REFLECTIONS!

REFLECTIONS............

Poolside ponderings.....

• As a face is reflected in water, so the heart reflects the real person. (Proverbs 27:19)
• There is no I in team!
• God has my heart and I have His.
• Gratitude turns what we have into enough. We lose the need to want more or different. (Taylor Park)
• Prayer is a reflection of our dependence on God. (Rad Andrews)

FROM.......

REMEMBERING & REFLECTING

 Heading to "Big Water" & savoring creation along the way......

..from view of Coosa River in Wetumpka, AL & cypress swamp, Point Washington State Forest...

....to solitude of a back deck

WDW 6 FOR 5

The clue is in the title. Let me know if you figure it out!

WHERE IN THE WORD IS BABY JACK??? 

Are we ALL having fun yet????

Jack's wide awake smile says it all!

FRIDAY IN FLORIDA: A RECAP OF BLESSINGS

From sunrise.........

.........To sunset,

Time with family is worth the drive! (Proverbs 22:6)

CHOOSE: UNWINDING

So grateful to have found my "just laugh cup" picture this morning since yesterday that very special cup shattered.  I'm still finding stray pieces. I'm not laughing yet but I am thankful to have this image reminder of a favorite mug with an oft needed message from my dear Saturday prayer warrior, Wynellen. She knows my temperament and I can trust her to pray for my needs. This week I need to "chill" a bit. Hubby says just "unlax" so that all my self-imposed strain and tension will ebb away! Easier said that done for me.

To relax and unwind.

For sure choosing to unwind after a non-stop vacation with adult kids and 7 grands has been a must. As Jim Newman reminded me, "Keeping up with folks (16 for us) at Disney is like herding squirrels."

I think I'm better at herding than I am at unwinding and resting. 

O, that I had the wings of a dove. I would fly away and be at rest. (Psalms 55:6)

Many grandma friends seem to have the same propensity---to keep on feeling responsible for all their herd. Sweet friend, Angie, who gave me the My One Word book chose "Ease" as her one word. 

Her verse is Matthew 11:28, "Come unto me....and I will give you rest."

As we are "wired" similarly, I certainly understand her choices.

Also, we both understand the need for divine intervention.  It takes His power in order for some of us to slowdown.

For the tightly wound up, it's hard to choose unwinding but it's a must, especially as we age!

CHOOSE: MEMORABLE MOMENTS

Memorable moments---choose to think on these things.

Prepping to be a Princess is hard work.

BIG BAD Roller Coasters. Harry Potter. Safaris. Character Breakfasts.

Tea Time. T-Cup Rides.Dinners with Princesses. Painted Faces. Cat in the Hat. Dinner in a 50s convertible while watching 50s movies at a drive-in.

How good and pleasant it is when  the brethren dwell together in unity!!! 

Bountiful blessings of memories----an easy choice!

 (Will try to tweak later!)

CHOOSE: SADNESS

Sometimes one cannot help but to choose sadness. Sometimes sadness chooses you.

That's what happened with me when the "New Yorkers" had to leave Disney World a day early.

            

Impending SNOW in New York---a real nor'easter. It even has a name. Winter snow storm "Reggie."

"....a time to weep, a time to laugh; a time to mourn and a time to dance" (Ecclesiastes 3:4)

That's life---"unto everything there is a season." (Ecclesiastes 3:1)

All week we have had laughter and dancing and I need to focus on that. Great family memories.

But.....I also don't need to repress the sadness. I didn't.

The tears flowed as last year we only saw them once. Even this time "Mommy" had to stay home and teach. So, I cried for all of that. I don't even know when we'll see them again so I added that to the tears as well.

But God and other family members reminded me the importance of remembering the recent "season" of family celebrations.

What a "privilege" to be with Lucy as she met her favorite Elsa and Anna....... 

and had dinner in Cinderella's palace with her 6 male cousins and met lots of other princesses.

That helps me to smile through the sadness, though my heart still aches. 

CHOOSE: DANCING IN DISNEY # 2

Fun! Fun!! & more fun to come. 

CHOOSE: "GRAND" DANCING

Words in books can be as lyrical as the words of a song. Toe tapping.

Riding through "Cat in the Hat" storybook tunnel listening to those rhythmic words and on the "High in the Sky Trolley Train" ride had us all rocking and rolling and dancing our way above, around and thru the Island of Adventure.

One of the advantages of having been an elementary school librarian for 20+ years is familiarity of many picture books.
"That Sam I am---that Sam I am!" can have one's toes tapping right along with her "grands" and the "Grinch.".

Even the One Fish, Two Fish, Red Fish, Blue Fish ride had Lucy and me dancing in our seats to avoid the water spouting at us!
Ending up at the bookstore with all the "Cat in the Hat" characters had us all dancing around those books---

until the characters corralled us all for a picture!

God has "made known to me the path of life;" and I know that "in His presence is fulness of joy; and at His right hand are pleasures ever more." (Psalm 16:11) 

How grateful I am for that truth----which I experienced as I "danced" throughout the day with my seven grandchildren....and shared with Lucy in our "Thank you, God" nighttime prayer, as we recounted our day. Praises that after the a-men, she wanted to "pray" again!

A.B.C.......(I-J-K-L-M-N-O-P-Q)......X.Y.Z. at the beach!

I---International Meals---USA, Italy,  Mexico and Canada

J---javelin throw event and jellyfish (hooray we had none except a piece of one found while crabbing

K--kite flying and kelp (hooray, this year no kelp either)

L---lakes and lagoons

M---Majestica Beach on 30A, our favorite

N---Natural beauty from God's hand (Psalm 24:1 & Psalm 95:5)

O---lympics at the beach---broad jump, hurdles and relay

P---Pelicans, piers and palm trees

Q---Quiet moments

A.B.C. ......(R-S-T-U-V-W-X-Y-Z).....X.Y.Zs at the beach!

Entries (3) will be entered starting from the end of the alphabet----weird, idiosyncratic person that I am--will want the entries to flow from top to bottom (A-Z) as they are read, when completed.

Thus, today's alphabet focus letters are R-Z.  Updates/replacements may be added as I find other photos.

R---reading, relaxing and ripcurrents 

S---sandcastles, sea oats, sandy burials, snorkeling and "Shark Shot Put" (an olympic sport of our own making)

 

T---Tea Times

U---USA "Beach"Team---pre-olympic trials

V---vacation for 17. How blessed it is when the brethren dwell together in unity. (Psalm 133:1)

W---white sand beaches and white foamy surf

X---xtraordinary extras---laughs known & understood only to those who were there!

Y---yoga on the balcony, on the sand, on the boardwalk & inside for the grannies

Z---Zephyr---ah-h those beach breezes during picture night