BATHROOM DIVAS

I had an interesting comment today that led me to a very interesting blog where I found this picture of me and other bloggers who were at the tea last Saturday. I posted pictures of the tea on my other blog. If you haven't seen them, you can click HERE to go to my other blog.

It seems Sheila has a habit of taking pictures of herself in the mirrors of public bathrooms. See that hand holding the camera? Supposedly that's her hand taking our picture here. Oh no. It's the Magical Diva Snapping Fairy. I just thought it was Sheila. How cute. It takes some talent to compose a picture like this. I love it. Now I know I've got your curiosity aroused and you want to know more about Sheila if you are not already acquainted with her. So, click right HERE to pay her a visit. She will be glad you dropped by － and so will you.

BOOK REVIEW

When you read a book that makes you cry one minute and a few pages later you're laughing hilariously you know that book is a winner. We were at a Border's book store that was going out of business and some books had been marked down 60%. I really had no intentions of buying a book. I had just gone there with hubby because he is the "real" book lover in the family. But when I saw Susan's book marked down to $11.00, I couldn't resist it. I fell in love with her along with the rest of the western world when we all discovered what a wonderful voice she has.

Susan tells the story of her interesting life beginning when she was born in a little village in Scotland through all her experiences to become the woman she was born to be. If I had paid full price for the book it would have been well worth it.

My hubby reviews books all the time for different publishers. He has many many books on his sidebar. You can click on any one of them to go to his review of that book. You can click HERE to visit his blog.

 Now I think I'll open up iTunes and listen to some of Susan's music.

SEASONS OF THE SOUL

Spring is in the air. I think people in general are happier to see spring come this year than anytime in the recent years. Maybe it's because winter has been so brutal in many parts of the country. Anyway, I was thinking "Spring" when deciding what to share for Spiritual Sundays this week and decided to share the following poem by Helen Steiner Rice.

The Seasons of the Soul

Why am I cast down and despondently sad

When I long to be happy and joyous and glad?

Why is my heart heavy with unfathomable weight

As I try to escape this soul-saddened state?

I ask myself often what makes life this way?

Why is the song silenced in the heart that was gay?"

And then with God's help it all becomes clear.

The soul has its seasons just the same as the year.

I too must pass through life's autumn of dying,

A desolate period of heart-hurt and crying,

Followed by winter in whose frostbitten hand

My heart is as frozen as the snow-covered land.

Yes, man too must pass through the seasons God sends,

Content in the knowledge that everything ends.

                             - Helen Steiner Rice 

 

 

Please join us each weekend at Spiritual Sundays to share inspiration and encouragement.

Click HERE to go to that blog. 

ENGLISH TEA

Here is a short video of the English Rose Tea Room where bloggers in this area will be gathering Saturday afternoon.

LEARNING FROM GEESE

There is much to be learned from geese. I love the following devotional in the little book called Keep On Dancin' by Tim Hansel.

Therefore encourage one another and build each other up,

just as in fact you are doing.

I Thessalonians 5:11

There are four things that geese have to teach us.
     One, they rotate their leadership. When the lead goose gets tired, he rotates back in the wing and another goose flies point.
     Second, by flying in a V-formation, the whole flock gets seventy-one percent greater flying range than if each bird flew on its own.
     Third, when a goose gets sick or is wounded, two geese fall out of formation and follow him down to help and protect him.
     Finally, it's the geese in the back who honk, letting the leaders know that they're following and all is well. If people thought we would be constantly honking encouragement to them, our churches would have standing room only.

Oh God, help me to remember to encourage rather than criticize. 

                                                      -Tim Hansel

As I was thinking about encouragement, it occurred to me how each of us who share on Spiritual Sundays encourage each other. So many of you have told Ginger and me how much you appreciate going there each weekend and sharing. OK. We won't be "honking" but we do want to encourage each one of you and thank you for being a part of this ministry. If you didn't come here from Spiritual Sundays, just click HERE and it will take you there. 

 

BLOGGING WOMEN'S MINISTRY

Today for Spiritual Sundays I decided to share with you a new ministry led by Christie Love. Here are some links to click to get more info..

https://www.facebook.com/LeadHer 

Another link is Christie's web page. Christie Love http://thelovenotessite.com/

We LOVE our LeadHer Bloggers! If you have a blog and are interested in joining the LeadHer blogger pool for special access to our ministry, team, and events you can join at http://www.facebook.com/home.php?sk=group_154494171271433&ap=1 http://www.facebook.com/home.php?sk=group_154494171271433&ap=1 www.facebook.com


Some of you are aware that last week someone set up a fake facebook account for me and invited most of my facebook friends to join. Over 50 of them did join and I've been contacting each one of them to unfriend the fake site but there are still 11 of my friends that haven't taken their names off yet. The fake account even has my picture on it so it is easy to fool people. I'm saying this to say that I have been very careful since that happened to click on anything on facebook. I do believe this LeadHer ministry is legitimate or I would not be recommending it here.

It seems like this will be a good way to share our faith and our blogs with other Christians on facebook. Of course you need to be on facebook to participate in the LeadHer group.

You probably came here by clicking my link on Spiritual Sundays, but if not you can go to that blog by clicking HERE.  Over 300 people are now following that blog and we are so pleased about that.

INTROVERTS

It's been officially confirmed. I'm an introvert. I've always known it but hadn't given it a lot of thought until I started reading a book entitled  The Introvert Advantage How to Thrive in an Extrovert World by  Marti Olsen Laney, Psy.D. As I was growing up I knew I was not outgoing like so many people were and I wished I was. Even after I was grown people would comment about me being so quiet. It always irritated me for people to say that because I always thought if I had something I wanted to say I would say it. I didn't just "blab" on and on like so many other people did. Introverts are outnumbered 3 to 1 by extroverts. Some think it is as high as 4 to 1. Introverts many times think about what they are going to say before they say something. Extroverts tend to just talk more spontaneously.

Another thing I found out by reading this book is that it isn't just a psychological thing. There is a physical difference in the brains of innies and outies. (Introverts are called innies and extroverts are outies). The book explained that. I won't try to explain it here.

Innies enjoy spending time alone while outies feel much better when they are surrounded by a lot of activity. The author of the book is an introvert. The following excerpt from the book had me saying, "Hey, that's me."

The way my brain worked puzzled me. I couldn't figure out why I could think of lots of comments after the fact. I found my thoughts were like lost airline baggage, they arrived some time later. 

Socializing was also a confusing experience. I enjoyed people, and people seemed to like me, but I often dreaded going out. I would go back and forth deciding whether to show up at a party or public event. I concluded I was a social chicken. Sometimes I felt awkward and uncomfortable; at other times I felt okay. Even when I was having a wonderful time, I was eyeing the door and fantasizing about snuggling in bed in my pajamas. 

About now (if you're still with me here), you're probably thinking "who really cares, Charlotte, whether you are an introvert or not." I'm writing this because I know there are a lot of us "innies" out there and I wish I had read this book about 60 years ago.  If you still have children at home, and you think they are introverts, you really should get this book and read it. I know I would have been happier with myself as I was growing up and even after I was grown if I had known why I was not outgoing and that it was okay to be who I was. I still would rather be an extrovert than an introvert. It just seems like life is easier for them. My mother was an extrovert and my dad was an introvert. I always wished I was more like my mother, but I wasn't.

The book goes into detail in explaining the differences in innies and outies. If you are an extrovert, which most people are, I hope you will be more aware that there are quite a few of us introverts out there and try to understand us and not judge us too harshly. It's OK to be an introvert, and there actually are a lot of advantages to being one.