WORKING FOR WHO?

Ending the evening in peace.
Reconnected to myself 
and to those 
who truly matter in my life at this time.

Music shared by Sharon
An orchid from Val
Adventures from Kris
And time ahead with Brenda tomorrow that like today's time spent also reminds me that my life is meaningful and purposeful and touches others.

When one does not have a  "9 to 5"
it would be easy to believe that provision and salvation come from the security of having someone to work for and a manager to direct us for whatever hourly wage they would choose to value us at.

Believe that I do not take my freedom lightly.  I live day by day not knowing exactly who will need what I have to offer, and when they will need me.

I spend some parts of my day checking on and spending quality time with my friends parents.
Other parts of my day I am creating singing telegram deliveries to verbally value clients loved ones. 
and parts of my day I spend in wonder 
as I find supernatural direction to be right where I am and available to someone, often at a moments notice.   

 I am always trusting for the work and provision of things that some never need to give a second thought to.

Yet today,  I stopped at my husband Ricks grave, and had time to wander and look at graves all over that section of the cemetery.

Didn't know why I was being drawn to walk and wander till I saw that among the many graves of elderly souls or ancient historical markers, there were grave after grave of souls who had died as youngsters.  
Some actually had photos on the stones.   By the dates some were stillborn or lived only days months or a year or so, while others had passed in their teens.
Whether from illness or sorrow with living,
each one left behind others who likely still feel and grieve their loss deeply.

SO... although I do not have 
"a responsible job 
with a reliable hourly wage 
or a consistent bi-monthly paycheck"...
I Was Free  to spend part of my day today being present to the lives of  and celebrating the spirits of these precious departed ones, and sending prayers and blessings to those who love and miss them. 

This journey began there and culminated with thoughts of those I've met over 50 years who have suffered the same types of loss.

Responsibility is to be valued,
and effort and sweat are noble,
but I am looking forward to continually becoming even more available to go whatever distance it takes to assist, love, encourage, comfort, validate, or wash the feet of the weary and lonely.

 I sat outside walmart tonight, while a friend ran in to get a few things,
I noticed that the employees leaving at 10PM and those arriving were all wearing Navy blue t- shirts with a HUGE yellow Asterisk (  *  )  stamped on their back right between their shoulders.
(  It is right where I used to get pinched nerves in my back when I worked retail.)

While I am hopeful it is just a designation they must wear to be more visible to the customers needing their service, and not a stamp of ownership. It does feel much like a corporate mark placed upon overworked and undervalued slaves.

Thankfully delighting in the One who owns my heart and Who I work for.
I love being available when you or He calls.

Love and Peace of mind,
Delight and Clarity of purpose,
to you and those you love,
JOY




    

MORNING MUSIC

MORNING MUSIC

Waking for years to music and dancing.

then

waking for years to silence

and then the sound of the television

news

weather

commercials interspersed between reporters and anchors exchanging pleasantries while planes crash into buildings, fires tornadoes and earthquakes ravage peoples towns and murders rapes and poverty ravage their lives....

" Good Morning Rhonda!"

"Good Morning Harry!

157 lives were lost today in the worst natural tragedy ever... Now back to you in the studio for celebrity news!"

Years of leaving my house quiet so as not to thoughtlessly wake someone else.

Well, GOOD MORNING JOY!!!

Sister Hazel on my boom box and dancing and stretching and moving with 

MUSICAL MORNING ABANDON!

Time to get back in the spirit of our childlike self who moved and shook and twirled 

un selfconsciously whether there was music on or not.

Today and every day that I woke to music and movement, I thrived.

Never knew Sister Hazel before my friend  shared...but whether your current groove is Taylor Swift, Bruce Springsteen, Miranda Lambert, or Vivaldi, Let's Crank up the volume on our lives by getting up and moving what we have, as well as we are physically able.

( Who remembers the show  Sit And Be Fit?

That lady had the right idea. Oh what even a tiny bit of toe tapping can do for the soul)

Love and Peace of Mind,

Delight, and Clarity of Purpose,

to you and those you love,

JOY

TARNISHED

TARNISHED

I am wearing a pin today.
It is shaped like star.
a quirky, silver, 3 and a 1/2 inch star.

It sat in my drawer for years
and was worn occasionally.

It was tarnished.
But I liked it
and I wore it.

If I ordered a steak medium
and it was served well done,
I could eat and enjoy it

If a friend showed up 40 minutes after we'd planned to meet for coffee,
Id be sitting there relishing the peace,
or the people watching or a good book.
and then thoroughly enjoy my visit with them.

If it rains instead of being sunny out,
I enjoy the clean smell of it washing over my day.

You get that I am low maintenance,
and for the most part that ability has served me well in life

Back to the star pin.

I took a couple of my moms rings to Brad at Rogers and Hollands Jewelers before wearing them.
(I had lost a stone from an older ring in the past and it had been uninsured.)

After Brad had cleaned and assessed the wearability of the rings, he said
"Let me see that star pin"

He took it for a couple minutes and when he returned it was shining so brightly that tears ran down my cheeks.

The GIFT Brad gave me in that moment was the realization that while the ability to be content, and grateful for life's kindnesses, and being low maintenance has served me well in a lot of ways,

My LIFE like that star pin doesn't have to remain tarnished.

It was designed to Shine
and completely reflect
all of the light and beauty around it.

I will still find enjoyment in serendipitous moments, challenges, and things that are just not on my favorite things list, but...

 Thank You Brad.
I will no longer ever SETTLE for tarnished
in my life
in my health
in my relationships
in my finances
in my career
in my surroundings.
Because I know that BRILLIANCE is always possible!

Lets all ROCK THE SPACE WE'RE IN
this week, by using a bit of spiritual, physical, nutritional or mental Tarn-X
or whatever works for you,
on what ever is making our lives dingy or blurred or less than the degree of dazzling we want to experience in any  moment.

Love and Peace of Mind,
DELIGHT, and Clarity of Purpose,
to You and those you love,
JOY

You. (YES...YOU!!!)

It has been way too long since we have been together dear ones.
When you lose your connections with people who you are truly connected with, heart to heart, and  with spirit ties, it is easy to forget who you are and lose the best parts of yourself.
Since we have been apart, I have lost my smile, my laughter, and my tendency to see the best in everything and everyone.
Amazingly it has taken less than a year for me to lose the wonderful, optimistic creative loving person that I was, and become an angry hurting invisible shell of a human being.
Well,... I'm back now... And ready to be the person I was created to be. Free, and full of love , and appreciation  for the life I am given each day.
I have been spending what time I have,  reconnecting with people who I have shared life with in positive ways.
From today forward, I will be doing life, with people who are desiring and intending to live with integrity and love toward myself and others around them.
You...( Yes YOU! ) are one of those people.
Join us back here at bordering on magnificent.com to regularly be part of a journey that brings the opportunity to experience being more aware of valuing and validating those around us.
Rock the space you are in today by making eye contact with those who matter to you.

OPPORTUNITIES

  The craziest thing can open a door.

Starting Over

Tonight I am
Starting Over.
Beginning again.
Creatively Continuing....
Etc.

PLANNING

When there are no real choices...
I tend to stop planning.

When there seemed to be only a long list of " have-to-do's"
I would just run down the check list
each day and just...
get through it.

Now...with my time as my own
I have been PLANNING and executing
every day.

Resources are arriving, and I am moving forward and living a healthier life.

Along with that freedom comes the responsibility to LEARN to PLAN
even better than I know how.

A trip out east by train for mom's 80th
birthday, takes PLANNING.

Even for a few days,
it takes:
LOOKING at the train schedules, BUYING tickets,
GETTING transportation to the station, SAVING $$$ for the trip.

Its SO EASY to have the FREEDOM to choose, and having my own time to schedule...
but it is a Special skill set
to be Learned ...(QUICKLY)
if I am to make the MOST of this LIFE I've been blessed with.

Join me on this journey
even if you've already ARRIVED.

I  am PLANNING
( in even greater detail )
To Rock The Space I'm In...Well.

Love And Delight,
Peace of Mind and
CLARITY OF PURPOSE
To you and those you love,
JOY

PARKING

Sometimes you may need to park for a very short time... maybe even just a moment or two.   Well, that's actually called standing. But parking,  real parking,  could end up being anywhere from 5 or 10 minutes to hours or possibly even days, or weeks.

The places that you park, vary.
Maybe you park at the train station when you go to work downtown for the day. Maybe just for an hour in a grocery store parking lot.  There's  Parking/ Tail gaiting at a Bears game or NASCAR event. And even trying to fit into a space in the city while all the crazy traffic is zipping by you. 

Many times people are concerned or fearful of leaving their car in a parking lot or using a parking garage.   Quite often one doesn't know if your car will still be there in good condition when they get back and in the other case people especially women are fearful of parking garages that are often not well lit or patrolled.

There is also ANOTHER kind of parking that comes to mind for me.
That is the kind of parking that is mindlessly done so often, in our lives , to the point that we are unaware that we are even doing it.   
Maybe it is because there does not seem to be a fee or charge to pay for this kind of parking,
but in reality this is the most expensive parking human beings do.

This parking cost more than money, and does not even involve your car.

This parking will cost you your life.

Explaining:
The Huron street parking garage is connected to Northwestern Memorial Hospital. The people who own and run and work at this garage are exceptional.
The garage not only is clean,
but well lit and patrolled with friendly security people who maintain the place like you were family.

Compassionately  there is also a  discounted rate given through the hospital to those who park there while visiting their loved ones. 

This half rate is especially vital for people who are losing income due to illness and can not afford much extra outside of they're normal bills and living expenses.

THIS IS A GREAT PLACE TO PARK.
It is a great choice!

But what about some of the places that we park our Lives?
Home
Work
Relationships
Or you name  in your head, where you feel you may have parked a bit to long.....

Kind of dimly lit?
Difficult to see what is ahead for you?
Dirty, Dingy, and Disrespected environment and surroundings?
A lack of concern or compassion for those who are parked there?

Yeppers!  The cost can be high. Too High when it comes to it costing you your life to park there.

Just like you don't usually take a trip without planning, ....when did we stop planning for the trip  that is called
our life?

When did we learn to settle for less and less and less and still think we were in a good spot.

Today's challenge is to call things what they truly are.

Assess our ability to make things better in the place we currently have parked our life.

Total up the real cost.
And decide if it's time,
and if there is a way for us
to hit the open road again.

Try driving with the "top down" in a sense, on the next good weather day.

Give the front windshield a quick cleaning and take a good long look at where you're heading on the road ahead of you.

And for a second,  only a quick second take a look into the rearview mirror and remember where you have been parked.

Ask yourself if there are any new adventures and experiences that would make your life and your bank account healthier and more satisfying.

Remember that you have a Licence, NOT just a permit....
and Remember who is in the Driver's seat of your life.

Love and peace of mind
Delight and clarity of purpose,
to you and those you love,
JOY

BEND OVER

What do you think when you hear the words bend over.

As a child I learned to be very afraid of those words. Whatever I had done prior to hearing the words, bend over was usually the very thing that I was about to receive either a whipping with my dads belt, or a whole bunch of very painful whacks with the solid oak wooden fraternity paddle which  my mom had from College.

Either way...this wasn't looking good.

That was then. This is now...

BEND OVER has a whole new meaning for me now...and I LOVE it!

I recently bent over in a very special way.

Sitting in a chair,  I bent over...to tie my shoes.      And not only leaning forward was I still able to breath...but able to carry on a brief conversation at the same time.   

Then I said to my friend...LOOK!  I can put both of the palms of my hands flat on the floor.

The stress weight I have been carrying  on my stomach is beginning to burn off

I have gotten rid of 4 pounds this week.

I have eaten  only GOOD fuel and drank only vitamin water.

All of my URGES for Fast Food are gone.

And I will awaken alert and ready for my day at 7:30 a.m.

So...breathing is great, but bending over...forwards and backwards...
BOTH....are making me much more flexible.
Like I used to be!

Love and peace of mind
delight. and clarity of purpose
to you  and those You Love,
Joy

VARIETY

Only the most recent are  "LONG-ASS" Posts.  They are my offering  to a place I have loved helping to build and to the amazing , brilliant, funny, caring people I have had the privilege of sharing life with over almost 14 years.

There is MUCH MORE variety and humor in past posts available in archive list.    :  )

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