SWB: Fog behind me, blue skies ahead?

Image from Sim1travels.

Today there is sunshine, fluffy white cloud and a bright blue winter sky. Sigh. There is color, still cold, but I can see some color today.

Blue sky's are a good thing.

The last week of January here in my corner of the NE has been gray, foggy and frigid. I write the word "frigid" because that is the actual description I saw on the weather forecast the other day. About this time of year, I begin to contemplate buying one of those "sunlight" lamps people in Alaska have. It's not quite Alaska here, but close enough already! At my husband's office this week, they are having a Superbowl Salad party including time for everyone a turn to sit under the beams of the happy light. See, I'm not the only one feeling the effects of mid-winter! I found myself laughing to the lyrics of "Mr. Blue Sky" one morning in running my kids to school...

"Mister blue sky please tell us why
You had to hide away for so long
Where did we go wrong?

Hey you with the pretty face
Welcome to the human race
A celebration, mister blue sky's up there waitin'
And today is the day we've waited for"

In the midst of the foggyiness -
There were challenges at work that I did not expect.
There were some good results from a long-awaited process that left me feeling excited and confused all at the same time.
There (again) were family and friends loving on me all week long, and all that love makes mid-winter's chill melt away some. I even made some fantastic chili this weekend and had a long needed girls-out evening of treasure shopping and dinner with a dear friend.

In the blue sky moments...
I've had a dream for this discussion/writers book group to begin for the past two years. If you'd like to join in our Holy Conversations group, there will be an online discussion group on Facebook I am happy all the pre-planning has been done and the conversations will kick off later this week. In about a week, the mural I helped to create will be set up and be dedicated with a fancy-smancy ceremony the Friday before Valentine's day. That Saturday, I will play solo for a local coffee house event at a friend's church. Nice :)

This foggy feeling I have I think has more to do with mid-winter than anything. Somehow, I have more dreams and ideas for new projects than I seem to have of time. I'd like for that variable to even out a bit more. I'm looking for the blue sky moments everyday all the while praying this foggy feeling and vision will soon subside.

One of the best treasures I found this week was a little anthology of poems titled "Risking Everything: Poems of Love and Revelation." You may notice the poetry theme that took over here all week long. That shift is due to reading and reflecting on this lovely little book. I took some time to read on Saturday evening and found some new jewels as well as was reminded of of old favorite poems I'd forgotten along the way. Here is a poem that is optimistically hopeful, just like the tradition of the blog space here at Uphill Idealist. (Or as it aspires to be!)

We shall not cease
by T.S. Elliot (For more poems visit Youpublish.com)

We shall not cease from exploration
And the end of all our exploring
Will be to arrive where we started
And know the place for the first time.
Through the unknown, unremembered gate
When the last of earth left to discover
Is that which was the beginning;
At the source of the longest river
The voice of the hidden waterfall
And the children in the apple-tree
Not known, because not looked for
But heard, half-heard, in the stillness
Between two waves of the sea.
Quick now, here, now, always—
A condition of complete simplicity
(Costing not less than everything)
And all shall be well and
All manner of thing shall be well
When the tongues of flame are in-folded
Into the crowned knot of fire
And the fire and the rose are one.

Sunny and rainy day friends

There are two kinds of friends in the world: Sunny day friends and rainy day friends. This is a statement that my Mom used to remind me of when I was in the midst of drama or conflict with one school friend of another. There are lots of people that we define as friends, but they are really acquaintances. Two men were out hunting in the northern U.S. Suddenly one yelled and the other looked up to see a grizzly charging them. The first started to frantically put on his tennis shoes and his friend anxiously asked, "What are you doing? Don't you know you can't outrun a grizzly bear?" "I don't have to outrun a grizzly. I just have to outrun you!" This story is funny, but it does help define the distinct difference between a rainy day friend and a sunny day friend. The sunny-day-friend is more concerned with watching out for their own health and wellness, than their friends' wellbeing. On the other hand, a rainy day friend is willing to take risks, work fo

FCE - Dog stroke in spine

Kahlúa is our 15 year old dog that we adopted from the Humane Society when she was four. She joined our family and has been with us for eleven years so far. This morning we found her laying on the carpet in the dining room and was unable to get up and go outside. After letting her rest for a few hours, I gave her some bread to eat and she got up. She was wobbly so I scooped her up and took her outside to go to the bathroom. She managed to remain standing for a few minutes, but was back down quickly. Her back legs did not want to support her even though she was trying to walk. By this point, she had begin to cry so I called the vet and they said to bring her in for an evaluation. My kids and I tearfully wrapped her up in a blanket and drove to the vet. It seemed as if we were sitting in the waiting room forever. The vet told me that her heart, eye function, and lungs were great - also taking into consideration her age of 15! The problem seemed to be FCE - firocartilanginous embolism: w

Gifts we have to give

So often people will think of the areas of life that they fall short or what may need some improvement. I think there is some wisdom in knowing where we need some work as humans, but I also feel it is equally important to learn, foster and use the gifts each one of us are instilled with. So here is the challenge or question that I'd like to present: "What gift(s) has God given to you that can be used in the care and ministry of loving others?" How have you seen that gift used in the past? How would you like to use it? If you dream big and I dream big together - how could God work in that big pool of gifts in the lives of others??? Let's share our gifts today and dream of what they can accomplish for God's purpose! 1 Peter 4:8-10 (New International Version) 8 Above all, love each other deeply, because love covers over a multitude of sins. 9 Offer hospitality to one another without grumbling. 10 Each of you should use whatever gift you have received to serve others,

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