sing...🤤

Accept that others might be right.

LOVE yourself so that you can love others.

Bite your tongue, or, scroll on by...

Sprinkle Love and kindness everywhere you go...

Smile

Thank you for being in my little corner of the world.

I am simply blessed to create~charlotte♡

Who's a GOOD BOY!!

Who's a good boy?!!!

Why did you hesitate to answer??

Good grief...NOBODY should have hesitated for ONE second for that answer!

Charcoal HATES summer.

He is often at my feet for a bit when I paint. Then, he realizes that my pillow is available!

Ok, hate is an awful word, but I think he does! 😒

Our humidity in Middle Tennessee is just horrible.

Charcoal can tell.

I have to make him go outside.

He does not linger one second more than he has to.

Let me tell ya, it is tough keeping up with me, because,  my sleep schedule is awful. I never know if it is night or day, and trying to make sure that I feed Charcoal at a similar time is kinda hilarious. 

I think I have made him a night owl! 

He doesn't complain...much.🙄

Well, my boy is a lot happier these days, since we have, I hope, said good bye to the 90s. Even though the humidity is hanging on, it is nowhere as bad as it was.

Now, Charcoal is excited to linger outside longer. 

Before, Charcoal got excited when I opened the freezer so he could get some ice.

Now, he is back to listening for the door knob to turn.

I am even enjoying sitting on the back porch again.

So, a few minutes ago, I went to the door to retrieve my dry-it board, and sweet boy thought I was going outside.

I couldn't disappoint him, so I thought I would toss the tennis ball to see if he would go after it--he had little interest during the hot weather.

Sure enough, he took off in the DARK to get it.

Now, if your pup is like my pup, going after it is no reason to think he will be bringing it back.

I made a mental note to go find it when the sun rises.

Well, "2 dead mosquitoes, a few dozen more bites, lots of sniffing" later, Charcoal decided it was time to come in. 

My blood supply was ready, too! 

Mercy, mosquitoes--it is OCTOBER!  GO AWAY.😲

I grabbed my dry-it board (it has lots of tiny points on it to hold painted items to dry) and took it to my painting table to get started on my day of painting.

I had to go get something else,  when I turned to see Charcoal sitting on the couch with...

The ball!

You're such a good boy! 
Yes, you are.
You are mommy's good boy.
Here is a treat...
Oh, another one?

How did I get so blessed!!

Charcoal sends wuf-wufs to his Aunties...

Me?! 

I am simply blessed to create~charlotte♡

Serendipity Sunday: I don't Need an Invisible Friend

What a beautiful Moon!  I KNOW the last full moon was called the Harvest Moon, but since it was cloudy here, I am claiming this one as my own special Harvest moon!

It is so big and so bright!

The glories of God are in full array.

I think God is kinda showing off, too!

This week, I became more aware than usual, of the importance of being a good example.

I saw a lady write about the demise of churches and how she was an atheist.

While, sadly, I agree with her about many churches, because it is MY EXPERIENCE that most serve only themselves.  I KNOW there are those doing exactly what they are supposed to be doing, but I fear, they are few and far between.  And when many of us walk out the doors, we forget that our mission is to SERVE as Christ did. I HOPE your experience is different than mine.

It is hard to believe that in America, there are people who do not know Christ.

We send missionaries to foreign lands, as we should, but we are failing our own neighbors.

I am ashamed that there are many times that the BIBLE that some see in me, causes them to turn away from Christ if I am what “those Christians” are like…heavy sigh…

I fail and fall so many times, but the AMAZING NEWS is that God forgives me and helps me to do better.

Since we are often the only Bible people see, I take it personally when we don’t set a good example.

While we ALL have the right to post WHATEVER we wish on our walls, once posted, it is out there for everyone to see, and is fair game for comments. If you post it, then expect disagreements. THIS is why I take it personally to remind us ALL to be careful WHAT we say and HOW we say it.

The nice lady made one last comment, that was in no way unkind, that I also agree with.  She said she did NOT need an “invisible friend to make me happy”.  Me either.

I do NOT have an invisible friend.

I have a friend that is ALIVE, Living and working in my life every single moment of every single Day.

He makes His presence known in the Full Moon, the clouds in the sky, the mountains, valleys, all living creatures, the sea, the oceans, the rivers, the rolling hills of Middle Tennessee, the sun rise, the sun set, the birds, bees, puppies, flowers, fields of grain, vegetables in the gardens, the gifts He gives us to survive, to make a living, in the kindness of a stranger, the smile of a child, the laughter of friends, the hugs, the tears, the pain, the joy, the love, the service of those who can, the hope of adventures, the planting of a dream, Oh my, I could sing of His Praises for many more words.

BUT, I want to kindly remind us that while God loves us and wants ONLY the best for us, He has given us free will, and He allows us to reap the consequences of our actions.  Bad things happen to good people.  Bad things happen to bad people.  Good things happen to good people. Good things happen to bad people.

So, today, I am SO HAPPY that “I SERVE a LIVING Savior, who is in the world Today.  He walks with him and talks with me along life’s narrow way.  He Lives.  He Lives. Salvation to impart. You ask me HOW I KNOW He LIVES.  He LIVES within my heart.”

I am so happy that I do NOT need an invisible friend to make me happy.  I am overjoyed that I have a Living Father who loves me, guides me and Keeps every single promise that He has made to me to give me EXACTLY what I NEED.  Amen and Amen.

I hope you have Him in Your heart, too…If you don’t, all you have to do is to ASK HIM to come into your heart.  Every single sin will be washed away and you shall be as white as snow.  You know, He is watching over you, even if you don’t think He is.  He loves you with a love like you have never known.  He doesn’t want to condemn you.  He wants to walk with you.  It really is that simple.  Go and sin no more.~charlotte♡

Serendipity Sunday On Monday

Glory Be…IF there is a mosquito carrying Zika or West Nile in my yard, then, I am certain to have it!!  Man, this white flesh just fed the mosquitoes WELL, and I was only outside for less than 5 minutes~~probably less than 3 minutes.

I just went out to turn the antennae around~~again, so I could get the Channel 2 morning news~~I have developed a tolerance for them, but can’t hang with the other 3 stations…LOL  I should have doused myself in mosquito spray.  I know better.

BUT during this mad dash, I made a pretty awesome discovery.  I would go take a picture, but I might be a quart low of blood already this morning!  HA HA HA HA

In my yard, we have always had a couple of small peach trees that My Aunt Jenny used to make pickled peaches.  They are TINY little things, and the worms LOVE them.  I don’t like to spray stuff because of the danger it causes to the food chain, so we have just enjoyed their beautiful flowers in the spring and their shade in the summer.

I saw one behind the cabin, but I left it instead of cutting it down, because it was pretty.  Today, as I made the mad dash to the back, I saw a rotting peach on the ground and it was a regular sized peach.  I wondered where in the world it came from, and so I looked up to see several, not tons, but a few REGULAR sized peaches.  I grabbed one and popped that beauty open and took a bite of a REAL PEACH…

God provides for us, in so many ways.  Even when I don’t feel I can afford the “luxury” of buying fresh peaches, God placed one right in front of my face…HOW blessed I am, again.

Speaking of Blessed, again, I knew that I was getting a surprise in the mail, and I was so excited to find this awesome bowl that my friend, Crystal, painted.  There were treats for me and treats for Charcoal and this beautiful bowl that has great meaning.

I know, being redundant, I share that Mother hardly ever (and never on purpose) left the house without a butterfly pinned to her left shoulder.  I remember her with each glace of those beautiful creatures.  This bowl will hold many memories for me…

Thank you, Crystal…if we all spent HALF the time trying to make others smile, the way that Crystal does, our world WOULD be different.

Charcoal took the treat and said he didn't need help getting it out of the plastic. 

That package was expected and was surely enough to make my little corner of the world a bright place…

Charlie! Do NOT put Chester in the box!!

BUT, there was another note in my PO Box from the Postie Man that said I had a package TOO BIG to fit…well, it could be 6 inches and be too big to fit~~ROFL…

This however, was no exaggeration…it was TOO big to fit!

Yowzers…I gathered it and went on my way to the car when I had to see who sent me this TOO BIG package and WAS it a mistake…Yep, mistakes happen sometimes, as I handed the envelop belonging to “Mr. Willie” to the postie person…not a big issue (and yes, that letter appeared right back in my box—lol)

Charcoal wanted in on the action

WHY was I not surprised to see that Miss Lynnie POO POO, aka, Lynn Barbadora, had sent the package~~that GIRL!  (oh, my word, I just heard my MOTHER coming out of that statement!)

 

I am posting this on my blog, because I know that Miss Ramona doesn’t read this, and I am SAFE from her yelling to “SEND IT TO ME”!!

The boys love boxes!

Inside were several gifts, all generous in their own right, and the BIG show piece was a sweet girl holding a pot of flowers~~ another reminder to BLOOM.

This had been painted for her daughter’s room that was garden themed and had remained in their “other home” until it sold.  She wanted ME to have it…ME!

Charlie, let Chester out of the box!!

How thankful I am to receive this from a beautiful lady~~gorgeous actions/thoughts and a lovely face that radiates JOY~~when on so many days, I know she just wants to crawl in the corner and cry, but who charges ONWARD planting seed of happiness, kindness and HOPE.

I am so glad to have people like this in my life and it has NOTHING to do with WHAT I have done to deserve it, but has everything to do with them BEING those kind of people who have a desire to make the world a better place.

I smile as I remember Lynn sending me requests to LIKE her facebook page, and I KNEW I had, so I ignored them, until ONE day, I went and there was NO LIKE…we laughed…

Lynn is the reason I have Prince Charlie, the fairest in all the land, and Chester the Jester Elf…she was the reason we all wanted to have fun with our mischievous elves…

Lynn taught me to say POSTIE…

Lynn has NO clue that I am NOT the reason that Santa has a Naughty List and that I am one of the VERY FEW on FB that NEEDS to choose the NICE button, and it does not work!!  (her solution was simply to remove it!!  Hey, that is how I FIX stuff, these days…)

I seldom eat a peanut butter M&M without thinking of her…

SO what that we have never met in person…she is a friend~~as real as any friend I have ever had!

Thank you, Lynnie Poo-Poo…thanks for allowing me to be me and NOT having to pretend that I am something better than I am…and for not taking me too seriously, but instead, looking to see the REAL me, and liking me anyway…I keep HOPE that one day, your story will have a happily ever after and all the chairs will be filled, as they should…

Well, now, enough SAP for one day…

I know we need to TREAT THE WORLD WITH KINDNESS…do what YOU can to make ONE PERSON smile…

We all think we need LOTS of money…need to make GRAND gestures…need to do GREAT productions of HEY~~look what I sacrificed…

For some reason, we discount the SMALL ways we EACH can make this world better…

I am amazed at how others have embraced BLOOM this year…I think we were all needing a gentle reminder to turn our faces to the sun and to show our beauty…

We are ALL beautiful…We ALL have something BEAUTIFUL to share, but with that, comes the realization that the seeds we plant must be seeds to grow KINDNESS, POSITIVE THOUGHTS and messages of encouragement....We have to leave those comments of complaint behind us and to work so much harder on improving things and realizing that WE are the CHANGE and that change can be negative or positive.  It is a lesson that I struggle to learn DAILY…

So, as you can see, I have had several serendipitous moments this week.  Shame racks my body when I fail to recognize that in my struggles, I STILL am blessed beyond measure.  THANK YOU all who make my world a kinder, gentler place…I am blessed to create~~charlotte♡