These days, it seems like I’m peddling backwards and instead of simplifying my life I find it more complicated. My intention at the beginning of this New Year was to unload a lot of baggage – not only emotional baggage I’ve carried around for years but a lot of clutter we have accumulated over the years. Make my life easier and simpler. But what “appears” (I add the quotes because what appears is not always so) to be happening is just the opposite. I’ve taken on a full-time temporary job and commuting almost 2-1/2 hours a day – seems more complicated, huh? But what I find actually happening is:

I’m enjoying myself.
Sure, I don’t have as much time as I did before but I feel productive and on purpose.
When you don’t have much time, you learn to make the best use of the time you have and get organized.
The newness of the job is good because it challenges me to get out of my comfort zone and stimulate creativity.
I’m meeting new people and surrounding myself with a fresh, new successful energy.
I know I’m where I am supposed to be at this given time for a reason.

In my past experience, I’ve always found that when I’m plopped into a new arena, new life experience, there’s a deeper, soon to be discovered, purpose and by working my way through it usually catapults me to the next level of spiritual growth. I must admit – I’m tired. It’s been 5-1/2 years since working in the corporate world and my body needs to acclimate. What is exciting to me is that I have short intervals throughout the day when I sense warmth and knowing that all is well and that means so much to me. I’m being alerted to keep my eyes and heart open and listen for the cues and the lessons.

I have been stuck spiritually. It seemed like no matter what – meditate, pray, read, and seek – I couldn’t hear. Somehow, this new temporary work is what I need to change things up and break me out of it. Now, I have an excitement like I remember in times past when I would get supernatural guidance, visions and dreams but, somehow, this time it will be different.

Have any of you been on a journey that you knew would blow your socks off but you didn’t know why you felt that way? It’s intuitive and it comes from within with much love, a gentle leading and trust. So, I’ll keep you posted on how this goes and if it looks like you need to simplify your life be on the lookout and be willing to take the path you’re given.

From the kitchen table – Pat
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It feels somewhat unsettling to start something new and stumble through looking for a foothold. That’s how I felt today as I started my new temp job. I’m sure most of you have gone through it with new faces, new policies and trying to find where everything is. My head was spinning sometimes and I was overwhelmed but then as the day wound down I was able to find a couple of things I was able to do well which made me feel, “Maybe I can do this.” That’s probably why we resist change so much. We don’t like having no control. We’re out of our comfort zone. But, you know that’s when the greatest miracle happens.

Dr. Wayne Dyer in his book The Power of Intention quotes from Johann Wolfgang von Goethe, “The moment one definitely commits oneself, then Providence moves too. All sorts of things occur to help one that would never otherwise have occurred…unforeseen incidents, meetings, and material assistance, which no man could have dreamed would have come his way.” This is how I felt when this job came about. It doesn’t seem like that much of a miracle but it is something that occurred to help that would never otherwise have occurred. Especially, when last Friday they told me they had decided on someone else. Somewhere, I committed to being a part of the power of intention in bringing in money by the end of this month. It’s a beginning and each time I learn more of what I need to do to align myself to the source of everything.

Learn to get out of your comfort zone and trust.
Take action and do something. When the doors open – don’t analyze and second guess.
Be thankful for the stumbles and falls and know there’s a tender Force picking you up and showing you the way.
As you go along appreciate the journey and be kind to yourself.

What is your situation today? What are you not doing because it’s not comfortable? What are you avoiding or putting off? If it’s something that keeps reminding you to pay attention, it’s time to stop ignoring it and take action even if it’s a little step. Once you commit to taking action you will begin to see unforeseen incidents occur and doors will open for you too.

From the kitchen table – Pat
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I was thinking today, as I made my way up from the city to the mountains, of how much I love my home. I know home is different to everyone but to me when I break away from the traffic, city lights or sirens and begin to make that climb and see all around me the pine trees and hills, there’s no other feeling like it. We have lived in a small town about 45 minutes from outlying metropolitan Denver for 25 years. I remember when we first moved here from town, it took me 6 months to adjust to the quiet – no traffic noise or sirens. Now, as I sit here at my dining room table writing this post in the late afternoon and feel the warmth of the sun as it gets low in the sky, I hear the quiet. I know that sounds strange to be able to hear the quiet and stillness but you can and at first, before I adjusted, it seemed loud. I can hear the wind off in the distance blowing around as it moves and comes closer and passes through the trees so distinct and crisp.

The saying, “Home is where your heart is”, is so true. When I’m home, I’m content and my heart is warm. It’s hard to explain the feeling – you know it I’m sure when you think about your home. When you’ve lived in a place for awhile, your home has a history of all the times spent with the children when they were growing up, the grandchildren making memories and, now reminiscing, as my husband and I move closer to our golden years. In Colorado, it’s a place of seasons and the migration of wildlife. Just yesterday morning before dawn, we had a fox right outside of our bedroom window not 20 feet away. It was mesmerizing to watch his antics and hear his bark. We determined from his actions that he was probably a young male calling for his mate. Each day brings a new experience whether the snow is falling or, much like today, where the sun is shining with a cool breeze of winter. It takes your breath away.

Home is where…
I love and am loved
I cry and laugh
I grow and learn and discover myself
I’m comfortable
I work and play
I’m accepted
I’m safe and secure
I can unplug from the world
A place to make memories

God knew what He was doing when he created us with a meaning and love for home. I’m sure when it’s our time to leave this world and cross over and go back Home we’ll not feel like strangers but at peace drawn to that warmth, love and comfort of being back home.

From the kitchen table – Pat
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I’m writing tonight on a combination of things. As I was catching up on reading some posts and e-mails today, I was reminded again of how grateful I am, the guidance I’ve been receiving even though I haven’t always been aware of it and to let our brilliance shine.

REMINDER: How Grateful I Am
From Colloquium’s All Women Blogging Carnival, I read Patricia Singleton’s post of her trip to India and even though this is not in the same way I was reminded how grateful I am for my 88-year old mother-in-law who is due to fly back home to Toledo, Ohio Tuesday. She has been out in Denver visiting with us, her sons and their families, for the holidays. What courage and determination she has traveling alone with her walker and diminished hearing. It was the first Christmas after losing Dad in May and she didn’t want to be home. Although she was in Denver in September, this trip took its toll on her with the altitude and high blood pressure. She landed in the emergency room which resulted in an eventual stay overnight to get her health stabilized. After so many years of taking care of Dad, she had ignored her own health and now the warning signs were there and it was time to do something. After coming out of the hospital and settling in at her son’s for the remainder of her trip, all the family gathered to visit with her yesterday to give her a send off. As she sat at the dining room table, we all gathered around her in a circle and each of us went up to her and said what was on our hearts. We each told her how much we love her; we asked for peace and protection to surround her and follow her home; we told her how proud we are of her now that she was the matriarch of the family; how she was like a mother to the daughter-in-laws; how we honor, value and respect her; and the sons told her how they have loved having her as their mother. She cried and her heart was full as she watched and listened to the great-grandchildren as they came up one-by-one to kiss her and tell her they love her. We are so blessed to have her in our lives and, yes, precious Lord, how grateful I am to have experienced yesterday with family.

REMINDER: Trust My Guidance
When I read Andrea Hess’ post today, it made me think lately of how I’ve been asking for guidance and what I do with it after I’ve asked. I must admit I have fallen into the category she mentions of wanting guarantees instead of guidance and her post struck a chord in my heart. There I go again, asking for guidance but not truly trusting and it’s so slick how you can be out of alignment without even knowing it. It’s been like a see-saw, back and forth. Last week, I asked for guidance about work and bang I got a call for an interview. Well, I thought, “Wow, that worked.” The interview went well and I thought I had the job until Friday when I was called and they had decided to hire someone else. “Who’s playing with my brain here?” Today, after I read Andrea’s post I realized I wasn’t trusting completely. I wanted step-by-step answers and was not having faith. I was hanging onto my rope – from a previous post I wrote. It didn’t take much to catch my thoughts and get realigned and to my amazement I received another phone call today. The same place I interviewed with last week that turned me down has hired me and I start Wednesday. I am grateful and thankful for the answers and guidance.

REMINDER: Let Our Brilliance Shine
All around me I see people doing amazing things. I read the posts and see how people have listened to their hearts and not the so-called “experts”. They have begun their businesses, written their blogs, struck out on a new adventure with a desire and some common sense. Christine OKelly reminded me of this today in her post, “How I Stopped Listening to Experts and Started Making Money”. She reminded me of the importance to let your brilliance shine no matter what your passion. Take the chance and go for it and push through all the thoughts that you can’t do it or that you’re not good enough. I have when I started my blog last November. I didn’t know what a blog was no less create one. Little did I know that I would enjoy it as much as I do and feel so fulfilled to have this venue to express what’s on my heart. Amazing things happen. Just like in a previous post when I wrote about Paul Potts, a car phone manager in Bristol, England as he takes a chance to audition in March 2007 for a new talent show in England called Britain’s Got Talent because of his love for opera. Enjoy as you watch his brilliance shine as he pushes past the doubts and fears. It will give you chills to see the transformation of the judges and the audience. You may not realize it – but you’re doing it. Maybe, it’s in a way that’s not as noticeable as auditioning on stage but no less significant. Keep on doing it and your brilliance will shine, too, just as Paul Potts.

From the kitchen table – Pat
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Photo from Microsoft Online clipart
The friendship relationship is so unique and precious. The friends we have come in all shapes and sizes and for all types of purposes. I have a friend to hike with and a friend that was a classmate in elementary school that I’ve known for years. There are friends that are casual acquaintances and others that will be there for you in the wee hours of the morning when you need a shoulder to cry on.

“No man is an island, entire of itself; every man is a piece of the continent, a part of the main; if a clod be washed away by the sea, Europe is the less, as well as if a promontory were, as well as if a manor of thy friends or thine own were; any man’s death diminishes me, because I am involved in mankind; and therefore never send to know for whom the bell tolls; it tolls for thee.” – John Donne (1572-1631)

Some friends come into our lives for only short periods of time while others are there for a lifetime. They are the ones we exchange photos with from our weddings and births of our children. A valued friendship is one that is nurtured through all the ups and downs of life and they are the one you keep in touch with when you move to another state.

How do you develop friendships? Does the relationship just happen and evolve on its own? There is time and energy involved in developing a lasting friendship. It’s an equal exchange of mutual interests and spending time with each other. You could strike up a lasting friendship the moment you meet, personalities click and from that point on you’re inseparable. There is a special love between friends unlike the love in other relationships. I can talk to my friend and they seem to know what I’m saying without having to explain everything. Likewise, I can tell by their voice if there’s a problem. We just seem to know each other in that special way.

It’s nice to have a buddy to hang out with when you’re tinkering on cars, going hunting or catching a round of golf. They’re into the same things as you with your energies in sync. These friends are as close and as comfortable with you as a family member without having to impress. If months and years go by since I last spoke with my friend, we can pick up where we left off when we talk as if no time had passed at all.

“Someday, after we have mastered the winds, the waves,
the tide and gravity, we shall harness for God the energies
of love.
Then, for the second time in the history of the world, man
will have discovered fire.”
——————— Pierre Teilhard De Chardin (1881-1955)

Lasting friendships – lasting love!

From the kitchen table – Pat
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