Thoughts of Spring

Spring is definitely here.

Tomatoes are planted . . .



butterflies are in the yard . . .



and Bentley is adamant that it is time to go outside - NOW!



I hate to deprive him of time outside, but he's been sick lately - so sick that he had to stay at the vet's. He can see the yard from our front window and the screened porch, but it just isn't the same.

Today I picked up a couple of catnip plants and I'll replenish the containers of wheat grass so there'll be a little more green stuff inside. It's not "outside", but it will have to do.

In the midst of Bentley's illness, Luigi got sick, too. Luigi didn't make it. Now he and Muffin and Gordon are gone. It's one of the disadvantages when litters are adopted - everyone is old at the same time.
(Luigi is gray, Muffin is the tabby and Gordon is the "blonde".)



A walking iris was blooming the day we brought Luigi home.



Now I think of him and the other cats who are no longer with us whenever I see one.

Be careful when you throw rocks . . .

At a family get-together several years ago, I overheard my brother telling his children to "be careful when you throw rocks" as they tossed gravel from the driveway at each other.

While I appreciated his attempt to rein in his children, I thought it would have been better to tell them not to throw rocks at all! (Especially since my car and I were in the vicinity.)

Since that time, "Be careful when you throw rocks." had become a joke between my husband and me.

Now I see the phrase from a very different point of view.

The Bible study group I meet with is currently studying the Book of John. Chapter 8 begins with the story of a woman accused of adultery and condemned to be stoned to death. Jesus invites all who have not sinned to throw stones. The crowd quickly dissipates.

We began to discuss how many times people "throw rocks" at us and we respond in kind -- angry words, bad attitudes and judgemental thoughts.

I was reminded of sets of rocks I painted for a "garden tea" at church. Each rock lists a characteristic of loving and Godly responses to others: love, joy, peace, long-suffering, gentleness, faithfulness, goodness, kindness and self-control.



Now I see that "be careful when you throw rocks" means if someone is not loving and gracious to me, I don't have to respond in kind. I have the option of choosing to respond differently.

I decided to paint a few more rocks this weekend. Here are some of the results:








Be careful when you throw rocks! :-)

What's in your cup?

Have you ever been walking through a crowd with a cup in your hand and suddenly had someone bump into you? Did you enjoy your impromptu bath? Probably not. Finding yourself dripping with what had been intended as a refreshment is no fun.

What happens when someone "bumps" into you emotionally? A co-worker says something snarky. A family member is unappreciative. A friend "forgets" they promised to help with a project. What spills out of your emotional cup?

Just as you know that coffee will spill on you if your cup was full of it when you are bumped, your emotional contents will spill out when you are bumped emotionally.

Right now I am wearing a bracelet to remind me to monitor my thoughts -- and my words. Bracelets are available from A Complaint Free World. As Will Bowen says:

Your thoughts create your world and your words indicate your thoughts. When you eliminate complaining from your life you will enjoy happier relationships, better health and greater prosperity. This simple program helps you set a trap for your own negativity and redirect your mind towards a more positive and rewarding life.

If you want to start monitoring your thoughts right now, you can use a rubber band or bracelet on your arm as a reminder. When you notice that your thoughts or emotions are more negative than you would like, put the rubber band or bracelet on your other arm.

As I have done this, I've discovered that, at least for me, negative thoughts travel in packs. If I have one negative thought, it brings along 2 or 3 or more of its buddies along. Since that seems to be the case, I simply wear the bracelet to remind me to monitor my thoughts and emotions.

Try it for a week, and I think you'll notice a difference. Most people believe that incorporating a new behavior into your life for 21 days will secure it as a habit. Three weeks to go . . .