A Hallmark Moment....

Watching the Hallmark Channel...while I am cleaning out drawers in the kitchen...

I know, I know....

Commercial comes on...it's about father & a daughter....

The card he gives her says:

From This Seed

That Can Not Be Seen....

Good Things Will Come.

She says:  Do you really think so?

He says:   I know so.

*Sigh*

I know I'm not supposed to.....and it makes everyone else angry & upset with me when I do....but....

I really, really miss my Dad.

www.lifelessons-mj.blogspot.com

Snow Day - More Messages

Yesterday was a snow day.  So I stayed in...built a fire....focused on work for most of the day.  At times, though my restlessness got the best of me....

I wandered around the house some....even out in the yard....leaving tracks in the snow....and I wondered...and pondered....you know....did a lot of that overthinking thing that I do so well....

The last couple of weeks have been jammed full of activity....positive energy....indicators that even though what I am doing doesn't really make sense...it's important...& it's right....

I have been feeling great about myself, too.  It shows, I know. Lots of people have noticed.  Yet for every encouragement...there has been an equal or greater number of discouragements....

bossy...on a different page...exhausting...a failed communication...and the list goes on...

So I took it all to heart.....spent some time picking at my scabs....those places that haven't quite healed yet...and almost set the table for a pity party....but I managed to stop short of that...

Truth is, I made a deal with a friend....about pity parties....and since I didn't have any real fish to fry....I hesitated....& the thought of sending the pre-determined secret coded "pity party" alert made me laugh at myself a little....

...and that helped a lot!

So I did the inevitable.

*Sigh*  I was totally set-up.  It wasn't fair, really. 

And yet it's always reassuring & comforting to be reminded that Abbi knows me better than anyone else in the world....& nine times out of ten,  she knows exactly what I need to hear....whether I want to hear it or not.

Does God send everyone daugthers like that?!? 

After I got done dealing with the impact of the "messages" she left for me there on that stinking Grey's Anatomy Season 1 dvd....I spent some time considering how very blessed I am ...to have such great family, friends & even random acquaintances in my life.  Yeah.

This morning my first "message" was in my email inbox....GOD'S DAILY PROMISES....it was talking about Joshua....

I love that Joshua...

Funny...last nite a good friend asked me to describe what I was looking for in a man....he said name one person that we both know that would be someone you would be interested in...

So I listed those things that were important to me:  Intelligent, honest, faithful, full of laughter, entrepreneurial, not afraid to take a risk, open to adventure....as well as emotionally available...

It just came to me....I want someone like Joshua...if you don't get it, then you might want to spend a little time in the Old Testament...

Anyway, I will have to remember to tell him that the next time we talk...that would be someone we both know...LOL...

I haven't lost sight of the fact that my man is 1 in 10 million....yes, that was a funny "message" when it was received several years ago...and continues to be a constant source of amusement...

And  frustration....

...I continue to do the math....it's not simple arithmetic....it's a complex, mind-boggling equation...nothing is ever simple...of course, algebara, trigonometry, calculus are all totally simple in their complexity....once you understand them....

I have completely lost my train of thought....

Reviewing past blessing can encourage us to continue...that's what the email this morning said...

I liked that.

And here's one of the quotes that struck me last nite while watching the various Grey's Anatomy characters deal with...well, life....

Dr. Meredith Grey: At the end of the day faith is a funny thing. It turns up when you don't really expect it. It's like one day you realize that the fairy tale may be slightly different than you dreamed. The castle, well, it may not be a castle. And it's not so important happy ever after, just that its happy right now. See once in a while, once in a blue moon, people will surprise you , and once in a while people may even take your breath away.

Fairy Tales 101 wasn't offered back in the day.  Not in the traditional sense.  If it had been, I would have failed miserably. 

I will continue to choose happy....to believe in "forever" & "everlasting" rather than "ever after"...

...and I will keep on impatient waiting patiently...for the blue moon...the magic....the breathless moment...

www.lifelessons-mj.blogspot.com

Bossy....

Not sure why it has struck such a nerve with me....but it has.

Yesterday, someone who really doesn't know me well was playing one of those "games" on Facebook....you know, the one where a picture of one of your "friends" is randomly chosen and then you are asked to type in a response to a "revealing" question about that person....

So apparently my picture popped up and the question is "What makes MaryJane work up a sweat?"

....and her response....drum roll, please....."Being BOSSY"

The ALL CAPS emphasis was hers...not mine....whatever....

Being the "word" person that I am, I decided to give this a fair shot....maybe I misunderstood....maybe there are meanings of BOSSY that I haven't considered.....

Maybe....just maybe...

Here's what I found at webster.com --- three entries --- I am going to cut-and-paste here so there won't be any question of interpretation:

Main Entry: 1bossy

1 : marked by a swelling or roundness

2 : marked by bosses : studded

That's the first entry....not at all what comes to mind when I hear the word BOSSY...never thought of BOSSY as descriptive of physical appearance....

...and the thing about being "studded" is a little troublesome to me....been called a lot of things but never "studded"...so let's look that up (boss=stud) before we move on with BOSSY...

Main Entry: 1boss

1 a : a protuberant part or body b : a raised ornamentation : stud
c : an ornamental projecting block used in architecture

2 : a soft pad used in ceramics and glassmaking

3 : the hub of a propeller

So a BOSS is acutally "ornamental" somehow....interesting....

I do like the idea of the hub of a propeller....imples that a BOSS is productive and makes things go round...creating energy...energy that moves something forward....

Don't think that's what she meant, though....

Back to BOSSY definition number 2....the first definition was an adjective...this one is a noun:

Main Entry: 2bossy

: cow, calf

Did the woman just call me a HEIFER?!?!? For real?!?! 

*Sigh*  In high school, I was affectionately known as "nanny goat" in a very close circle of friends because I was stubborn & determined & focused....that really didn't bother me so much...

....finally there's definition 3...another adjective:

Main Entry: 3bossy

: inclined to domineer : dictatorial

Ok, ok...a confession here...I've been spending a little too much time with Suzi Parker's book (http://www.suziparker.com/) -- Sex In The South: Unbuckling The Bible Belt...

So my first reaction upon reading this definition was a DOMINATRIX....that's scary...really scary...

Then it really cracked me up....no, I am NOT going to give you that definition....if you want a good chuckle...you will have to look that one up on your own....

So back to BOSSY....I clicked on "dictatorial" and here's what I found there:

Main Entry: dictatorial

1 a : of, relating to, or befitting a dictator b : ruled by a dictator

2 : oppressive to or arrogantly overbearing toward others

Oppressive....arrogant....& overbearing.....look up MaryJane at webster.com and that's exactly what it says, right?!

I hope not.

It's common knowledge that others don't see us as we see ourselves.  So I am going to take this opportunity to take a long hard look...in the mirror....to re-evaluate where I'm at with myself these days....

It's funny...I have been uncovering the bits & pieces of myself that have been lost, buried or forgotten along the way...for some time now...discarding the ones that I don't like so much...or don't fit in my puzzle anymore...keeping those that do...

Entering this new year I was starting be comfortable with who I am again...and really liking myself...

Now, I'm not so sure.....

Everyone knows you only get one chance to make a first impression....

....and a swollen, overbearing ornamental cow -- a heifer with attitude -- studded or not -- is definitely not how I see myself....nor is it how I would like to be viewed by others....

The very thought of it DOES make me sweat....

...and not in a good way.

Change myself to change my life....that's what God wanted me to know last week...guess I will be spending a little more time on that one...

www.lifelessons-mj.blogspot.com

 

Room To Grow...

To Love Someone Is To Give Them Room To Grow

The poster is very cool....the colors of yellow, orange & green are still bright...after years and years....

It was a lifetime ago when a friend who loved me....but probably never understood the restlessness in me...gave me that momento as a "going away" gift....

I was 19 or 20...and much like Mary Tyler Moore....I was setting off on the grandest adventure of my life ....moving to the BIG city....to make my mark on the world....

....I changed...myself...to change...my life...

It's been a while since I've thought about that little poster....not sure why it popped into mind this morning...

It has hung prominently in every single place that I ever lived since the day it was given to me...it has always been important...and special....

A couple of years ago...when my daughter was 19 or 20...& moved into her first apartment...she came to me & said, "You know Mom...I've always loved that message....can I take it with me....to remind me of you?!?"

Now it hangs with her.  It reminds her of me.  It reminds me of you.  Imagine that.

Thanks, Debbie, for being the best "big sister" anyone could ever have....patient, kind, supportive...your wisdom & advice has traveled with me through every day of my life...& continues to brighten the life of the next generation....how cool is that?!?

Change myself....to change my life....that's what I have been mulling over the past week or so...ever since I got that "God Wants You To Know Today" message that said something like "you're not given according to what you want...but according to who you are.  Change yourself to change your life."

Immediately raised this queston for me...

If the person I would have to become... in order to have what I want... isn't someone I want to be, where does that leave me?

Oh, there's the "change myself" thing....

I've been doing that for the last four years....ever since LIFE changed on me....and it's been hard....letting go of things that weren't really part of me...searching for the lost pieces of myself....rediscoveingr things about me ---the fun, vital things that had become dull & dingy over time...find the MJ that somehow got lost along the way...

I am pretty much liking ME these days...

Yes, it's still a work in progress...

...and I am still facing the hurts...the disappointment...the bitterness...feeling them & letting the m go...

I am finding in myself the spirit of that young woman who was ready to take on the world...filled with confidence...and hope...

So I'm thinking ...that right now....I am not going to change myself in order to get what I THINK I want...guess that means I will have to work on changing my view of what it is I want...

I will simply wait for what's coming my way based on "who I am"...I know, I know....whatever God has planned for me is far more wonderful than anything I could ever dream up myself...

*sigh*

...which leaves me where I've been for a very long time...

...impatiently waiting patiently....

www.lifelessons-mj.blogspot.com

Coffee Shop & Horoscopes....

Gosh!  I have been missing the coffee shop....and the lively morning banter there....friends sharing a few moments before each goes off to face the world...another day....

....and the morning readings....always fun & interesting....so even though I am not there this morning...I am going to post those horoscopes that we would be reading....for the 3 Scorpios, the 2 Cancers, the Aries, and the occasional Libra....

Sit back...sip your coffee...smile!

Aries:  You may be feeling a little uncertain about a few issues at the moment, and you might find that you're having a bit of a hard time making certain decisions. Just try to hang in there until the obvious answers start to present themselves. Your imagination could really be heightened today, and you might have an interest in some rather unusual subjects right now.

Cancer:  You could be feeling a little spontaneous at the moment and you'll probably be looking for a little excitement and adventure in your life right now. You might find yourself reviving a few old plans today. But whatever happens, just remember to pay attention and stay positive.

Libra:  Don't be afraid to get things moving today by coming up with some constructive new ideas for improving your life. Even if you find yourself feeling a little nervous or anxious about certain issues, just realize that fear and insecurity may be the only things holding you back right now. 

Scorpio:  You should be able to communicate your thoughts and feelings very well at the moment. So don't be afraid to go ahead and express yourself in some interesting and original ways right now. You could even have an unexpected romantic encounter today, or a friend or loved one could end up surprising you in some way before the end of the day.

...and just in from THE UNIVERSE:  Release any expectations you may have of how you think your dreams will come true, MaryJane, but by all means, with every fiber of your being, expect that they will, as you busy yourself enjoying who and where you already are.

It's Monday.....a shout out to my friends at Denali Coffe Shop....and the daily readings!

www.lifelessons-mj.blogspot.com

Pity Parties & Fish Fries

A pity party is much like catching fresh fish....if it goes on too long, things start to stink! 

That's what a friend told me yesterday....& it made me smile!  Told him that was only the case if you didn't call some friends over to help you clean those fish & fry them up....have a fish fry...that nothing tranforms a pity party like good friends, some fried fish, & cold beer....

...it's the "southern" way, ya know...

For the record, he IS an Arkansas boy....just been living up north for way too long!

He reminded me that most of the time he didn't invite people over for his pity parties....because, well, you know, they were pity parties!

Hmmm...guess he's never heard the one about "misery loves company"...what a pity!

Pun intended.

He went on to tell me that fish fries truly weren't a "southern thang"....yeah, right....whatever....

Buffalo, he says, is the birthplace of the fish fry.  Not catfish or crappie, of course, but haddock & cod...battered up & fried....served every Friday night...it's a tradition....

Wikkipedia actually mentions Wisconsin before Buffalo...as a traditional fish fry place....

Seems to me if one were to participate in a friendly fish fry....every Friday nite...there would be no need for pity parties....

Good friends....cold beer....fried fish....

I'm just saying...

www.lifelessons-mj.blogspot.com

Two Wheelin'

Two wheels lost....in the last 24 hours...

One wheel was deliberately stolen...rock placed behind the rear wheel...lug nuts removed & left piled neatly next to the car...axle on the ground....

Only thing missing was a ransom note...

Second wheel just fell off....that's right....it just CAME OFF of the moving vehicle....traveling at a normal highway speed....uh, that means sorta fast.....

No harm to the driver....wounded vehicle, though....

Nice try, dude.....it's not working....

...we never travel alone...and....

...we learned to ride on two wheels a long time ago!

And one more thing....

...just because you broke MY glasses doesn't mean I can't see YOU!

Be gone...NOW....you have no power here!

www.lifelessons-mj.blogspot.com

Zero....

8 degrees outside

.....feels like zero.....

yeah, zero

Nothing.

And the Universe says, "Even while some things can't be undone, you can ALWAYS start anew."

www.lifelessons-mj.blogspot.com

Direction....

It's now been full week into 2010....seven days....so I guess it's time to firm up those resolutions. 

A year or so ago I crafted a vision statement for the life I want to be livng....it hasn't changed:

The life I want to be living....

there will be magic....and someone.....and lots of touching.....

true, total intimacy.....

...and friends to laugh with...to cry with...to share our lives with....

....and work that is meaningful and full of purpose...

& love!

Some of my specific New Year's Resolutions:

1.  To slow down the pace....& strive to not get ahead of myself or God

2.  To listen ....& more importantly to hear the messages in my life

3.  To focus on the view beyond the walls...the new horizon....& to not resurrect any of the walls I have worked so hard to take down

4.  To choose happy

5.  To continue to believe that anything's possible...despite the "evidence" to the contrary

My message from the Universe today says MaryJane, all I need from you is a vision, followed by an unending march of little, tiny baby steps in its direction.

I am all about some baby steps! 

And M & Ms....oh yeah, and thanks to my sweet friend who threw in a few "kisses" for good measure...

So look out 2010....it's a new puzzle...with familiar pieces...interesting....very interesting...

www.lifelessons-mj.blogspot.com

Another Relevant Message....

Good morning....well, not really....minor crisis at my house that is close to sending me over the edge...taking a deep breath...it's going to be ok....really, MJ.....in the big picture this is just one more of the "small" things...

Opened my email and here's what I found....

Yes...I smiled....and then I had to laugh a little...outloud....

Jessi thinks I am nuts cuz a few minutes ago I was pacing & ranting about how "unfair" things are right now...and now I am just laughing....laughing....laughing....

....and I was thinking that yesterday's message(s) were going to be hard to top....

Joshua 1:9 is MY Bible verse....& it has been for...well...forEVER....

Wednesday January 06 (Today's email from GOD'S DAILY PROMISES)

This week's promise: God will fight for you

Have you had a "Jericho" experience?

Be strong and courageous! Do not be afraid or discouraged. For the Lord your God is with you wherever you go.    Joshua 1:9 NLT

Taking Jericho

Imagine this scene for a minute. You're a captain in Joshua's army camped a few miles outside the city of Jericho. You've seen the thick, double-layered stone walls surrounding the city and armed soldiers guarding every entrance. You've heard tales of the fierce Canaanite army and their ability to hold their ground in battle.

In the midst of all of this, an edict comes down from the upper ranks. Israel is planning to take Jericho. Actually, what the message says is that Israel has already taken Jericho, but Jericho just doesn't know it yet. The battle plan is really no plan at all. You're supposed to get your troops together and conduct a victory march around the city. Just once—for six days in a row. Then on the seventh day you're to march seven times around the city. That's when your soldiers can march in and take possession.

The next day you're marching around the city, and you can't help but hear the taunts coming from inside the walls. You know how silly this all looks, but you keep marching just the same. Because you know that God is on your side, and you've seen what he can do.

This is why God reminded Joshua time and again to "be strong and courageous." God has a way of working that tends to fall outside the norm, and he needs people who trust him enough to go the distance, no matter how bizarre the game plan. Courage is important to God because courage is a natural byproduct of trust. And the greater we trust, the braver we become. As long as God leads the battle, we can march in confidence, knowing that we've already won. God gave Jericho to Israel on the seventh day, just as he said he would. So,…what wall does he have you marching around?

from Embracing Eternity by Tim LaHaye, Jerry Jenkins and Frank M. Martin, Tyndale House Publishers (2004), p 76

 

....thanks, God, for the friendly reminder...the nudge...another 2 x 4 to my head!  I love You!

www.lifelessons-mj.blogspot.com

Words....

It's my life...my story....and stories are made up of words....spoken & unspoken....heard just the same...

...and I am fascinated by the outpouring of words....right now....written words....spoken words...messages...

So I am trying hard to make a note of all of those messages as they occur...it seems significant right now....& I want to be able to look back & say....WOW!

Yesterday wasn't the first day I picked up MY UTMOST FOR HIS HIGHEST in 2010....actually it was the day before (January 3)...won't print the whole entry here but if you go to http://www.myutmost.com/ you can find it there....it concluded this way:

That is the way God speaks to us, not by visions and dream, but by words.  When a man gets to God it is by the most simple way of words.

This morning...in keeping with my random approach to things right now....I chose GRACE FOR THE MOMENT (Vol 1) by Max Lucado for my thought-for-the-day:

DON'T MISS GOD'S ANSWER

Is anything hard for the Lord?  No!  - Genesis 18:14

The God of surprises strikes again...God does that for the faithful. 

Just when the womb gets too old for babies, Sarai gets pregnant. 

Just when the failure is too great for grace, David gets pardoned...

The lesson?  Three words.  Don't give up...

Is the road long?  Don't stop.

Is the night black? Don't quit.

God is watching.  For all you know right at this moment...the check may be in the mail.

The apology may be in the making.

The job contract may be on the desk.

Don't quit.  For if you do, you may miss the answer to your prayers.

(From Max Lucado's HE STILL MOVES STONES)

Italics are mine, of course, for emphasis.

Random reading?!!?  I don't think so.  Remember, I don't believe in coincidences. 

Hello?!?!  Did you catch the refernce to the "road"....being "too long"....as in "leading to nowhere"?!?

And from the Universe this morning: 

Yet still, you'll be loved most for being a great friend.

That's just how you roll,

The Universe

 

And in an email response from yesterday's post a friend said: 

People say...God speaks in whispers(you only get the cosmic 2x4, when you don't or haven't been listening)....so, maybe the blank space is giving you the space to listen?

Here is my response to her:

I have been listening...that's the problem....I listen...I hear...

...and I shake my head saying...No way! YOU are wrong.

Look at the situation through MY eyes...don't you see that deadend road looming up ahead?!?!

And then God laughs uproariously and says..."Ahhh...my stubborn, impatient MJ....look at the situation through MY eyes....there are NEVER any deadend roads from where I sit!"

So I guess that's one of my New Year's Resolutions....to be open...to listen...no, actually, it's to HEAR...the words...the messages...

 

www.lifelessons-mj.blogspot.com

First Day...Snow Day...

Today is the first day of the "work" year....and it's a SNOW day.

Looking out the window....beautiful fluffy flakes are falling....falling.....lightly covering the ground....

it's as if God Himself is saying....take a breath...slow down....

spend some time with Me....

...at least that's what it sounds like to me...so I built a warm, cozy fire....made a pot of great coffee...& I am going to go about my morning...productively...yet leisurely...

My Utmost For His Highest by Oswald Chambers is my favorite daily read....ever! 

Some years I faithfully read it every day...to inspire & motivate me....and other years, I just pick it up randomly...reading the specifc day or thumbing through to review some of my favorites....easy to find because my copy is all marked up....highlighted....and sometimes even "dated" with specifc notations....

Not sure yet about this year....but this morning I felt compelled to pick it up & read...

yes, compelled...

I love words....especially ones that so vividly describe whatever is going on...."compelled" means an "irresistable urge" or "forcefully directed"....

what I mean is, there was NO WAY I wasn't going to glance at January 4 in the book....it would have been impossible NOT to pick it up this morning...

January 4th - My Utmost For His Highest - Oswald Chambers

WHY CANNOT I FOLLOW THEE NOW?

"Peter said unto Him, Lord, why cannot I follow Thee now?" John 13:37

There are times when you cannot understand why you cannot do what you want to do. When God brings the blank space, see that you do not fill it in, but wait. The blank space may come in order to teach you what sanctification means, or it may come after sanctification to teach you what service means. Never run before God's guidance. If there is the slightest doubt, then He is not guiding. Whenever there is doubt - don't.

In the beginning you may see clearly what God's will is - the severance of a friendship, the breaking off of a business relationship, something you feel distinctly before God is His will for you to do, never do it on the impulse of that feeling. If you do, you will end in making difficulties that will take years of time to put right. Wait for God's time to bring it round and He will do it without any heartbreak or disappointment. When it is a question of the providential will of God, wait for God to move. (http://www.myutmost.org/)

...italics are mine for emphasis....

For those of you who are paying attention....I have been struggling with God's direction in a specific situation...He has made it abundantly clear what He wants me to do....and it's NOT what I want to do...not anymore...I'm tired...& it doesn't really seem to be worth my time & energy...

...yes...I have doubts...as to what to do about the whole thing..

For the record...initially it wasn't what I wanted to do either...but I went ahead & ventured forth...compelled against all rhyme or reason...

ok...

I admit I was wrong....it hasn't been easy...mostly confusing & complicated...the rewards have been great...& I have learned a lot of important things about myself to boot...

...so I did it...against my will...hasn't it run it's course?!?...isn't it time to let go...to change directions...to travel a different road?!?!

I know what I want....what's best for me....most of the time, my instincts are right on target....it's MY choice, right?!? 

*sigh*

...to be perfectly honest....I have lots of doubts about what I want....maybe I want to just hurry up & make a move because it would be easier somehow...rather than riding it out....no matter how tumultuous it seems...

Restlessly...I am moving on with my day....opening email....organizing my calendar....and there it is...
in my inbox...today's Note From The Universe:

If given just one wish for the New Year, MaryJane, knowing you could wish for anything at all and that whatever you wished for was GUARANTEED to come true... would you wish for all things to be EXACTLY as they are?  Me too.  We bad, The Universe.....As things are now, MaryJane, you've still got forever, your thoughts become things, and not only do most people around you have golden intentions... but they really, really like you.

....again, the italics are mine....for emphasis....

this time...in this situation...it's impossible for me to ignore all of the validation that I am off balance somehow...that I should simply sit back....stay where I am....wait...

the snow keeps falling...another log on the fire...more coffee....

...just as it was promised...my new year is starting off exactly like the last one ended...

...same puzzle pieces in the new puzzle...

impatiently waiting patiently....

www.lifelessons-mj.blogspot.com

Obedience....

Ok...so yesterday got a little dicey for me....got angry...frustrated....at God for continuing to move me down a road that appears to lead nowhere...it's a journey I never wanted to take in the first place...

I ranted & raved about the conflicting & confusing aspects of the story.....and why does God so deliberately & continually direct me down a road that I don't want to be on....only to smack me around....after every obedient step I take...

It's not fair, I cried! I am doing what it is that He wants me to do....even though it's not what I want...& yes, I can see the impact I have had along the way...through my obedience...so why does He keep saying this is where you belong..(seriously, haven't I done enough already?!? haven't I given enough of myself here?!?) ....trust me, MJ, this is right for you....what I have planned is far more wonderful than anything you can imagine....

Only to receive another big slap in the face each time I say, Ok, I will trust you....I will not let go...not yet...

There was a good friend or two on hand...who allowed me to vent my frustration..I am pretty sure that I used the word "obedient" dozens of times in my soliloquy....

They, of course, had no answers....

Almost immedately after I ended my tirade on "obedience" I received the following message on Facebook:

On this day, God wants you to know...
... that God doesn't want your obedience, God wants your love. Servants give obedience, children give love. You are a child of God.

Ok. It's a little hard to overlook or dispute a message as deliberate & direct as that one.

So I have spent the better part of last nite & this morning struggling with the question: "What better way is there for me to show God my love than by being obedient to His directions?"

I overslept this morning.....and when I woke up a little before 9 a.m., Jessi was still asleep, too. So I thought, no church this morning.

Rationalizing as I do, I then convinced myself that I had to get us both up & ready...that Del was going to have a message "just for me" this morning on "how to to love God"....and that I must not miss it.

Ready, set, go. Key's in ignition...nothing....tried again...not a thing. Dead battery. Not going to make it to church this morning. Needed a jump start.

Right on cue....the giggle of my best friend, God, the Creator of the Universe, began to filter into the garage...."You don't have to go to church... MJ...to show me your love."

Jump starting my car was easy. Great friends were up for that.

Now to jump start my heart...


www.lifelessons-mj.blogspot.com

January 1, 2010

First day of the new year....interesting messages....

This morning, first thing, I logged into facebook....and at the top of my wall was a random video post:



It's "Beginnings" by Chicago.

Chicago is one of my all time favorite bands....love pretty much everything they have ever done....anyway, it was cool...and it made me smile...

Now that's the way a "beginning" should look....should sound...should feel...

I'm just saying...*sigh*...

...it was relevant...this morning....

Phone rang and it was an out-of-town friend who is somewhat psychic where I am concerned...so she was on the line when I opened my email and encountered today's Note From the Universe...

I was amused....she was not so amused....

Here's what it said:

I want you to know, MaryJane, that I've ordered up another year for you.

Think I'll call it 2010.

I'm going to put most of the same people of 2009 in it, since you all think so much alike. But there'll also be a few new, very cool cats coming to play - give them some time to grow up though.

And I'm going to have things start off pretty much exactly where they left off in 2009, for continuity's sake. Flips folks out too much when I don't.

All in all, 365 more days in paradise... and only one request of you: DREAM BIGGER.

Coolio?

Let's do this,

The Universe

Bigger than even your exciting & fun business, MaryJane, since that's pretty much in the bag now.

....so apparently all of my efforts to start the year by letting go....with a NEW puzzle...& doing things different in order to achieve different results....is wasted energy & effort....

Imagine that.

Guess I shouldn't be surprised....I mean seriously...when I was given a NEW puzzle that embodied all of the OLD pieces....that should have been my first clue....right?!?

Moved on to my daily comics....and found more insights there. Started with my current favorite, Pearls Before Swine (...thanks to Stephan Pastis for once again exposing me to the world!):

This one was funny to me...because Jessi has had my angels all lined up on the mantel ...watching over me...since before Christmas...nice thought...but now I know why I am still feeling vulnerable...

...and then I moved on to a classic favorite, Peanuts....and today's totally captured in four frames the essence of every other message given to me today....

...timeless truth from Charles Schultz.....

...so I spent sometime today with these thoughts & messages....as well as pondering all of the validations from last week as well....that's another blog...haven't really been ready to deal with those truths yet...

A little hard to keep ignoring them after today's light hearted nudges....

Happy New Year!

www.lifelessons-mj.blogspot.com