Tag: gracious

The Season

On By AveryIn Dogs, Faith, Food, Horses, Life6 Comments

Time seems to travel faster this time of year, don’t you think? I mean, Thanksgiving is NEXT WEEK. How did that happen?! It has snuck up on me as I am sure it has everyone. For more than one reason.

And now, it is already Tuesday. It still feels like Monday.

Anyway, I am sitting here with my coffee, as I do, you know, reflecting.

Surprisingly enough, wishing it was still Monday. I made a quick trip out to the farm yesterday after work since I did not go out this weekend. At this time of year, I get barely an hour out there with the early sunset, but it is enough to get my fix to get me through the rest of the week.

I did have a great time with my sister and her husband this weekend. It was incredibly relaxing and indulgent. She is having a holiday party next month that we are both getting excited for. It got us both in the spirit. We even made peppermint ice cream from scratch.

When I got home on Sunday, I baked two batches of cookies while drinking coffee with cinnamon and nutmeg. Sounds lovely, doesn’t it? Chocolate chip oatmeal with pecans and coconut and while chocolate macadamia nut. I owe my farrier a lot of cookies because he is great. I am going to bake my mother’s pumpkin bread this evening for gifts. I just love this time of year!

It all got me thinking how blessed we all are. That we are here and awake this morning. That I got to go up there to visit and stay the weekend. For the quality time with my sister. That I got to see the sunset and love on the horses, however quick. That I have a dog I can take everywhere with me and that she got to have her run time at the farm. That I have a good car to get me where I am going and get me home safe.

That is what this time of year, the holiday season, is all about. Seeing and feeling your many blessings. Being grateful and thankful for them. Doing things for others. That and The Reason for The Season. Giving God the glory. Doing your best to carry that attitude through the rest of the year.

Walk in love, dear readers.

Elemental

On By AveryIn Faith, Horses, Life10 Comments

Earth, air, water, and fire. 

And the Oxford comma. Ha! Hey, I’ve got jokes today! 

No, for real. 

Something so Elemental as to embody all four of those concepts. More than just words. They are senses. Images. Feelings. Emotions. All in themselves. 

The sun rises in the east and sets in the west. God’s paintings twice a day, every day, no matter where you are. Both at the beginning and the end. Of everything. Yet different every day. New. 

Seeing and smelling the earth, feeling the air across your skin as you lope your horse around, praying for those clouds to produce some rain (at least where we are, they have had more rain than us!), and having your soul set on fire. 

Blessed and grateful. 

The reflection of the sunset on the eastern sky Saturday evening with horses and friends. Clearly no better at focusing for photos than I’m sure we were as kids…






Please take a moment to enjoy Lito’s expressions. Seriously, that horse. I just can not contain myself.

Sorry. Where was I? Right.

Sunrise progression Sunday morning. I told you God likes Sundays to be foggy…



Two things that inspire me most next to my horses and my dog. 

Have you caught a sunrise or a sunset recently? Share if you have! If you have not, do yourself a favor and watch one soon. 

Walk in love, dear readers!

Speaking Of…

On By AveryIn Faith, Life9 Comments

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I have seen this pop up a few times and then my Aunt M shared it with me yesterday. So, naturally. I am sharing it with you! Hard not to since I was just talking about being present yesterday.

This speaks to my anxious self always worrying about the future.

So.

Your AHAmoment today brought to you by Lao Tzu and my Aunt M.

Walk in love, dear readers. Have a great Friday and be present!

A Better View & A Better Mood

On By AveryIn Faith, Horses, Life4 Comments

Monday after work I snuck (sorry, I really just prefer it to sneaked, get over it) out to the farm to lock the horses into the paddock for the farrier who came out the Tuesday morning.

I arrived and got everything finished with enough time…and daylight…to fit a ride in on Cheetah. We have now redeemed ourselves from Saturday’s ride, and thank God, literally. AHAmoment. I did thank Him, for the ride and more. I have been pretty aggravated ever since Saturday, let us be honest.

It was a great ride and I feel better for it. I truly believe she does too. We just rode. That is all. Just for the fun and love of it. No agenda. No plans. No expectations. No pressure. Took what we had. Just rode for the shear joy. What IT is all about. AHAmoment, again! Those are our best rides. You can still make progress and work towards goals. Funny how that happens.

I snagged these quick videos for those of you who want or need a different view for a few seconds. If you are like my Niece, I welcome you to pretend you are riding. I will not tell anyone. Please notice the sun in that first one! I have decided I am not complaining about clouds anymore (sorry about Monday!). Do you know how many times in the Bible clouds represent God? A lot. Think about that. Do you want me to say it again??? AHAmoment! Also, clouds make the sun more brilliant when it shines through. So there.

What do you do just for the shear joy of it? Go do it.

Walk in love, dear readers!

Make it a wonderful Wednesday!

On That Note

On By AveryIn Faith, Life4 Comments

Yesterday we talked about being gracious to combat negativity. Spreading love like honey, so to speak. What does gracious mean to you?

Gracious literally (by literally I mean a quick google search and not flipping through Webster’s) means, “courteous, kind, and pleasant; showing divine grace.” What does that make you think of?

I was thinking about that question yesterday when I posted it. Of what thoughts, feelings, images it conjured. Gratitude was one of the words that came up: “the quality of being thankful; readiness to show appreciation for and to return kindness.” AHAmoment.

That is an interesting thought to me. Another full circle concept. Chicken or the egg. Whichever you like. The two almost seem to meld together where you do not know where one starts and the other begins. The same thing is thought of great riders when working with a horse, but that is another story for anther day.

Stir that around in your pot of thoughts. Funny thing is, this showed up on my radar today…

(Thanks to UMNCSH on YouTube for the vid)

Coincidence? I think not! The main source of joy.

Walk in love, dear readers!

Trail riding with friends on Saturday!

P.S. Here is some more because I can not get enough…and because she is one of my all time favorites.

(Thanks to OWN on YouTube for the vid)

Be Gracious.

On By AveryIn Faith, Food, Life2 Comments

Today I am starting to really feel better! For those of you just now tuning in, I have been sick with a nasty upper respiratory something or other for the past week. It really got me down. I have not missed any work, but the end of every day pretty much left me totally spent. Today was the first day I was able to wake up at my normal time and not be totally exhausted.

Last night Darcy Doolittle and I met up with a friend (who I have not seen in FOREVER because she has been off being awesome and because life) at a local ice house to catch up, have a couple beers, and eat some tacos from a taco truck. Nothing says comfort food to me like tacos! Seriously. Do not give me soup. I want tacos. Confession. I LOVE tacos. Anyway, I think that visit, even more than the tacos, gave me the final boost I needed to start really feeling better. I felt like a new person this morning.

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A friend of mine shared this on the ‘book of face’ this morning and I saved it for myself for later reference because I liked it. A few short minutes ago I received an email from another dear friend of mine who I email with regularly to keep in touch and up to date on life’s goings ons when we do not get to see each other. She was telling me about a conversation she had that was full of negativity that left her feeling negative and down. About how it can be hard to shake that off.

I then decided to share this with her and with all of you. Since it spoke to me and felt like it would help her, I am sure someone else needs to hear it too! It can be hard to not let someone else’s negative view of the world affect you and bring you down to that level or get caught up in it yourself. I know because I struggle with it.

Try to be a source of positivity to those around you today with me. Do not engage in the spreading of negativity. It can be like a disease that robs the life out of you. A kind word or gesture goes a long way. You will be amazed by the change that takes place, not only to those around you, but within yourself.

Walk in love, dear readers! Have a great Thursday!