I love shoes.  No really.  I love shoes!  And accessories make the outfit!  A simple black dress becomes epic with the right shoe, the perfect handbag, and jewelry!  Since I was a young girl, I delighted in clomping around in my mother’s high heels, rooting through her jewelry box and piling on the glimmer. 

“Oh precious is the flow…..”

It was June of 2005. It was my first month of working as a graduate nurse on the Progressive Care Unit(step-down unit). I experienced many “firsts” during that month. There was one particular “first” that I will never forget.

Saying “YES” to my favorite person, place, or thing is easy, but saying yes to challenges, well, not so much! Most of us avoid difficult people, places, or things as much as possible. However, could we miss out on a great future by being parked in neutral?

Defenseless. Sheep are defenseless.

Some animals have sharp teeth – not sheep.

Some animals have poisonous venom – not sheep.

Some animals have great speed, hard shells, vicious claws, ferocious noises, impeccable hearing, or impressive camouflage – not sheep.

I think I can speak for most of the women population (those of you who still grocery shop, that is) about coming home with grocery store bags stacked up in the backseat. We set our game plan for unpacking the car: the challenge to carry as many bags in our arms as possible.

Seasons come and go. Some seasons are so lovely they could be encapsulated in a memoir book and other seasons, well, we are grateful to bid farewell to. Some seasons are marked with abundance and others are dry and gritty.

“A soft answer turns away wrath, but a harsh word stirs up anger.” Proverbs 15:1 (ESV)

I love a nice, warm throw blanket on a cold winter day. Actually, I enjoy blankets all year-round. I don’t discriminate on their textures either—chenille, sherpa, fleece, wool, plush, microplush, weighted, cooling, etc. Blankets seem to bring the same comfort as…

Have you ever found the perfect outfit? I mean, one that looks amazing AND fits your perfectly. When both come together at the same time, you just feel good! At least I do, and I bet you do too! So let me tell you a true story to start the year as we begin our new theme, FASHIONED.

What kind of singer are you? Do you sing loud and proud or ever-so-softly because you don’t want to be heard? Or are you the type of person that likes to hum to the tune of the song because you forgot the words?

Carry the King

I’ve often wondered what it would have been like to cradle Jesus when He was first born. There in a quiet, peaceful space, a newborn baby was celebrated.  He was a king. 

Have you ever thought about the actual physical environment where Jesus was born? Coincidence…..or not?

Luke tells us in his gospel that Joseph and Mary had traveled to Bethlehem, the town of David, to register in the census that was being taken as decreed by Caesar Augustus. Why Bethlehem?

We are beginning to slide into winter near Philadelphia. Those who live in northwest Pennsylvania have already experienced snow. Mostly cloudy skies overtake sunny days. Trees, which had beautiful colored leaves in October and November, are now barren. Everything can appear dreary during the winter, and everything seems to die.

sa·vor

/ˈsāvər/

Verb

1.      to taste and enjoy something completely; to appreciate something pleasant, especially by dwelling on it.

2.      to enjoy a food or an experience slowly, in order to appreciate it as much as possible

Typically, when I cook dinner (when is the key word), I usually don’t follow a recipe. I know, I know…that’s super RISKY. However, I’ve found cooking can be fun and creative when I pair vegetables and spices of my own choosing to create something NEW.

Our appetites can have us craving all sorts of things in life.  At every stop light on our commutes, we can find something to tantalize our tastebuds! I’m usually in search of a good piece of chocolate!

DESPERATION…we’ve all been there.

It wasn’t a place that we planned to visit.

It wasn’t the goal to be attained.

It wasn’t a character trait to strive for.

It wasn’t a favorable emotional state to be in.

Something about a red pair of shoes or boots screams BOLDNESS. Maybe that's in my head, but for several years I wanted a pair of red boots but could never find them, or my size was unavailable when I did find them. This year was different!

There is power in our words and the language that we use. The Bible says in Proverbs 18:21 that the tongue has the power of life and death, and those who love it will eat its fruit. Words carry weight and words influence those around us. Words can be life-giving and changing.