Chapter 2, Page 29, Book 12

 I am not afraid of storms for I am learning how to sail my ship. 

Louisa May Alcott 

WONDERFUL WEDNESDAY

Noah found favor with the Lord.

 Genesis 6:8 

Noah was a man with whom God was well pleased.  No where in the scriptures do you find Noah pointing to himself or the things he has done to gain favor with God.

It’s very useful in life to have the favor of people who can assist and bless your life. Such good will, or favor, is not your right or something you earn or barter for; it is a kind and gracious response from another’s regard and appreciation for your example and efforts, when they are in a position to observe and reciprocate. 

Never take such kindness lightly. It is good to be likable and truly thankful, not for what you can get but because that’s true to who you are. Make it easy for people to show you kindness, and be expressively and sincerely grateful when they do.

You do not altogether earn the gift favor from others  but favor comes more readily when you live in such a way that others see the wisdom and benefit of extending grace on your behalf. Hopefully, they observe your lifestyle of extending favor generously to others, and view your treating others kindly as you have been treated.

 Noah did not allow his society to influence him.  He did not walk in the ways of the world.

Don’t settle with being like others, satisfied with the norm and content with being average. Raise the bar; seek to excel; be your best, not because that may gain you something but just because you should and you can. 

You give little; you get little. Give much; much is received.

I hope you all have a WONDERFUL Wednesday!

'On Ya'-ma

Chapter 2, Page 28, Book 12

A ship in a harbor is safe, but that's not what ships are built for.

John A. Shedd

TERRIFIC 2'S Tuesday/  Change and growth

As we've been cruising along with Noah for almost a week now, I've found that so many of the things that Noah faced, I too have had to face in my life time.

One thing is for sure we all have some kind of stormy days in our lives.  I am trying to imagine what it must have been like to be there with Noah and his family as they cruised along day after day with the uncertainty of what would lay ahead for them.

 

They had some days of turbulent weather and they knew that stormy weather can cause change.

Noah definitely had some raindrops falling down all around him and God was wonderful in preparing a way for Noah and his family to escape the flood. We always hear about that provision part of the story and it is a wonderful story of God's plan and protection. But can you just imagine what it must have been like after God safely carried them through the flood and for Noah's family to step off the boardwalk of that ark and look around and realize that they were the last ones standing? Talk about change! Everything they had ever known was different. Their lifestyle would be different. The land and earth itself was different. The whole make up of the entire world as they knew it was different. All their friends and all the people they had ever known aside from their family was gone. 

Change can be rough. 

Sometimes the rain falls on our lives and the storms come up and rage for a time and after a while the storm quiets down or comes to a standstill and we stop and look around and there is all this change. Then that change sets in. Not to say that change is always bad. Sometimes it strengthens us and improves our lives, but that isn't to say that it's always easy for us to go through. Change brings about a difference in our routines and even the little things along with the big things are not the same anymore and it can affect us. 

The gentle rain falls so light and so fresh to bring us life as the world starts to grow.

 It’s spring in the air and buds are opening to flowers aflow to bring us life as the world starts to grow.

It’s a new day, new life and babies are born to bring us life as the world starts to grow.

Look at yourself it’s spring once again and the rain starts to fall to bring us life as the world starts to grow.

And sometimes God sends us this rain in light spring like showers, in quick and overpowering cloudbursts or sometimes as a steady downfall. The trials are the life giving water to our seed of faith. It’s what makes it grow. 

Growing pains are something we all have to experience.  Even at my age I am still growing and it is often painful.  Things are not what they used to be.  Changes happen every day.  Some of them have caused a lot of pain, but through all the sorrow and tears, thankfully there have also been those days that are like a rainbow full of promise,  Bursting with JOY.

That is my 2 for this Tuesday:  Change and growth.

I hope you all have a TERRIFIC Tuesday!

'On Ya'-ma

Chapter 2, Page 27, Book 12

Beautiful and graceful, varied and enchanting, small but approachable, butterflies lead you to the sunny side of life.  And everyone deserves a little sunshine.  

Jeffrey Glassberg

MERRY MONDAY / Remember where you came from

It's difficult to visualize Noah's ark.  It was roughly the size of todays huge ocean cruise liners.  It had three stories and could have easily held 20,000 animals.  Noah didn't have to go roaming about with a butterfly net to collect them all, God brought the animals to Noah.  

It may be cold outside but soon we'll be seeing buds bursting forth and sun seeking butterflies fluttering about.  The wonderful thing is that we don't have to be a Noah to enjoy all the blessings coming our way.  

Butterflies are a sign that Spring is coming. Just as we have been waiting for Winter to end, they also have been wrapped up in a cocoon waiting to spread their wings and fly.  Only the creator knows why a butterfly must first live the life of a caterpillar and then spend time in the cocoon instead of coming out as a butterfly strait from its mothers egg.

Perhaps the Creator meant to tell the butterfly, fluttering by and seemingly so proud of its sparking colors:  

Don't be so proud, Remember where you came from.

A butterfly lights beside us, like a sunbeam...
and for a brief moment it's glory
and beauty belong to our world...
but then it flies on again, and although
we wish it could have stayed,
we are so thankful to have seen it at all.

Author Unknown

It is good for us to remind ourselves occasionally that a human being passes through various stages in life from infancy to old age.

Every person is endowed with capacities which need to be fully utilized and constantly developed.  It requires willpower and determinations and consistent effort.

Love is like a butterfly,
it goes where it pleases
and it pleases wherever it goes

Wherever we go, we have a mission to accomplish.  Like the butterflies, we can help others and accomplish good things even when we are having fun fluttering around.

May the wings of the butterfly kiss the sun
And find your shoulder to light on,
To bring you luck, happiness and riches
Today, tomorrow and beyond.

Irish Blessing

Have a Merry Monday everyone!

'On Ya'-ma

Chapter 2, Page 26, Book 12

R AND R SUNDAY

When you think you can't take it anymore, remember Noah. 

I remember seeing pictures of Noah's ark in my storybooks when I was a child. The animals are on the deck with Noah. They're smiling. Noah's smiling. His family is smiling. Everything is clean and shiny.Whoever drew those pictures hasn't spent much time around animals. I like animals. But I also know what it would be like to be trapped on a boat with a bunch of animals.

He put up with it all because he knew the ark was where life could be found

When the donkeys are braying and the stalls need shoveling, think about what the alternatives are. If we can put up with the hard times, we may find that the sun shines again and the rainbow comes out.

Perhaps you have been battered by the waves and winds of adversity. What do you do when the winds are contrary and it 

seems your boat is about to sink. How do you handle stress? 

When I think I can't take it anymore I'll remember Noah.

Today is my day to rest.  The sun is supposed to come out and perhaps that will refresh me more than anything today.  We 

had a weekend full of snow and cold weather here and that makes me long for Spring.

Have a great Sunday filled with that good R and R everyone!  As always you are all in my thoughts and prayers.

'On Ya'-ma

Chapter 2, Page 25, Book 12

Q Who was the greatest financier in the Bible

A  Noah  - He was floating his stock while everyone else was in liquidation

SUPER SATURDAY/ The wisdom of age

Consider how wise Noah must have been after having lived several centuries.

Wisdom is one of the great blessings of aging. I’ve noticed that most people whom I talk to who are in the last third of their lives would not actually want to live their 20’s, 30’s, or even 40’s again. Or, if they do, they’d want to live it with the Wisdom they’ve already earned. 

We all face pitfalls in our lives.  Distractions, doubt, and discouraging delays.  Noah faced these pitfalls too and overcame them.  We can use the lessons of Noah as he looked ahead and prepared for what was to come.  We live in the present moment but we are wise to look ahead.  By doing that we'll not only be prepared to spot the pitfalls when they come into our lives and we'll be prepared to apply the antidote to them.

Noah did not depend on his own desires to rule his actions.  He had the option to choose whether or not to enter the ark.  He choose life. If you knew that an impending disaster, such as a flood or hurricane was about to destroy your home and threaten your life wouldn't you make preparation to escape and find refuge in a safe place?

And that is really the bottom line of all our lives.  Make the right choices.

Moment by moment, day by day, we make choices and hopefully they will be wise ones when we have a little help from above.

Have a SUPER Saturday everyone!

'On Ya'-ma

Chapter 2, Page 24, Book 12

He sent forth the dove out of the ark.  And the dove came in to him in the evening and lo in her mouth was an olive leaf plucked off:  So Noah knew that the waters were abated from off the earth.

FANTASTIC FRIDAY/ Spring is coming...

Yes, spring is coming and there are signs every where here at my house!

I am welcoming the growing measure of daylight that is so infinitesimally small as to be easily overlooked if we don’t watch for it.  The sun is higher in the sky from dawn to dusk than it was a month ago. Peg a spot in a southern window and watch the sun rise higher than that mark each morning. Have you noticed that there is light in the sky until  a little after 6 o’clock in the evening now?

It's almost the end of February and we here in Ohio still have to deal with the wintry month of March.  St. Patrick's day is 

infamous for bringing us heavy snowstorms.    But March snows are often much different from January and February in that 

although they may bring a lot of snow, that snow usually melts off fast and doesn't stay around as long.  The hardness of winter is 

gone.

As the days lengthen and we prepare for Easter, don't forget to look for life’s other daylight – those little reasons to harbor hope and joy in your heart in the face of wintry gloom .  They too, can also be overlooked if we don’t keep an eye out for them. Keep your eyes open and look around you. Grab your joys wherever you find them, and whatever size they come in.

Open your heart - spring is coming to dispel the dark and depressing days of winter, to renew the soul and to declare this is a new season full of adventure and unexpected and deserved blessings for us all.

I hope you all have a FANTASTIC Friday!

'On Ya'-ma

Chapter 2, Page 23, Book 12

Noah gave Thanks to God. God was pleased with Noah. God made a covenant with Noah and promised that He would never destroy everything with a flood again. Then God placed a brilliantly colored rainbow across the sky

THANKFUL THURSDAY/ DEVELOP A NEW HABIT

We all need to develop an attitude of gratitude. This doesn’t mean we should live pretending nothing negative exists. It simply means we make it our goal in life to be as positive as possible

Words of praise find few places to surface as we scurry through our day. We manage to squeeze in time to ask God for something, but how often do we just say thank you?

Few things have made a difference in my life. One of them is an attitude of gratitude.

After I learned to count my blessings, my life has changed. I became more relaxed, peaceful, and happy.

Being grateful is one of the quickest ways to inner peace and relaxation. Why?

Because it is impossible to feel stress and gratitude at the same time.

Imagine for a moment what it would feel like to be peaceful and relaxed throughout your day. To feel inner peace and tranquility. Sounds wonderful, doesn't it?

These feelings can be yours when you unlock your attitude of gratitude. How?

Just follow these 3 simple steps:

1. Begin a gratitude journal - I do this every Thursday right here on my blog.
2. Become aware of feelings - When things are not going your way, stop and count your blessings
3. Remind yourself to be grateful - put a reminder on your calendar if necessary

Go to bed tonight pondering everything you have to be thankful for. Do the same first thing tomorrow morning. Thank God for everything—a convenient parking place; the fact you can walk, see, or hear; your children. Don’t become discouraged with yourself when you fall short, and don’t quit.

Keep at it until you have developed a new habit.  You'll be thankful that you did.

Today I'm thankful for an attitude of gratitude.  It is life changing!

'On Ya'-ma

Chapter 2, Page 22, Book 12

WONDERFUL WEDNESDAY/ WONDERFUL LENT

In the English language, the special season before Easter is called Lent.  The word comes from the lengthening of daylight hours as we progress from the darkness of winter to the new light of spring.

Some say Lent is the the Season of 40 days.  The number 40 is mentioned a lot in the Bible and I got to thinking that maybe Lent is like Noah and his 40 days.  Noah was in his ark for 40 days and 40 nights.

40 is a pretty big number. When you are growing up, you can't really imagine being 40.  Now, a much needed rest is called... 40 winks; the best songs on the radio are called the... top 40; and life, they say, begins... at 40.

In some ways, during Lent, we need to think like Noah did when God told him to build the Ark.  There wasn’t a cloud in the sky, the meteorologists weren’t forecasting any rain or even snow

But God told him that the time was short, that he needed to get to work now for tomorrow it will be too late.  And Noah took time out of his busy schedule to work each day on building what God wanted him to build.   Lent is when we like Noah take time out of our busy schedule each day to work on building what God wants us to build, which is a heart full of faith hope and love.

After the great flood, no where on earth was the former environment Noah and his family had been subjected to. There would be a new environment that Noah had to wait for the waters to recede to see. So there was a time of waiting on the Lord.

Noah, his family, all living creatures, and the whole of creation had just endured 40 days of rain. God had brought this remnant through to dry land and a time to build again. They had begun that journey, through the water and they had arrived at a place of deeper relationship with God, a time to receive more completely the inheritance that God had planned from the beginning.

The 40 days of Lent is a time to remember that we are still in that stormy sea called life and our Lord is there taking care of us. 

During the next 40 days I'll be sharing a few of the ways that I'll be trying to overcome the darkness of winter to the new light of SPRING.  I hope you'll be joining me as I cruise through the days.

May this season of 40 Days be a blessing to us all!

'On Ya'-ma

Chapter 2, Page 21, Book 12

TERRIFIC 2'S TUESDAY!

Don't you know?

Life isn't fair but it's still good.

When in doubt, just take the next small step.

You don't have to win every argument.

 Agree to disagree.

Cry with someone. It's more healing than crying alone.

Make peace with your past so it won't mess up the present.

Don't compare your life to others. You have no idea what their journey is about.

If a relationship has to be a secret you shouldn't be in it.

Be rid of anything that isn't useful, beautiful or joyful.

Over prepare and then go with the flow.

No one is in charge of your happiness but you.

Frame every so called disaster with these words: 'In five years time, will this matter?'

Time heals everything. Give time time.

However good or bad a situation, it will change.

God loves you because of who God is, not because of anything you did or didn't do.

Don't audit life. Show up, dress smart and make the most of it.

Life isn't tied with a bow but it's still a gift. 

The best is yet to come.

When we show up for our life, we are actively participating in being a happy person, achieving our goals, and generally living the life our soul really wants.  It is  more than getting out of bed, splashing water on my face, and crossing items off of my to-do list

 Life is a funny thing. It’s forced upon us in a lot of ways. We’re dealt good and bad cards. We can either just float through life taking what’s handed to us without asking questions, or we can truly show up. Be present. Be active. Have the guts to show up and participate in our own lives and tackle what we are handed.

Whether we are young or old, whether time seems to drag or fly by, it’s important to remember that life is fleeting. While it’s natural to desire a long healthy life, not all of us are granted the experience. All we have for sure is today; this moment. There are no guarantees for long life. So here’s an important reminder: live each day to its fullest – to the glory of God. Each day is a gift that needs to be treasured.

Showing up is really just about being yourself. That sounds so simple, but it can take practice. I still catch myself falling into old habits of trying to charm someone or worrying about being liked. But I gently remind myself that all I need to do is show up. The rest takes care of itself. 

I’ve heard someone say, Ninety percent of life is just showing up. I’m not sure about the percentage, but the saying rings true to me. Whether you are young or old, time is fleeting. Today, show up for life!

That's my 2 for this Tuesday :  Show up!  And treasure each today!

I hope your Tuesday is a TERRIFIC one!

'On Ya'-ma

Chapter 2, Page 20, Book 12

If you can laugh at it, you can live with it.

Erma Bombeck

MERRY MONDAY / A smile to start the day

A young couple purchased a home in the northern part of the country from two elderly sisters.

Winter was fast approaching and they were concerned about the house’s lack of insulation. 

If they could live here all those years, so can we,  the husband confidently declared.

One November night the temperature plunged to below zero, and they woke up to find interior walls covered with frost. The husband called the sisters to ask how they had kept the house warm.

After a rather brief conversation, he hung up. For the past 30 years, he muttered, they’ve gone to Florida for the winter.

Going south for the winter just isn't an option here.  Even if I could, I think I'd miss home. I do laugh about it quite a bit.  It does get cold here in the winter time but I've never had to wake up to find frost on my walls.  I guess my house does have enough insulation, but it is an old house and it does get drafty.  I am blessed to have a good furnace that keeps me warm.  Of course heat in the winter can get expensive so I try to keep the thermostat set  to about 70 degrees.  This winter has been milder than most so I shouldn't be paying out as much as I did last year.  Still as the cost of everything keeps going up I may just have to anyway.

The only really bad thing about this winter is that it just seems to go on and on forever.

I read this little poem the other day and I think it one of those that I need to print out and put in front of me.

Sun glows for a day

Candle for an hour, 

Matchstick for a minute, 

But a good day can glow forever, 

So start your day with a smile...

A smile given typically gets one back.  Force one on your face as the alarm clock goes off to get things started.  Keep producing them throughout the morning and, before you know it, the smile becomes viral.  One foot in front of the other . . .

Have a MERRY Monday everyone!

'On Ya'-ma