We Can't Judge a Dandelion by its Cover

You know those bright yellow flowers that we consider our enemy? I saw this photo and a friend’s post declaring “Dandelions are not Weeds! They build bones better than calcium, cleanse the liver and heal eczema.” Who knew? I’ve always pulled them out of my yard or had my lawn guys spray them away. But though we may not care for them growing wild in our lawns or gardens – still (if not laden with chemicals) are edible and can be used for a whole host of culinary purposes and health benefits. The Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics says edible wild greens, like dandelion, taste good, are low in calories and are packed with vitamins. Dandelions in particular are high in calcium and vitamins A and C.

So, people spray their lawns to get rid of them, while others use them to heal their body of numerous ailments. We can learn a lot from the good found in dandelions. How many dandelions does it take to cover our entire lawn? Only one, given a little time. Ever try to get rid of dandelions? Unless we dig all the way down to the very tip of the taproot, we're not getting rid of them. They keep coming back, undefeated by our efforts to stop them.

Wow! Revelation from Heaven Central! God's creation created with purpose. And so were we! We should be like those dandelions -- knowing what we believe in and what we stand for, and hold us fast when forces try to dig us up – defeat us, discourage us, and wipe us out -- knowing “tough times don’t last – but tough dandelions and tough people do”. Dandelions grow everywhere: cracks in sidewalks, middle of lawns --- its seeds land and they grow and bloom. That should be us. Wherever we are and whatever the situation, we can grow and thrive. We need to be as stubborn as dandelions with our faith – unwavering, relentless, and committed to never giving up.

We cannot ignore dandelions. Their bright yellow color screams at us to either weed them out and now we know the health benefits so they'll scream at us to eat them! We'll never ignore them again! They’re unabashedly, loudly here. They are relentless. They teach us to not let the haters get us down. Some people curse dandelions as a weed and try to take them out, but they keep coming back. And, we need to know what and WHO we stand for so we can be as resilient and single-focused as the dandelion. We just keep coming back.

Maybe it’s time we become dandelion-minded. God put us here for a reason and while others might see us as nothing more than an irritating weed, God sees us as His daughters and sons and He endowed us with abilities and strengths to conquer and overcome whatever comes our way. Inside of us are prayers to be prayed, songs to be sung, books to be written, words of encouragement to be given to others to heal their hearts and souls, ideas that can change the course of history. So go ahead, be as stubborn as a dandelion and never quit. Just be the best dandelion (YOU) that you can possibly be and let your bright colors of God’s grace and love shine through you.

The Sweetest Kisses Last Forever

 Day 296 of Photo Inspirations -- The Sweetest Kisses Last Forever
#TBT So in looking through my photo archives, I came across these photos of sweet little kisses, from my sweetheart and I, to kissing our grandchildren, to our kids kissing each other.

Oh what precious memories those photos evoked! Thank you for indulging me once again on my life journey memories.  I wouldn't at all blame you if you just couldn't take yet one more photo of the Wuerch Family. Facebook is so awesome in providing space for journaling and celebrating memories. I just can't help myself. It's the stuff that brings so my joy to my life.

I googled to see what the benefits of kissing might be and I was quite amused when I googled "sweet kisses".  BTW -- if you don't know how to plant a good kiss, you'll find instructional YouTube videos that will show you how.

If only I'd had those videos when my sweetheart and I had our first "preplanned" kiss.  He called me and said, "Let's meet behind the church (after church) on Sunday night!"  We met and he threw me back in one of those Clark Gable kind of holds and kisses, and I got his breath mint in my mouth. LOL!  Sweet and fond memory.

But the best I found about "sweet" kissing was the benefits of kissing a baby.  I could have written that article because I can vouch that there are no sweeter kisses on earth than kissing a baby.  I think that's because they still have heaven's scent on them.  I found out that the beneficial aspects of holding a baby so close that he/she can hear your heart, to feel your warmth and your soft kisses actually has many health and psychological benefits!

Among them, a study published by Hendrie and Bower in the research journal Medical Hypotheses posited that kissing is a biological behavior which helps boost immunity and controls exposure to infection.  

AND, there are other benefits, as found by a psychologist at Lafayette College, of a link between kissing and decreasing cortisol levels, suggesting that kissing can actually decrease stress, which in turn, can help keep you healthier!    And, kissing is great for your emotional heart, your physical heart, and the heart you carry outside of your body.

I know "they say" that we're in the flu season and we should steer clear of passing germs around, but, on the other hand -- which would be worse -- a case of the flu, or missing out on the sweet love we receive and are able to give to those we love so dearly?

You're welcome!  This "kissing" commercial was brought to you by a Nana, Mom, Daughter and Friend that loves to express my love and appreciation --sometimes it's a kiss and sometimes it's a hug -- but either way, expessing our delight and joy in loving and caring just might make their day!  I know it sure makes mine!   Perhaps, someone in your world could use a kiss or a hug today!

I remember this statement from my school days..."Kissing spreads germs the doctors have stated......but kiss me, Babe, I'm vaccinated!

Life Lessons Can Be Learned From Pickleball

Day 227 of Photo Inspirations -- Life Lessons Can Be Learned From Pickleball                      
These photos are of some of our residents who play pickleball every Tuesday, Thursday and many other times besides that.  By now, I’m sure you’ve heard about pickleball and have even seen people playing or perhaps you’ve played.  It's one of America's fastest growing sports for all ages because it's fun, easy to learn and gives you a good work-out. It's a combination of tennis, badminton and ping-pong.  The court is about ⅓ of the size of a tennis court, with a lower net. The official ball used is just like a wiffle ball, only smaller.  The paddles are between the size of a ping-pong paddle and a tennis racquet.  You can play singles and doubles. Scoring is somewhat similar to volleyball or tennis. Only the serving team can score – and you play to 11 – but must win by two points.  And, we love playing here at Hyde Park.

I, not EVER being athletic in any sense of the word – well, except for running, have, at last found my sport.  Initially, it was a bit intimidating because we have several in our community who already played it competitively and there were those who were tennis enthusiasts, and they picked up on it the quickest.  But more than the fun of the sport, I've learned a lot of Life Lessons from the game:

1)  Never give up.  It would have been easy for me to “throw in the towel” on the game because others were so much better than me.  But, by my attitude of “never giving up”, I’ve become more proficient and my confidence in my game has gotten so much better.

2) Never say “SORRY”!  I love that about the game.  We’re all doing our best and if we make an inadvertent mistake, you don’t say “SORRY”.  And, if you do, you'll quickly be corrected.  The definition of SORRY is feeling distress, feeling upset, downcast, in a poor or pitiful state or condition and we are none of those.  I did that a lot in the beginning of learning.  I felt really SORRY for those who had me as a partner, but now I hold my head up high and think "I'll do better next time!"

3) Cheer and congratulate when someone does well.  I love it when I make a really good play (most often, it’s been by accident – I’m still learning), but my friends make me feel like a rock star – rather, a pickleball star when I've conquered a shot.

4)  Those who are the best…..mentor those of us who are still learning.  And they do it with such a sense of TLC.  I’m looking forward to the day when I’m qualified to mentor,  In the meantime, I’m so thankful for their willingness to help us learn.

5)  No name calling or trash talk allowed. I know that’s common in many sports, but I love the genuine sportsmanship and comradery in pickleball.  Even if we call ourselves names or trash talk ourselves because of a dumb error, others are quick to steer us the other direction.

6)  Making friends -- Pickleball is a great social sport and it gives us a chance to make new friends or bond more closely with old ones.  It doesn’t take too much motivation for us to want to play, but just in case we were
in a little lazy mode, our friends motivate us to “get our game on”.  And that we do.

6)  And, here is the best part – pickleball has great health benefits:
-- It helps lower our blood pressure -- moving our legs and swinging at the ball raises our heart rate which creates a great cardiovascular workout that strengthens our heart.
-- It burns body fat -- we burn 250 calories for every 30 minutes we play (we usually play for two hours at a time).
-- It improves balance -- Navigating the pickleball court to intercept shots and deliver winning volleys takes all kinds of movements.  In pickleball, we move forward, backward, sideways and we shift our weight in so many directions which trains our bodies to have better balance.

As I’ve said many times before, I don’t plan on giving up until I’m taken up…..and if that day comes while I’m playing pickleball, I just hope and pray my shot was the winning shot that shot me to heaven.  I’ll arrive shouting…
WHAT A GAME!!  WHAT A RIDE!!

Walking With Purpose for Brain, Brawn and Blessings

Day 99 of Photo Inspirations -- Walking With Purpose for Brain, Brawn AND Blessings
I run or walk at least 15 miles a week.  Where my Jacuzzi tub would have been installed, I had my builder to simply put the plumbing in the wall, in case I ever wanted to install it.  Instead, that’s where my treadmill is located.  I’m on purpose.  I know the health benefits of running/walking/jogging.  I’ve been running for many years.  Best of all, it keeps my goal weight intact, especially when I love eating all kinds of foods as well as the occasional sweet treat!

But, my daily walk has gone to a new level, as I’m walking with friends.  We are walking on purpose – not just for the health benefits, but doing the Joshua “walk around the wall” walk. We walk, talk and pray. We are being BLESSED.

And, the health benefits have gone to a whole new level also.  I found it quite interesting a few days ago when I came upon the idea of walking to increase our BRAIN size.  It said, “Just 1 mile keeps our brain from shrinking.  Apparently, our brains tend to shrink as we age, just like a piece of fruit on the counter. But you can help keep your brain plump and young just by walking about a mile a day.  AWESOME!    

The article at www.sharecare.com went on to say that “in a 9-year study, people who walked just 6 to 9 miles each week preserved significantly more gray matter as they aged, compared with their more sedentary peers. What's so great about a big brain? It likely means more mental power. In the study, not only did the walkers have less brain shrinkage, but also that translated into a two-fold reduction in their risk for cognitive impairment. What's more, the researchers also looked at the benefits of physical activity in people already suffering from cognitive impairment or Alzheimer's disease and found that a mere 5 miles a week of walking seemed to slow progression of the condition. So when it comes to brains, bigger really is better. Let’s strap on those walking shoes and walk  for BRAIN, BRAWN AND BLESSINGS!
#WalkingWithPurpose