Lost…..and May Never Be Found

A friend’s Facebook post said: “There are five things that you cannot recover in life:
The Stone...........after it's thrown,
The Word...............after it's said,
The Occasion......after it's missed,
The Time.............after it's gone.
A person...............after they die
I realize this so much now. Life is too short. As I get older I just want to live in peace and harmony and have joy because it can all be gone in an instant. Give love and forgive each other. For you don’t know what tomorrow will bring.”


Such true words, and great reminder of “living with no regrets”. I don’t want to say “I wish I hadn’t”, “I wish I didn’t” “If only….” I said that to myself as I was trimming my trees and bushes (4 large trash bags full). I looked at my bushes afterwards, pleased that they’re ready for stringing my Christmas lights on them. WHAT? Christmas? Already? Where did this year go? And, like my friend’s post said -- we can’t get that time back!

I’m going to keep that “no regrets” mindset. I’m purposing to pray each day and live by this scripture: “Let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be acceptable in your sight, O God!” (Psalm 19:14) In fact, I’ve declared it as my new life scripture. I add my words to that scripture: ”also acceptable to my family, my friends and everyone I encounter in this day.” Words too quickly spoken can be regret “stones”. Please, Lord, keep a gate on my mouth and mind.

I made sure I was seizing the moments yesterday at Children’s Hospital. Patients went on a scavenger hunt throughout the hospital. At my Radiology station, I stamped their scavenger hunt cards and gave them a goody bag. I embraced the glow on those kiddos faces! No regrets! A contest was given for the hospital staff's best costumes. I loved my Radiology's team's great idea -- a ride at Six Flags!

Then, I made way to my "stomping grounds" in Tulsa. First order of “no regret” was celebrating Mom’s 97th birthday. Bonus was my great grand niece, Anna, was there and getting to love on her. Then to top off my day was staying at my besties' and capturing Sheila reading to her little angel granddaughter, Penelope. Be still my heart!

Tomorrow, I’ll be driving my beloved mentor, Sister Marie Pierre to our last First Weekend of November, Fall Retreat at Cherokee Lodge on Fort Gibson Lake. Oh, the memories of God showing off there with so many precius women who sat at the feet of Sister Pierre over the years, gleaning from her wisdom of serving God in practical Christian living.

After the retreat, I’ll head to Austin with my grands for a week or so. Some of life's greatest lessons come from firsthand experience. And those experiences teach us "living with regrets" or "living with NO regrets". The latter on that statement is truly the way to go. Believe me, I've known both. Those times we "miss it" are surely those times we learn from the most. Life is so short and making the most of everything we can when the opportunities arise, not only produces sweet memories, but it makes for deepening our relationships with each other.

Are you seizing those moments, minutes, days of YOUR life? We are here at this place, and this moment of time, for a specific purpose that God gave for only us to fulfill. Let's be done with just going with the flow....and let's live ALL IN! Let's look for those moments in this day that are over-the-top outrageous, once-in-a-lifetime moments, so that tomorrow, we'll look back and say, "I lived with no regrets!"

Be Sure to Think AND Think Before You Speak

Have you ever said some dumb “something” and so wished you could retract those words, but it was too late? The damage was done. I sincerely wish we had a built-in “pause” button that gave us a delay between what we are thinking and what we are about to speak. Often those hurtful words babble out just too quickly. Just a little “damage control” over our thoughts might have saved us from……damage to someone’s spirit and our relationship with them.

Speaking of “thinking” before we speak that hurts others -- what about the words we speak about ourselves? We need “damage control” over those words, too. I’ve heard people say words so negative about themselves that I want to put my finger to their lips and say "Shh. Don't say that!" They’ll say self-demeaning words like “I’m so stupid", "I just look at a cookie, and I gain weight", "I get a cold this time every year", "I could never do that", "I’ll never be able to afford that", "I’m too old to do that", “I can’t EVER remember names”, etc. And, you know what? They will continue to get what they are saying and thinking.

I am generally an optimistic thinker…AND speaker. I wasn’t born that way, but through conscious effort and repetition, I’ve become that person that sees the glass, not just half full, but FULL. I really do wake up each morning, anticipating a great day, good health and success, good things coming my way and I sincerely believe that I can overcome any difficulty, because of God Who is in me. I consistently pray Psalms 141:3 “Set a guard, O Lord, over my mouth; keep watch over the door of my lips” and Psalm 19:14 “Let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be acceptable in your sight, O LORD.” It really takes “a village” (Father, Son and Holy Spirit, angels, and saints) to help me because the natural inclination, in myself alone, would to be concerned for what this day and tomorrow could hold. Thanks be to God -- my thinking AND speaking have given me such a full, blessed and joy-filled life.

We really can control and change our thoughts and what we speak. It’s like changing the channel on a TV – we see a program we don’t want to watch, so we change the channel. In the same way, when a negative thought comes to us, rather than continuing to think that negative thought….we can change the channel to something good and positive. Those who think themselves a failure or unworthy of success and live in fear of what tomorrow may bring, will encounter closed doors, being late to appointments and other distractions that will keep them from succeeding.

But, if we make a conscious effort to thinking, speaking, writing, reading and watching the good and positive "stuff of life", eventually, it will be second nature for us to shift any negative focus to positive. If we think positively, expect favorable results, then our situations and circumstances will change. If we persevere, we will transform the way our mind thinks, as well as the beautiful things that will start coming our way.

My thoughts for today for you AND me are: "It's a beautiful day. We are loved. We are blessed. We are favored with good and great things coming our way. We have many friends and are making even more friends. We walk into a room and it brightens up just because we entered it. We can do all things through Christ Who strengthens us. We are healthy and whole. We are lovers. We are givers. SOMETHING GOOD is going to happen to us today!"

If You Can't Say Something Nice -- Say Nothing At All

Day 147 of Photo Inspirations – “If You Can’t Say Something Nice….Say Nothing At All”

Those were words I heard over and over again from my sweet Mama. Those times when I would grumble about the rain and not being able to go out and play; when I would say something ugly about someone; when I would speak negatively about myself – like, “I’m so skinny (I know it’s hard to believe that, but there was a time when I took “Weight ON” pills).” LOL!

When Mama spoke, I listened because if anyone had a reason to complain or speak negatively, she did....but didn't. When I was 8, my Daddy was diagnosed with a brain tumor, and subsequently survived brain surgery. He was never the same after that. He became more like a sibling to me than my Daddy. Mom had to work so hard to take care of him and I because Daddy had no health or pension benefits. I remember her taking her wedding ring to the Pawn Shop and selling it to get a few dollars for us. My Dad passed away 7 years later. She never grew bitter, never was depressed or angry. She never complained. She was always giving (oh how she stretched her social security check). She never knew wealth in this world’s measure. But, I assure you – I have never known a happier, more contented, full of life, joyful and RICH woman as my Mama. She walked and talked like every day was full of sunshine – in the weather…..and in her circumstances. I still hear her singing “This is my story. This is my song, praising my Savior all the day long.” She taught me best by her living. These scriptures best describe the way she lived:

Psalms 19:14 “May the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be pleasing to you, O LORD…”

Ephesians 4:29 “Let everything you say be good and helpful, so that your words will be an encouragement to those who hear them.”

Philippians 4:8 “Whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is fair, whatever is pure, whatever is acceptable, whatever is commendable, if there is anything of excellence and if there is anything praiseworthy—keep thinking about these things.”

I know that the best of me came from this precious woman and, in this message today, I hope you receive this “best of me” to you – that you will understand the riches of being a PRAISER rather than a COMPLAINER. I get that there are plenty of things TO complain about – we all face some significant struggles and the future could look pretty bleak at times, but I assure you that finding the good, and ONLY speaking the kind, generous, loving, faith-filled and caring words, you’ll find SUNSHINE on a cloudy day…..when it’s cold outside, you’ll find the month of May. I’m talking about my God, my God. So, in my Mama’s words…..”If you can’t say something nice…..say nothing at all!”