It's Then Sings My Soul Saturday and I'm linking up with Amy of Signs, Miracles and Wonders.

The past few days have been full. 

I had the pleasure of spending a short time with my blogging friend Kathleen of Sassy Granny.  She recently moved back to Seattle to be closer to her kids and grandkids.  But she and Terry came back to the Phoenix area to visit friends and relatives.  I was honored that she took the time to go to the Rio Vista Recreation area so we could sit and chat.

Notice the "Do not feed the ducks" sign.  I think everyone ignores that as they kept pestering us the whole time and even grabbing my finger.  But Kathleen and I still had a great visit!

Then I was off to do my first garage sale.  My good friends Jack and Anna May have the perfect home location; on a visible corner.  They were kind enough to allow me to haul my stuff to their driveway.

I thought this was all I had to do and they would come.  LOL.  But no, I didn't spend the whole time in the hammock.

I had much help from my friends.  Unfortunately, John and Helen still couldn't sell that Christmas tree.  But Helen knows so much about garage sales and pricing.  Thank you Helen and John!

Debbie on Clearwater Beach

My heart has become more sensitive lately as I realize how thankful I am.  The other day I was reading from Sarah Young's devotional "Jesus Calling".   Let these words resonate within you.

"As you turn your attention to Me, feel the light of My Presence shining upon you.  Open your mind and heart to receive My heavenly smile of approval.  Let My gold-tinged Love wash over you and soak you into the depths of your being.  As you are increasingly filled with My being, you experience joyous union with Me: I in  you, and you in Me.  Your Joy - in - Me and My Joy - in- you become intertwined and inseparable.  I suffuse your soul with Joy in My Presence; at My right hand there are pleasures forever more."

This morning I awakened with this song in my head called "Who Am I?"  I wanted to share it with you this morning. May you be blessed as you listen to the words. How can we not  be thankful?



I'm linking up today with Laurie of Women Taking A Stand for Thankful Thursday.




I'm also continuing to participate in the Giving Thanks Challenge 2010 hosted by South Breeze Farm.  I'm keeping track each day on my sidebar.  It's not too late to join in.



Blessings and love,

Photo Credit: Fotosearch

How good are you at listening? 

Are you focusing on your response while someone else is speaking?

Let's be honest here:

Have you ever mentally created a grocery list while sitting in church listening to the sermon?

Have you ever planned your to-do list while watching your child perform in a play or sporting event?

I recently found this cartoon.


I love technology. 

But I've found that there are times when it’s best to:

• Turn off the cell phone
• Shut down the computer
• Stop listening to your iPod and other gadgets

Will you make the choice to simply …be in the moment?

Time goes by so quickly.  Believe me, as you get older it seems to go faster and faster.  And there are certain moments you'll never get back. 

Don’t forget that relationships matter!  Spend time with your loved one face to face.  This is a good reminder for me as Greg and I celebrate our 26th wedding anniversary tomorrow!

Blessings and love,

Are you ready to declutter?  Do you look around your home and realize that you have way too much stuff? 

As many of you know, I recently moved from a large home into a very small temporary home.  I sold so much of my stuff including furniture, artwork, rugs, etc.  However, now I have a very messy garage with boxes.  And after more than six months, I can't even remember what's in the boxes.


How would you like to be faced with this mess?  LOL.  It actually looked better before I started. 

I found some handy guidance on decluttering from a site called Life Your Way.  They offer free printables for every occasion.  Here's the one I used for decluttering.

Ask yourself these questions and then ...just do it!

I found a few hidden treasures in my boxes today.  But for the most part, I found lots of stuff that I could definitely do without. 

Believe it or not, I've never had a garage sale.  We weren't permitted to have them in our previous gated neighborhood but here it's a treasure trove every Thursday through Saturday.  And I'm lucky to have friends who live on a more highly trafficked corner lot.  And they are willing to allow me to use their driveway.  Thanks Jack and Anna May!  They even have those great signs already printed up.

I've found that with less stuff:

• I can focus more on what's really important. 
• There's less stuff to clean
• The house is more orderly.
• I'm not always looking for the latest gadget or thing to add to my house.

In many ways, it's freeing to ...simplify.

How about you?  Do you even remember what's in the boxes in the attic or basement? 

Blessings and love,

Are you ready for November?  Before you know it, Thanksgiving will be upon us.  I decided to join in with Leah of South Breeze Farm in Iowa for her annual Giving Thanks Challenge.  This is Leah's 4th year to host this one.  It's not too late for you to sign up too.

Here's the challenge. 

Make the choice to focus on at least one thing each day during the month of November for which you are thankful.  You may choose to write a blog post about it or simply keep a running list on your sidebar with dates from November 1-30 with the Giving Thanks Challenge button. 

After a while, you'll be amazed at how you become more alert to things for which you are grateful. 

Are you up for this challenge?

I encourage you to hop over to visit Lea in Iowa at the South Breeze Farm and sign up.

Blessings and love,