The Gift of God Bijoux

I took this walking through Asheville, North Carolina

Positive Pensées

Kathy King

The Gift of God Bijoux

“God gave you a gift of 86,400 seconds today. Have you used one of them to say, ‘Thank you?’ 

William Arthur Ward

A sparkle, a wink, a small thought to think.

A penny laying on the ground.

A song that gives your spirit a little lift. 

All of these small things, these bijou’s are God’s little gifts.

If you are not looking, you might miss it. 

Each and every day in the hubbub of life, God is there with a little light.

A verse that gives your spirit a lift?

A smile from a stranger and a compliment.

A chance to help someone in need and a simple, “thanks”

This is bijoux in a very small way.

What does bijoux mean you ask?

It is something small, snug, cozy and compact.

It could be a little soul trinket with a hint of sparkle.

In each instance God is saying, “You are a marvel.”

“You are worthy, you matter and you are worth all these gifts.”

So look for the God bijoux.

Your soul and spirit will say thanks.

When life gets to be a bit much and you think you need a little grace. 

I bet if you look just a little, that bijoux will be right there.

To let you know that God Almighty cares.

I love words, particularly those that make you think. I have always had a love for the word bijoux (beezhoo). It means something small, cozy, compact. It can be a little trinket with a touch of sparkle. Today I pondered this idea simply because it had not been the best few days. So much of the time I am guilty of thinking that life circumstances need to be big and monumental. The music must be that of the greatest musicals from the golden age of Hollywood. They must be a full orchestra complete with costumes and people with the voices of angels. The introduction swells, the violins start their wondrous tunes and all is well in life, right? If only. There are times in life when we are doing good to muster up a little attitude of gratitude. A small smile, maybe a moment of quiet. Whatever that may be there are little bits of bijoux everywhere that says, “Hey, you matter.” What could that be? I was always told as a child that if you find a penny on the ground God is thinking of you. That always gave my little heart a boost. Some folks refer to these happenings as, “God-winks.” It is defined as a little coincidence or happening that lets you know that God has not forgotten you. You may be praying for many things in your life. You may have no words to give. At that moment, breathe. Take in the sun, let the wind hit your face. Let nature give you a little grace. The universe is full of bijoux. It may not look like it at the moment much at all. If you still can’t find it, try writing it down. You might just find something. I leave you with the words of Confucius: “I was complaining I had no shoes until I met a man with no feet.” 

My books are on Amazon!

The Quacktastic Adventures of Ellie and Lord Barks a Lot

The Case of the Missing Moo-Cow Bell

The Case of the Missing Bumbly Wumbly Bee

The Case of the Missing Wellies

The Case of the Missing Honk Honk

The Case of the Missing Ornaments

Clean it Up! Wash it Up!

Coming soon!

Appalachian Allegory: A Southern Novel

Buy me a coffee… pretty please… actually it would be a proper cuppa in my case. Thank you for reading! 

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The Gift of Fine Wine

Positive Pensées

Kathy King

The Gift of Fine Wine

“There is a fountain of youth: it is your mind, your talents, the creativity that you bring to your life and the lives of the people you love. When you learn to tap into this source, you will have truly defeated age.”

Sophia Loren

I am sure you have heard the phrase to age like a fine wine.  

What does that really mean in your mind?

A fine wine is made with precious ingredients.

With grapes that are cultivated with care.

After the grapes are harvested they take a much needed rest.

When the vintner begins to make the wine, he doesn’t use a cookbook.

He uses time, cultivation, and history to make his vin de table. 

Fine wine is not about majestic and noble presentation.

Fine wine is about time and patience. 

There may be sediment and the taste will not be light.

To drink a fine wine takes a bold palate and an appreciation for the winemaker whose patient ministrations made this fine wine come to be.  

Taste the fine wine!  Sip, smell, savor the fine wine!  Relish in it!

To some, wine is probably not something they particularly like or prefer.  But the process of making wine is quite intricate and interesting.  Elevage is a French word that describes the nurturing of the wine from fermentation, to barrel, to bottling.  Grapes are harvested when they are perfectly ripe.  Most long time vintners simply taste the grape.  The grapes are then crushed.  After crushing comes fermentation.  After fermentation comes clarification.  Finally the wine is aged and bottled.  That is a lot of steps to get this amazing drink!  Why are we discussing wine?  For one simple reason.  We need fine wine people in our lives.  We need to seek out those with life experience and learn from them.  In our country aging has almost become synonymous with not really relevant because everything must be youthful and new.  You have probably heard the term “boomer” bandied about by young folks, I can assure you it is not a term of respect in most cases.  How do other cultures treat those who are older?  In China they passed an elderly rights law which basically states that they are never to snub nor neglect the elderly.  My aunt is Korean, elderly people are revered and caring for your elderly parents is both expected and an honor.  My cousin takes his role as son so seriously that he started an elderly care home for folks who are experiencing any sort of neglect! We in our youth-centric society could learn a few things from these cultures.  France also has elder care laws.  Even Italian families are just one big happy family.  My husband and I had the pleasure to meet someone’s “Nonna” in New York.  She was treated like a queen.  Why? Because I bet if you take the time they can give you tips to “age like a fine wine”.  They have lived through many circumstances that we in our society have never faced.  I work with the elderly.  One phrase that I hear commonly is, “You just have to learn to laugh.”  Also phrases akin to “You just need to focus on the good things going on in your life and let go of the situations you cannot control.” One common theme I hear often is to have an attitude of thankfulness for just how much you have.  To love fiercely, to not always take everything too seriously because we all are not getting out of this alive.  I once had a sweet little lady tell me that smile lines are a blessing!  It means you have smiled! I have heard, take the trip, eat the chocolate, and sip the wine and moderation is key.  How could we in our audacious youth could have known all of these things?  We couldn’t!  That is why we need “fine wine” people in our life so that we can one day be fine wine to others.  I leave you with this quote by Andy Rooney, “The best classroom in the world is at the feet of an elderly person.”.  Find some fine wine people!

My books are on Amazon!

The Quacktastic Adventures of Ellie and Lord Barks a Lot

The Gift of Roots and Shoots

Photo Credit: My husband

Positive Pensées

Kathy King

The Gift of Roots and Shoots

“Till your mental soil with determination. Fertilize your emotional soil with positive words.  And plant the seed of your heart’s desire with your disciplined efforts.”

Iyanla Vanzant

When you think of a tiny seed what comes to mind?

Do you think of all the varieties of plants this tiny pod can design?

Flowers, fruit, vegetables and trees. 

There are so many wonderful things that come from seeds. 

Those seeds need to be watered, cultivated and fertilized.

These seeds grow the trees that are truly poems to nature and humanity.

The roots go deep and reach very far. 

They draw their life force from the soil whether soft or hard.

What are your seeds and roots made of?

What kind of soil is cultivating your roots?

Are you fertilizing and care for those roots and shoots?

What are the shoots? 

The roots of the tree shoot everywhere in the ground so that they can become really tall trees. 

Cultivate good seeds, nourish your roots.  

Be the best version with robust roots and shoots. 

Do you ever pause and think about just how wondrous a tiny seed can be?  Look around you, the trees in all of their glory stand tall because of seeds. A seed is an actual embryonic plant enclosed with a hard exterior.   We eat fruits and vegetables because our ancestors cultivated seeds for us to eat.  Flowers in all their beauty are from seeds.  Seeds are life itself.  Every seed that we enjoy today originated from wild plants that were bitter and sour. They were not at all palatable to the human sense of taste.  Since the inception of finding seeds, humankind has constantly worked to improve the seeds quality for an even more robust harvest. Inside those seeds there is usually a supply of nutrients that enables that seed to sprout and grow.  Seeds come in many diverse sizes. There are a fair amount of very small seeds and diversely some large seeds.  The seeds that are smaller germinate much more quickly.  Seeds can be sown through the wind, carried by animals and even transplanted by ants.  After the sowing comes germination, where the seed actually begins to grow.  This is all dependent on the environment in which the seed is sown.  If the seed is not watered it will dry up and eventually die.  What an amazing process from such a small origin.  How do seeds relate to our everyday life?  Well, it is quite obvious that we need to plant good seeds in our life and conversely plant good seeds into the lives of others.  Some folks may not be ready to receive the message but you have planted the seed.  The same is true for us.  Those seeds are there, waiting to come forth from their pod and produce goodness in our life.  To those seeds that are not needed. We can let them dry and wither.  We all are different, we need different seeds to grow and thrive in our life.  Our thoughts are like seeds.  What do you dwell on?  If the majority of those musings are mostly negative the harvest will be a bad attitude right?  What if you take those turgid thoughts and water them with thoughts like, what can I learn?  How can I be better?  How can I plant a seed so that this place of dwelling goes from darkness to light?  No seed starts out as a beautiful garden awash in vegetation and flowers.  It takes time, effort, pruning, nourishing, watering and discipline.  The very first time I fancied myself a gardener I just bought a few seeds from our local department store.  I had no idea what I was doing, I had no idea what kind of soil to use.  I was in fact, clueless.  The first year (I am not kidding) I planted about 4 tomato plants in my backyard, in the shade and in the Georgia red clay soil.  I did not fertilize it, I just thought, hey!  It will grow.  My neighbor is an avid gardener.  He has impressive stalks of corn that look glorious. He has tomatoes for days, beans, herbs, onion, garlic, muscadine vines.  It is quite impressive.  I told him how my plants just wouldn’t grow.  He very graciously came over and in a very fatherly voice said, “My dear, you need sunlight and good soil to start with.  After that some good watering and patience your seeds will start to grow.”  He led me to a better spot to plant my tomatoes.  After planting them in a better, more sunny area we had a bumper crop of nice big red tomates.  The seeds were there, they were just not thriving where they were planted.  My sweet neighbor in all of his very sage wisdom taught me a lesson that day.  Plant the seeds of your life in an area that will cause you to grow and to give the gift of seeds and possibly positive growth to others.  Those roots and shoots will travel throughout the ground making for a much stronger foundation, after that those seeds can be carried far and wide to hopefully make someone else find a fertile place to grow. 

Source:tinybuddha.com

My books are on Amazon! 

The Quacktastic Adventures of Ellie and Lord Barks a Lot

The Gift of Perfection

Positive Pensées

Kathy King 

The Gift of Perfection

“Continuous improvement is better than delayed perfection.”

Mark Twain

Perfect. 

Without flaws.

Not a wrinkle to be seen.

Perfection, is it attainable or actually real?

After all, isn’t the phrase, “To err is human, to forgive divine” the epitome of the futility in this life of trying to make that impossible climb.  

Continuous improvement. 

A will to do your best. 

A dash of discipline and patience. 

A cup of grit and a tenacious will. 

This will move you more toward perfection than just expecting it by sheer will. 

Strive for perfection, absolutely do your best. 

But don’t beat yourself up when it is not your perfect best. 

If we all were perfect, how could we ever learn?

To be better, to do better, to pass the test. 

That dear reader is perfection at its best. 

This morning I was thinking about perfection.  That one moment when the sink is free of dishes.  Actually that 2.5 seconds that the sink is free of dishes is a more accurate representation of the truth.  That 1.5 seconds that there is not one shred of laundry to wash.  The glorious pay day that sits there, if only for a minute before you have to pay for everything.  Would you say that is perfection?  Perhaps.  Here is the concept, if that is perfection… Well, it is only momentary.  As a pianist and singer, I can practice something forty thousand times, it will sound wonderful to my ears and to my family’s ears.  But… I can go to the venue and mess up quite spectacularly.  So, perfection...  Yeah, it may not be achievable.  As we look at what is going on in the world, I can’t help but think that our “perfections” from the safety of our homes is important yet small compared to what others are going through.  If anything, I would say those folks who are really struggling would say, “Do your best!  You never know what will happen next.”  In other words, keep trying even if you know that it won’t be perfect, keep writing, keep praying even if you have not gotten the answer yet.  How often do you start a task, get frustrated, leave the task, start it again and… then give up? I have done it over and over recently. Earlier today I was listening to a podcast about the concept of happiness. Did you know that we as a society are the least “happy” we have been in quite some time. The leading cause? Well, again and again the conversation came back to social media. Perfect lives, airbrushed perfection of skin. Growing old gracefully? The hosts said that concept is completely lost on society at the moment. I also heard about a concept of “quiet walking” that is apparently gaining popularity. While I am glad that the younger folks are walking without the distraction of noise in their ears... I couldn’t help but think… Generation upon generation did that for millennia. What did Soloman say in the Bible? “The thing that hath been, it is that which shall be; and that which is done is that which shall be done: and there is no new thing under the sun. What has been is what will be, and what has been done is what will be done, and there is nothing new under the sun.” Ecclesiastes 1:9. To me this passage means that we humans from age to age struggle with the question of existence. Why are we here? What is my purpose? Technology may advance and change, but that basic question will always remain. Thank goodness we are not expected to be perfect. The podcast ended with a theory that we humans should re-embrace the concept of service to others. To know that there is something greater than self. This leads to "soular" peace. Do you have to be a doormat? No, absolutely not.  However, you can adopt a servant's heart. The speaker ended with the concept of flowers and seeds. Cut flowers are beautiful but they die, if you just focus on selfies, self, me! Me! Me! That eventually dies. But if you cultivate that flower of service, of love, etc.. and keep it growing that will lead to germination and more flowers, more goodness, more common decency and less perfection. I work with older folks, the median age is probably about 75 years old. This morning I was talking with them about perfection. Mr. Patrick looked at me and said, “Sugar, that is not even possible. I see you young folks lookin’ at those phones, takin’ all those pictures, you live your lives there. I am going to tell you this, when you get to my age you realize that what you want from life is to help others and promote peace. That is better than any old selfie or phone any day. You ain’t gonna find perfection no where on this earth. You are going to just have to strive to be better.” Wise words, Mr. Patrick. 

My books are on Amazon!

The Quacktastic Adventures of Ellie and Lord Barks a Lot

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 Thanksgiving

Positive Pensées

Kathy King

The Gift of Thanksgiving

“Gratitude can transform common days into thanksgivings, turn routine jobs into joy, and change ordinary opportunities into blessings.”.

William Arthur Ward

Thankfulness is a mindset.

A chosen way to be.. when all you see around you is calamity.

The news, the zeitgeist, the leaders and all that folks convey, is sadness, madness, and general dismay.

Thankfulness is a knowing, a spiritual mindedness.

That even when times are ridiculous, you can possess a mindset, a perspective that lends itself to be humble to know to count all the blessings that surround you.  

Even the ones you cannot see. 

So please practice thankfulness and you will see a change in your perspective that will help you in times of catastrophe. 

 

Thanksgiving is upon us. Wow! I cannot believe how fast this year has gone by. I am looking forward to the dressing. I believe folks from up north call it stuffing. In the south we call it dressing. I could take or leave the turkey. I started to ponder thankfulness on this very cold first day of November. Do you ever look through your pictures and think, “That was a wonderful day!” You could think of a variety of emotions, beauty, joy, and even sadness.  How do you cultivate an attitude of daily thankfulness?  To be sure it is no easy task. Some folks come by the practice quite easily.  Some refer to those folks as the cup is half full not half empty people.  I am quite confident even those folks struggle from time to time with an attitude, a longing to find something to be thankful for. I have a friend who is going through quite a difficult time.  Her relationship of many years has dissolved, she has to find a new place to live and to top it off, se has to find a new job as well.  I was prepared to give her a I am so sorry you are going through this, I wish there is something I could do to help this situation.  Before even uttering the words my friend stopped me and said, “I am at peace with what is happening in my life.  Rather than looking at this as an impasse, I choose to view this situation as an opportunity to start over just a little older and wiser.” Wow, I was flabbergasted.  To have such a dire situation and so many changes he maintains an attitude of gratitude.  She did say that she did struggle with a great deal of sadness but she chooses to let the emotion both be her guide and teacher.  What can we glean from my friends point of view?  I would say several ideas and suggestions.  In any given situation, you can choose to take the path of “woe is me” or the path of “what can this teach me?”.  Each road can lead you down a wave of emotions that to be quite honest is quite different.  Let us consider the woe is me path.  When you feel sorry, anxious, or even just have a little party who does it build up or help?  Certainly not yourself… and trust me, I am so guilty of the woe is me path. Much like planting seeds when you plant a seed of woefulness this can most certainly yield a crop of bitterness, resentment, and even anger.  Is it ok to feel those feelings?  Absolutely.  My husband tells our children when they encounter a moment of adversity or even depression he says, “Give it 48 hours, after that don’t stay in that pea soup of bad emotions.  Get up!  Take a walk, try to read something positive to pull yourself out of that egregious place.”  Now, if you proactively choose the path of, “What can I learn from this situation?”.  What would that yield?  Your crop most certainly would be a bit more thankfulness, learnedness, and even a vision to see how you can proceed with your future.  Study after study has shown that your attitude, your way of looking at the varying situations of life directly impacts your health and your outlook.  Even in the most dire of circumstances how can you cultivate an attitude of thankfulness?  By making the purposeful conscious choice to do so.  It may not always be the easy path.  But, in the words of Jesus Christ, “Enter through the narrow gate.  For wide is the gate and broad and easy to travel is the path that leads to destruction and eternal loss, and there are many who enter through it.”  Wise words to heed.  Let us be thankful, mindful and grateful. Turn your common day into a Thanksgiving!

Source:  Biblehub.com Matthew 7:13

My books are on Amazon!

The Quacktastic Adventures of Ellie and Lord Barks a Lot

The Case of the Missing Cow Bell

The Case of the Missing Bumbly Wumbly Bee

The Case of the Missing Wellies

The Case of the Missing Honk Honk

Coming soon!

The Case of the Missing Ornaments!

Other books by Katherine:

Clean it up! Wash it Up!

Appalachian Allegory

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