blogging101 – Page 24 – hugsnblessings

tick-tock!

Published on October 30, 2015May 12, 2016 by Dawn Marie5 Comments

tick-tock!

it’s that time,

to turn back our clocks!

Winnie-the-Pooh-clock — photo courtesy disney.com

Daylight-savings strikes this weekend in our Northeastern part of the country, as we slide our clocks back an hour Sunday at 2AM. However, here at hugs n’ blessings I’m sliding the publishing calendar back an ENTIRE Day to…

The blogging world has opened up many opportunities for me to meet exciting people, travel to places right in the comfort of my home, cook recipes I may have never known, explore thoughts that expand my mind & my heart, and connect with like minded people who share my faith, my humor, and support me in my goal of reaching Heaven!

There are many many I hope to give thanks for but I give 3hugs&blessings for these three today:

Maria Velazco at Silence Speaks I could list many of the articles she has written that I have enjoyed; however, her article Forgiving and Black Sheep are two of my favorites because they are so personal & life-giving!

Vincent Egoro at Live Your Greatest Life. I love everything Vincent writes!

One of his most recent met me at my heart’s center

The Secret to Real Strength.

Vibrant at blabberwockying! is my most eclectic-read. His writings have exposed me to many different things and even though we have very little in common our love of “heart-matters” unites us in many ways! Again, I could high-light a number of his writings to share with you but here is just one of my favorites Don’t Worry Too Much About Critics! I am sure you will find many more you too will enjoy at his site!

I hope you will check their sites out soon, so that you may find a hug n’ a blessing there too!!

hugs n’ blessings as we move toward November…

when I will be joining in the NaBloPoMo (National Blog Posting Month.)

All month during November I will be giving THANKS, not just on ‘Thanksgiving Day’, but EVERYday!

And I pray something along the way will inspire THANKS within you!

alley-oop!

Published on October 26, 2015October 26, 2015 by Dawn Marie2 Comments

it’s the monday giggles…

Life isn’t just about keeping score.
It’s not about how many people call you
And it’s not about who you’ve dated or haven’t dated at all.
It isn’t about who you’ve kissed,
What sport you play,
Or which guy or girl likes you.
It’s not about your shoes or your hair
Or the color of your skin,
Or where you live or go to school.
In fact it’s not about money,
Clothes, or colleges that accept you or not.
Life isn’t about if you have lots of friends or if you are alone,
And it’s not about how accepted or unaccepted you are.
Life isn’t about that.
But life is about who you love and who you hurt.
It’s about how you feel about yourself.
It’s about trust, happiness, and compassion.
It’s about avoiding jealousy, overcoming ignorance
And building confidence.
It’s about what you say and what you mean.
It’s about seeing people for who they are and not for what they have.
Most of all it is choosing to use your life.
In a way that could have never been achieved otherwise.
These choices are what life’s about.
– Nike

“A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another, even as I have loved you, that you also love one another. By this all men will know that you are My disciples, if you have love for one another.” John 13:34-35

May you find a special way to alley-oop your love ‘into action’ today…and may it have a giggle attached with it!

hugs n’ slam-dunked blessings filled with love for (all of) you !

SHUT THE FRONT DOOR!

Published on October 20, 2015October 20, 2015 by Dawn Marie4 Comments

“SHUT THE FRONT DOOR!”

No seriously, would SOMEONE please “SHUT the front door?!?!?!!”

I remember shouting this, as if it were just yesterday, exactly one year ago. It was moving day into our New Home, North Star, and I needed to dash off (once again) to go get yet another car load of items from the home we were about to let go of.

My hands were full, the warm autumn sun had brought the bees outside to try to collect the last of the pollen they could find, and I could not manage to close the door behind me as I was exiting. I knew if it remained open a few bees would welcome the idea to take up residence in our new abode along with us!

I summoned twice, to no avail, so my third & final plea turned into a shout and although I meant it to sound URGENT it probably did end up sounding ANGRY, (which tends to mistakenly happen when the soft tone of my voice tries to be taken seriously!) I am so glad God understands my heart! And then it happened…

Yes, the door was finally closed (by a nearby helper who obviously didn’t hear me either because his final words before he shut the door were “Who left the door open??“) But it was what I saw next as I walked toward my car parked at the edge of the curb that made me drop everything I was holding,

IT WAS MY FAVORITE TEACHER IN THE WHOLE WIDE WORLD!!

There she was waving at me while shouting, “Hello, Neighbor!”

SHUT THE FRONT DOOR! I now lived by Mrs. B!!

(And who knew we both enjoyed shouting???)

Words cannot explain how much I adore her! She was, and continues to be, one of the women I have looked up to and admired as a “Strong-Thinking-Woman.” Besides my god-mother, I had not met another like her! And she took such a kind, personal, interest in me back then, that it helped me to find courage & belief in myself I never may have found without her.

And she was to be one of my new neighbors!

So many wonderful surprises like this have continued throughout this first year at North Star.

We love our new home (and have heard those who purchased our former home feel the same about True North!)

God has a wonderful way of surprising us in life. When we trust in His guidance great grace is given. We are grateful for all the many ways we have experienced this in our relocation.

Today Cuppycake & I will be taking a drive together and I am sure it will feel reminiscent of a drive we took just a year ago. It feels good to be looking out the front window as we drive…and yet I’m grateful for the rear-view one too; as we take stock & appreciate what has led us to this new road we are now on, still led by Christ. And I’m sure before we walk toward the car & pull away we will be certain to…