Good Advice From An Experienced Old Lady

By Anne M. DeGeorge

In the 60-something years that I've been alive, I've learned a few things. Following is some advice and insights that I have found out to be true and can be applied to anyone.

I am daily reminded to “Bloom where you are planted”. That's a quote from Mary Engelbreit. As I have sat and pondered that quote over the years – it still comes to mean the same thing to me. Breaking it down – for me it means; where you (I) am planted = in the place that I live, work or attend regularly. So wherever it is that I am, I must “bloom”. Bloom = to do my best at whatever it is; a task at hand that I'm involved in, to not just do my best but to be helpful and kind to another person or group of people. Not just people but all of God's creatures.

So take a few moments to sit quietly and think about your life thus far. Have you bloomed where you are planted?

Also during the course of my life I have found – if I (you) want something done – do it myself. Take responsibility for what you have to get done and “just do it” (Nike). Putting things off for another day isn't always a good idea. Putting off a “must do” gets done better when taken care of at the time. Sometimes when I (you) are to busy with “too much on your plate”, putting something off for another day is the best course. Tasks need to be accomplished after I (you) are well rested and nourished. Lately, I have found this to be very true.

I have recently had a short list of things I wanted to accomplish. I prioritized the list and one by one – got the items done. Now I have found time to write this blog.

PERSISTENCE

Persistence: according to Websters Dictionary persistence is  the quality that allows someone to continue doing something or trying to do something even though it is difficult or opposed by other people.

Sometimes in life, I have found that there is a time to be persistant and there is a time to let a task or an idea go. If the task or idea isn't going to be beneficial to me (you) or someone else, then the wise thing to do is let it go and maybe rethink how to get a problem solved or a task done. In your life you need to learn to “choose your battles”. Don't ware yourself out trying to accomplish something that is a lost cause.

Of course knowing what to pursue and what not – is a mater of wisdom – or following ones “gut” instinct. This brings me back to the Serenity Prayer.

God grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change, the courage to change the things I can and the WISDOM to know the difference.

My other prayer of guidance is the Prayer of St. Francis of Assisi.

In your life, no matter what age you are at this moment – I pray that you will find courage, wisdom and peace. May God bless you in all that you do.

AFTERMATH

Aftermath. The dictionary says that it is the period of time after a bad and usually destructive event.

The aftermath of a storm or other natural event is the destruction that is left behind. The aftermath of a marriage break-up or any long time relationship – when there are children or a child involved makes the breakup even that much more devastating. Children get the worst of it. They don’t understand what went wrong between the parents. Some even blame themselves.

Aftermath is a word that carries a lot of weight and emotional scars. Regardless of what caused the aftermath, there also can be healing from the event. Some people will seek counseling and others will turn to drugs or alcohol or both. Sadly, those that choose drugs/alcohol are walking down a sad a sorry path.

Regardless of what a person chooses to do after being involved in a life changing event, the aftermath still needs to be dealt with. Some people take the aftermath and work with it. It’s like the saying – what doesn’t kill you makes you stronger. It’s so true. So, whatever life deals you, be strong and have courage. As my Mom always used to say, this too, shall come to pass. She was right.

I have found in my life – my faith is what sees me through the tough times. I have spent many days (periodically throughout my life) feeling depressed. However, in all those days of disappointment and depression, I have always kept my eyes on God the Father, Jesus the Son and the Holy Spirit. I don’t know how else to live my life. Every day is a new opportunity for me to not only do my best but to try to give a word or two of encouragement, or lend a sympathetic ear.

We are all part of this life. We all need to have a person or two or maybe three that are a support system for the difficult times and for the days that are great. We need to share the happiness with those people too! Every day when I wake up I always start by thanking God for the new day. Every night before I fall asleep I thank God for all that happened to me, for the lessons learned and for the opportunities to grow, to think and to do.

Life isn’t always “a bowl of cherries”  but it is balanced out with ups and downs. If we didn’t have the downs (struggles) we wouldn’t be able to appreciate the good. May God bless you today and all the days of your life, Amen.

Me, A Bond Girl?

Let’s face it – most of we ladies imagine ourselves as a Bond girl – at some point in time, after having seen a James Bond movie or two or three.

I was 10 years old when Goldfinger came out. I’ll never forget the sound of Shirley Bassie’s voice singing that dramatic song! Then there was the very handsome, Sean Connery, as James Bond himself. The action, the wardrobe, the cars, gadgets and Miss Moneypenny! I’ve always had fun dreaming about being one of James Bond’s “girls” – not the ones that wind-up dead though – of course!

Jill St. John was oh so pretty her role as a bond girl and Halley Berry. Smart, pretty and not under-stated. Who wouldn’t like to go on an adventure with James Bond? I will admit, the actors that played James Bond, between Sean Connery and Daniel Craig – just didn’t do it for me. After all, Rodger Moor was “The Saint” and Pierce Brosnen was “Remington Steel”. It was hard to see them as “James Bond”. I was very glad to see Daniel Craig get the role as James Bond – at last – someone without a previous TV role association.

Well, that’s just how I feel and what I think. 

Healings, giving out more healings,

Trying to heal the love in my broken heart

Teardrops of joy coming over my face,

As Jesus, fills me with His love.

Healings, Jesus can give us always,

Healings in our body, soul and mind

Healings, oh oh, healings from our Lord

Healings as he holds open his arms.

Jesus, for all of my life I love you,

Thank you Lord for healing my hear,

Thank you Lord for healing my soul

Thank you Lord for healing my mind

Jesus, oh oh, Jesus, oh  oh Jesus, the healer of all!

Thank you Jesus, from the bottom of my heart!

Amen.

A Measure of Faith

A Measure of Faith

By

Anne DeGeorge

 

 

First, our life begins on the day we are born into this world. Then the days, weeks and months roll into years gone by. As we learn and grow, we come to accumulate knowledge. Hopefully as the years go by we also gain wisdom. By time we have reached “a certain age” we have a pretty good wealth of knowledge and a good amount of wisdom.

 

Also, along the way if we have been brought up – “in the way that we ought to go” we gain faith and have a spiritual life. It is that faith that is the comforter in life. We learn in life that there are things we cannot change and then there are things in life that happen to us that are blessings from above. As we mature, we learn to “exercise” our faith and to “trust” the voice of the Holy Spirit within us.

 

Once in a while, as I live my daily life, I find moments where I can feel assured about what I am doing is a right and good thing to be doing. It is in these flashes of moments that I can feel God’s grace within me. Life isn’t easy, to be sure. However – life doesn’t have to be as difficult as “society” would have us believe.

 

When I come across an obstacle in my life – at first I react with frustration. Then when I’ve taken a few seconds and get control over my emotions, I take a cleansing breath and then I give thanks for God’s will (happening) in my life. It’s at those moments that I stop and take time to thank and praise Him for all that he has done for me.

 

I strive to live my life one day at a time, after all – tomorrow isn’t promised to anyone. So as I go about my daily routine, and a moment of clarity comes into my mind, I know that I am on the “right track” and I feel good about myself and what I’m doing again.

 

The secret to living life – don’t take yourself so seriously. Enjoy life one day at a time and use that measure of faith that you have been given, to look for opportunities to do good and to keep trust in God that He is helping you to stay on the right path.

 

ROMANS 12:3 - For by the grace given to me I say to everyone among you not to think of yourself more highly than you ought to think, but to think with sober judgment, each according to the measure of faith that God has assigned.

Judge Not - Least Ye Be Judged

We have all heard the quote from scripture -


 [ Do Not Judge ] “Judge not, that you be not judged. For with what judgment you judge, you will be judged; and with the measure you use, it will be measured back to you. And why do you look at the speck in your brother’s eye, but do not consider the plank in your own eye?

I cannot remember how long ago it was when I first heard this piece of scripture talked about. I don't know when but I took it to heart right away!

Ever since I can remember, I have never been the type of person that belittles someone or looks someone over and makes a verbal judgment call. Oh I know that I am guilty of thinking things but I keep comments to myself (99% of the time). I am human after all. When I know that I've said or thought something badly about someone, right away, I ask for forgiveness from the Father and I ask Jesus to help me.

None of us is perfect. None of us are super human. We all have our faults and quirks. In my years of living life, I have learned a lot but mostly I have mellowed a lot. I know that not everyone thinks before they open their mouths.

I'm quickly approaching my 60th birthday. As I reflect on my life as a child, a young adult, a married woman with 4 children who are now adults with children of their own, I know that it does take "all kinds" to make up the world.

There is a lot of stress going around in this world of ours. I feel a lot of it is self-inflicted. Men and women whether married or single get mixed signals between each other. Maybe the lines of communication aren't as open as they ought to be. Assumptions are made and when the truth is revealed, feelings get hurt. Not everyone is open to the notion of forgiving and forgetting. It might also be that a person is willing to forgive the wrong but not willing to forget the wrong. Thereby, the wronged person has trouble truly forgiving and moving on with life.

Then there is the stress that isn't self-inflicted; such as work woes or complications with government issues or other financial or legal issues. We all need to learn to take a "time out" at the end of the day and think about the good things that happened to us that day or in recent days past. Maybe even thinking about a happy childhood memory can help us to unwind from our current reality.

When all is said and done and I am lying in my bed, I thank God for all the goodness the He has given me in my life, for all the family, friends and relatives in my life. I pray for everyone and for all situations and relationships.

We all must find peace in our life. One way to do that is to think about all the hurts that have happened to us, whether real or imagined, and reconcile with them. If I did receive an apology and I said that I accepted it, then I must search my heart, soul and mind to be sure that it is truly accepted.

I live my life, one day at a time and I judge no one. It also goes back to - treat others like you want them to treat you. I have always done that. So, if you feel as if someone has hurt your feelings or done something awful to you, make peace between yourself and the other person. Don't let the hurt- keep you from making peace and giving peace in return.

May God bless all of you, Amen.

Romance and Romantic

The dictionary says -

 Romance: Ardent emotional attachment or involvement between people; love.

 Romantic: 1. Of, relating to, or characteristic of romance. 2. Given to thoughts or feelings of romance.

I was recently thinking about romance and being romantic. For me, I love romance and being romantic. In my opinion, when two people meet and feel mutually attracted to one another, eventually their relationship will blossom into a romance. Once the romance is established and allowed to flourish, then love and caring grow as a result.

 When two people realize that they both love and care deeply for each other, usually they begin talking about marriage and children. Whether two loving people are married or not, when they are alone together, romance happens and desire blossoms. Once desire blossoms, then nature will take it’s course and the two who are in love with each other will make love!

 People who engage in either one night stands or affairs - aren’t making love - but having sex. In order to make love - two people must be in love with each other. People who are just having flings, are just having sex. There is no close emotional connection. It’s just physical and without substance.

Personally, I prefer to make love because it is not only beautiful but because God created it.

To be romantic with someone, in my opinion, happens when two people are in a romance. The romantic “things” that we do for the one we love, inspires the recipient to be loving and giving in return. This too is a wonderful thing and usually leads to intimacy and love making.

What are some of the “romantic” things? Bringing flowers, or candy or something special that the recipient will adore and appreciate. Also, doing an errand or a chore for the recipient as a surprise.

The most romantic “thing” that I appreciate is complete honesty. If two people can’t be completely honest with one another - then there is a serious problem in that relationship. Now, I’m not saying that that relationship can’t be saved but it definitely needs counseling.

All in all, in my heart of hearts - I love romance and being romantic. Being in a loving relationship (married or not) where both parties feel no need to seek out someone else, is the ultimate relationship.

For me, marriage is the ultimate romantic commitment between two people who desire to be with each other - “until death they do part”.

 

1 Corinthians 13

New International Version (NIV)

13 If I speak in the tongues of men or of angels, but do not have love, I am only a resounding gong or a clanging cymbal. 2 If I have the gift of prophecy and can fathom all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have a faith that can move mountains, but do not have love, I am nothing. 3 If I give all I possess to the poor and give over my body to hardship that I may boast,[b] but do not have love, I gain nothing.

4 Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. 5 It does not dishonor others, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. 6 Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. 7 It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres.

8 Love never fails. But where there are prophecies, they will cease; where there are tongues, they will be stilled; where there is knowledge, it will pass away. 9 For we know in part and we prophesy in part, 10 but when completeness comes, what is in part disappears. 11 When I was a child, I talked like a child, I thought like a child, I reasoned like a child. When I became a man, I put the ways of childhood behind me. 12 For now we see only a reflection as in a mirror; then we shall see face to face. Now I know in part; then I shall know fully, even as I am fully known.

13 And now these three remain: faith, hope and love. But the greatest of these is love.