The Gift of One Day at a Time

Photo Credit: My husband

Positive Pensées

Kathy King

The Gift of One Day at a Time

“Before your head hits the pillow tonight, remind yourself of the things you did right. Let go of the things you could have done better. Be patient with yourself, and remember that big things are achieved not all at once, but rather one day at a time.”

Unknown

There are days when you just can’t find the strength.

There are days when you feel that your feelings are on the brink.

There are days when loneliness persists.

There are days you wonder, “What did I miss?”

There are days when it is all that you can do is to put one foot in front of the other. 

There are days when you feel you will never recover.

There are days when you climb that mountain top

There are days you just wish you could make it to the base of the hill.

No matter where your feelings lie.

Remember dear one, before your head hits the pillow at night.

To give yourself some grace and remember God’s love.

When you find yourself in a place where there is little to no self love.

Remember those little steps that you took.

One moment at a time, day by day.

Be patient with yourself, find the small things that you did right.

So that when you do reach the mountain top, you’ll see you did it one day at a time.

There is a song that I remember from the Baptist church as a child. It was called “One Day at a time, Sweet Jesus.” In the song the lyrics ask for the strength to do the things that you need to do day by day. The song continues on by asking for God to show them the way one day at a time. I will say, 2023 has been a year where there have been days that it was all that I could do to put one foot in front of the other. I know of several folks who have truly struggled to make it this year. Add on top of that the wars that are being waged all over the world. The division in our country, the news media, social media, etc… etc.. etc..  It can be a bit overwhelming. What do we do? If you are a person of faith, prayer comes to mind. Find something to fill your soul and spirit that will lift you up. Find that attitude that you were able to put one foot in front of the other. This is a deeply personal subject to me. When I was rushed to the hospital with a blood pressure of 210/120, my pulse was pushing 170. I was scared. The ambulance folks thought I might be having a stroke or some sort of heart issue. As I made it to the hospital they discovered that my organs were basically shutting down. The liver was not great, the kidneys, etc.. I was not doing well. I had 12 banana (nutrient) bags, 15 hours of magnesium infusions, 8 hours of potassium infusions, etc…  I also had a paralyzed stomach, I could keep no food down, nor water. Then… I found out my iron was so low that in the words of the Dr, “It is a wonder you can put one foot in front of the other.”  This was all due to a very popular drug that is on the market for the treatment of diabetes. When I was talking to my nurse friend a few days ago, we were catching up after my recovery. She looked at me and told me that I was very fortunate to be alive. She explained with everything that was wrong I am a walking miracle. I had realized this, but I have/had been struggling with the fact that along with those issues my immune system was also very compromised. I have/had been giving myself a hard time that I still cannot do everything that I would like. I have cried, I have wailed, I have beaten myself up over and over because I was not doing everything that I could to help at home. I had to let others care for me. To my husband’s credit he stayed by my side. He bought me ensure. He took me back to the hospital when I was so weak I could barely stand. Yet here I was, still beating myself up. After my long talk with my nurse friend I decided enough was enough. My numbers are slowly improving, I have more strength today than I did a few months ago. I had to stop. I needed an attitude adjustment pretty quickly. Each day I try to find something that I did to move myself forward. I started bike riding again last week. That is huge. I huffed, I puffed, I was sore, I only made it two miles but I did it. Yesterday, I made it eight miles. It was slow. I was sucking wind like a trooper but I did it. Why do I share this? Well, I have been attending counseling recently to deal with a variety of life issues. It was in a session that I was encouraged to share my struggles so that maybe, just maybe I could help someone else and in turn, remember those steps that were taken. I will say, all of this was by the grace of God. So dear readers, I encourage you if you are struggling to take it one day at a time, one prayer at a time, one step at a time. You will eventually reach the top of that glorious mountain and take in the view. As I have written in other musings, the valley will come again. But, you climbed that mountain once. You will be more equipped to climb higher next time, one day at a time. 

One Day at a Time

By :Marijohn Wilkin and Kris Kristofferson.

My books are on Amazon!

The Quacktastic Adventures of Ellie and Lord Barks a Lot

The Gift of Apples

Positive Pensées

Kathy King

The Gift of Apples

“Every thought is a seed, if you plant crab apples don’t count on harvesting Golden Delicious.”

Bill Meyer

Apples are a fruit that sometimes is overlooked. 

But what a multitude of snacks and dishes this small little fruit can produce. 

Apples can be savory or sweet dishes. 

There is a cornucopia of apple dishes that are quite delicious. 

There are at least 2500 varieties of apples today. 

Some tangy, some a little sweet, some sweet like molasses and honey.

Some apples are a little bitter but that is okay.  

They can be made into a delicious pie for all to appreciate.

You and I are like apples, we come in many varieties.

Each of us has a place and purpose in the grand scheme of humanity.

Find out what kind of apple you are and cultivate a beautiful tree that is full of love, compassion and humility.

Today is Halloween. As a child we never celebrated it. Growing up in the belly of the Bible Belt meant that you were not doing that.  At all. We had Hallelujah Parties at the Baptist Church. I really don’t have any terrible memories of that time. I remember it was Bible themed and a lot of fun. Also, I have never, ever, ever o a scary movie in my life. Some folks love them, good on ya mate. Not me. Life is scary enough in my opinion. I do however relate to the fall season, the harvest moon, the crisp cool air. Yesterday the leaves were raining down in our backyard. It was like a picturesque postcard. After watching the nature show I got to thinking about apples and fall. My favorite variety of apple would probably be a gala apple. It is not too sweet but not too tart. What kind of apple are you? An Apple a day keeps the doctor away! Does anyone remember that saying?  While it is not actually true, one little tidbit came from the study about folks who ate an apple a day.  They were on less medications.  Apples.  There are so many varieties of them.  Twenty five hundred to be exact. Each has a distinct flavor and intended purpose.  There are traditional apples that we have heard of like a honey crisp.  But then there is a lesser known apple called the Esopus Spitzenburg, it was a favorite of Thomas Jefferson.  Inside the apple there are five to eight seeds all of which can be planted and made into apple trees.  You need only to plant two trees to yield an abundance of fruit.  Historically speaking apples have a very long history.  One of my favorite stories of lore is that of Johnny Appleseed. I used to love the little tales about him.  He went from place to place planting a variety of apple trees and spreading Christianity to the villages all around him. I often thought that this story was made up but… he was a real man. He wore a pot on his head for a hat and a cooking utensil. He mainly went around barefoot going from village to village planting apple trees and spreading what was close to his heart. I read that he was not a particularly poor man, he just chose to live humbly. Back to apples… What kind of apple are you? The apple does not have to be one exclusive to type. Some days you may need to be like a Granny Smith, you know a little tart to take away the abundance of sweet. You could be a buttery golden delicious apple with just a mild touch of sweet. Pick your apple because those trees can teach us a lesson. A lesson in patience. Why? Because the day you plant the seed is not the day you eat the fruit. Apples take up to four to ten years to produce fruit. You may be praying for answers in your life, you may not see the fruit of the seeds you have planted. With some time, prayer, patience and a lot of good sunlight you will produce a tree of fruit. I leave you with some advice from an apple: Be well rounded. Savor variety. Let your plans ripen. Eat healthy. Take a bit out of life! 

Source: usapple.com

The Gift of a Squeal of Joy!

Big churches with tall ceilings make me want to squeal with Joy! 

Positive Pensées

Kathy King

The Gift of a Squeal of Joy!

“Joy does not simply happen to us.  We have to choose joy and keep choosing it every day.”

Henry JM Nouwen

If something gives you joy, take a moment and proclaim it.

In a world where real jubilation is absent. 

Take that moment of joy and grab it!

A little squeal, a little smile of delight.

This small action might just make you feel just right.

Focus on the ebullience, the exhilaration, the glee. 

Be a source of joy so that others can see.

Find joy even when life seems bleak.  

If you try you will be able to glean that small sliver of happiness that will give you an inner twinkle and gleam. 

Make that shout, that scream, the one simple sound.

In a world where folks are shouting madness, make your joy resound!

Joy. What does it mean? It means a feeling of great pleasure or happiness.  Let’s face it, there are so little sources of joy in a time when money is tight, the geopolitical situation is tenuous at best. Top that off with social media and the general division that is fed to us by social media it is no wonder that folks are just not feeling joyful at all.  Recently my husband and I had the pleasure to visit our sweet little one-year-old granddaughter.  Her little squeals of joy were absolutely medicine for the soul and spirit.  She has a little dog named Yoda and they are thick as thieves.  Each time Yoda leaves his crate she starts screaming at the top of her lungs, “Yoda!” Little Yoda comes to her and greets her with just as much excitement as our little grandchild.  This scenario gave way to an interesting thought.  Perhaps we should try a little squeal of delight when a small good thing comes our way?  Another little simply adorable activity that our little grandchild engages in is ducks. She loves them so very much.  So much so that she has them all over her little play area. We played with ducks, she kept saying, “Quack Quack!” in her screaming happy voice.  After putting her to sleep for the night my husband decided to put ducks all over the room in varying places on the top of picture frames.  The next morning our little gal came down and started to notice the ducks that were scattered here and there.  Once again she squealed with joy and started pointing at the ducks that were dispersed all over the room.  So simple an act but so impactful. What can we learn from this?  Find those little sources of joy each day.  Is it coffee?  Give a little soul and tastebud squeal.  Is it just reading a book?  Talking to your significant other?  Your children?  The possibilities are endless.  Stop waiting for that joy to find you.  How many times have you heard the phrase, “One day I will find joy.”  If we operate in the “one day” mindset we will most certainly never get there.  Laugh more, breathe more, surround yourself with positive people.  If you can’t find anything that makes you squeal, start focusing on the little things.  Those little deposits will fill up your well and one day you will find that joy like our little granddaughter.  Children can really teach us a lot if we let them.  I leave you all with this little antidote.  Life is sometimes a bed of thorns, a puddle of mudd, a pothole on the highway and it might deny you joy but life is going to respond to your attitude and happiness is a choice.  Squeal for joy!

Source: Success.com

My books are on Amazon!

The Quacktastic Adventures of Ellie and Lord Barks a Lot

The Case of the Missing Honk Honk is live!

Coming soon:

The Case of the Missing Ornaments

Appalachian Allegory