A Beautiful Life...

She lived in the house down the road from me. It was a little white house with black shutters. Ivy grew along the bottom of her immaculate home and ran along the door frame.
Her house reminded me a fairy cottage from an old children's book. With the worn stepping stones that ran up to met her front door. And the little stone pots filled with colorful Zinnias, one on each side of the front porch.
She had bird feeders in the front yard that always seemed to be full of chirping birds.
I would pass by on Summer mornings and there she would be in her front yard trimming her bushes. After she finished the bushes she would rake her yard.
She wore an old straw hat while she did her lawn work that seemed to envelope her whole face. I would often see her lovingly tending her garden in the back yard as well. She had enormous Mammoth Russian Sunflowers and beautiful rows of tomatoes and okra. She had green beans running up little poles, and rows of cabbages that looked like they belonged in Beatrice Potter's garden.
Her garden was so pretty it could have been in a magazine.

I never stopped to talk to her but her life spoke volumes to me. The energy , care and love she put into her yard made me wonder about her life.
So often people let life run them into the ground or the grave. I have been there, and have felt like that lately, but I am fighting it.

I think this woman may have had a troubled heart too. But she choose to take her hurt and pain and turn into something productive and beautiful.
We have the power to do that. We can take our hurt and pain and make a beautiful Life. I am not going to lie, it is not going to be easy. We may have to claw, kick and scratch our may into making or creating something beautiful.

That something beautiful may be as simple as a wonderful breakfast you cook for your family or yourself. Or, it may be as simple as a kind word spoken to someone who needs to hear it.

You may get up some mornings and think, " I just want to go back to bed." Fight that feeling. You can make it.
Nothing in life that is worth anything comes easy. It is always the struggle in life that develops our character, and gives us the ability to sympathize and help others.

She died a few years ago at the age of 96. I was shocked to learn her age, because she appeared so much younger than her years. Upon learning her age I was even more inspired by her life.

A life that says I care can be seen by someone who never even knows you. You may be inspiring someone just by living the way you do.
I hope you all have a beautiful week end.

~Nita~

Tonight's songs, Boondocks by Little Big Town

When The thought of You Catches Up With Me by David Ball

I also love, Bring It On Home by Little Big Town

If you get a chance listen to them ...

I took Elizabeth out for lunch today at a little restaurant we both like to go to. We sat in the back away from everyone and was just enjoying the quiet , and our conversation about our goals for the coming year. When a whole group of ladies came in and sat next to us.

They began to talk, loudly.

They were church secretaries that got together once a week to gossip about their pastors, they told their waitress.
And apparently everybody else they could trash.

We couldn't help but hear what they were talking about, because they were so loud.
One lady talked about a certain woman who came in every month for help from the church.
And, about how no matter what job she got she could never keep one. I felt so sad about the way they were talking about these people.

Did she really know that woman's heart? Or what she has been through? Maybe she was doing the best she could do. When you are broken it is hard to live a normal life. There maybe so much pain in her life that takes everything just to drag herself out of her bed every morning.

Compassion draws me to a person. It is the Love of God that draws men to repentance. Not the blunt end of someone's harsh words . We chose everyday to show the love of God or to show contempt. I want to show love.

I have always thought, what if the person who was asking me for help was Jesus? One scripture that has stuck in my soul was, "Whatever you have done to the least of these, you have done unto me." Whether it was a good deed or a bad one.

And if that person grated the church secretary, why trash her to everyone? Why not try to help her? Especially if she professes to be a Christian.

I think gossip destroys so many people. The people who are doing it, and the ones who they are trashing. It is a disease that gets in the marrow of a persons soul. It hurts so much to have someone destroy you with their words. I have had it happen to me, and I have seen many people destroyed by a vicious gossip.

My ending thought for tonight. I want to try to be more understanding of others. Not to judge, but to love.

~Nita~

John...

{For new readers John is my husband}

I went and seen John today. He got his new wheelchair a few weeks ago and he loves it. It is a really neat chair! It can lift him up to eye level with people.

It can go about 6 miles an hour. It also can go through trails in the woods. The new facility is the best place he has been to yet. I still go about 3- 4 times per week . Last week I only got to go once because my van was broke down.

John is learning even more ways to be independent at home. He is doing therapy everyday. His bedsore is gone completely! The surgery was a complete success on helping it get healed. He had another small one and it is gone too.

I am really proud of his strength and courage through all of this. He has fought tooth and nail just to get where he is now. He will still need help everyday to get in and out of his chair and into the shower. But he has made much progress.

He still does not have alot of upper body strength either. But we are hoping maybe that he will get stronger.

Thanks to everyone who has continually prayed for John and Elizabeth and me. Your prayers are much appreciated.

~Nita~

5 Things....

I was tagged again! This time by Fiona at http://alteredheart.blogspot.com/

1. I love horses. I have never rode one, but I love their beauty and spirit. I will often stop by a pasture just to watch them.

2. My favorite ice cream is Coffee ice cream

3. I love the color purple. If I were a color it would be purple.

4. I use to be in love with Speed racer when I was 5 years old. My sister and I fist fought over him. (Yes, we fought over an animation) But when the mysterious Racer X came along I told her she could have Speed.

5. My favorite candy is candied orange peel dipped in chocolate

I now would like to tag Pixie at http://storiesicantell.blogspot.com/