12/12/12 Bluebirds & The End of the World

Well, it would appear we are still here. It's not the end of the world today, as some interpretations of the ancient Mayan calendar predicted. Whew... that's a relief. ;-)

(Edited to add: it was pointed out to me that most people thinks "it" could happen on Dec 21st... so we still have plenty of time to enjoy the holidays! ha ha ha)

I recently bought myself a little Christmas present (since I assumed Christmas would, indeed, arrive). They are a vintage set of little glass Bluebirds of Happiness.

They are symbolic to me... they remind me of several things. Life is fragile (glass), handle with care.

My favorite color has long been blue. My wedding cake was decorated with blue roses, and my wedding dress had little blue forget-me-nots embroidered on the bodice. I have a small collection of blue glass bottles.

Part of the lyrics to the song "Over the Rainbow" are:

Somewhere over the rainbow

Bluebirds fly.

Birds fly over the rainbow.

Why then, oh why can't I?

If happy little bluebirds fly

Beyond the rainbow

Why, oh why can't I?

To me, it's about hope. About believing in your dream. About never giving up. These little guys make me smile when I look at them. They remind me that with God, all things are possible. To keep believing, to trust, to never give up.

This has been a tough year for me. Physically, medically, emotionally. I ended up the year heavier than when I started it. I experimented with several different things, and most were... ahem... mistakes. Or maybe I just didn't do them right. And part of the time, I just got plain discouraged and didn't try hard enough. That's just the truth.  

All I know is... to keep going. To keep on keepin' on. 

To learn from my mistakes, and to make changes where necessary. Some of those changes might be hard, but one of the things I've learned is: respect yourself, respect others. And even when you goof up on this journey, learn from it and go on; don't treat yourself with disrespect. And don't let anyone else do it, either. 

Like I said, life is fragile, and so are people. We are all going through "stuff". We might not know what the other guy is going through, but life being what it is... you can bet that sooner or later, we all need that soft place to land, that benefit of the doubt, that bit of kindness.

If anyone is reading this, I wish you the most wonderful Christmas! And if you don't celebrate Christmas, then I bless you with a wonderful winter!

My book quote for today: "The basis for this book is the advice of the apostle Paul as recorded in Philipians 4:8, where he challenges us to seek out and dwell on the positives in our lives. When we look for places where God's character is revealed, we are reminded of his presence in our lives, and we are blessed." --Tommy Newberry, The 4:8 Principle

My verse for today: "Now may the Lord of peace himself give you peace at all times and in every way."

My quote for today: "Speak only when your words are more beautiful than the silence." Arabic proverb

Enjoy the Journey,

Loretta

=^..^=

DAY 1208