One Is Just A Number

This was the view at the end of my driveway this morning as I headed out to work. The moon, still up and bright at 8am. I took a moment to soak it in, to take a photo so I could take another moment later on to remember the majesty of that moon in the sky. I will admit, I was grumpy this morning. I hadn't slept well and it had been a long week. I am so glad that I took a moment to look up and see this sight. It put a smile on my face and in that moment, I realized what a truly amazing God we have that He put something so incredible in the sky. Life is made of little moments like this, taking a breath and appreciating what is around us. We spend so much of our time in front of screens -computers, cell phones, and televisions - that we think we don't have a spare moment to relax. But I want to be sure and lift my eyes and take in these moments when I can be reminded of the wonder in this world and just who is responsible for it. It only took that moment to change my mood,...

When I was in Niagara Falls last month, I was fascinated by the power of that wonder. I wanted to capture the sound of the water as it rushed down. I wanted to capture the feeling of awe that I felt as I stood there by this awesome God-made marvel of nature. I always struggle with capturing moments. I am tempted to take as many photos as I can, so that when I get home I can remember it all. I love having the photos, they take me back to the wonderful sites I've seen. But I also find that looking at places simply through a lens or screen, I miss the things around it that make that place special. You can't capture a smell or an electricity in the air of a place by taking photos or videos. You need to stand still and take it all in to capture the essence of a place. I am still glad that I have this short video of Niagara Falls. It does capture some of the amazement I felt that night. But I will always treasure the memories that I captured in my mind of that special moment w...

Ok, they are technically briefs but Spongebob makes me laugh. Some of my posts this October have seemed brief and they aren't always done every day but I am really enjoying getting back into writing. Even a brief five minutes can help you find your passion again. And I hope reading these brief posts lead people to finding their passion.

This actor was the first thing that popped into my head when I read the word for the 23, Common . I first saw him in Hell on Wheels , a show about the building of the railroad across the United States. It was an interesting historical account of construction of the rail system and it also told the story of a soldier's life after the Civil War. My friend got to meet Common when he visited my city and I was so jealous when I saw her photo of him on Facebook. I love TV and movies. As I say in my profile, Netflix is one of my favorite inventions of this century. Hulu is a close second. My DVR is usually around 90% full and I'm desperate to get it cleared before the Hallmark Christmas movies start airing this weekend. TV and movies are something my sister and I have in common. Talking about the week's episodes is what keeps us occupied as we round the track at the gym. I find that an obsession with Hallmark movies is a great conversation starter and finding out that we...

This photo of a flower bed in my backyard was taken a couple of years ago but it still looks like this. Unfortunately after my dad helped me get it to looking like this a wet spring and summer has it looking like the top of the photo. I'm trying to convince myself that my front yard looks like a tallgrass prairie, I'm sure my neighbors think it is more like a tick magnet because the guy who was mowing my lawn hurt his back and is done for the season. I really wish I had help with yard work. But then again, I get all independent and think I can do this. I even went so far as to buy a push reel mower like this off of Amazon one summer. I used it once. But I'm staying positive that I can do this on my own. It will be good exercise, right? I'll keep you posted.

It is the first day of a new week, a day and time we set aside to bring our hearts before God in worship and praise. It is a new day. It is time to stand up and be the church. This is how every Sunday worship service starts at my church. I love the thought that Sunday is a new start. We also say a prayer of confession each Sunday. That gives me the feeling that I am starting with a new, clean slate as I go into the new week. I've heard that we shouldn't wait to start something until every duck is in its row, until you have this, or you have that. Just start. My one word for the year has been progress. I try to do at least one thing each day that gives me the feeling of progress, even if it's something as simple as putting my shoes away or getting the paper read. I was so bad about waiting for a special day on the calendar to start a goal but I have found that starting anything, even something as small as folding laundry, gives me the energy to start the big things. ...

One of the first things I thought about when starting my blog was who did I want my audience to be. When I chose the name "One Is Just A Number," I wanted the title to let people know that they were more than whether they were part of a couple. I wanted to help people going through a painful divorce like I was. It is hard to stay positive though when you focus on the pain. It felt like I would be stuck in that moment of recovery if I stayed with that emphasis. So I thought about moving towards the subheading, "Finding The Life Waiting For You."  I think concentrating on making your life what you want it to be is more positive. So my audience is anyone who wants to take a different view of their life, to see the positive, even if that life isn't what you thought it would be. I hope that my audience realizes that one is just a number and it doesn't define or limit what your life can be, that there is a positive in any circumstance.