Feels like spring…

The weather has been somewhat strange this winter.  Most winters here in Connecticut can be pretty brutal, stiff, cold, and weighted down.  

However, we’ve had the most wonderful winter yet.  I see the grass growing and our friendly neighborhood ants are starting to show up months ahead of time.  I am really enjoying this weather. 

I love watching the cherry blossom trees in our yard bursting with colors of pink and white blossoms. They are so beautiful. Though their blooms are short-lived, they are beautiful nonetheless. 

Life is like that sometimes. We enjoy the exciting moments in our lives and then we experience a sort of letdown.  We wage battle with those difficult moments and then celebrate the victories. 

It is the ebb and flow of life.  I rather take the flow than the ebb.  It’s the reason I enjoy the spring season.  It’s a reminder of new beginnings and fresh starts. Spring signals us to look ahead and see the promise of a new day, a new flower, of hope eternal.

Spring beckons us to loosen up a bit. Throw off your encumbrances and embrace better days ahead, spring has sprung!

Photo courtesy: http://www.kozzi.com

Happy New Year!

Yah!  I love the start of a new year.  It gives me pleasure knowing that I can start fresh again.  I can let go of the past and press toward the future. 

 

I am looking forward this to being the best year ever!  I already made a list of some of the personal and family goals I want to accomplish and have actually made stride toward them.  Attainable goals are what I am about.  No wish lists for me, no sir, those days are over.  

My dearest friend reminded me of the S.M.A.R.T goal principle while at breakfast this morning.  Whether you are single; or married, we should each strive to accomplish some goals every year of our lives. 

Do yourself a favor, Google smart goal principle for yourself and think of ways that will help enhance and prosper your life.  

Specific (make it personal, make it yours)

Measurable (you should be able to see your goals coming together)

Achievable (be realistic about your goal, make an effort toward it)

Realistic (don’t say I am going to travel the world, when you can only get to the nearest city)

Timed (there should be an end date) 

My dearest friend and I are planning a cruise in the next few years so we have started saving toward that: we have a plan, and a purpose; it is measurable because we can see how much it will cost, so we are saving toward it and it has an end date. 

This past year I started a blog and took a writing course at a local college, these were two specific goals that I had intended to accomplish and did.  Think about some things you have wanted to accomplish.  I plan on taking an art class this year.  I haven’t painted since high school.  Maybe you want to learn to speak another language—­go for it!  Visit your local library and rent materials that will help you, and it won’t cost you a dime. 

I wish you well and a Happy and S.M.A.R.T New Year!

Photo image courtesy of :  http://www.fotosearch.com/CSP785/k7850358/

Merry Christmas to all!

I cannot believe that Christmas is only a few short days away.  Where has the time gone?  It seems to me that the days are moving at warp speed.  I for one thought I had an additional week to shop, clean and prepare for the holiday, but to my surprise, it’s already here!  

I have been so busy cleaning, organizing and volunteering that I haven’t had the time to enjoy the holiday season. Our family took some time this past weekend to spend an afternoon with our dear friends; it was so wonderful to have that time of fellowship.

Repeat after me:  I will shop, stop and play!  What good is a holiday without food and fellowship with friends? So for the next 5 days I am going to do my best to enjoy what’s left of Christmas 2011. 

As I write this blog post and trace my Christmas gifts that haven’t arrived, I am thinking of ways to enjoy some time with friends and family.  

Take time to enjoy your Christmas.  It’s all about the food and fellowship for me.  Building memories is the key.  Time waits for no one, so take a deep breath, slow the pace and enjoy your Christmas.  

Merry Christmas to you all!

Find ways to give back

I recently joined a group of volunteers to help write their quarterly newsletter.  The group is made up mostly of retirees.  Much to my surprise I am finding that I enjoy working and learning from my future demographic. One of the women I volunteer with is a vibrant, intelligent 92 year old woman.  Here is someone who is still giving back and doing things to add value to others.

This gives me hope. It doesn’t matter our age we all have something to give. There is something that each of us can participate in, that we can teach, that we can mentor and that we can learn from.

Our lives can sometimes be overwhelming, simple, and complicated at times. This is life.  I want to encourage you to find a way to give of yourself.  You can do something great or small.  It all matters. 

My mom taught me about giving.  She was a woman who had very little when I was growing up and yet she was the most generous person I knew.  She gave of her resources, her time and talents.   She served the homeless, always visited the sick and was constantly cooking up a dish for someone. She still visits the sick and cooks, though she is 80.

I have started volunteering again and it feels great to give beyond the scope of my own family.  Find your niche, it can be great or small, remember it all matters. 

Here is a favorite quote that I am learning to live by. 

“Do all the good you can, in all the ways you can, to all the souls you can, in every place you can, at all the times you can, with all the zeal you can, as long as ever you can”

John Wesley quotes (English Evangelist, founder of Methodism. 1703-1791)

A suggestion for the recession…

Many you are out of work or know someone who is. The recession of the 20^th Century is affecting us all.  I know I am feeling the pangs of it too. Although you may be going through a tough time now, you will get through it I promise.    

I have found creative ways to get me through these challenging times, for example:  I recently exchanged my organization and cleaning skills in exchange for a pair of winter boots.  I knew I could not afford it, so I worked for it instead.  I want to encourage you to be resourceful.  Find your creativity.  Some of you can barter or trade your skill or craft in exchange for something you may need. 

I have gone back to using my coupons for everything you can imagine.  I look at all my favorite websites* for coupons on groceries, clothing, cleaning products, etc.  I have also gone back to repurposing and refinishing furniture to brighten up my home. (I haven’t done that in 20 years)  The point is there are things we can do and do without. 

I have managed to put my focus on what I can control.  I have a mental list that looks like this: What I can control/What I cannot control.  I can control the way I take care of my home, my family and my finances.  I cannot control the price of gas or the cost of food.

You may be down, but not out; broke, but not broken.  Things will get better.  You may know someone who is struggling, why not encourage them today.  I know people who still have jobs and are struggling, not just with their finances but also with their faith.  Extend them a hand, let them know you care.  It is amazing how far encouragement can go. 

Take time to assess what is really important for yourself and your family.  For me the well-being of my family is what is important.  Let us not be discouraged by our circumstances.  Our best days are ahead of us, not behind us.

*Favorite websites: www.allonlinecoupons.com, www.wow-coupons.com, www.retailmenot.com, www.couponcabin.com and http://usa.visa.com/personal/discounts/index.jsp

Let’s encourage one another

I recently published an article regarding the importance of prayer in our daily lives.  (see link below)

I believe in the power of prayer and have been a witness to the miraculous and have seen answers to prayer time and time again.  I want to encourage you today if you have never done so before to pray.  

I received a call this weekend from a friend who was feeling overwhelmed by one family crisis after another.  I was so glad she called as we were able to encourage one another.  I reminded her to not to let go of her faith.  When we give up our faith, we succumb to the very thing that is troubling us, which in turns disrupts our thinking and everything around us. 

I want to remind all of you that everything is subject to change when we pray.  Pray for yourself, your friends and family.  Take time to call a friend to encourage them and really pray for them.  

Our family prays on Sunday evenings.  We pray for our friends and family and for many people we do not know personally, yet we pray for them.  We sometimes get last minute calls to pray concerning a love one that is ill or going through a difficult time.  We take this time of prayer seriously.  

I want to invite you today that if you have a request for prayer to feel free to email me at awifesguide@gmail.com and we will gladly pray for you as well.  

Keep the faith!

http://www.womensavemoney.com/faith-and-life/see-god-move-by-irma-morton 

My Magical Kitchen

Many of you know I hate cooking-wait that might be too strong a word for it, but honestly I see cooking as a chore it has to be done and done quickly. 

I was feeling ill this past week and finally began to recover my energy back.  I don’t know what came over me but in one day I created several meals for my family. As a matter of fact I made a pot of homemade chicken soup, baked biscuits, oven fried chicken, mashed potatoes, spinach, and even  homemade peanut butter cookies. Oh, my head is spinning!  My family thought I may have contracted an illness that affected my brain. I can assure you I had not!  I think it was my magical kitchen.  

You see I was cleaning my kitchen earlier that morning and decided to put up my new kitchen curtains.  My kitchen was “suddenly and magically” transformed into a cozy, warm and inviting kitchen, whereby magical things began to happen.  Cookies popped out of the oven.  Dinners instantly appeared and suddenly our home is transported back-in-time to a place where our family is sitting at the dinner table, children are using their manners and everyone is polite to one another with wax like smiles. 

This usually happens at the beginning of fall when the leaves begin to change their colors from green to golden hues of brown, red and orange, reminding me of cozy things. Thus began my kitchen and home transformation.  I like to make things cozy and warm for my family.  Prepare the wood for the fireplace, take the extra blankets out and make sure there is enough hot-cocoa to feed an army.  

Take some time to cozy up your place. Go ahead and bake some cookies. You might even get a thank you for it.