So, here's the thing...

Summer fills me with a rapture that can stop me in my tracks. The hustle of life can take one away from noticing all the beauty around us at any given moment. I find it amazing how attuned my eyes and ears become when I take the time to get still and listen. And really look . Here's what I see and hear right now this very moment from the comfort of my bedroom. White lace curtains, an open window that pulls my gaze beyond and into the lush green of my backyard. I mean, lush. Blessed rain, while we sometimes wish you wouldn't stay so long, you do create magic when it comes to the greening of our world. There is a huge pine tree and dozens and dozens of trees that line the creek that runs just beyond my yard. It's a dazzling view of utter simplicity. The dappled patterns created by the lace curtains adds to the soft, blurred effect of the canopy of trees that shelter this place I call home. I don't hear any traffic, not a single engine racing by to get anywhere. ...

This post is about love . Pure and simple. You are loved. You are loved more then you know. I love you and I don't don't even know you, but something brings you here to read this blog. Kindred spirits, maybe? I don't know. But I love you. And that's that. I absolutely believe with all my heart that each and every one of us is truly a gift to this planet. You were born to love, to receive love, give love, accept love, BE love. There are only two emotions....Love and Fear, that's all that really exists. Think about it, what is not love is simply a fear-based way of thinking. Fear covers every belief that is not loving, giving and gentle. Consider for instance how many times in a day we tear ourselves down. Other people can be mean, but we're ruthless in our own self-abuse. Even when we feel good about ourselves, and someone compliments us, what do we do? We make excuses, we apologize for something...."Oh, this old dress"? "Than...

I want to share something with you. I had a health scare this last week. A very big, very frightening health scare, the kind that presented the possibility of becoming life threatening. I wrote the blog post titled, "Meeting Fear Head-On", the day after I discovered something was wrong. I wrote from my heart as a means to steady myself, as a way to reinforce my beliefs. I was rattled. I was shaking. I was already missing my life because I felt this sudden discovery could possibly take my life away. Through my expertly disguised panic, so as not to alarm anyone until I was diagnosed for sure, I became acutely aware of what I felt I could lose. The hugs and kisses of my child came immediately to mind, my heart-to-heart and surprisingly honest talks with my oldest daughter, the beautiful love and companionship I share with my man, and all of the beauty this earth surrounds me with daily....not the least of which is this achingly beautiful landscape called Kentucky. See...

You know when you're ready for a change. You feel unsettled, bothered by the slightest things, totally uninspired. Being uninspired is probably, in my book, the most soul deadening thing ever. To be uninspired by your life, or your work, is to slowly disappear. But thank goodness for "divine discontent". Yes, thank goodness for all those feelings of unrest, all those days you feel like you're going crazy, the days you bite someone's head off, the times you feel trapped. They are your compass , forever pointing you towards yourself, your home-base, your purpose. Finding ourselves in a dead-end anything is one of the most frustrating things we will experience in our lives. Nothing like feeling trapped, caged, held down, or held back. Nothing like feeling unappreciated, used, or used-up. We tie our sense of worth to so many outward things. And how can we not? It's how we live in the world. And in this world there will be people that will make you fe...