Things my 13 year old self might say to my nearly 60 year old self, and vice versa...
All shall be well, and all shall be well, and all manner of thing shall be well... Julian of Norwich, but! yesterday evening (Oct 5, 2019) I noticed a very similar "note to self" in a journal, written a decade before I went back to college and first heard of Julian. so... as good a place as any to begin this very special ABC list...
Believe, in God, and His plan for your life. Be Brave, but gentle, and know, God's got this.
Courageous even. Courageous enough to say, and mean "Come to Me…" ~ Matthew 11:28. Courageous enough to "...Climb the cross of the present and let the illusions die." W.H. Auden
Delight yourself first... then others can be truly Delighted." I noticed this quote again Oct 5, 2019 in this book I have had in my possession for more than 24 years:
"Everything belongs to you, and you belong to Christ, and Christ belongs to God" 1 Corinthians 3:23 isn't that "Enough"?! You are Enough, God is Enough.
Fear - wow - what can I say about Fear but that it has eaten you up long enough! Fear God, as taught in catechism, was not intended such a tripping point. Fear of the Lord, one of the seven gifts of the Holy Spirit, given at Baptism, does not mean being afraid of God. God, our Father, who art in Heaven... always loves and Forgives. Do not become scared and scarred, but rather, be in joyful awe of God’s grandeur and a grateful awareness that only in Him do we Find true peace our heart.
"Grace knows your name... God's not done with you yet..." and, of course, Gratitude, for God is with us, and we are never alone. ever.
Home will have many meanings. Here are a few ... created shortly after Dad died
(probably not a great thing to tell a 13 year old, but... the truth is, everyone dies, and we were blessed to have him in our lives for as long as we did). Here is the last picture of us together, taken by Mom at St. Clair after a traditional summer Sunday breakfast - this was a week before Father's Day, 2016
June 12, 2016 
clipped from a magazine about 20 years ago, and had it taped to the visor of the car when our child was quite young. Such an Important reminder.
Joy. Joy is huge. 
Joy is different than happiness. see Galatians 5:22. the Holy Spirit produces this kind of fruit.
Joy is different than happiness. see Galatians 5:22. the Holy Spirit produces this kind of fruit.
"...Joy...once you feel it, you will know hope, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. And it is in those feelings, that you will come to know God." source
"...Keep growing, keep humble, and keep living in happy wonder... Know there is an ever deeper and tested kind of happiness out ahead of you. But you do not know that yet in the early years! Which is why those in the second half of life must tell you about it." ~ pp. 110-112 Richard Rohr's Falling Upward: A Spirituality for the Two Halves of Life
Listen to Logan, Listen to nieces, nephews, and great nieces and nephews. Listen to Misty breathing while she sleeps next to you as you type this. Listen to your Mom; she's right more than you'd care to admit. Listen to the ocean waves, and the harbor ripples. LISTEN. Listen in the garden, Listen to the garden, and the gardener. "LISTEN... Listen to the wind. Listen to the birds. Listen to the crickets and the frogs. Listen very quietly to your breathing... all of Life is breathing with us." each breath a smile by Sister Susan based on teaching by Thich Nhat Hanh
photo by Rosemary whom we'd just met.
Mom. What can I say about my Mom ... she called as I was typing that :) What can I possible say about being a Mom? I have an entire other site for that, but at the moment...
No words. Nada. Not at this time. Nothing. Need some time. This has been yet another pivotal year, and right Now, I Need wisdom and guidance. I love this picture Andie took as we three headed to NYC ... 
we took this picture right after his trip to see Liam in Netherlands. So much hope for this Next chapter.. in New London. Dear God, grant me wisdom to trust your plan for what is Next, and Next and Next. Amen xo love, Jackie age 58, October 17, 2019
"Our mature years are characterized by a kind of bright sadness and a sober happiness..." p. 117
“Peace, be still, and ..." Plant a seed, or hundreds, or thousands of seeds. Dig your fingers into the earth, plant your feet on the earth and Practice breathing deeply, connecting...
Quiet your mind, because...
and Quit trying to please everyone - or anyone else for that matter
and Quit trying to please everyone - or anyone else for that matter
Relax more (Logan has been trying to teach me that for years (Misty too)... Realize you can learn from your dog.
"found" 10/5/19 in an old journal with a Mary Engelbreit drawing while tweaking this post, again, and decided to look it up and give proper credit.
"Stand in your own space and know you are there." ~ Anson Heigel
“She Used To Be Mine” by Sara Bareilles
Love these lyrics and this hauntingly beautiful song:
It's not simple to say / That most days I don't recognize me ...
I still remember that girl / She's imperfect, but she tries...
She is good, but she lies/ She is hard on herself
She is broken and won't ask for help / She is messy, but she's kind...
"There are some things you will learn best in calm, and some in storm." ~ Willa Cather, The Song of the Lark
Unified field: Annie Dillard referred to it as "our complex and inexplicable caring for each other." Buddhists call it the Great Compassion...[Einstein's quest, Buckminster Fuller, among others]... Jesus found and named the Unified field beneath all the contradictions. p. 59 Richard Rohr Falling Upward
Visit friends and relatives ...
When you plant a seed of love, it is you that blossoms." ~ Ma Jaya
eXcept... You probably don't need to plant these seeds, God's got that covered, but I like this cool image and it accompanied the quote, so I wanted to keep them together for you :)
"Your self-image is not substantial or lasting; it is just created out of your own mind, desire, and choice - and everybody else's preferences for you!" ~ Richard Rohr. so... "Yes!" to life as often as you possibly can!! and wear Yellow more often Yellow looks good on you :) and remember:
"Zen masters call it 'the face you had before you were born.' This self cannot die and always lives, and is your True Self." ~ p. 130 Richard Rohr Falling Upward
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