Be A Goose ツ

Be A Goose…ツ

The Truth About Geese

By Denise Kennedy

 

Geese are elegant, intelligent, loyal, majestic and creative. They soar through the sky with a sense of destiny and beauty. I recently captured this photo of them as I walked along the port area of Dublin city. I stood there as the sun rose, watching them fly together in a unity so incredible I held my breath.

So allow me to share some of the stunning things I have discovered about geese, that quite frankly distinguish them from lots of animals or birds we have; and to be honest, I found myself wanting to be a lot more like our feathered friend than I had ever imagined before…

• Geese mate for life and will live a loyal life of faithfulness to one partner, even after their mate passes away.

• A group of geese is called a gaggle – if they are flying they are known as a skein or wedge.

• They choose to fly in a”V” shape so as to increase their flying power and range by at least 70%. By sharing the air space they make the flight easier for those flying with them. They look out for each other.

• When the goose in front tires or grows weary another goose takes its place and then the tired goose moves back to rest, and into position to complete the formation.

• While they are flying in formation they honk at each other to send encouagement to each other on the journey.

• Geese care for each other; they look out for the other geese in their gaggle, to see if they are okay. If one gets sick, is attacked or hurt and drifts or falls from the formation, others will also leave the “V” shape and go to protect the injured goose. They stay with the sick goose until it recovers or dies. They will not leave it alone.

• A young goose will find a mate for itself when it is only 3 years of age. If one of the pair dies the remaining goose will live many years without finding another mate. Most times the widowed goose lives the remainder of its life without a partner.

• Male geese prefer to show very protective and kind behaviour towards the females in the group. They have been known to stand or fly between danger and the female in the situation; so beautiful and so courageous.

• Geese choose to vocalize their messages to each other in a variety of ten different ways; it depends on the situation but they can stretch their necks or make loud honks in order to send a signal to others.

• Geese live together and hatch a new gosling yearly, then both parents are involved in minding and taking care of the newborn.

The list goes on…

So…which characteristic was your favourite? Possibly, like me, you chose a few. One thing I found myself thinking as I read this list, is that I want to be more like geese. I want to love deeper, care for loved ones in a more devoted way. I want to be known as one who is faithful to the mate I choose for life. I want to go to rescue the hurting and stay with them until they can fly and join the group again. I want to be known as one who looks out for the dangers that are lurking and preying on my counterparts. I want to be so much more like a goose than I had ever thought of before…

If you feel the same then let’s honk and make the choice to stick together…

If my little thoughts today have inspired you then please give me a share and a like…every ‘honk’ lets me know that you are with me…and we are looking out for each other…

‘Honk! Honk!”

Denise

Rock Flowers ❀ ✿

By Denise Kennedy (February 19th 2016)

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“TOUGH TIMES DON’T LAST – TOUGH PEOPLE DO!”

I took this photo here in Ireland. It’s a beautiful little pansy growing from solid rock. Beautiful things can grow in hard places… so chin up buttercup!

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We all go through tough times, where life is literally as hard as rock, and everyday feels like we are walking through quick dry cement. Look at this pansy: it is fragile, delicate and easily broken, yet it has somehow overcome the obstacles presented to it by the surroundings it is trying to grow in. Feel familiar?

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Are you trying to overcome the tests of life? Are you determined to rebuild what circumstances have demolished? Has your courage been ravished by disappointment  or heartache?  Are there just too many whys and not enough answers? You are not alone in this tough place. But there is always a lesson to learn, and the things that happen on the outside, can bring about a tremendously precious lesson on the inside of us. Changes around us can become the perfect soil for growth on the inside, where nobody sees, but God. Right in this moment of pain, there are gems awaiting your embrace. It’s hard, and absolutely overwhelming, but God will not leave you alone. You may be trying not to be lonely while you are alone, and that could be exactly where God will meet you and change everything about you.

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“God gets His best soldiers out of the highlands of affliction.” C.H. Spurgeon

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You are not alone, you are not alone, you are not alone! You must choose to embrace this painful season, and keep believing that this too shall pass, and one day you will smile again. Not a fake, pretend smile, but a real smile that comes from a truly happy place.

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God knows how to get you there. He knows how to get your tender, delicate roots through the hard cement of life, just like the little pansy. The amazing thing is, that although this pansy was in fact tiny, I still saw it. Even in what seems like a season of ‘smallness’ in your life, God will cause the right people to see you, (really see you) and He will show you the why of it all.

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Hang in there…even in this hard place, you are still beautiful, inside and out. God sees you and He is guiding you with His eye.

Keep growing,

Denise ❀ ✿

Abide 👌 👌

By Denise Kennedy

As I type, I am surrounded by construction work, drilling to the left, drilling to the right, and even drilling on the street outside my house. Everywhere I look there is rubble, or walls being torn down. While there is a lot of noise, in the midst of it there are things being quietly built back up: foundations being laid, walls being secured, and new designs being drawn. It is a noisy mixture of tearing down and rebuilding, in three different places. As I sit here, sipping my green tea and sharing a few quiet moments with God before the rest of my day kicks in, I am quietly reminded that our lives resemble the havoc that surrounds the place I currently call home.

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Maybe you are in a season where all is being stripped from your life and things feel shaky and uncomfortable for you? It could be that there is a sense of old things dying so that they can be returned to you improved or mended? You may be struggling to surrender control over someone whom you wish you could change, or someone is trying to convince you that you yourself need to change too? Maybe you are in a glorious place of rebuilding and new things are appearing all around you, filling your heart and life with excitement and happiness? It is safe to say that all of us travel through these seasons at varying times in our lives, and we cannot always determine just when they will happen.

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In the last few days, the word ABIDE, has grabbed my heart and invited me to be still, and to come away from the madness around me. This word reminds my soul that even in the midst of construction work, (whether internal or external), there is a place of deep peace. It is not found in rushing around glorifying busy schedules, but in the solitude of a quiet moment of surrender and reflection.  Abide…Abide…Abide!

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Are you rushing around in a state of mayhem, losing your grip on everything because you are trying to carry too much? A lazy man’s load never works, even with the things of the heart! Let it all go…surrender it to God. Choose to ABIDE in the knowledge that the only person you can change is yourself, and that God is walking and working with you to bring order to your life. I am right here with you…learning to ABIDE, when all you see is disappointment and change. Take a breath, put everything in His great big hands. Trust Him with the process, the outcome, the journey and even the tears. You are His masterpiece, so choose to abide, and let the Master take over…I know I am.

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From the pen of a grateful Irish girl,

Denise 👌

A Christmas Message ❄ ☃ ❄

❄ ☃ ❄ ☃ ❄

A Christmas message from me…recorded for UCB Radio.

A reminder for this special season!

Merry Christmas!

Denise

Click here to listen

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❤☆★ A Big Heart ★☆❤

❤☆★ A BIG HEART ★☆❤ by Denise Kennedy

★☆❤❤☆★

Have you ever met someone with a big heart?  The kind of person who just overwhelms you with love, warmth, kindness and acceptance?  They have the ability to transform your life from merely ‘being’ into joyful ‘belonging’ – maybe you are this kind of person?  Well if you are, never change!  As I have been about my business and busyness this week, I have had the opportunity to ponder with absolute gratitude, the ‘big-hearted’ people that God has brought into my life!  They have come in all sorts of shapes and sizes, varying cultures and backgrounds, multiple ages and races.. .. .. but all share the same amazing quality = the ability to love with big hearts!

They lavish their unconditional love, their tender hugs in abundance, sending an unexpected gift for no reason at all other then to say “you’re special”.  They pop lovely pressies into colorful envelopes, and send them across the ocean to appear at your feet, transforming a normal kind of day into a beautiful one.  Without these treasures in human form, my world would be so very dull, so full of boring moments, so void of extravagant love and friendship!

So today I give a hearty shout-out to the ‘big-hearted’ people in my life = you know who you are! And I say a huge thank you for all the laughs, hugs, walks, meals, sacrificial gestures, traveled miles, special encounters, home-cooked meals, seafront walks, rainy evening strolls, morning messages, midnight phone calls, random text messages, colourful emails, beautified moments, personalised gifts, and cherished memories that you have brought into my life!

In these days, the world, my world, needs more people like you – so never change! It is a beautiful thing to have a big heart, and I must be very loved by God, to have some of these incredible treasures in my life!  You give me butterflies, you help me overcome my great mistakes, you give me far more than I deserve, you help me fight another battle, you help me make it from where I am now to where I want to be, you remind me that true friends are never apart, maybe in distance but not in heart!  Thank you for reminding me to always plan with the hope of success, rather than the fear of failure; and that the true mark of a person is not decided by where they live, but in how they love.  I am grateful for the lessons you have taught me, showing me that I shouldn’t worry about the work God is doing in somebody else’s life but instead to let God do His precious work in mine.  As I watch you live your life, you helped me see that anyone who gained attention or advantage at the expense of trust… lost out!  Trust is a beautiful thing, and I thank you for the gift of it from you!  I am so grateful that when I wanted to throw in the towel you just came running to me with a new towel, never letting me give up, cheering me on with the words “when God is in you, you’re not over yet!”

Thanks for not allowing me to sleep through my dreams, and for always listening to my otherwise untold stories –  for witnessing all of the many seasons that life has brought us.  Because of you I treasure my relationships, not my possessions.  So to all of the beautiful, strong and inspirational people in my past, present and future – your big heart is a beautiful thing! Live strong, and love long!

Sending you enormous love right back! You are a legend and a hero! ☺♣☀☎✉♥✗- “Each person represents a world within us, a world that possibly wouldn’t be born until you met; because of that meeting a new world was born” {Anon} ☺♣☀☎✉♥✗

xXx  831 Nisey xXx

☆★The ₩Ö₩ Factor ★☆

Written by Denise Kennedy

Today I was reminded of something very beautiful.. .. .. in a small intricate way, yet it was profoundly deep too.  It wasn’t revealed to me in a loud bellowing sign or a screamed message from the sky – nope it came as a whisper, a soft still whisper.  But I heard it, and that’s what counts.

You see, God is a communicator.. .. .. He loves to speak and be heard.  He longs to tell us new things, speak new dreams into our weary hearts.  He wants to design new ways to shine His colourful world through us, like a rainbow pointing to His promises.  Yes others see the rain falling in your life, but that only gives God an opportunity to shine His rainbow, as a display for all to see that He keeps His promises.

But there are times when God speaks in a quiet simple way that is meant for just you – a moment of intimate communication between Him and you.  The Grand Weaver ceases the shuttles from flying, pushes the stop button, and chooses to be still and sit with just you.  Or maybe it is that we, in all of our busyness choose to be still with Him and allow Him to be heard?  For, He wants to say something.

Today, I chased off after the sun for a while.  Little did I know that God was indeed chasing after me.

I allowed myself to get lost in sun rays and soak up some wonderful heat – and although I was surrounded by people, I was lost in a quiet moment with my Creator.  He and I, and nobody else (for NOBODY else could have distracted me from God’s voice, not even the French guy who stopped to ask me for my digits! Eh, no way man!)

And I sat, with a million different thoughts racing for first position in my head, all scrambling to be my priority for the day.  I too allowed the shuttles to cease from flying and I stopped everything, in order to be still.  He came. He spoke to my heart.  He allowed me to feel His presence in the warm breeze that wrapped around me.  He blew sunshine kisses upon my face and reminded me how special I am to Him.  He told me of His promises to keep me, to love me, to watch over me in all of my ways.  I felt the simple yet incredibly beautiful ₩Ö₩ Factor of God.

So what is the ₩Ö₩ Factor?  Well in the dictionary, WOW means: an exclamation of surprise, wonder, or pleasure – to gain an enthusiastic response from; or to thrill someone; also used to express wonder, amazement, or great pleasure; to describe something or someone as an outstanding success.

There are lots of documented acronyms for WOW – some are:  Words of Worth, World of Wonder, World of Wrestling, Wonders of Wildlife, Weight of Workout, Watch our Words, Whining old Women (lol), Wines of Washington, World of Work, and among the many others there is even Women of Wrestling – but the acronym I most prefer when I think of the ₩Ö₩ Factor of God is “Words of Wisdom” – it speaks of a greater wisdom than our weary hearts can muster up.  It speaks of wisdom winning over doubt, wisdom winning over fear, wisdom winning over confusion, it even conquers another acronym of WOW = the Wall of Worry

Do you know the Wall of Worry? Sometimes it looms over you before you even get your little toe out of bed in the morning, and it can impact your thoughts way before your feet have impacted the carpet.  This wall can collapse upon you, surrounding you in rubble long before your daily hot shower has had a chance to revive you.  The wall of worry is a thief, it comes to steal, kill and destroy every Word of Wisdom that our awesome God speaks to us.  We must silence it, or it will steal every opportunity for growth, victory, miracles, overcoming, giving, joy, peace, love, and faithfulness in our lives.

So back to my bench in the park.. .. .. there I was, quietly waiting as the Master whispered to my heart.  He reminded me of all the wonderful things He has given me.  He opened up my eyes to see the way He has led me, kept me, loved me, changed me, challenged me, provided for me, rescued me, created through me, beautified me, watched me, Fathered me – Saved me – Blessed me all of these years.  Tears streamed from my eyes, as I remembered His absolute goodness to me.  And as the warm tears slid from beneath my sunglasses, they glistened in the sunshine that shone on my face;  reminding me that God has a bottle where He keeps all of our tears, and one day they will be transformed, just like us, into unending joy.  One day.

But until that day, we live in a world that tries to steal the Words of Wisdom that He speaks.  We need to let the ₩Ö₩ Factor of God overwhelm us with joy, and contentment.  Let it whisk you off to a place where He reminds you of all He has, is and will do in your life.  Come out from beneath the cold, chilly shadow of the wall of worry – choose not to live there any longer.  Reach out to God and ask Him to lavish His Words of Wisdom upon you, in you, through you.  The ₩Ö₩ Factor of God wants to change the way you do life, now and always.

As I left the park today, I walked home my usual favourite route by the river, but I walked differently – I walked with a smile – I walked knowing I had been impacted by the ₩Ö₩ Factor of God.  And tomorrow, may He give me the strength to walk in an even deeper measure of its truth.  May His Words of Wisdom be the ₩Ö₩ Factor that changes how you see Him, and how you do life

Go to the park.. .. .. be still.. .. .. God has something to say to you.

❤ God wants to ₩Ö₩ us, even in the small daily things ~ I want to give my life away for a cause and a mission greater than anything I have ever imagined or dreamed possible!!! I want to end my life with no regrets… I want to ‘Dream Big!’ ~ I want the ₩Ö₩ Factor, the touch of God!

❤☆★☆★☆❤ Just as I finished this blog piece, a wonderful lady in America (thanks Evangeline Gober), shared this stunning quote => Vance Havner said, “Come apart and rest a while, or you may just plain come apart!”

– God is speaking, take time to listen!

★*°•. Rocky Road .•°*★

by Denise Kennedy

Okay, I admit it, as I write this short story I am unashamedly nibbling away on a “Rocky Road Biscuit Brownie”, purchased today at a gorgeous health food/home food bakery store.  I am guilty as charged for falling for the overwhelming temptation of a dark chocolate, marshmallow & biscuit temptation.  As I was out on my morning run, I succumbed to its alluring ways…and moments later it sat in my running bag as my après-running treat!  And hours later, that’s just what it is.  However, let me add, it is accompanied by a strong and hot cup of organic Chinese green tea; so all is good!  As I munched this delicious treat, I mused to myself at its interesting name.

I decided that really the only “Rocky Roads” we want in life, are of the chocolate variety (for me the dark chocolate) but if only life was as simple as a chocolate “Rocky Road”.  For many of us it is paved with seasons of “rockiness”, when we would much rather a smooth surface!

“Rocky Road” started as a flavour of ice cream; described as that hard-to-resist combination of chocolate ice cream laced with chunks of nuts and marshmallows.  William Dreyer came up with this cleverly named ice cream flavour way back in 1929, and it was, and still is, a best seller.  Its popularity is probably why the chocolate-nut-marshmallow combination is now found in so many desserts too.

So, when you saw that the title of my story was “Rocky Road”, what did you think of?  Was your first thought of a chocolate/marshmallow tray-bake combination or were you far more concerned with the “Rocky Road” that your life may be right now?  Do you dream of days where there are less obstacles and far more blessings?  If you do, then you are not alone.  I promise!

May I interject with some raw honesty? As I sat writing this blog today, right at this moment my thoughts have been completely thrown asunder by the news of the death of a dear friend.  We knew he was ill but never thought that he would leave us.  So strikingly ironic that I should be writing about the “Rocky Roads” of life and then receive this news.  Somehow it impacts the next part of my story even deeper.  When life is rocky, we have a Master Helper who comes alongside us to carry our load.  When our hearts ache for those we love, He gently wraps His great arms of compassion around us and helps us trust Him through the tears.  When life falls apart at the seams, He somehow weaves the tapestry of His design and allows us to see just enough so as to have hope, even one day at a time.

And today as we grieve the loss of an amazing brother and friend Joseph Fitzgerald, we can know that though this road is rocky, and hard to understand there is a faithful God who sees our hearts and cares about our loss.  Jesus wept remember!

So I guess all I can say is whatever season you are in, whether life is rocky or smooth, make sure you have the Master Weaver as your friend, for then no matter what the road may hold for you, there will always be a road map to look to and trust in.  All I know at times is that “GOD KNOWS”, these are often the final words whispered from my tired lips as I close my eyes to sleep each night.  And He does know!

Within a week of each other, two of my friends have gone home to Heaven far sooner than any of us would have thought possible.  Both of them incredibly talented musically and vocally, in abundance!  And as another dear friend (John Edwards) said today, “Now promoted to the choirs of Heaven…” That is a beautiful thought John!

But it’s hard today to grasp that we are saying goodbye to another gifted friend. Our loss is Heaven’s gain it is true, but what a wake-up call to make our lives count!

Forgive, love, live, laugh and make a difference; for none of us know what tomorrow holds! If you love someone let them know.  Carpe Diem…SEIZE THE DAY!

Make things right with God and each other! Remember in Luke 24 v 32, ‘They said to one another, “Were not our hearts burning within us while He was speaking to us on the road, while He was explaining the Scriptures to us?’ ~ There is a Friend walking this “Rocky Road” with you, and that Friend is Jesus.  Listen, He is speaking softly to your heart, as you walk along this road.

You may actually make someone’s “Rocky Road” a little bit more bearable simply by the love you share and the encouragement you give!

Oh I am also leaving you with the “Rocky Road” recipe.  Make a tray-bake and share it with someone who needs some kindness on the rocky road of life…..

(Rocky Road Recipe…Just sayin’)

With heartfelt loss, lots of love, and marshmallow chocolate…

xX Denise

♡♫♡ ~ “I’ve Got You!”~ ♡♫♡

Written by Denise Kennedy

♡♫♡  I heard these words today. They came like a thundering whisper to a heart that’s swirling in decisions and questions. I heard these words today as I contemplated big changes and new ideas. They came like a balm of healing ointment touching a tired mind.  I heard these words today in a moment of waiting, in a place of transformation, when all my ways seemed unsure. They came suddenly and softy with power, courage and strength.  I wasn’t looking for them; I simply needed a rescuer to steal me away from my anxious thoughts.  I wasn’t even expecting these words of subtle yet invigorating power; yet they came and spoke calm to my heart and like safe strong arms they wrapped themselves around me.  They brought me comfort like that of a warm soft blanket on a chilly evening.  They came leaping towards me, with determination and love; chasing away my worrisome thoughts of tomorrow.

God spoke the words;  “I’ve Got You!”

I can’t tell you what kind of voice God has or where His accent is from (although I can say it is heavenly!)  I do know that His voice is like the sound of many waters, rushing together to lavish mercy and wisdom on the heart that thirsts for Him.  His voice comes like a valiant hero to rescue the one who is calling Him.
His voice is safe yet full of authority and command.  He knows who He is and what to say.  His voice comes at the perfect time; never too early or too late!   His voice comes rich in colour, overflowing in acceptance, not estranged to correction or conviction, yet garnished with love and compassion.

The words “I’ve Got You!” overcame the noise in my heart with calmness, instant relief, and silence.  To suddenly be reminded by God that no matter what you’re walking through He will catch you, is a wondrous thing.  I sat there surrounded by all of my scented candles, His Book and His presence.  My heart lay before him like an unwritten journal, waiting for the pen of His hand to write truth and wisdom upon it.

I have often prayed the words, “Lord whatever it is that I cannot see, please show me.”  So I rested my head back on my pillow, and upon the chest of God.  I heard His heartbeat for His child; beating wild, constant, and resilient.  The compassion of God is so faithful that we barely can comprehend its magnitude.  He is armed with a strength so valiant it makes every noble prince in every fairytale fade in comparison.  He came to me; in a moment of surrender and need, He came…and caught me.   How He will work things out was not revealed, nor did He answer every question or why of my hopeful yet tired heart, but He said; “Child, I’ve got this.  I’ve got you covered.  I am here and I will never forsake you.  I am more dependable than your next breath.  RELAX!”

When did you last feel the safety of a word fitly spoken?  When were you last caught up in a wonder so vast and grand that your heart couldn’t even contain or communicate it?   You know.  You remember it right now; that moment when His voice came like a faithful friend alongside you, and wrapped His warm arm around your shoulders and your heart, as a reminder that you are never alone.  To know that God’s got you, sees you, holds you, walks with you, protects you, heals you, sings over you, lavishes His gifts on you, goes ahead of you, provides for you, carries you, watches over you and restores you, is too wonderful for my little mind to try to conceive.  The list goes on….and on.  The ways of God.  The timing of God.  The absolute awesomeness of God.  His voice interrupted my worrying, and it has had to do so numerous times since, but it does.  I love His interruptions.  I love it when He captures my heart and steals me away from my anxious thoughts and sets me beside those still, quiet waters.  I am trying to live there, in that place of trust and confidence in all that He is.

May 23^rd is the day on which I was born.  It has always marked more of a new year for me than the grandeur of January 1^st.  You may ask why?  Well, on January 1^st the whole world starts a new year, but a birthday signifies your own fresh start, your own unique chance to recollect your thoughts and desires, your own opportunity to prioritise plans and run your race.  The night before my birthday is a night where I am still, calm, quiet and full of ponderings.  It is a special night to me for many other reasons too.  I think back over the past year and somehow try to imagine the new things that will unfold in this brand new year.  I allow hope to hunt for my heart and fill me again before a new season begins.

So tonight is that night; the night before a new year starts for me.  I can almost hear the page getting ready to turn, as one year ends and a new one stretches out before me.  But tonight I will plan, be still, pray and know, that “He’s Got Me!”  He’s got you too ~ I hope you know that!  Maybe it’s time to settle yourself somewhere quiet and allow your heart and mind to sink into the truth that no matter what life throws at you, that He’s got you.  He’s got us, right in the very palm of His hand.  It sure is a good place to be!

This cute cat poster you see here, hangs above my kitchen cooking area, where I spend time creating my food ideas; now it hangs in my heart reminding me again that He indeed does hear! ♡♫♡

Happy New Year! =)

Denise

Cherry Blossoms & Stabilisers ~ ❤ ~

By Denise Kennedy

~ ❤ ~

It was a normal kind of day, for me.  Although I read recently; “There is no such thing in anyone’s life as an unimportant day.” (A. Woollcott) ~ but as I made my way home on my usual power walk from college, the path seemed the same as it always was and I simply soaked in the beauty of spring emerging around me.

~ ❤ ~

As I meandered up the street, birds sang and daffodils waved to me in the light breeze.  Then I heard it, laughter and giggling. I wondered who it was. I soon started to smile too, as it was an infectious kind of giggling and it beautifully broke my somewhat lonesome walk.  I then turned onto a blossom covered avenue, and there they were; a nervous mother and an excited little lady all of about six years of age. The little princess was rushing to climb onto her shiny new bicycle.  Picture the scene; cherry blossoms have lightly dusted the footpath and roadway, as if cheering her on, as a little blonde learner tries to steady herself on her vehicle. She is dressed all in pink from her glittering hair bobbins to the pink and gold runners on her feet. Even her bicycle was a bright hot pink, as it shone in the sunlight.

I walked slowly, I wanted to take it in. I surmised easily that this was a cycling lesson. One nervous mother, plus one giddy courageous six year old and factor in “no stabilisers”, equals a recipe for fun or that of disaster.  I stood there, the unnoticed audience at the corner of the avenue. The mother did her very best to stay at the side of her wobbling enthusiastic child. The novice cyclist clearly had never cycled without the aid of her stabilisers firmly supporting her, and although she was excited there was a look of fear and caution in her face. Her mum was wearing a long black jacket which clearly was not a good choice, as she stopped every few seconds to grab it up under her arm so that she could get closer to her adventurous youngster while not getting caught in the spokes.

I looked into the mother’s face, she was scared, yet exhilarated with joy to see her daughter trying so hard to steady herself and not fall. This young at heart mother seemed quite like a child herself, as she rambled along beside her daughter watching her every attempt to stay upright and not collide with any of the parked cars. What a beautiful scene,blossoms, birds chirping and life happening right there in front of me!  Perhaps this mother was filled with thoughts of when she first learned to cycle properly? As I stood there, my mind raced back to those days of conquering a two wheeler bike myself. I remember the thrill and the adrenaline of finally chasing the breeze on that country road. Cycling was always one of my favourite pastimes, freedom and adventure were mine then. I remember especially those many occasions when I needed to cycle downhill with my legs on the handlebars so the farmer’s dog could not bite me as I whizzed by. I was scared silly but what a challenge.

So back to today ~ Well the little girl won her battle with gravity and suddenly that fearful little face was full of joy and accomplishment. The nervous giggles I had first heard had now turned to full blown laughter as she took off down the street away from me, with her mother chasing her from behind with a laughter equal in every way to that of her little pink angel, and a determination to stay beside her to keep her safe.

Then came my lesson; right there, on the side of that cherry blossomed road, I realised that I had spent all of that morning grappling and fighting with thoughts about the future, what next? What was I supposed to do with my life? Asking God to come and guide me. That was when the giggling distracted me from my anxious thoughts. So I rested my back against the tree behind me, and let God speak. And He did. He reminded me that I am in some ways like this little girl learning to ride the bicycle of life, I am OK when I know where I am going and how to stay upright and in my lane; but as soon as it seems apparent to me that a change is coming or I must navigate a path I have not cycled before nor chosen, that I become nervous and would rather dismount or run away.  Like a movie scene, He showed me so many occasions when I was afraid, how He came along beside me, and never left my side, nor would He ever.  As warm tears filled my eyes, I spoke the words out loud “He will never ever leave me!”. Even when I think I can handle it on my own, He is still there, ready to take hold of me when I fall or when I fail. On that blossomed path, He brought it all back home to me, that He lavishes blessings over me in a million different ways every day, some I see and some I don’t. He is the great seer of all things and I can trust Him. I wiped the tears from my face and floated up the road as it were, grateful for this amazing detour.

Maybe you are learning a hard lesson, one you would have never chosen to cycle through in a million years? Maybe you are trying to help someone you love overcome a huge fear or obstacle in their life? But either way, take a few moments to remember the day you learned to cycle without stabilisers, or the day you overcame something you felt you would never surmount; and remember that the same amazing God who walked beside you then, whether you knew it or not, is right beside you now.  We all have to learn to cycle without stabilisers, but in our daily lives there is a real Stabiliser who will never ever ask us to meet life’s challenges without Him.

So as I write this, I am continuing to cycle on the path He leads me, remembering that what is unknown to me, is very much known to Him!  xx Nisey ~ ❤ ~

Don’t Say “Some Day.•*”♣

DON’T SAY “SOME DAY”¸.•*”♣

written by Denise Kennedy

A cloudy day can sometimes provide the perfect atmosphere for thinking……hmmmm don’t you think?
Well today it did just that for me. Sometimes it is not so easy to put your fingers on those humble laptop keys, to try to communicate what it is that you want to share with the blogging world….and does anybody care?
I believe it is still worth the risk….of opening up your heart, letting the lessons you have learned reach out to the lives of others and choose even to share your vulnerability and also strengths. As you pour out those words, it is like placing soft footprints in the sand….for others to see, not only where you have been but where you are going. Don’t underestimate the words you write, for they can be the bright shining star in a darkened sky that a fellow traveler desperately needs to follow. God uses your words, He uses your hard days as well as your best days, to show others that we all walk this path in weakness and in strength,  but together.
The following words motivated me to write today…
” I will get around to it some day….”, I heard her say as she passed me by on her cell phone. A total stranger to me, yet our hearts were linked simply by the phrase she used.       A phrase we often read, or say. We plan to do it, we plan to achieve so much but rarely make it a reality. Today I decided, enough of the putting things off until another day…or the famous “some day” of my future!
“It is time to arise.” I told my head and my heart…It is time to awaken the dreams, the promises you made over the years, to your very own heart. Time to arouse the gifts, the talents, the exciting future that you believed you would see. It is not too late! Either you do it or it won’t happen, and it certainly will not happen if you do not try.
So I took time to really look at what is in my heart….What am I waiting for? What are the things I really want to see happen either in my life, or through my life to impact others?                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                     I took a nose dive and plunged deep inside my own passions and took a good look at what was there. I blew the dust off and tore down the cobwebs of my own making.  To be honest, I battled against what I saw. I came face to face with the closed up boxes of my heart. The undiscovered oceans of my course. I stared at all of the unfulfilled plans before my eyes. Immediately I wanted to run away. I was afraid to feel anything.  To dare to dream again. It is easier to live with no expectations I mused to myself.  It is safer to close the door to my heart and decide to not live from that place.  But curiosity drew me back to look inside.

This is what I saw…I saw the unpublished books, the unseen adventures and the many undeveloped photographs…the unsung songs, the people in my life that love and need the “real me”…I heard the unanswered calls to take a risk. I saw it…all there in my heart. It displayed itself there before me….and my dreams extended an invitation to me…to the adventure of a life time. Of my life time.
And my future waited. It waited for me. It asked me to reply to the invitation to live the adventure. But it wouldn’t always. I realized that the ‘some days” of my life are running out….I think I have all the time in the world, but really “some day” is in fact TODAY. So after this long stare at my heart, I took a deep breath, I inhaled courage again, and determination.  Everyone wants a hero, a prince on a white horse, right? It is the age old wish of every princess. I still believe in romance. But today I urge you, to be a valiant hero in your own story. Lean over and kiss the lips of your own sleeping beauty, the sleeping desires within you. Reach out and awaken the noble steed inside you. Get ready to gallop. Gird up your loins for battle, the battle to see your dreams come true. You are not alone, the host of heaven cheers you on. The God of your heart goes ahead of you to make the way possible to achieve the dreams He has placed in you. Your companions are COURAGE and BRAVERY….They stand mighty beside you to protect you from DOUBT and FEAR!
I know them only too well, those days that you hear yourself say “some day”.
Well  those words rob you of your future, and steal your reward. They chase away the very joy of life from your heart. You must banish those words from your mind,   and decide that it is a new season. Open up your heart and say YES to the adventure that calls to you. Be a hero in your own story, in your own life. Be a hero in the lives of those around you who also need to chase those words away.

Time is too precious. You are a treasure.
Sleeping Beauty has been asleep too long! =)
Come on,  I have the horses ready!

xX niseyk ¸.•*”♣

A lesson from a Ladybird ✤

A lesson from a Ladybird…✤ ✤

By Denise

The other day, while reading by my window, I saw a lovely shiny red ladybird (in some countries you call  them ladybugs)…Anyway it was desperately trying to find a way to the sunny outer side of my window pane – it clung to the glass in search of a door of escape, I’m sure it had one eye on the glass and one eye on the freedom outside…but it failed at each attempt!

I decided to drop my book and help this little tiny creature find it’s way out –

I could see how to set it free far easier than it could, from it’s vulnerable position…so I grabbed a nearby greeting card and slowly approached the hesitant tired bug, planning to help it slide carefully on to a corner of the thin card – At first the little ladybug seemed to work with me and allowed itself to be transported from the glass to the card pretty easily, but just when I had almost lifted it to the desired open window, the little red lady jumped from the card and landed on the window sill below, even further away from it’s original starting position, and must have been quite dizzy from the fall. My next attempt to carry it to the outdoors was even harder….it was now not as trusting as before!

I kept gently trying to slide the insect on to the card, with little whispered promises of “Come on, it’s OK!”
But all failed attempts…resulting in the ladybug falling several times and seeming to be determined to not cooperate with me – On one such fall it landed on it’s shell with it’s legs scrambling in the air for something to hold on to so as to turn itself right-side-up again!! It then ran and hid from me, in a corner, obviously feeling I was it’s enemy rather than  a friend.
Eventually after it rested a little it appeared again, I gently slid it on to the friendly greeting card, and whispered softly again to it’s dizzy head…
“Trust me, I’m not trying to kill you – I am trying to set you free!… and Viola! it held on for the greeting card ride, and was soon sliding off the edge of it’s comfort zone into the great outdoors, leaving captivity behind..and finally breathing in the fresh air it had been merely looking at from the other side of the glass…”FREEDOM!” I said to myself as it vanished away into the great green world outside.

I sat back on my bed and thought for a moment about what I had just said out loud to a little trapped ladybug…”Trust me, I’m not trying to kill you, I am trying to set you free…!!”
Hmmmm…Suddenly I felt like a little ladybug myself.  Praying for open doors or windows in my life…but running from the hand that can take me there! Or desperate for changes, and searching for a sweeter place than where I feel my feet are right now …but no matter how I attempt to find the right window or door or opening it just seems out of reach for me, but I just have to be still & let someone bigger MOVE ME!!…There are some things you just cannot do alone!

 

God just wants me to trust HIM – It may hurt, it may be scarey (especially if you are afraid of heights) But if I just hold on and wait then I will see what He has promised…I may not know where I am going next but if I keep the right attitude, and am ready to MOVE when He ‘lifts me’ then He will work out how I get there too! I just have to be available and willing to agree and obey and surrender to whatever His hand plans next…
Are you like the ladybug?…You see where you want to be and the freedom you desire, but you cannot seem to get your legs (or heart) there, or you may have no idea where you want to be except you have a deep restlessness to move in a new direction…either way we all need Him to do the “moving” and as we trust His gentle hand even in pain and confusion, we can be sure that He will cause all things to work out for our good – We may never know what He is doing behind our backs, until He reveals it before our eyes…

There may even be a struggle to believe something is good for us, but He will give us the courage and strength to handle the situations He allows us to walk through…He may even give it back to us completely changed and even greater than it was before!
So I pray that just as I desperately am longing for freedom and direction on the other side of my window pane (and pain) that when He comes with His greeting card to pick me up and move me,

I hope I come running with humility, trust, willingness and excitement to let Him take me where freedom waits! I am glad that God can use the simple ladybugs of my life to remind me that HE KNOWS where I am and how to MOVE me where He wants me to be, and He has provided all the wisdom I will need for when I get there – I hope I never take for granted these lessons from my window sill, that He sends to remind me of His amazing greatness in my life.

May we always want what He wants even in the questions and the waiting!
Please be ready to go when He comes to “Move You”
Love
Denise

Copyright owned by
Author Denise Kennedy

THIS IS A COPYRIGHTED ARTICLE & NOT TO BE COPIED
Thanks! If it is used it will violate my future publishing rights to use it. Denise

A Street Called Contentment ♥♥ by Denise

Contentment; The Oxford dictionary describes it as ~ “a feeling of happiness or satisfaction with what you have: The good feeling that you have when you have achieved something or when something that you wanted to happen does happen:

Do you live here? Do you go there frequently or is it a place you long for? I feel qualified to ask these questions because I too am asking myself them. So it is OK to be honest, brutally honest but at least be honest. You don’t have to tell me the answer, or anyone else for that matter, but you cannot hide the answer from your own heart. Is something stirring within you now?

So how did I arrive at this junction, this question about contentment? Well I am on the journey of trying to learn it. There are times when it is easy to feel JOY and happiness, when circumstances have ‘rocked on’ exactly as you wanted. When the flowers grow exactly where you wanted them, when it rains precisely when you need it to and when your favorite things happen in your favorite way! When life never throws a curve ball and there are no obstacles to your dreams coming true, it can be a simple thing at these times, to be content.

So were we born content? I don’t believe so, I believe we begin to learn to be content even as children when things don’t go the way we want or lessons come along to teach us that the world or those living in it, will not always be able to please us. So give yourself a break, it is OK to admit that you are learning to be content. I did just that this morning. I exhaled a deep sigh, dropped my shoulders from their tense raised up position and gave myself permission to say I am not there yet, and I am not as content at all as I would like to be. Not only am I aware of the fact that I need desperately to learn to be content, but I am making a choice to pursue it. I am choosing to engage my heart, mind, body and soul in the activity of learning to live on the street named contentment. I feel afraid if I am honest. It will require changes in my expectations and a certain measure of discipline. Maybe I will have to evaluate my desires and my dreams.

But, what if it is too hard? …And then it came, a sweet soft voice, reminding me that I cannot even begin this endeavor alone. I cannot even find the starting point or the destination mark. All I can do is position my heart in the humble state of starting with honesty. Nothing of any value or real progress happens in our lives or relationships or decisions without genuine honesty about where we are. Maybe that is a new concept for you? It is a place of courage and determination, and it starts first with an honest look at your own heart.

Whether you believe in God or not, or whether you ever read the Bible or not, there is a worldwide hunger for contentment. The moment I said the word you were hooked, or why did you bother to even read any further? Did it intrigue you, as it did my own heart this very morning? Good, that means you know it is deserving of your attention and that something needs to be looked at.

So what is contentment? Is it having all you want, the perfect life, the dream marriage or single life, the fast car or grandest material possessions? Is it being healthy, rich, famous, or beautiful? For each of us it may mean some or all of those things. So, let’s say you get all of the things that should make you content, WOO HOO!! You have arrived and have unpacked your bags at destination contentment. Then one day everything changes, your world falls apart, and you cannot control it. What then? The Bible talks about learning to be content regardless of our circumstances ~ Gulp! ~ Hard to imagine isn’t it? I am gulping right along with you! I have met people who do not believe in God, and though they have walked a hard road they still seem to have found contentment. When I asked them how this is possible without God? They say they just choose it, in their own will power and strength. Not easy.

Believers have an oasis of strength in God to draw from in order to do this, and yet we openly and honestly struggle to learn to be content in our challenging circumstances. I believe the ground that exists between reality and our expectations, is the place where disappointment lives! It is the place where dreams are shattered or loss or illness come and steal our perspective or our belief that a certain event or thing would or would not happen. We are faced with the truth of what we really believe about God. We are faced with the obligation to find a way out of our despair. That is when we have to choose to learn to be content. It is not a mind over matter thing, but it starts in our mind. It starts with an honest, hard, humble (and any other ‘h’ words you want to add in) look at what we really feel contentment is. It does not come naturally, it comes supernaturally! It does not come over night, it comes slowly, deeply, painfully but with a promise of joy. real joy that circumstances cannot steal away in a phone call or bad report.

I believe most of us would admit that we are not content. Some are not content with the impact they are having in this world, and that is a different kind of contentment. What I am talking about is that peace that surpasses all understanding, that joy that fills every nook and cranny of your soul.

Imagine if you will, that I have a room in my heart, it has a door leading into it. On the door is a sign, with the name contentment written on it. Today I decided to open that door, although hesitantly, but never the less opening it. Once inside I looked around, and was not at all shocked that it was quite spacious and empty. You see there is a lot more space for contentment in my life than I had otherwise thought. I want my contentment room overflowing, full of life, full of God, full of gifts, full of flowers of joy, overflowing with hope and faith. So much so that I can share my contentment  with others who have forgotten about the hunger they have for it or indeed their loss of it. maybe you had never before admitted that you have been living for years with out it?

So at the start of what the world calls a new year, I want a new room in my heart to begin to explode with life. First it begins by placing your hand on the door knob and turning it, opening the door and allowing truth and time and God to have their way in working together to make all things new in you. We could choose to ignore this room, and carry on pretending that we are fine and don’t need to learn to be content no matter how hard the circumstances are, but is that not tiresome to try to keep a mask on our disappointments, when really all of us struggle with them.

I say open the door, I know I am. I am allowing God’s gentle yet powerful wind to blow through this room, to rearrange the furniture and put things in their rightful place. Some things may stay exactly as they are, but I will have changed. I will find out if I truly trust Him as I say I do. He will show me the sovereignty of His will. I will have learned that the true secret of contentment is in learning that God is good no matter what I see, come what may, day in and day out, rain or shine, for better or worse, for richer or poorer, or in sickness or health.

He is good and He is faithful. This is the truth and only when we can admit that we need to learn to be content can He really take us on an adventure that nothing can ever compare to! When we come to the place of admitting that we are disappointed, only then can healing really begin. Only then can our perspective be strengthened by a God who really wants that kind of real relationship with us. Then we can say with Paul in the book of Philippians:

¹¹ ” Not that I speak in regard to need, for I have learned in whatever state I am, to be content: ¹² I know how to be abased, and I know how to abound. Everywhere and in all things I have learned both to be full and to be hungry, both to abound and to suffer need. ¹³ I can do all things through Christ  who strengthens me.” (Phil 4: 11 – 13)

I have not yet arrived, nor do I assume to understand all the workings of God’s will in my life, or yours. But all I do know, is that our own understanding fails us, as does our own strength. So come, let us reason together, let us choose to at least start to learn to be content, and allow God to plant flowers along the way, and cause our souls to blossom with joy and hope like never before.

Open the door, decide to let your heart move into the street called contentment….It is never too late!

Love Denise

=) Nisey

Strength Will Rise ♣ by Denise

 ~ written by Denise Kennedy

“Hello Sunshine!”…I said as I stood on my bed to open my bedroom window as far as it would go without falling out…and then lay in the early morning sunshine that seemed to promise it would be a glorious blue sky day. The sun streamed in my window and warmed my skin as I eased in to the day with my daily reading and God time. I love days like this when I can be still and quiet and waken my mind to new ideas and plans. My attention drifted as I turned the page of my current devotional, to the sounds of life outside my open window….I thought of God and His creation, and the amazing bird song that filled the garden below.

A huge bumble bee buzzed loudly as it hovered at the entrance to my window, I stared at it intently, and it seemed to stare right back at me as it pondered what to do next. It was so big I am not even sure how those tiny wings actually kept it in the air at all. Finally I won the staring game and it buzzed off to leave me in peace, for if it had come in surely there would have been  a contest between us, and I would have won.

Then the most incredible sound rose from the trees in my garden, a melody so beautiful filled the warm summer air. A lone voice with pitch and accuracy sang a song of frenzy and excitement.

It made me smile. I wondered what birds think as they sing? Do they think of the Creator who made them? Do they think of the next juicy worm they will catch?  Do they wake up eager to fill those lungs with air and belt out those amazing tunes of life and celebration at the dawning of a new day?

I would like to think they do. I guess on a stunningly beautiful day like this, that a song is never hard to find. That it is easy to sing, with such enjoyable and peaceful surroundings as your stage.

No microphone was required, all that is needed is a branch and a key to start. And so it sang and I found myself staring at the incredible blue sky above.

Moments later I returned to the next page of my book and was soon lost in the challenges and truth of the writer and allowed my mind to be consumed with the lesson at hand.

Pages turned and minutes past, and a sound of a different kind drew my attention to the window opened wide beside me…a fresh cool breeze blew and the warmth of the sun vanished…I left my book aside and crawled up on to my window sill, just catching the final ray of sunshine as it disappeared behind a cloud….not just one cloud, but the largest thickest black cloud you could imagine. What a contrast to the scene I had last enjoyed. Just then the rain started, no subtle drops or gradual introduction, it came hard and fast upon an unsuspecting garden. I could smell it in the air…serious rain! The sun was nowhere to be seen, although shining above the clouds for sure. The rain was furious, racing down to kiss the earth, nothing was untouched, it pounded the pathway to the clothes line and bounced off the window sill, inches away from where I sat inside. As I looked I dragged a warm fleece blanket around me and just watched it, it kind of entertained me. I giggled and thought to myself how glad I was to be this side of the window pane.

It was a downpour, of monsoon proportions, huge drops that flattened the grass and weighed heavy on the leaves of the trees. The flowers and summer buds danced along with little choice or option as the rain clearly led the way. Soon came the loud thunder in the clouds, it almost commanded attention with its sudden outburst. I jumped a little as I didn’t expect it. But I still remained on the window sill, as if testing the elements. I was strangely relaxed on my own perch.

Then I heard it, a beautiful response, coming from the heights above me…in the tall trees near by…the birds still sang!  Though everything had changed from a peaceful morning-glory to a darkened wet storm, the birds still sang! I dragged my legs close to me and wrapped my arms around them, huddled and warm and dry under my blanket, as the birds still sang in the rain. Their surroundings were harder now, it was not so easy to sing now as it had been moments ago. This was the kind of rain that would  cause shoppers and cyclists to stop and take shelter in a shop or nearby bus shelter….but no, not the birds, they still found a reason to sing!

If anything they sang louder, as if in competition with this very wet imposter who dared to cause them to be silenced and flee for safety. They sang out the sweetest victorious refrain, and now there were many of them, all joining in together…all different pitches and squeals and twitters. It was magnificent.

I thought to myself, it is a lot like life….the storms come to try to silence the song in us. The rain comes suddenly at times, when we least expect it, and tries to cause us to run away and hide.

But I want to be like these birds, when the storms come, and they will my friend, I want to find a voice deeper with in me that will not be quiet, that will find a way to sing, no matter what I see!

I want to celebrate the rain as well as the sun, for each must come in order for there to be life.

In the storm I want to find strength, the kind of strength that rises from weakness, the kind of strength that finds a song come shine or come rain! The kind of strength that turns in to a song that rises from the lungs of a vessel that knows God is in control and will never fail, never!

I thought of those melodious birds, as the harsh rain drops pelted them on the head, yet they opened their beaks and sang their sweet song, despite the elements or circumstances that surrounded them. Were they taken by surprise by the sudden heavy rains? I doubt it, and even if they were, I think they would still have chosen to respond with their victory song. They know the One who looks after them, who feeds them and clothes them. They know the One who never lets them down, in every season of life. I want to be more like these beautiful songbirds, to sing in every season, a song of trust!

To choose to trust whether sudden or expected changes come my way. Whether I understand my circumstances or not, whether the morning brings joy or the night brings tears.

I know, I am sure you do too, strength is rising! I can hear you now, opening your beak (lips) to sing……=)

Written by Denise Kennedy

June 13th 2011

♣¸.•*”♣¸.•*”♣¸.•*” THANKS for the follow! =) NiseyK