Saturday Morning Confusion: Hope

Showing posts with label Hope. Show all posts

Monday, February 9, 2015

Dig Out and Moving Up

Hello Sweet Friends....

I am slowly attempting to return to blogging. I am slowing digging out of the depths of darkness and am moving up toward the sunshine. I am looking at the little things in life and appreciating them more and more. I am finding new reasons to smile and find hope. Soon all will be right in my world once again and I will back to being the bubbly bright eyed friend you know and miss... :)

In the meantime, here are some images from my world that I am truly cherishing right now...

Glowing Candlelight...

Princess Pea hacking my phone and leaving me this beautiful picture

Later sunsets and earlier sunrises...

Sweet little crafts to make...

Adorable babies to love on....

Snuggly puppies....

and more snuggly puppies

Homemade Blueberry Crumble...

Temps late last week....

Temps on Saturday!!

All in all, things are looking up. It's already February 9...meaning soon it will be time to plant tomatoes and peppers inside for transplanting later! Spring will be here before we know it and then moods will definitely improve. In my opinion, spring always brings hope...

Take care my beloved friends.

Love...Sheila

Thursday, January 22, 2015

Trying Times

Hello Friends -It's been a trying week at our place. Lots of roadblocks and speed bumps to face and overcome. Stress, anxiety, PTSD and depression are constant companions to our family right now and there are times when it hits full force, slowing us down to the point of stopping. Somehow we continue to slog on and make it through but it takes a lot out of us.

I'm lucky to have many family and friends to support me and mine through these times. They come to my defense and to my side when I need them most and I will eternally be grateful. I find grace in God's love and in His Word, along with the uplifting words found in certain places on the internet.

Things will get better, and I will make it through...we all will. It takes time, faith and determination, all of which can hide deep inside, waiting for you to realize they are there, dig them out, dust them off and put them into use. Some days they are more readily available, others not so much. Some days it is easy to get out of bed, others there is no chance. But I am being kind to myself and with others and I look for understanding and grace in all situations.

Please be gentle with me as I face these trying times, and understand that I will be back full force soon, if God wills...

Wednesday, December 31, 2014

A tough Year

"2014 was hard for many, many people.

For you, it might be going down as one of the worst years you can remember.

For you, it may have brought you to your knees more times than you could count.

...

For you, it may have left you breathless … hopeless … tired and weary.

But before you eagerly slam the door on 2014, I ask you to look down at your hands.

See that dirt under your fingernails?

My friend, that is beautiful. That is remarkable. That is significant.

You could have let go, but you didn’t.

You could have given up, but you didn’t.

You hung on.
You hung on.

And here’s what I believe:

I believe 2014 was not your worst year, but possibly your greatest.

Your Year of Greatest Strength
Your Year of Greatest Faith
Your Year of Greatest Hope
Your Year of Greatest Patience
Your Year of Greatest Risk
Your Year of Greatest Trust
Your Year of Greatest Determination
Your Year of Greatest Courage

Just look at that dirt beneath your fingernails.

That is what you are made of.

Isn’t it beautiful? Isn’t it remarkable? Isn’t it significant?

It was your Year of Greatest Survival.

And you lived to tell about it.

Thank you for holding on.

Let us celebrate.

The light overcame the darkness. "

I found this posting on Facebook, on a page called "The Hands Free Revolution" and I truly hope that they don't mind me borrowing it.

For me 2014 has been a tough year. There has been job loss, financial struggles, relationship woes, and growth pains of a family. But through it all, I look at the dirt under my fingernails and know that I held on. I made it through. By sheer determination some days and only by the Grace of God, but I came through.

A new year is on the horizon and with it comes the feelings of a fresh start. It brings a sense of relief that 2014 is behind us and with the new year comes hope and new beginnings.

Tuesday, August 19, 2014

August already? WOW!

Oh my gosh! How can it be August already? Where has the time gone? I had so many great intentions of writing, photography, blogging and capturing my days, but the camera gets put down, the pens and journals get put away, and life just takes over. Then, before you know it, six months or a year has gone by and you have nothing to show for it.

Life has a funny way of doing that. Just taking over until you feel like you are floating along in life with no direction, and not really living, just surviving. That is how 2014 started for me. Survival was not the word I picked to live in 2014. This year started with worry, sadness, and uncertainty. But as the months have passed, we added laughter, fun, accomplishment, and determination. And now as we move into the last months of the year, I feel Hope creeping back in. I am feeling more creative, more determined to live and experience life fully, to renew my relationship with my God, and feel the joy that normally fills my heart.

In this post, I am going to try to document the best (and worst) parts of my year so that with the next post I can move forward. Put the past behind so the future is able to be accessed right? Ok, well here goes.

January:
In January I lost the job I had been at for the last year and a half. I still am not sure what happened, but the VP, Plant Manager and my supervisor met me at the door with a pink slip on a Tuesday morning. I had no idea it was coming and I was not given a reason for it. So there I was out of work barely a week into the new year.

February:
A month of survival, snuggles and snow...

Snow on the Birdfeeder

Snuggling with Miss Sassy

March:
A month of preparation for the end of the school year, job hunting, Princess Pea's last choir concert of the year and more snow.....And then Cookie got sick. For a week he was sick, off and on, then continuous, for four days...first throwing up, then fine, then severe stomach pains. First diagnosis was dehydration, but after nearly 24 hours of a pure water/chicken broth diet and no relief, he was admitted to the hospital for his appendix. Emergency surgery followed. Poor kid...

Cookie after his emergency appendechtomy

Pea's last 7th Grade Choir Concert

April:
In April Princess Pea competed with her dance team for the very first time! In the first competition, the team received gold which moved them on to Nationals in June! In the second competition, the team received platinum which is the highest award a team can be given. Their scoring was only 2.5 points away from a perfect score! We were so excited! One of her best friends was able to come with and cheer her on!

Princess Pea and Mama

Her very first medal!

Princess Pea and one of her best friends D-

May:
May was eventful with Syttende Mai, Dance Recital, my niece's graduation and Cookie Monster leaving for Basic Training for the Air National Guard. We ran like crazy, cried and laughed.

Cookie and Friends for a great send off!

Cousins goofing around!

Dad, Cookie Monster and Princess Pea in the Airport

Cookie and a sad proud Mama

The family before we send Cookie Monster to TX for Basic Training

Cookie Monster and Princess Pea

June:
In June we received a call from Cookie Monster telling us that he was being discharged from the Air National Guard due to panic attacks, anxiety, and sleep walking. He was currently being held in Med Hold (infirmary) and would be home soon. It is difficult seeing my oldest have all his future plans ripped from him in one fell swoop. He is still drifting and not certain of what to do or how to get there. I try to guide him the best I can but at 19, the decision lies with him.

Princess Pea had Dance Competition Nationals in Wisconsin Dells in June. Her team took Gold and a coveted Judges Award! And as soon as competition was over, she left for a week at dance camp. She was in heaven!

Headed to Nationals!

National Champions!

July:
July was an exciting for several reasons....first, one of my close friends and her son came from Kentucky to stay for a few days over the 4th! At the end of the month, many of our family members travelled to our home for a family reunion. We had 65 people plus from 7 branches of the family tree and we skyped with cousins in Norway. What a weekend! My delicious cousin Anna over at A Messy Indulgence and her beautiful Mama came to stay with me for several days. We laughed, we cried, we shopped for antiques, we stayed up til all hours, we photographed and we connected. It was the most beautiful weekend of my summer! The Sunday after the reunion, we took seven or eight canoes down the Kickapoo River and met the rest of the family at Rockton for barbecued chicken dinner....YUM!

Me and Jeannette

Cousins having fun!

My Delicious Cousin whom I adore!

Luna enjoying her trip in the canoe!

A Day on the Kickapoo!

Perfect Day!

Relaxing

August:
August has already been a whirlwind and we are already 19 days in. One of my best friends, Scott, was here from New Orleans for his reunion and was able to squeeze in a visit. We haven't seen each other in about 20 years. And of course, August is my birthday month, so there was that little bitty celebration (Cookie's friends, my adopted children, made me a cake at midnight before my birthday). There have been beautiful flowers and a glorious harvest of green beans, puppy sitting, sleep-overs with giggly girls, lazy afternoons on the porch swing, rides on the motorcycle, hunting beautiful antiques, and glorious God filled Sunsets. Honestly, there is nothing like looking back through your pictures to realize that there may be rough times but life really is a wonderful, awe-inspiring event. I'm glad I was able to share some of it with you!