thank you my readers

Thank you to those of you still reading this blog. It means so much to know that my words are not going out into the vacuum of cyber space. It's that whole "if a tree falls in the forest" idea. I appreciate you taking time out of your day to read my words, humble as they are.

Monday musings... with a guitar!!! (no, I'm not Jewel, but I do love her!)

I have to admit that I love the controversial song "Not Ready To Make Nice" by the Dixie Chicks cuz it speaks volumes into my life, cuz I just hate going round and round and round. The words: "I made my bed and I sleep like a baby... I’m through with doubt / There’s nothing left for me to figure out / I’ve paid a price / And I’ll keep paying " ring volumes in my life. And like the Chicks, I'm still waiting. I just learned how to play it on my guitar and it's my fave for my evening self-serenade right now :-)

"Not Ready To Make Nice"
Dixie Chicks

Forgive, sounds good
Forget, I’m not sure I could
They say time heals everything
But I’m still waiting

I’m through with doubt
There’s nothing left for me to figure out
I’ve paid a price
And I’ll keep paying

I’m not ready to make nice
I’m not ready to back down
I’m still mad as hell and
I don’t have time to go round and round and round
It’s too late to make it right
I probably wouldn’t if I could
‘Cause I’m mad as hell
Can’t bring myself to do what it is you think I should

I know you said
Can’t you just get over it
It turned my whole world around
And I kind of like it
I made my bed and I sleep like a baby
With no regrets and I don’t mind sayin’
It’s a sad sad story when a mother will teach her
Daughter that she ought to hate a perfect stranger
And how in the world can the words that I said
Send somebody so over the edge
That they’d write me a letter
Sayin’ that I better shut up and sing
Or my life will be over

I’m not ready to make nice
I’m not ready to back down
I’m still mad as hell and
I don’t have time to go round and round and round
It’s too late to make it right
I probably wouldn’t if I could
‘Cause I’m mad as hell
Can’t bring myself to do what it is you think I should

I’m not ready to make nice
I’m not ready to back down
I’m still mad as hell and
I don’t have time to go round and round and round
It’s too late to make it right
I probably wouldn’t if I could
‘Cause I’m mad as hell
Can’t bring myself to do what it is you think I should
What it is you think I should

Forgive, sounds good
Forget, I’m not sure I could
They say time heals everything
But I’m still waiting...

photo: me in a shitty airport on the other side of the world in a country I had to go through to get out.

And here are the lyrics of another song I just love cuz I have wandered through the desert and my dreams have gone astray... and His mercy has set me free:

"Strong Tower" ~ Kutless

When I wander through the desert

And I'm longing for my home

All my dreams have gone astray

When I'm stranded in the valley

And I'm tired and all alone

It seems like I've lost my way

I go running to Your moutain

Where your mercy sets me free

[chorus]

You are my strong tower

Shelter over me

Beautiful and mighty

Everlasting King

You are my strong tower

Fortress when I'm weak

Your name is true and holy

And Your face is all I seek.
In the middle of my darkness

In the midst of all my fear

You're my refuge and my hope

When the storm of life is raging

And the thunder's all I hear

You speak softly to my soul

BE BRAVE; live courageously! (you can you know)

Be brave. Courage is my choice word. Be courageous. It means that you can be afraid, but that you go ahead and do the thing that scares you anyways. There are single acts of courage and lifetimes of courage.

I have added the "Be Brave" photo and link on the right sidebar my blog because I believe in the words of Eleanor Roosevelt:

You gain strength, courage and confidence by every experience in which you really stop to look fear in the face. You are able to say to yourself, 'I have lived through this horror. I can take the next thing that comes along.' You must do the thing you think you cannot do.

When I returned from overseas, I figured I had dealt with enough and lived through enough fears that I did not like this "Be Brave" link the first time I saw it. But a year and a half has mellowed my thinking and I see that there is a lot in everyday life back home that can be difficult - it's all about attitude and your state of mind (& your stress level, which relates back to state of mind!).

I am reminded of Dr Seuss's words in Oh, The Places You'll Go! : "And face up to your fears whatever they are." (the picture below of the little kid petting the monster's nose is on the page right after he's gone past the howling Hakken Kraks!)

Do the thing you think you cannot do. Simple words with profound consequences. That impossible thing can be small or huge; it's huge in your life if you think you cannot do it. St. Francis of Assisi is attributed as saying: “Start by doing what's necessary, then what's possible, and suddenly you are doing the impossible.” It does not have to be a life and death - it can be paying your credit card on time and then having no cash left over.

In regards to dreams, pursue them! Pursue your passions! If any of you have read my writing on http://www.creativity-portal.com/ you know that I am big on going after your dreams. On that line of thinking, Eleanor has another wise thought for us:

"The purpose of life is to live it, to taste experience to the utmost, to reach out eagerly and without fear for newer and richer experience."

And finally, remember to follow your heart. Damn the consequences! "Do what you feel in your heart to be right; for you'll be criticized anyway. You'll be damned if you do, and damned if you don't." (Eleanor yet again. Wise woman, eh!).

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