Just imagine you were given the news.  It's a hypothetical.  But think about it.

You have one month left to live.

What would you do with the time you had left?  Be honest!

Would you hop on a plane and finally take that island vacation you've always dreamed about?



Would you go to Paris?


How about the island of Capri?


Would you eat lots of sweets not giving a care about the calories and sugar?


Would you take your credit card and shop 'til you dropped?


Would you clean your house top to bottom so it would be nice after you're gone?


Would you buy gifts for your friends?


Would you plan a huge party to say goodbye?


Would you call your loved ones?


Would you finally forgive the one who wronged you?


Would you finally share what's really on your heart with others?

What emotions would you be feeling?

What's on your bucket list?

I'd love to read your comments.  And be honest.  No judgement here.  One month left.

How would you spend that time?

Blessings and love,

Where are you living?  That's a question I have for you today.  No, I'm not talking about where your physical home is located.  Let me explain.


This is our quote for "In Other Words Tuesday":

"His Word is a book of instructions, guidelines, and boundaries.  If we study the Word, learn His ways, and submit to His Word, we are protected."  ~ Psalm 91 He Who Dwells by Laura Velez

I actually read this little eBook (on sale now for $.99 on amazon) but I want to add the next sentence to this quote:

"If we step out of those boundaries (into sin) we are no longer under His protection."

Think about it.  I love the illustration using the umbrella.  If you stay under the umbrella, you won't get wet.  But if you step outside of the umbrella's protection, you'll get wet.


I am so thankful that I've been saved from my sins through the blood of Jesus.  However, I still walk in this world and so I get my feet dirty.  I am in no way perfect and I sin.  There are consequences when I sin.

What helps me is to follow my instruction book; the Bible.  And no, it's not simply following a bunch of rules.  When I spend time in the Word, I am changed from the inside out.  I find that I delight in what God desires for me.

I found this wall decoration on Dayspring and thought it summarized where I want to live.

Photo Credit: Dayspring

John 15:4 (ASV) says:

"Abide in me, and I in you.  As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, except it abide in the vine; so neither can ye, except ye abide in me." 

I will say ...

• I want to have His protection.
• I choose to abide in Him.
• I love to spend time in His Word.
• I want what God wants for my life.
• I want to bear fruit that will impact others.
• I want to make a difference in other's lives for Him.

How about you?  Where are living?  Are you under His protection or are you venturing out where you don't belong?


I'm linking up with Sunflower Faith for "In Other Words Tuesday".


Blessings and love,

It's hot in Phoenix!  Yes, it may be a dry heat but the monsoons are coming.  Hopefully, we will get some much needed rain.  But frankly, I don't want to go outside in this heat.

So what's a gal to do and still find things to be thankful for?

Greg and I are working on getting settled in our small condo.  One of the blessings of living in a small space is that our air conditioning bills are so much lower than in a large house.  And believe me, we have the a/c running all the time.
I'm discovering ways to decorate that are very cost effective.  I took this photo of The Lone Cypress along 17 Mile Drive in Carmel, California.  It's one of my favorite places to visit.  I purchased the frame in a garage sale for a few dollars.  Yesterday I went to Michael's and found the mat on sale for $4.  So I framed my photo and hung it in my bathroom.  Now when I get ready in the morning, I'll be able to see this photo and ...smile!

Speaking of the weather, I received a phone call from my friend Terri.  She's spending three months in Carmel and told me that the temperature was only 54 degrees.  That's more than half the temperatures we're having in Phoenix!
With limited space, my writing area is situated in a corner of the living room.  I decided to hang some mementos and a few of my favorite photos.
And in the midst of unpacking the many boxes, I discovered my journals.  I'm so thankful that I recorded my journey.  I found stories of people who touched my heart and inspirational thoughts and lessons I learned along the way.  I am able to look back at people and things I was praying for.  I see that God was at work even when it seemed like there were no answers at the time.  This gives me hope for the future.

God is faithful!
Last summer I worked summer camp at school.  I had the pleasure of spending time with Sloan.  At the time she was about to enter her senior year of high school.  What a joy to spend time with her!  She contacted me through Facebook and asked if we could get together before she left for college.  I gladly agreed and had a wonderful time catching up with her. Her beautiful face and character shine through.

Still counting those every day blessings in spite of the heat in Phoenix:

#455 Air conditioning that runs perfectly
#456 Lower air conditioning bills compared to last year
#457 Lunch with Sloan, a college bound student who has an amazing future in front of her
#458 Discovering the joys of painting walls in color
#459 Framing many of my photos to hang on the walls
#460 Greg worked so hard to make my bathroom beautiful as he hangs towel racks and mirrors
#461 A surprise encounter at Home Depot with Cathy, a friend I'd not seen in about 7 years   
#462 Seeing photos of my great niece Kenzie each day on Facebook (thank you Kristin)
#463 The sweetest next door neighbor we could ask for; Caroline
#464 Continuing to work on writing my eBook
#465 Finding inspiration from my journals
#466 Remembering so many wonderful people who have died as I read their stories in my journals

I'm linking up with Ann of A Holy Experience as we count our gifts for Multitudes on Mondays.



Blessings and love,