thoughtful thursday: you are made of

lots to smile about

you probably think i haven't had anything to smile about lately, because my weekly things that made me smile posts have been missing. truth is that i've had loads to smile about lately. lots of fun time with family and friends, some travel time and some quiet time.

and the other truth is that i'm going through some big stuff right now. stuff that's making me hunker down and pull in, and not be quite so open to sharing anything. which if the real truth be told is totally counter to where i want to be, but i'm not there. i'm here and muddling through the best i can.

i have lots i want to show you and share with you here on my blog, and i promise to do it soon. in the meantime, i still need the mental space to finish sorting some stuff out. i'm close, so very close to being able to walk freely in my path and not have to carry or climb over these obstacular boulders.

i was talking with a friend about this. she said that i'm a really good rock climber, and that after this, i won't have to climb this rock any more. that just made me smile. i feel the same way, and that, my friends, is a good to reason to smile. indeed it's a very good reason to smile.

thoughtful thursday: a candle

via here

thoughtful thursday: beyond the reach

via here

thoughtful thursday: expand our hearts

There's this blog I read called Enjoying the Small Things which inspires to me to take notice of the small things in life and really appreciate them. Kelle posted an email from a reader named Sarah on her blog today. Sarah, who is paralyzed from the waist down due to an accident in her early twenties, wrote Kelle to tell how her blog changed her life. I really liked this from Sarah's email and am going to bed still thinking about it.

Some people like to tell me that my injury, my paralysis, my illness, they are all a part of a plan, particularly God's plan. That everything in my life has a reason and only He knows why. Well, I tend to find that a ridiculous thing to say. I find it very difficult to believe that hurt, pain, rape, murder, disability, war, and many other awful things are all a part of a plan. As far as I know and understand, God is love. Whenever love is present, so is God. God is inside of us all. When our hearts expand and more love blossoms, we are finding and experiencing God. When something tragic happens instead of being a part of a master plan, I believe it is just one more way we can expand our hearts. We are all a part of the human experience and with this experience comes many, many things we can not control...some good and some bad. Instead of analyzing them and figuring out why they occur, we would be much better off expanding our hearts and realizing all of the other people who share similar circumstances. We would be better off being a little bit easier on people we are frustrated with because who knows what he or she is going through or has been through. We must become more gentle and less tough.


Sarah has started her own blog to inspire others at Sarah Sitting Down.