A brighter perspective

I won't know for sure until tomorrow, but I'm optimistic I finally have a pair of lenses in my new eyeglasses that allow me to see distances, midrange and up-close clearly and without double vision.

Dare I get my hopes up? Yes, I dare!

It's been a relief these past two weeks to be able to see clearly, even as my eyes continue to adjust to the more precise focus required with trifocals. This is either my fifth or set of lenses as the optometrist and optician have tried to figure out what I need. A new set with one more tweak should be available for me to try tomorrow, along with the sunglasses, all of which I paid for in early August.

I'm grateful I didn't give up on the process when I was so discouraged earlier this month, even after the optometrist and optician both assured me they wanted to continue working with me -- with no further charge -- until I was satisfied. I felt strangely guilty that with each new set of lenses before this one, I still couldn't see clearly, without excessive strain. I can truthfully say that in past situations I have given up on such a process. I hope I'll be able to file this as a positive learning experience.

A September to remember?

When the month started, I was thinking about how many Septembers have had many memorable moments. That doesn't seem as true this year, but maybe my memory's just not as good as it used to be!

I do know that this past week -- the final week of September -- has included happenings that triggered less-than-pleasant memories. Fortunately, those occurrences also brought me back around to the attitude of gratitude and continued awareness and faith that no matter happens in my own little sphere or the world at large, God is sovereign and working all things for good.

36 years and counting: Grateful. Loved. Blessed.

My niece, Brandi, resumed her Facebook "Question of the Day" this morning with this: "Fill in the blank: When I think of September, I think of ______."

Even before I saw what she was asking, I had thought I might play along this round. In the past, I have enjoyed reading other people's responses but very rarely added my own.


Of course, when I got ready to respond, I remembered why I typically decided against doing so. I have trouble limiting my response to one thing.

These are the ones that came to readily to mind: Anniversaries, fall, football, sadness that summer's almost over, dread that cold weather is getting closer.

This is what I wrote:  "As I turn the page to September, I’m grateful to take time to remember, Rich blessings of family, faith and spirit: Sweet music of life — To hear it! To share it!!" Because that truly is one of the first things that comes to my mind when I think of September, as well as November and December.

Today, my theme verse is very much tied to my husband's and my 36th wedding anniversary. 

While we didn't exchange specific gifts, I feel we celebrated each other's moving forward with projects that are important to us, individually and as a couple. 

Gene got two major pieces of material needed for rigging up a jon boat he bought earlier this year to replace the one with a leak that caused the second angler (sometimes me) to have to bail water after more than a couple of hours on the lake.

I was able to move forward on a little charitable venture that really doesn't change much how I support worthy causes yet somehow inspires me to feel even more grateful. And it fully embodies the rich blessings of family, faith and spirit, making my heart sing with sweet music!

As with many friends and family members I'm aware of, Gene and I seem to be at a place in our relationship where we've learned to appreciate simple pleasures and to celebrate the things that make each other feel grateful, happy and blessed. 

It's a priceless treasure.

A September song of hope

I started and ended August pulling weeds out of the lawn, and now I've started September the same way! The big ones are almost gone, although I'm sure I'll see more between the next rain and the next round of mowing.

I'm determined to move from just pulling the weeds outside to weeding out the clutter that spoils my interior living space. I've followed through with some action today. It will take consistent, focused effort to get this project done. Supposedly, it's been my priority the two years since I quit working for pay, outside the home. It's amazing how many things come up each day to distract me from the task.

Picking up on a theme I tried to return to at the end of July, I hope and pray that as I weed out the clutter, there will be more room for the sweet music of life inside and outside of my home.

Of course, that brought back to mind my September, November and December refrain (plug in the month that fits), first written probably in the mid-1990s but always a fresh reminder of things I hold dear:

As I turn the page to September
I'm grateful to take time to remember 
Rich blessings of family, friendship and spirit
Sweet music of life: To hear it! To share it!

It continues to resonate.

Shortly after I started this blog in November 2009, I wrote about the "spirit" referenced in the blog name as well as the verse:

* The spirit is definitely God: God's love; His mercy, love, grace, graciousness, creativity, compassion, omnipotence and so many more things than I could ever write. 
* It is definitely the spirit of Christ, Who gave all that I may be in relationship with God, the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit and all of creation. 
* The spirit is family: My parents, grandparents, brothers and sisters and extended family of other relatives as well as church. It seems as if more each day, I see how their lives -- breathing (spirit) on Earth and beyond -- help me look for and find the good in my life and the lives of others.
* The spirit is friendship. I've been blessed with some great ones.
* The spirit is fellowship. As hard as it is sometimes for me to write, it's usually easier for me to write than to relate directly with people. Awkward is me! And still I am loved and accepted. I need not be afraid to spend time relating with people.
* The spirit is love.
* The spirit is compassion.
* The spirit is music.
* The spirit is gratitude.

Today, I'll add that the spirit is hope, which springs eternal because of God's mercies, which spring afresh each day.

Rich blessings of family, friendship and spirit
Sweet music of life:
To hear it!
To share it! 

Amen to August!

The month started with a surprising opportunity to adjust my attitude, and it appears it will also end on a positive note.

Throughout the month, devotional readings have offered just the right words to keep me hopeful even when my actions weren't accomplishing my intentions.

As I've looked for a way to wrap up the month, some key words come to mind, all starting with the same initial as August:

Acceptance.
Authentic.
Admirable.
Artistic.
Appears.
Acknowledge.
Ask.
Action/act as if.
Assignment.
Abundance.
Also (as in: "This Too, Is God" -- it's worth looking up, along with "Simple Abundance").



And I can't resist including some Scriptures that have guided me:


"Whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable -- if anything is excellent or praiseworthy -- think about such things." Philippians 4:8 (NIV)

^"Don’t be conformed to the patterns of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your minds so that you can figure out what God’s will is—what is good and pleasing and mature."  Romans 12:2

“Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.” Philippians 4:6-7 (ESV)

The thing about weeds

I can be compulsive about pretty much anything, and my August mini-obsession was pulling weeds.

We've had enough rain scattered throughout this summer that the lawn has stayed fairly green. Grass growth has been consistent, generally requiring mowing slightly more than once a week, no more than three times in two weeks.

But those weeds!! I was aware that long before the grass needed a trim, various strains of crabgrass, johnsongrass and who knows what else were shooting out, making things look unruly in the easement between the sidewalk and the curb, and in a patch where the side yard meets the back.

I noticed some of these annoying weeds a day or two after a rainfall and decided to take advantage of the soft soil to see if they would be easier to pull. And they were. I'm not a gardener and not much of a lawn caretaker at all, but pulling those weeds gave me a sense of satisfaction. My husband was on one of his many trips this summer, so I texted him a picture. His affirmation made me feel even better about that simple task.

Not too long after the next mowing was followed by another rain, I noticed more of the pesky weeds. So I went out and pulled them. Altogether, I think I've done this three or four times now. Gene's no longer impressed. In fact, he and a friend joked that it had become my new distraction (SQUIRREL!). It still feels satisfying to me.

The thing I noticed about the weeds, though, is that after I had pulled the most obvious ones, it became harder to distinguish the nuisance grass from the good grass.

This made me think of some of the difficulty I have with tasks such as housecleaning or even with spiritual soul-searching. Most tasks, however difficult they may end up being, have some easy components, and I tend to do those first. When it gets more difficult, it's harder for me to stay focused.

With the weeds, I decided it would be better to pull some good grass than to let possible weeds stay rooted. I trusted the grass would easily spread back to cover any bare or thin places.

I wish I would adopt that attitude with the inside jobs. I still struggle to pull -- or get rid of -- anything I think might have any value in the future. It continues to stymie my major post-workforce project.

I hoped that by writing about this, after writing about good intentions, I would have some new insight and motivation for pulling the weeds that clutter my house and mind.

I'm still waiting .... 

More complicated truth....

My good intentions are often to do more things that would help others, and I default into just doing what helps me or those closest to me. 

Sometimes my good intentions involve stepping out of my comfort zone. I default to familiar actions that may be worthy but fail to stretch my faith, spirit or service. 

Something I read earlier this month in a 12-Step meditation book called Twenty-Four Hours a Day has stayed with me:  

"The nearer I get to this new life (my goal), the more I will see my unfitness. My sense of failure is a sure sign that I am growing in the new life. It is only struggle that hurts. In sloth -- physical, mental or spiritual -- there is no sense of failure or discomfort. With struggle and effort, I am conscious not of strength but of weakness until I am really living the new life. But in the struggle, I can always rely on the power of God to help me."

I hope and pray I am growing toward a more spiritual life. "Thy will be done."

I had written that on Aug. 3, and the next day, I jotted this in my journal:

"Ebbs and flows. After such a slow start this week, Friday and Saturday are more productive. Another reason to keep on praying, believing, reading Scripture, focusing on the positive, embracing good intentions and trusting that God is in charge, even when it seems like He has no control or interest in my life." 

I'm pretty sure I had intended to make this into a blog post all those days ago. Better late than never? Three weeks hence, the words still ring true, and I am grateful.