My Most Perfect Prayer for April 2013

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photo source: Pinterest via http://winning-path.blogspot.com/2012/12/new-year-thoughts.html?m=1

photo source: Pinterest via winning-path.blogspot.com

As promised, I challenged myself to another month-long Grateful 4 daily list. I admit, due to my sheer laziness, I failed to update the list on a couple of days, but my free flow list of gratitude still lives on!

Prolific writer, G. K. Chesterton once wrote:

“I would maintain that thanks are the highest form of thought, and that gratitude is happiness doubled by wonder.”

If we constantly live in a state of perpetual thanksgiving, then imagine the enormous wave of happiness flowing abundantly over the world. Thanks to everyday gurus| Kozo for the inspiration to begin daily gratitude expressions.

Let the world become the happy place we wish it to be.

My April’s free flow grateful 4 list: the gift of laughter found in funny movies, all needs provided for, goodness found in people i meet, lounging house cats; Andy Andrews’ book: The Butterfly Effect book| How Your Life Matters; early morning rain ♥ turkey leftovers, banking system...

Divine Love that shines through even during a cold and very rainy gray day  

The Bed of Procrustes by Nassim Nicholas Taleb; gas stations, good health; warm, sunny days to dry up all rain puddles ♥ pizza fully loaded, three bags of groceries, smiles i found on many people’s faces, battery operated weed eaters–so much lighter in weight than gas-powered ones; riding lawn mowers, steaming hot bowl of soup made all day in your crock pot! FRIDAY…stay up late, sleep in Saturday ♥ public libraries, clean & reorganized work desk, plate full of hot grits, eggs and Spam…

Half-Price Books 2013 calendar & how this company commits to give over a MILLION BOOKS each year for worthy causes 

..infinite GOODNESS that flows from the Divine; delightful actors, James Franco & Rachel Weisz in the movie, Oz, the Great & Powerful; lazy Sunday afternoons;

 Sr. Joan Chittister‘s thought: “DOUBT is something to be grateful for…” 

Frontline flea/tick prevention for dogs & cats, dry marker erase boards,days that flow smooth from start to finish,cranberry/pomegranate juice! thunderstorms and rain, galaxies full of bright stars ♥ glass of cold almond/coconut milk…so yummy! 

honest & hard-working auto mechanics that go beyond to help fix your car; April showers ♥ Strawberry Planta strawberry plant that somehow survived from last year’s planting season; yoga pose, Hanumanasana, that really gives a good stretch to hamstrings and groin. ouch!  rain or shine…15-minute mindful meditation.

safety pins, flannel pillowcases, spaghetti dinner, Elephant Journal; my hair stylist, because no matter when I call on a last-minute moment, she manages to squeeze me into her busy schedule;

♥all the blog friends that share their beautiful heart thoughts♥

…French toast, lots of butter and warm maple syrup & hot coffee, friends you can text/call and unload your mind with; lazy Saturday mornings just to sit, read & relax… 

finding out your favorite animal feed store has a no sales tax day today, hot and delicious rotisserie chicken & baked potatoes with lots of butter and sour cream

♥ catching myself thinking negative thoughts about a person but quickly change it to well wishes instead

one little girl at Sunday School with the ☼sunniest personality, Weekly Photo Challenges☺fresh bottled water, early morning appointment at the hair salon, cup of lemon-ginger herbal tea,

the Ligo Haibun team and weekly writers & for the special mention of the post, Poverty Triumphs ♥

warmer spring weather, daily prayer devotional booklet, not having any major damage during the earthquakes this early morning; baking time:pineapple breakfast muffins…except it needs more sugar but guess that’s what jam is for;

…the opportunity to photograph a dress rehearsal for the next community stage play ♥ severe thunderstorms because it reminds me the Divine is really in control, homemade Indian Taco lunch served at church fundraiser;

really sore leg muscles after yoga session…reminds me how exquisite the human body is! 

living with fixed limited budget so as a reminder that everything that flows through my day truly is a gift, fresh bag of navel oranges; gift of vision…to witness Divine glory that surrounds us❤ new buds & leaves coming up, volunteers that generously give their time teaching illiterate adults how to read;

finding blog friends who took some time off but are now back in the mix of things...Sonel’s Corner, for example…

Terrific Chinese food buffet restaurants that make you eat way more than your body can comfortably handle;Unforgettable musical stage performances ♥ Miniature horses, Family time ☺ National Library Week April 14-20, Earth Day pot luck with church family ♥ Dyson vacuüm cleaner,

St. Francis Peace prayer…especially for those at the Boston Marathon bombing tragedy

…smooth river rocks, juicy grapefruit, another night of severe thunderstorms to appreciate the calm clear nights, central heat during a strange spring “freeze warning” kind of day, cheerful friends, $1 bargains over @ Wal-Mart ♥ pasta dinner;

cattle grazing in pastures, the wild rabbits, help from Akismet staff; quick help from WordPress Forum/support; chocolate swirl ice cream, inspirational yoginis, night at the theatre, dependable Ford Ranger truck;

Poet, Ralph Waldo Emerson wisdom words: “What lies behind us and what lies before us are tiny matters compared to what lies WITHIN us.” ♥

…fresh donuts and hot coffee before church; rooster who crows at odd hours…like 3 am?!? clean clothes, @ symbol, dandelion weeds, delicious pastrami sub sandwich, tasty buttermilk brownies,

special mention @ Ligo Haibun for Broken♥Hearts post, 

breezy, just right temperature day today, musical concert featuring very talented college students performing in combined choir & orchestra ♥ last day of April; 

A Ben Stein moment:“The first step to getting the things you want out of life is this: decide what you want.”

…phone text capabilities, crazy friends that make you laugh; assisting a stray calf on the highway who managed to escape from pasture…bad calf; y’all who keep me inspired and challenged…AMEN! 

Thank you for being part of this perfect prayer for April 2013.

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What moment in April found you totally giving thanks and thus increasing world happiness?

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Weekly Photo Challenge: From Above

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From above, the perfidious Shari realizes her life is no different from the random litter of decayed leaves and trash that lay below her.

From Above life must change

Her soul feels dead.
She removes every trace of makeup from her cosmopolitan face.
She knows how draining it is to cover all the lines and lies
That play in her head.
With sharp scissors close to her head, slowly she snips.

Each lock of hair falls, like years of collected garbage…
quickly, she sweeps it all into the trash can.
She hears Leon Trotsky’s words reminding her,

“Life is not an easy matter…

You cannot live through it without falling into frustration and cynicism unless you have before you a great idea which raises you above personal misery, above weakness, above all kinds of perfidy and baseness.”

Sometimes if we look from above a great height, we may see unattractive spots in our own lives that need attention and cleaning up after.

As for Shari, life from above now means working hard to get her high school diploma and remain forever drug and alcohol free.

From above, how do you see life…as an easy matter to clean up or not?

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If you like this post, find more on how to participate here in the Daily Post| Weekly Photo Challenge.

More From Above photos:

Ligo Haibun Challenge: Wild West Fantasy

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Imagine in your youth, the sparkle in those pretty, dark eyes as you ride across the American western frontiers in search of a new place to call home. On May 1st, you silently celebrate your birthday hunting with the wagon train men. Who needs girlie celebrations when your talents with a gun and horse riding abilities increase remarkably quickly without them. Silly waste of time. It takes at least five months with the wagon train team to make its way from Missouri to Montana. Your family is moving and in five months, your outdoor survival skills will be perfect. Unfortunately, mom succumbs to “washtub pneumonia” and dad dies soon after. Being the eldest of six children makes you their natural caretaker. Three sisters and two brothers. Life in the wild, Wild West is never easy. How can a poor illiterate young girl support herself and siblings?

First, you keep believing in yourself and take every opportunity that comes your way. No work is below you. You work as a dishwasher, a cook, waitress, nurse, a miner, an ox-team driver, a dance-hall girl and yes, sometimes even selling yourself at the Fort Laramie Three-Mile Hog Ranch.

Calamity Jane with gun

wild west fantasy
rough-riding, gun-slinging gal
calamity jane

♣ ♣ ♣

If you like this post, perhaps you would enjoy visiting Call2Read| Ligo Haibun Challenge. This week’s challenge was a choice between Fantasy or Inspiration.

Thank you!

Totally Grateful For All The Flowers!

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I am happy, you happy?

Come on, “The month of May was come, when every lusty heart beginneth to blossom, and to bring forth fruit,” so writes Thomas Malory.

In case you do not know, my name is Chuckles, aka blog award writer extraordinaire.

Do you dig my new spring look?

I feel so flowery and photo shopped to death.

But wait, flowers reminds me of blog awards.

It is time.

Award gratitude

Listen, I have three, no, four life goals. Eat, sleep, bark and write well.

Eating, sleeping and barking all night is my forte. Writing? Eh. I need to practice so, unbelievably, I write thank-you posts for any awards that come this way.

Since I do not, and will not ever attend a dog obedience class, I feel rules need to be revised and updated. :) Blog awards are no exceptions and the MAIN rule one should NEVER tamper with is GRATITUDE. SO,

Thank Y♥U: …freelance WRITER, POET, Fiber Artist/Teacher & totally in L♥ve with GOD…Martha Shaw…her blessings include:

& Super Sweet Award

Thank Y♥U:…Author, MOTHER OF SIX!, Historical Re-enactor…Ellyn Baker…her blessings:

Thank Y♥U:…Little Binky my bestest feline blog friend ever and her Granny…Angelswhisper2011 & Little ♥ Binky…bring new blessings:

If you need to follow Best Moment Award rules, go ahead…

  • Winners re-post this completely with their acceptance speech.
  • This could be written or video recorded.
  • Winners have the privilege of awarding the next awardees!
  • The re-post should include a NEW set of people/blogs worthy of the award; and winners tell them the great news.

Thank Y♥U:…Tragedy & heartache for this writer, Becki Duckworth, but blessings pour forth both from Becki and Angelswhisper with:

The WordPress Family Award rules are as follows:

  • Display the award logo
  •  Link back to the person who nominated you
  • Nominate 10 others you see as having an impact on your WordPress experience and family. Just please pick 10 people who have taken you as a friend, and spread the love. 
  • Let your 10 Family members know you have awarded them.

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If you would like to take these blog awards over to your blog space, please, feel free & share in your own creative way–our apologies to the creators of these blog awards for the remix. :|

Once again, Thank Y♥U to the blog friends who recently shared their blog award love…you bring beautiful fragrant spring blossoms this way!!

ChuckleHUGS!!